Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A BALANCED SCORECARD FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING LTL MOTOR CARRIER QUALITY PERFORMANCE

Quality of service is an issue of great concern for shippers and motor carriers. This study uses a balanced scorecard approach to assess the performance of less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carriers in providing the level of service quality demanded by shippers. Five critical dimensions are identified as variables used by shippers to rate their carriers. These quality variables are: performance, equipment and operations, information technology, customer service and value. Cluster analysis was used to examine whether motor carriers pursue balanced strategies and prioritize their objectives with those desired by customers. Results indicate that LTL carriers do attempt to pursue a balance in performance across the five quality variables and that they try to prioritize the needs of their core customers over those of their secondary customers. Multiregional and regional carriers tend to be perceived more favorably than national carriers by their customers. However, the results of this study do not support the hypothesis that carriers provide their customers with the quality attributes that are important to them. Significant differences, by performance variable, were found between the motor carrier achieved levels of performance and the customer targeted levels of performance. This suggests the need for further research on the process of strategic planning and goal prioritization of LTL motor carriers.
Simultaneous localization and data-interrogation using a 24-GHz modulated-reflector FMCW radar system

In this paper, the integration of a communication link for a modulated-reflector radar is presented. This kind of radar system is intended to determine the position of multiple semi-passive backscatter reflector nodes, designed to be mounted on different objects of interest. A method to transport information from these objects back to the radar-basestation is sketched, using the available hardware-resources of the nodes. In addition a technique minimizing the influence of this communication link on the localization capability of the system is presented and validated by measurements.
Motor and extramotor neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A 3T high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) study

Abstract In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) has produced mounting evidence of a widespread white matter (WM) damage within motor and extramotor pathways. To provide novel information about the degenerative process in ALS, overcoming some of the limitations imposed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we performed a high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) analysis of DW-MRI data. Generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA) was evaluated in 19 patients with ALS and 19 matched control subjects, and was correlated with clinical scores of disability, pyramidal impairment by upper motor neuron (UMN) score and frontal dysfunction by the Frontal Systems Behaviour (FrSBe) scale. Results demonstrated that ALS patients showed a significant decrease of GFA in the WM tracts underneath the left and right precentral gyri and the body of the corpus callosum (p < 0.05, corrected), where GFA was significantly related to UMN scores (p < 0.001, uncorrected); and in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (p < 0.05, corrected), where GFA was significantly related to FrSBe scale scores (p < 0.01, uncorrected). In conclusion, this study revealed a pattern of motor and extramotor frontal diffusivity abnormalities (probably related to behavioural and cognitive dysfunctions) showing a spatial distribution similar to what was previously described in ALS − frontotemporal dementia continuum.
Design and Stability Analysis of Networked Predictive Control Systems

This brief is concerned with the networked predictive control and stability analysis for networked control systems (NCSs) with time-varying network communication delay. By taking the full advantage of the packet-based transmission in NCSs, a state-based networked predictive control approach is proposed to actively compensate the network communication delay. Based on switched system approach, stability analysis result is also established via the average dwell time technique. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by a practical experiment.
Longitudinal Cerebral Perfusion Decrease in Mild Alzheimer’s Disease Revealed by SPECT with Statistical Parametric Mapping Method

Fifteen patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease received baseline and follow-up technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime SPECT examinations paired with neuropsychological assessments, including the Cognitive Ability Screening Instruments (CASI). The differences between baseline and follow-up SPECT images were analyzed by the voxel-based paired t test of the statistical parametric mapping technique. A simple regression analysis was also conducted to analyze the correlation between CASI sub-scores and both sets of SPECT images. In comparison with baseline images, cerebral perfusion at follow-up was significantly reduced in the left superior and middle temporal gyri, right middle and inferior temporal gyri, and right fusiform gyrus. A significant correlation was demonstrated between the list-generating fluency CASI sub-score and perfusion of the left fusiform gyrus. The visual construction sub-score was significantly correlated with perfusion of the right superior and medial frontal gyri.
Dual-Band Omnidirectional Circularly Polarized Antenna Using Zeroth- and First-Order Modes

This letter discusses the development of a dual-band omnidirectional circularly polarized (CP) antenna using the zeroth- and the first-order resonance modes of epsilon-negative (ENG) transmission lines (TLs). The antenna is based on a circular mushroom structure with curved branches and designed without additional feeding parts for a 90 ° phase difference between two orthogonal modes as well as additional radiators for dual-band operations. A left-hand CP (LHCP) and a right-hand CP (RHCP) are obtained at the zeroth- and the first-order resonance modes, respectively, because the current direction of the curved branch, which is related to a horizontal polarization, at the zeroth-order resonance (ZOR) mode is opposite to that at the first-order resonance (FOR) mode. The measured average axial ratios at the resonance modes in the azimuthal plane are 1.57 and 0.86 dB, respectively. The measured average LHCP and RHCP gains are - 0.24 dBic at the ZOR mode and -0.51 dBic at the FOR mode, respectively. These results are congruent with simulated data.
Improvement of motor performance of HIV‐positive patients under AZT therapy

We performed motor tests (most rapid alternating movements [MRAMs] of index fingers and most rapid contractions [MRCs] of voluntary isometric index finger extensions) in HIV-positive patients with (group 1) and without (group 2) AZT treatment over a 6-month period. Whereas MRAMs remained uninfluenced, MRCs showed a clear improvement in the treated group and a decline in the nontreated group, according to the T helper cell counts. MRCs were not only a sensitive test procedure for detecting subclinical lesions in HIV-positive patients, but also a reliable therapy control measurement.
OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE AND INTERACTION EFFECTS OF FIRM PERFORMANCE ON MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY DISCLOSURES

A rich empirical research suggests that corporate disclosures are important means for management to communicate firm performance and governance to outside investors. (e.g. Chau & Gray, 2002; Mohd Ghazali & Weetman, 2006). In the last few years, there is an increasing attention regarding non-financial information disclosure in companies' annual reports. An important development in relation to this is the discussion paper and subsequently statement practice on Management Commentary (MC) issued by the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB). However, differences in institutional characteristics affecting financial reporting incentives across countries adopting various pronouncements issued by IASB are expected to have an effect on the extent of non financial disclosure in MC (Soderstrom & Sun, 2007). Using the annual reports of 210 Malaysian listed companies, this study aims to investigate the effects of ownership structure on the extent of management commentary information in two disclosure periods (2006 and 2008). The two-year window period enables an examination of MC disclosure practices in the year before and after the revision of Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance in 2007. Results of this study provide evidence that family owned companies are associated with lower incentives to disclose more comprehensive MC disclosures. This result contradicts the relationships revealed by goverment owned companies. The interaction effects of firm performance on the relationships between ownership structure and the extent of MC disclosures only provide significant relationships for government owned companies. The insignificant effect on family owned companies suggest that managers in these companies avoid detailed disclosure of MC information in order to evade close monitoring by outside investors (Shleifer & Vishny, 1997). In addition, the results also indicate that the corporate governance revision has not resulted in the desired level of monitoring in influencing managers to disclose more comprehensive voluntary information. Alternatively, these results provide support to the view that mandatory requirements provide a vehicle through which countries characterized with concentrated ownership structure can enhance their financial reporting infrastructure and improve investor protection (Hope et al., 2006). Overall, the findings provide useful information to IASB, standard setters and other regulatory bodies in promoting transparency and convergence of corporate disclosures.
Efficacy and impact of back care education on knowledge and behaviour of elementary schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the usefulness of a back care education programme on the promotion of knowledge and behaviour of fifth-grade elementary schoolchildren in terms of reducing risk factors for low back pain later in life. METHODS Multi-stage random sampling was used to classify the pupils in one of the intervention or control groups. A validated questionnaire was filled out by each subject before the educational programme, and a week and three months afterwards. RESULTS Improvement in knowledge and behaviour of pupils was observed a week and three months after the intervention (P<0.001) with no significant difference between the boys and the girls. However, a decreasing trend was observed in knowledge and behaviour pattern form a week to three months after the intervention. CONCLUSION Considering back care education in the school curriculum is recommended for long-term sustainability of an educational programme.
Essays on financial market frictions and imperfections

This paper examines the under-diversi cation widely exhibited by investors by analysing the rm characteristics that drive the average portfolio concentration of shareholders across stocks. The analysis uncovers systematic variation whereby the average portfolio weight of a stock increases with rm-speci c risk and value uncertainty as evidenced by a higher average weight in stocks with higher past return volatility, no analyst coverage and less synchronous price movements. Positive future earnings surprises are also characteristic of stocks with higher average portfolio weights. The ndings suggest that information advantages are signi cant contributing factors to the portfolio choices of investors. JEL Classi cations: G11.
Expression of several members of the TNF‐ligand and receptor family on tonsillar lymphoid B cells

Although the expression patterns of the members of the tumour necrosis factor receptor and ligand families have extensively been studied by flow‐cytometry on stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC), little or no flow‐cytometric or immunohistological data exist about their expression in lymphoid tissue. According to the data obtained from stimulated PBMNC, several members of these molecule families (e.g. CD40 ligand [CD40L], CD30, CD27, hOX40) have been considered to be either T‐cell restricted or strongly T‐cell associated. The present study on samples from palatine tonsils revealed that most of these molecules are also expressed by tonsillar B cells. The additional analysis of the co‐expression of these molecules also disclosed the existence of CD40+/CD40L+ and CD27+/CD70+ (CD27L+) lymphoid cells in tonsillar tissue.
DNA markers for identifying biotypes B and Q of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and studying population dynamics

Abstract The two most widespread biotypes of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) in southern Europe and the Middle East are referred to as the B and Q-type, which are morphologically indistinguishable. In this study various DNA markers have been developed, applied and compared for studying genetic diversity and distribution of the two biotypes. For developing sequence characterized amplified regions (SCAR) and cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) techniques, single random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fragments of B and Q biotypes, respectively, were used. The CAPS were investigated on the basis of nuclear sodium channel and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I genes (mtCOI) sequences. In general, complete agreement was found between the different markers used. Analysis of field samples collected in Israel for several years, using these markers, indicated that the percentage of the Q biotype tends to increase in field populations as time progresses. This may be attributed to the resistance of the Q biotype to neonicotinoids and pyriproxyfen and the susceptibility of the B biotype to these insecticides.
Characterization of non-linear distortion in hearing aids using coherence analysis. A pilot study.

Coherence is a frequency-domain measure of linear dependence between input and output of a system, e.g. a hearing aid, and describes the cumulative effect of different forms of signal corruption, e.g. noise and non-linear distortion. From the coherence function, a general frequency-dependent signal-to-noise ratio can be derived. In this investigation, the applicability of this measuring technique is demonstrated in connection with non-linear distortion in hearing aids. The influence of hearing aid gain and automatic gain control is illustrated, with speech-shaped noise as input signal. For the three hearing aids tested. The gain setting influences the signal-to-noise ratio heavily due to non-linear distortion, especially near maximum gain. The introduction of automatic gain control reduces the effect of non-linear distortion somewhat at high gain settings.
Simulation Support in the Search for an Efficient Speech Coder

Speech coding is a well researched area, and researchers are making new proposals for im provements to current algorithms. The family of code-excitated linear prediction coders rep resents a recent breakthrough, which almost caters to the present need for low bit rates. In mobile communications, low bit-rate speech coders play a crucial role in spectrally efficient transmission. Theoretically, a rate of a few hundred bits per second is enough to code speech efficiently. Many coders have been de veloped using computationally intensive tech niques that can achieve rates of 4 to 6 kilobits per second. Theoretically, there is room for improvement. The trend is to use analytical models of speech production and perception. This paper briefly reviews existing speech cod ers, identifies future trends in this research area and describes results obtained from simu lating vowels and consonant waveforms and from a multi-pulse excitation/linear predictive speech coders algorithm.
Downside Risk Optimization of the Thrift Savings Plan Lifecycle Fund Portfolios

Abstract : The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the defined benefit contribution plan for the U.S. Government, introduced the asset allocation Lifecycle (L) Funds in August 2005. These funds seek to minimize risk and maximize expected portfolio return via mean-variance optimization (MVO). The purpose of this thesis is to examine the efficiency of the TSP L Funds and create alternative L Fund portfolios via downside risk optimization (DRO). Whereas MVO minimizes the portfolio variance (standard deviation), DRO seeks to minimize the risk below an investor's minimal acceptable return in the market, defined as the Co-Lower Partial Moment (CLPM). The research team compares the TSP and DRO (CLPM) L Fund expected portfolio values at retirement for three typical investors. The expected portfolio values are computed using @Risk software via Monte Carlo simulation of TSP individual fund monthly returns, the L Fund quarterly target allocations, and various investor inputs. The quantitative results and analysis of this evaluation determined that TSP participants realize higher expected portfolio values at retirement by investing into a DRO (CLPM) L Fund versus any of the TSP L Funds. To validate the findings, the thesis compares an investment stream in the L Funds from August 2005 through December 2009.
Management Information Systems Research Networks: Creating and Sharing Diverse Knowledge

Certain social science fields have studied their knowledge sharing ability by examining social networks of authorships. The main point is to determine if the discipline has grown in a fashion that encourages effective sharing of diverse knowledge and the creation of new knowledge from the different subgenres that inhabit their field. Researchers in Management Information Systems have shown a great deal of concern for how their discipline has grown. Many fear a form of fragmentation due to a lack of communication across subgenres. Others are concerned that the discipline is methodologically bound, theories do not disseminate rapidly, or ideas cannot permeate tight knit clusters. We apply social network analysis to examine whether or not ideas can be transferred rapidly or created effectively via established authorship patterns that avoid the concerns. We find that networks are in place that are effective for knowledge sharing, but the field can still make strides in building networks that enable combining diverse ideas into new ideas.
An exploratory study of cause‐related retailing: Insights from the not just shopping® business model

Purpose – In recent years, cause‐related marketing (CRM) has made a significant impact on businesses and charitable organizations. However, the study of CRM as a unique retailing format has received limited academic exploration. Central to this study's investigation is not just shopping® (NJS), an organization that uses CRM as a basis for its retailing model. This study seeks to examine cause‐related retailing (CRR) and the perceptions of three vested parties: consumers who have purchased from NJS events; vendors who sell at NJS events; and the NJS business owner.Design/methodology/approach – The primary factors that potentially impact CRR efforts were explored through an extensive literature search and qualitative data collection. Data were collected via in‐depth interviews with 13 shoppers, 15 vendors and the NJS business owner. The data were analyzed and interpreted according to the protocol for case study research as outlined by Yin.Findings – This study of the three vested parties from NJS found that.
The Conservation Security Program in the 2002 Farm Bill

The Conservation Security Program (CSP), a new program enacted in section 2001 of the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171) and administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, creates a three-tiered system rewarding increased levels of conservation on agricultural operations with increased payments. Payments include a base payment for acreage enrolled, a payment for new or existing conservation practices, and an “enhancement” payment for conservation exceeding minimum program standards.
The effect of calcium-ionophores on acetylcholine release from Schwann cells

After denervation of frog muscle, the Schwann cells release multimolecular amounts of acetylcholine, which evoke miniature endplate potentials in the muscle. The effect of calcium ionophores (X-537A, A23187 and avenaciolide) and rabbit serum, all of which presumably raise the intracellular level of ionized calcium, was examined at normal and denervated endplates. The agents produced a large increase in the release of acetylcholine quanta from nerve terminals. In contrast, the release of acetylcholine quanta from Schwann cells was greatly depressed. It is suggested that two systems may be involved in the release of substances from cells. One is activated by a rise in intracellular Ca2+, as in axon terminals; the other is inhibited, as in the Schwann cells.
Functional Interactions among Yeast Rad51 Recombinase, Rad52 Mediator, and Replication Protein A in DNA Strand Exchange*

Rad51-catalyzed DNA strand exchange is greatly enhanced by the single-stranded (ss) DNA binding factor RPA if the latter is introduced after Rad51 has already nucleated onto the initiating ssDNA substrate. Paradoxically, co-addition of RPA with Rad51 to the ssDNA to mimic the in vivo situation diminishes the level of strand exchange, revealing competition between RPA and Rad51 for binding sites on ssDNA. Rad52 promotes strand exchange but only when there is a need for Rad51 to compete with RPA for loading onto ssDNA. Rad52 is multimeric, binds ssDNA, and targets Rad51 to ssDNA. Maximal restoration of pairing and strand exchange requires amounts of Rad52 substoichiometric to Rad51 and involves a stable, equimolar complex between Rad51 and Rad52. The Rad51-Rad52 complex efficiently utilizes a ssDNA template saturated with RPA for homologous pairing but does not appear to be more active than Rad51 when an RPA-free ssDNA template is used. Rad52 does not substitute for RPA in the pairing and strand exchange reaction nor does it lower the dependence of the reaction on Rad51 or RPA.
Performance and power comparisons of MPI Vs Pthread implementations on multicore systems

The advancement of multicore systems demands applications with more threads. In order to facilitate this demand, parallel programming models such as message passing interface (MPI) are developed. By using such models, the execution time and the power consumption can be reduced significantly. However, the performance of MPI programming depends on the total number of threads and the number of processing cores in the system. In this work, we experimentally study the impact of Open MPI and POSIX Thread (Pthread) implementations on performance and power consumption of multicore systems. Data dependent (like heat conduction on 2D surface) and data independent (like matrix multiplication) applications are used with high performance hardware in the experiments. Simulation results suggest that both implementations of more threads running in a system with more cores have potential to reduce the execution time with negligible or little increase in total power consumption. It is observed that the performance of MPI implementation varies (due to the dynamic communication overhead among the processing cores).