Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Embedding model specifications in object-oriented program code: a bottom-up approach for model-based software development

Models in software engineering are descriptive structures so that transformations can connect their contents at a semantic level. In model-based software development, algorithmic program code usually exists alongside models - derived from them or with the purpose to amend them. While thus both kinds of notations must be considered by developers, no consistent mapping is given since transformations between models and code are usually unidirectional for code generation. This impedes a continuous integration of both, limits the applicability of models, and prevents error tracking and monitoring at run time with respect to models. In this thesis, the approach of embedded models is introduced. Embedded models define patterns in program code whose elements have formal relations to models and can be executed by reflection at the same time. Model specifications are thus embedded in implementations and can be accessed by bidirectional transformations for design, verification, execution, and monitoring. The thesis focuses on the development of such patterns and their precise description as well as on the connection to other program code surrounding embedded models. Implementations are described for two modeling domains, state machines and process models, including tools for design, verification, execution, monitoring, and design recovery. The approach is evaluated with two case studies, the modeling of a real-world load generator for performance tests and the development of model-based educational graphical scenarios for university teaching. Both case studies show that the approach is valid and fulfills its purpose for a certain class of applications. Focusing on the integration in implementations, embedded models are thus a bottom-up approach for model-based software development.
Strategic planning differences among different multiple stakeholder orientation profiles

Despite being a significant topic in the literature, research into stakeholder interests is at an early stage. Although a company has an orientation to each stakeholder group these orientations exist simultaneously, giving a multiple stakeholder orientation profile (MSOP). We theorize that firms with different MSOPs will approach their strategic planning in different ways. We tested our predictions in UK companies, and found that indeed there are many strategic planning differences among different MSOPs. The most striking differences are in learning and innovative management, but there are also differences in objectives, competitive positioning and sustainable competitive advantage. Implications for theory and practice are presented.
Service Quality Measurement: Expectation and Perception of North American Customers toward the Hotels in Bangkok

This research focuses on measuring the gap between expectation and perception of North American customers toward the 3-4 stars hotels (rated by Thai Hotel Association) in Bangkok. The approach for measurement is adapting the SERVQUAL model to prepare the questionnaire for the North American customers to respond. The result shows that the Assurance dimension is the most concern dimension (highest gap) of the respondent. Then the recommendations are provided for the top 10 topics with highest gap for management to apply in order to improve the hotel service quality. 
Flexible, Polarization-Diverse UWB Antennas for Implantable Neural Recording Systems

Implanted antennas for implant-to-air data communications must be composed of material compatible with biological tissues. We design single and dual-polarization antennas for wireless ultra-wideband neural recording systems using an inhomogeneous multi-layer model of the human head. Antennas made from flexible materials are more easily adapted to implantation; we investigate both flexible and rigid materials and examine performance trade-offs. The proposed antennas are designed to operate in a frequency range of 2-11 GHz (having S11 below -10 dB) covering both the 2.45 GHz (ISM) band and the 3.1-10.6 GHz UWB band. Measurements confirm simulation results showing flexible antennas have little performance degradation due to bending effects (in terms of impedance matching). Our miniaturized flexible antennas are 12 mm×12 mm and 10 mm×9 mm for single- and dual-polarizations, respectively. Finally, a comparison is made of four implantable antennas covering the 2-11 GHz range: 1) rigid, single polarization, 2) rigid, dual polarization, 3) flexible, single polarization and 4) flexible, dual polarization. In all cases a rigid antenna is used outside the body, with an appropriate polarization. Several advantages were confirmed for dual polarization antennas: 1) smaller size, 2) lower sensitivity to angular misalignments, and 3) higher fidelity.
The effect of electromagnetic fields on the proliferation and the osteogenic or adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells modulated by dexamethasone

Although glucocorticoids provide benefits for inflammation or autoimmune disorders, high‐dose and long‐term use could cause osteonecrosis or osteoporosis as adverse effect for patients. Electromagnetic field (EMF) treatments have been clinically used for many years to promote fracture healing, but whether EMF can attenuate the deleterious effects of glucocorticoids is not clear. In this study, the effects of different concentrations of dexamethasone (DEX) on proliferation and adipogenic or osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were detected and compared, and the effects of EMF treatment (15 Hz, 1 mT, 4 h/day) on 0.1 µM DEX‐modulated BMSCs' proliferation and adipogenic or osteogenic differentiation were investigated. Higher concentrations of DEX (0.1 and 1 µM) inhibited proliferation of BMSCs but promoted expression of adipogenic‐related genes, increasing the number of lipid droplets. In the early stage of differentiation, DEX restrained expression of RUNX2 and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), but amplified expression of ALP and osteopontin (OPN) in the late stage. EMF treatment of BMSCs influenced by 0.1 µM DEX inhibited the high expression of adipogenic‐related genes, stimulated the expression of RUNX2, ALP, OPN, and osteocalcin, and increased the activity of ALP. EMF exposure augmented the expression of p‐ERK, which DEX reduced. After using mitogen‐activated protein/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK)/ERK signaling pathway inhibitor, U0126, the effect of EMF was reduced. In conclusion, EMF exposure accelerates BMSCs proliferation, inhibits adipogenic differentiation, and promotes osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs modulated by DEX, and these effects are mediated at least in part by MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Bioelectromagnetics. 35:479–490, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Consumer perceptions of brand functions: an empirical study in China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine consumers' perception of brand functions in an emerging market: China. The study also aims to investigate the impact of brand functions on brand loyalty.Design/methodology/approach – A two‐phase study was conducted. The first phase consisted of 15 personal in‐depth interviews while the structured questionnaires were used to collect data in the second stage and a total of 256 consumers participated in this study.Findings – The study finds general support that consumer perceives both utilitarian and expressive functions of the brand. Specifically, the results of the research show that for Chinese consumers, brands accomplish various functions such as “recall of past experiences”, “quality sign” and “identify”. Moreover, “recall of past experiences” is a unique brand function for Chinese consumers and has a positive impact on brand loyalty.Originality/value – To the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first to shed light on examining consumer perceptions of.
How Well Do Multiple Testing Methods Scale Up when Both n and k Increase?

With increasingly massive data sets in biopharmaceutical research, particularly in genomic and related applications, there is concern about how well multiple comparisons methods “scale up” with increasing number of tests (k). Familywise error rate-controlling methods do not scale up well, and false discovery rate-controlling methods do scale up well with increasing k. But neither method scales up well with increasing sample size (n) when testing point nulls. We develop a loss function approach to investigate scale-up properties of various methods; we find that while Efron's recent proposal scales up best when both sample size n and number of tests k increase, but its performance otherwise can be erratic.
What influence dividend decisions of firms in Sub-Saharan African

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of the dividend decisions of firms in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies a two-step estimation procedure using firm-level panel data for firms in selected SSA countries during the period from 1997 to 2007. In the first step the paper employs a probit model to estimate the parameters of the determinants of the decision to pay or not to pay dividends. In the second step the paper estimates the parameters of the dividend payout and dividend per share models by applying the generalised least squares techniques. Findings – The results provide consistent evidence that dividend decision and its payments are influenced by firm profitability level, investment opportunity sets, taxation, leverage, institutional shareholding and risk. The results affirm the signalling, agency cost and free-cash flow theories of dividend policy. Originality/value – The main value of this paper is identification of factors that in.
A note on the magnitude of hazard ratios

Conclusions from the interesting article by Borate et al regarding nonbiological factors affecting survival in younger patients with acute myeloid leukemia would be strengthened if the following 3 methodological issues were addressed. First, the analyses used significance testing as the sole determinant of the relevance of a predictor on survival, which, in relatively large samples, as was the case in their study, opens up the possibility of confusing statistical “significance” with clinical importance or consequence (ie, the magnitude or large sample size fallacy). What effect size (ie, hazard ratio [HR]) do the authors consider clinically relevant, regardless of significance tests? This would be a qualitative assessment using subject matter expertise, but perhaps one way to provide a frame of reference for the question is by converting the HR into a measure of effect size for which, at least in some disciplines, there is some agreement regarding magnitudes representing small (not trivial, but possibly inconsequential), medium (likely consequential), and large (very likely consequential) effects, such as the standardized mean difference d (small, 0.2; medium, 0.5; and large, 0.8). For example, a small d is the difference in height between 15year-old and 16-year-old girls, whereas a large d is the difference in height between 13-year-old and 18-year-old girls. Odds ratios can be transformed into standardized mean differences (in the log odds scale), which are used in meta-analysis. HRs are more complex than odds ratios and a transformation into a standardized mean difference may require some simplifying assumptions. Under exponentially distributed survival time, a simple model with constant and therefore proportional hazards, the mean, median, and variance of the survival time are functions of the hazard rate k only (mean, 1/k; median, ln(2)/k; and variance, 1/k). Because the variance of this survival time depends on the hazard rate, computing a standardized mean difference in survival times between 2 groups with different hazard rates is unclear because there is no common standard deviation. However, taking the natural log of the exponentially distributed survival time stabilizes the variance, yet the mean and median log survival times remain functions of the hazard rate: mean52ln(k)2c, in which c is the Euler-Mascheroni constant (c 0.5772); median52ln(k)1ln(ln(2)); and variance5p/6. With that common variance, a standardized mean difference in the log survival time can be defined. After some algebra, d in the natural log of the exponentially distributed survival time reduces to d5lnðHRÞ3 ffiffiffi
Re‐examining and empirically validating the End User Computing Satisfaction models for satisfaction measurement in the internet banking context

Purpose – The main focus of the study was to validate the End User Computing Satisfaction (EUCS) model in the context of internet banking and to determine the major factors which contribute to level of satisfaction of internet banking users in India.Design/methodology/approach – A survey questionnaire was administered on internet banking users and a total of 387 responses were collected. A factor analysis on the 12 items used in the EUCS model with oblique (non‐orthogonal) rotation and five fixed factors revealed the existence of the same latent constructs hypothesized in the original EUCS model. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was then used to test and validate the four hypothesized models for model fit.Findings – The current study confirms the evidence found in extant literature that EUCS is a second‐order construct. In this study the factor “Format” was found to have the highest loading and the factor “Content” had the lowest factor loading among all the five latent constructs in the EUCS model for .
The protein oxidation of soybean meal induced by heating decreases its protein digestion in vitro and impairs growth performance and digestive function in broilers

ABSTRACT 1. The soybean meal (SBM) was heated at 100°C for 1, 2, 4 and 8 h, respectively, and their resultant oxidative status was evaluated. 2. A total of 400 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into 5 treatments with 8 replicates of 10 birds each, and fed with diets containing non-heated SBM (NHSBM) or 1 of 4 heated SBMs (HSBMs, SBMs heated at 100°C for 1, 2, 4 and 8 h, respectively) for 42 d. 3. The contents of carbonyl in the SBMs were both linearly and quadratically increased, whereas the nitrogen solubility index, and in vitro digestibility of crude protein (CP) and dry matter (DM) in the SBMs were both linearly and quadratically decreased as heating time increased (P < 0.05). The concentrations of sulfhydryl and total sulfhydryl in the SBMs were linearly decreased as heating time increased (P < 0.05). 4. The average daily gain was linearly decreased while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was linearly increased in broilers as heating time of dietary HSBMs increased during both d 22–42 and d 1–42 of study (P < 0.05), though FCR of broilers during d 22–42 study were unaffected when the heating time of dietary HSBMs was 1 h (P > 0.05). The serum glucose concentration and the activity of trypsin at d 42, and the apparent total digestibility of CP and DM were all linearly reduced in broilers when heating time of dietary HSBMs increased (P < 0.05). However, 1 h HSBM has a numerical higher CP and DM digestibility than NHSBM. The serum urea nitrogen contents were both linearly and quadratically increased at both d 21 and 42 (P < 0.05), and relative pancreas weight was linearly increased at d 42 in broilers as heating time of dietary HSBMs increased (P < 0.05).
Influence of Employee Participation on New Generation Employees ’ Satisfaction

Based on China background,this paper explores the internal impact mechanism of new generation employees’participation on satisfaction through empirical research.The results show that new generation employee participation in management,monitoring and decision-making have significantly positive impact on satisfaction.Participation intention of participation in management,monitoring and decision-making plays a regulatory role between employee participation and satisfaction.These findings suggest that enterprises should pay attention to employee involvement system,particularly high levels of employee involvement in monitoring,participation in decision-making,and developing and enhancing employee participation intention to raise the new generation employee satisfaction.
Object Classification of Aerial Images With Bag-of-Visual Words

This letter presents a Bag-of-Visual Words (BOV) representation for object-based classification in land-use/cover mapping of high spatial resolution aerial photograph. The method is introduced to handle the special characteristics of aerial images, i.e., variability of spectral and spatial content. Specifically, patch detection and description are used to divide and represent various subregions of objects comprising multiple homogeneous components. Moreover, the BOV representation is constructed with the statistics of the occurrence of visual words, which are learned from the training data set. A combination of spectral and texture features is verified to be a satisfactory choice through the evaluations of various patch descriptors. Furthermore, a threshold-based method is employed to reduce the impact of outliers on classification in test data. Experiments based on aerial-image data set show that the proposed BOV representation yields better classification performance than the low-level features, such as the spectral and texture features.
Examining the business case for shipper participation in Canada–USA trade security programmes

Among Canadian shippers involved in Canada–USA trade, uncertainty about costs and benefits has been cited as a possible explanation for the relatively small number of them that have sought approval to participate in Free and Secure Trade (FAST), a central bilateral trade security programme between the two countries. This study addresses this uncertainty with quantitative analysis to examine the business case for an individual Canadian shipper’s participation in FAST. The study shows how a shipper’s operating parameters influence the strength of the business case. A key study finding is that unless the needless costs that carriers incur from serving non-participating shippers are passed back to those shippers, the business case is significantly weakened. The study also finds that, like cost transfers from carriers, the rate of FAST approval of competing shippers is a very powerful economic incentive for an individual shipper to subscribe to the FAST programme.
Creatininium hydrogen maleate

In the title compound, C4H8N3O+·C4H3O4 −, the cations and anions are linked through N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds making a ionic pair with an R 2 2(8) ring motif. These ionic pairs are further connected through another N—H⋯O hydrogen bond, leading to an R 6 6(16) ring motif around the inversion centres of the unit cell. These approximately planar aggregates are further connected through weak van der Waals interactions in the unit cell. The anions have a characteristic intramolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond with a self-associated ring S(7) motif.
Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Correlates with Medial Temporal Lobe Atrophy but Not with Amyloid-β Protein Transport across the Blood-Brain Barrier in Alzheimer’s Disease

Background/Aims: Alterations in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) may play an important role in the pathogenesis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We investigated BBB disturbance and its influence on the equilibrium of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in AD patients. Methods: We analyzed albumin ratio as a marker of the BBB permeability and correlated it with the severity of dementia, brain atrophy on MRI, apolipoprotein E isoform, CSF levels of total tau, CSF and plasma levels of Aβ 1–40 (Aβ40) and 1–42 (Aβ42), and CSF/plasma ratios of Aβ40 and Aβ42 in 42 AD patients. Results: The albumin ratio was positively correlated with the severity of medial temporal lobe atrophy but not with the other parameters including CSF/plasma ratios of Aβ40 or Aβ42. Conclusion: Our results suggest that progression of medial temporal lobe atrophy is associated with increased BBB permeability and that the transport of Aβ across the BBB is not influenced by the BBB alteration in AD.
Supplier-Customer Relationships and the Interactions Between Inventories and Trade Credit

Our paper focuses on testing the advantages in controlling the buyer and salvaging goods supplied where we have information on the nature of the transacted good and information on the inventory of buyers and sellers. We find transactions in specialized goods tend to be conducted more often using trade credit, but willingness to extend trade credit also depends on the ability of the firm to resell goods when demand is uncertain and on inventory costs. The advantages in salvage of goods is also limited by the extent to which goods have been processed by the receiving firm. These findings are derived from 82,000 French firms in four sectors over the period 1999-2007. Our results confirm the findings of the existing literature based on US and UK data, while also giving more support to the inventory transactions cost motive for firms with specialized goods.
Can Individual CPA Sanction Improve Audit Quality of the Firm

It is instrumental for regulators and policy makers to know the impact of individual sanctions on improving audit quality of the entire firm because many countries in the world enforce disciplinary actions against individual auditors. This paper examines the improvement on audit quality of the firm after individual auditor disciplinary action and infers that both reputation effect and deterrent effect drive the other non-sanctioned fellow auditors to improve their quality thereafter. Using data from Taiwan, our empirical results show that the improvement on firm quality is found only in the Big N firm group, but not the non-Big N counterpart group, probably due to the stronger reputation effect existed in Big N firms. However, further tests on separate firm data find that not every Big N firm shows significant improvement on audit quality.
The Relationship between Learning Facilitators and Transforming into a Learning Organization: An Empirical Study of the Insurance Sector in Jordan

This study examined first the degree to which the insurance sector companies in Jordan are considered learning organizations; depending on the five disciplines of Peter Senge: Personal Mastery, Mental Models, Shared Vision, Team Learning and System Thinking. And also the study examined the relationship between five learning facilitators: Culture, Structure, MIS, HRM Strategies and leadership and the learning organization. A sample of 230 employees was selected randomly, representing 7 companies out of 28. A descriptive analytical methodology was used. The results showed that the insurance sector in Jordan is moving towards transferring into a learning organization. Pearson correlation coefficient was used for hypothesis testing. The results indicated that there is a strong positive relationship between learning facilitators and the 5 learning organization disciplines.