Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatially selective STBC-VBLAST in MIMO communication system

In this paper, a new algorithm of MIMO system has been proposed by applying antenna selection into hybrid STBC-VBLAST architecture. It has been confirmed that there is an outstanding performance improvement even for simple receiver with ZF and MMSE decoder. Furthermore, in order to decrease the complexity in MIMO-OFDM systems configured with hybrid STBC-VBLAST, a simplified version of the aforementioned algorithm is proposed, which can be proved to realize antenna selection without significant performance deterioration.
Queue-based congestion detection and multistage rate control in event-driven wireless sensor networks

Protocols for sensor networks have traditionally been designed using the best effort delivery model. However, there are many specific applications that need reliable transmissions. In event-driven wireless sensor networks, the occurrence of an event may generate a large amount of data in a very short time. Among them, some critical urgent information needs to be transmitted reliably in a timely manner. In this scenario, congestion is inevitable because of the constraints in available resources. How to control the congestion is very important for the reliable transmission of urgent information. To address this problem, we propose a queue-based congestion detection and a multistage rate control mechanism. In our proposed mechanism, not only the current queue length but also the queue fluctuation are adopted as indications of congestion. Each sensor node evaluates its congestion level locally and determines its congestion state with a state machine. We design a multistage rate adjustment mechanism for nodes to adjust their rates depending on their congestion states. We also distinguish high-priority critical traffic from low-priority non-critical traffic. Extensive simulation results confirm the superior performance of our proposed protocol with respect to throughput, loss probability, and delay.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Training the Employee for Improved Performance: the Mediating Role of Employee Performance Appraisal

Training employees has big implications on time and money for businesses; yet businesses cannot do without training because businesses at all times need human resource with the requisite knowledge, skills and ability to perform to ensure productivity. How are organisations ensuring that knowledge and skills acquired from training are well transferred into job performance? The study sought to examine the seemingly inability of some employees who undergo training to transfer the competencies they acquire from training into the performance of their job functions by exploring the extent to which the employee is involved in decisions regarding his or her training and how organizations are making use of strategies and interventions to ensure that the expected transfer of knowledge and skills is achieved to ensure the expected performance. A case study design and purposive sampling were adopted to select 58 employees who had attended training in the last 24 months from 5 institutions in the Ada West district of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Data was collected by using 52 fully completed questionnaire. Data was analysed by using descriptive statistics. The results indicate that the full involvement of employees in assessing gaps in their performance would make them appreciate better, training programmes they attend. Also in order for employees to fully commit to training they attend, they should also be involved in choosing when to attend training. Post training mentoring, monitoring, evaluation, continuous coaching and encouragement, appropriate follow-up training programmes, unbiased, objective, wellstructured and regular employee appraisals are identified as effective ways of ensuring the gradual assimilation and consequent transfer of taught competencies into performance.
Coopetition in the steel industry − analysis of coopetition relations in the value net

W. Sroka, Academy of Business in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Department of Management, Poland The paper presents some of the problems relating to the coopetition relations in the steel industry. Coopetition is one of the key issues relating to the inter-organizational cooperation in recent years. On one hand, companies are working together and sharing the eff ects of uncertainty arising from the environment, and on the other hand they compete with each other in other areas, remaining competitors. In other words, they must reconcile each aspect of competition and cooperation, which is particularly important in case of cooperation involving more than two partners. Coopetition is a relatively new phenomenon, however it is growing very rapidly, and companies which are able to utilize this concept eff ectively can gain a coopetitive advantage over their competitors.
On-line electrochemical impedance spectroscopy implementation for telecommunication power supplies

The batteries in uninterruptable power supplies of telecommunication equipment never run full cycles. Therefore their remaining capacity and state of health is difficult to determine. On-line impedance monitoring could help to monitor the health of the batteries while they are waiting for the next power outage. A cost effective implementation would use already existing components in the system of an uninterruptible power supply. The excitation signal could be generated with the battery charger, the balancing unit, the DC/DC or the DC/AC converter. Depending on the used component, the harmonics of the excitation current changes significantly as well as the components of the converter system which act as a filter for the excitation current Maximum impedance deviations of 1% to a successive measurement were achieved.
Multiplex Assay for Identifying Animal Species Found in the Tibetan Area Using the Mitochondrial 12S rRNA Gene

ABSTRACT Southwestern China has an area with unique natural conditions located in alpine regions at altitudes from 2000 to 5000 m; this area is referred to as the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau (QTP). Unique animals, such as yaks (Bos grunniens), are found extensively on the plateau of Southwestern China due to its unique environment. In recent years, the prevalence of fake meat products such as fake jerky has increased in this area. This research was conducted as an attempt to develop a reliable multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) detection method for identifying nine animal species found in QTP. We developed the mPCR method using the specific sites found in 12S rRNA region of these nine species, which was effective in discriminating between the nine species and was successful in terms of validated reproducibility, detection limit (<6 pg total DNA), discrimination of mixed samples, and specificity (approximately 99%) using real meat samples. Our results show that the mPCR detection method can overcome the limitations of prior detection methods, such as restriction fragment length polymorphism or high-resolution melting analysis methods.
Wasted millions: Revenue management in Dutch culinary restaurants

The concept of revenue management is widely adopted in various industries including the hospitality industry. Yet, its application to the restaurant industry has been limited. Especially culinary restaurants appear to be a somewhat unexplored area of study, thus indicating a gap in the literature for restaurant revenue management. No previous research in the Netherlands has included culinary restaurants as a separate category in studies on restaurant revenue management. The research method is a case study approach leading to explanatory interviews, in addition to the experience of two of the authors themselves with over a total of 25 years of experience in the culinary restaurant business in the Netherlands. Eleven key stakeholders representing the Dutch hospitality and restaurant industry were interviewed. The interviews were then analysed and conclusions drawn. Dutch culinary restaurants do not consciously practice revenue management and thus do not have a strategy for it. This means that if culinary restaurants in the Netherlands could achieve the 2–5% revenue improvement that is typically associated with the application of revenue management, overall revenues could be increased by eight million Euros annually, almost all directly added to the bottom-line of these businesses.
The long‐term survival of Propionibacterium freudenreichii in a context of nutrient shortage

Propionibacterium freudenreichii is an actinobacterium widely used in dairy industry during the ripening process of Swiss‐type cheeses and which presents probiotic properties. P. freudenreichii is reportedly a hardy bacterium, able to survive during the cheese‐making process and when subjected to digestive stresses. During this study the long‐term survival (LTS) of P. freudenreichii was investigated for 11 days by means of phenotypic characterization in a culture medium without the addition of any nutrients.
Exploring the critical factors that hinder the growth of incubatees in South Africa

In as much as entrepreneurial action fosters job creation and economic growth, entrepreneurs encounter the significant risk of failure, and community bears the brunt. Though business incubators were designed to provide support and hope to ailing businesses, evidence suggests that not all on these programs succeed. Going on the assumption that even businesses on incubation programs do not seem to be immune to failure, this study sought to determine the key factors that hinder the growth of incubatees in South Africa. Adopting a quantitative approach, the questionnaire was utilized as the primary data collection tool, and the snowball sampling method was employed resulting in a sample size of 93 respondents. The research participants for this study were limited to firms that were registered on the databases of two business incubators who promote small business development strategy and programs in Cape Town and Johannesburg, respectively. The findings indicated that lack of funding, lack of credit facility, competition, crime, lack of access to external market, lack of business skills and lack of product selection and design were the key factors that hinder the growth of incubatees. Given the substantial resources invested in business incubation programs, the fact that business incubators are entrepreneurial ventures in themselves, understanding and finding sustainable solutions to the factors that hinder the growth of their clients (incubatees) would be a win-win solution for the relevant stakeholders.
Expression of the ankyrin repeat domain 6 gene (Ankrd6) during mouse brain development

The structure and developmental expression pattern of the ankyrin repeat domain 6 (Ankrd6) gene, initially named Diversin, were studied in the mouse. Ankrd6 is transcribed as a 5.8‐kb mRNA composed of 15 exons that encodes a 712 amino acid protein with 6 ankyrin repeats. Ankrd6 is expressed prominently in the developing brain from E12 to maturity, suggesting a role during brain development. In embryos, expression is maximal in ventricular zones of neuronal proliferation and intermediate zones of neuronal migration and extends to postmigratory neuronal fields during the postnatal period. In the mature brain, the Ankrd6‐related signal is highest in cortical layer II, granule cells of the dentate gyrus, olfactory granules and a subset of Purkinje cells in the vestibulocerebellum. Ankrd6 is related to the Drosophila gene Diego, which interacts with Flamingo in the regulation of planar cell polarity (Feiguin et al., 2001 ). However, the canvas of Ankrd6 expression does not match closely that of the three mouse Flamingo homologs, Celsr1–3 (Tissir et al., 2002 ). These data suggest that Ankrd6 may be involved in brain development in interaction with Celsr/Flamingo but also other signaling pathways. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cellular interactions in the developing Drosophila eye.

Cells within developing metazoa are directed to particular pathways of differentiation which lead to the highly ordered tissue constitution of the adult. Two mechanisms, different in principle, that direct developmental decisions are commonly proposed. In lineage mechanisms cells inherit developmental directives and are not influenced by their environment. In position-dependent mechanisms cells assess environmental cues to choose one of many potential developmental pathways. Both mechanisms operate in development and are not mutually exclusive, the final fate of a cell may be determined by a combination of both mechanisms. In the developing eye of Drosophila, as cells choose their terminal cell type, lineage mechanisms do not operate and analysis of this system focuses upon the nature of developmental decisions directed by positional signals. The specific issues that can be addressed are the nature and transmission of the signals, the mechanisms the cells use to receive them, and the molecular events that follow reception and lead to the developmental decisions. The Drosophila eye is particularly advantageous for this as it allows these analyses to be performed at the single cell level. Individual cells can be identified and followed as pattern formation proceeds and genetic screens can be used to identify mutations that alter the developmental pathways of particular cells. Mosaic analyses can indicate in which specific cell(s) a certain gene product is required for normal development. Knowing which cells are required to have a particular gene product and which cells develop inappropriately in its absence indicate a function in the signal or reception side of the cellular communication. Molecular analysis of the gene and localization of the protein give more specific indications of the gene function. By these methods the molecular components of the developmental decision can be systematically dissected. This review describes the recent work, both cellular and molecular, which has begun the investigations into the biochemical components of the developmental decisions. Initial results are promising, suggesting that the positional cues directing cells to their fate are presented by their direct neighbours. The first gene of the system to be analysed in detail, sevenless, is placed on the reception side of the process by mosaic analysis, has a hormone receptor-like amino acid sequence and localization of its protein indicates an interaction with a directly adjacent cell. The findings indicate the potential value of the Drosophila eye for investigation of position-dependent developmental decisions and encourage further efforts.
FINANCIAL MARKET IMPERFECTIONS, CONTROL AVERSION AND VENTURE CAPITAL IN SPANISH SMEs

Information asymmetries and control aversion limit the capacity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to take advantage of growth opportunities. In this work we analyse to what extent Venture Capital (VC) can play a positive role by allowing a temporary shareholder to reduce the investment dependency on internally generated funds. We study a sample of 322 Spanish VC-backed SMEs at the expansion stage, and a one-by-one matched sample of non-VC-backed firms. We find that both groups of firms exhibit a significant sensitivity of investments to cash flows before the initial VC investment. VC, however, is effective in reducing investment cash flow sensitivity in the post-investment period in the group of VC-backed companies.
Identification of Hot Spots in the Variola Virus Complement Inhibitor (SPICE) for Human Complement Regulation

ABSTRACT Variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, encodes a soluble complement regulator named SPICE. Previously, SPICE has been shown to be much more potent in inactivating human complement than the vaccinia virus complement control protein (VCP), although they differ only in 11 amino acid residues. In the present study, we have expressed SPICE, VCP, and mutants of VCP by substituting each or more of the 11 non-variant VCP residues with the corresponding residue of SPICE to identify hot spots that impart functional advantage to SPICE over VCP. Our data indicate that (i) SPICE is ∼90-fold more potent than VCP in inactivating human C3b, and the residues Y98, Y103, K108 and K120 are predominantly responsible for its enhanced activity; (ii) SPICE is 5.4-fold more potent in inactivating human C4b, and residues Y98, Y103, K108, K120 and L193 mainly dictate this increase; (iii) the classical pathway decay-accelerating activity of activity is only twofold higher than that of VCP, and the 11 mutations in SPICE do not significantly affect this activity; (iv) SPICE possesses significantly greater binding ability to human C3b compared to VCP, although its binding to human C4b is lower than that of VCP; (v) residue N144 is largely responsible for the increased binding of SPICE to human C3b; and (vi) the human specificity of SPICE is dictated primarily by residues Y98, Y103, K108, and K120 since these are enough to formulate VCP as potent as SPICE. Together, these results suggest that principally 4 of the 11 residues that differ between SPICE and VCP partake in its enhanced function against human complement.
Behavioral symptoms and the administration of psychotropic drugs to aged patients with dementia in nursing homes and in acute geriatric wards

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of various psychiatric and behavioral symptoms among patients with dementia in nursing homes and acute geriatric wards and to investigate the administration of psychotropic medications to these patients. Methods: 425 consecutive patients (>70 years) in six acute geriatric wards in two city hospitals and seven nursing homes in Helsinki, Finland, were assessed with an extensive interview, cognitive tests, and attention tests. Of these, 255 were judged to have dementia according to the following information: previous dementia diagnoses and their adequacy, results of CT scans, Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) tests, Clinical Dementia Scale (CDR) tests, and DSM-IV criteria. Psychiatric and behavioral symptoms were recorded over two weeks for each patient. Results: Psychiatric and behavioral symptoms were very common among patients with dementia in both settings. In all, 48% presented with psychotic symptoms (delusions, visual or auditory hallucinations, misidentifications or paranoid symptoms), 43% with depression, 26% agitation, and 26% apathy. Use of psychotropic drugs was also common: 87% were on at least one psychotropic drug, 66% took at least two, 36% at least three, and 11% four or more psychotropic drugs. Of the patients with dementia, 42% were on conventional antipsychotics, and 34% on anxiolytics despite their known side-effects. Only 13% were on atypical antipsychotics and 3% on cholinesterase inhibitors. The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) was common (31%) among the patients. A surprising finding was that drugs with anticholinergic effects were also frequently (20%) used. Conclusion: Both behavioural symptoms and use of psychotropic drugs are very common among dementia patients in institutional settings. The frequent use of potentially harmful drugs implies a need for education among physicians taking care of these patients.
Selection of a spawning aggregation site by Chromis hypsilepis (Pisces: Pomacentridae): habitat structure, transport potential, and food availability

Spawning aggregations form when fishes migrate to a site from their normal feeding grounds and form temporary groupings for breeding. Spawning aggregation sites are spatially rare, and demonstrating differences between a spawning aggregation site and unselected sites nearby is the first step towards understanding the benefits provided by the aggregation site. Chromis hyp- silepis (Pomacentridae) is a demersally spawning reef fish, one population of which reproduces in a large, single aggregation at a rocky reef off the central coast of New South Wales, Australia. This study compared the habitat structure (rugosity, reef slope, substratum particle size, and abundance of preferred spawning microhabitat) of the spawning aggregation site and several non-spawning sites, and tested the hypotheses that the spawning aggregation site provided greater off-reef larval transport and prey availability for brooding males. Substratum rugosity was significantly greater and the preferred spawning microhabitat was significantly more abundant at the spawning aggregation site. Reef relief and substratum particle size were not significantly different from non-spawning sites. Passively drifting surface current drogues released at the spawning aggregation site were more rapidly transported off the reef, but did not travel further or faster, than drogues released at a non- spawning site over a 12 h period. Biomass of the preferred prey (copepods of 0.441 to 1.49 mm equiv- alent spherical diameter) was not significantly greater, but was less variable, at the spawning aggre- gation site.
Direct Observation of Current Density Distribution in Contact Area by Using Light Emission Diode Wafer

Theoretically the Laplace equation can be used to calculate the current constriction behavior in electrical contacts. On the actual behavior of current constriction, although there are many reports on the contact resistance measurement, not many reports on the detailed behavior of current density distribution in the contact area experimentally. Therefore, we attempted to observe the behavior of the current density distribution in the contact by using semiconductor wafers in this study. As a result, it was confirmed that electric current is uniformly distributed over the contact area covered by an oxide film, while it is concentrated at the periphery of the contact if there is no oxide film. These results qualitatively agree with the results of the earlier theory and electric field analysis.
The "Wall Street Walk" as a Form of Shareholder Activism

We examine whether a large shareholder can alleviate the conflict of interest between shareholders and managers through his ability to sell his shares on the basis of private information. We show that large shareholder exit often has a disciplinary impact, but that (i) the effectiveness of this mechanism can be quite different depending on whether the agency problem involves a desirable or an undesirable action from shareholders’ perspective; (ii) additional private information may increase or decrease the large shareholder’s effectiveness; and (iii) in some cases the presence of the large shareholder may exacerbate the agency problem.
Assessing the potential of Mobile Payments in Africa: Approaches and Evidence from Uganda

This paper provides an evaluative framework that assesses the potential for mobile device-based payments (m-payments) in Africa. The framework is developed according to an analysis of the financial services environment and the drivers and constraints for change within a specific country context – Uganda. The paper draws upon secondary data from published surveys, as well as field research conducted by the author. The framework distinguishes between formal, informal and un-served market segments and the findings suggest that the potential for m-payments is differentiated according to existing levels of financial sector participation. Clients of formal or semi-formal sector institutions are likely to be the early beneficiaries of new mpayment services delivered by existing providers. Informal sector participants may provide greater potential for extending access given their greater financial resources and literacy, but will require more tailored solutions. Relatively little is known about the financial practices and behaviours, and the extent of mobile use, amongst the financially un-served. Reaching the unbanked majority with m-payment services will involve greater ingenuity and innovation on behalf of service providers. Overall, the analysis suggests limits to market-based solutions for mobile and financial service delivery, highlighting constraints to change that are conditioned by non-market factors related to financial and technical literacy and the need for new organisational solutions making use of appropriate community-based intermediaries.