Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Co-Scheduling Driven by Main Memory Bandwidth Utilization

Most applications running on supercomputers achieve only a fraction of a system's peak performance. It has been demonstrated that the co-scheduling of applications can improve the overall system utilization. However, following this approach, applications need to fulfill certain criteria such that the mutual slowdown is kept at a minimum. In this paper, we present an HPC scheduler that applies co-scheduling and utilizes virtual machine migration for a re-orchestration of applications at runtime based on their main memory bandwidth requirements. Given a job queue consisting of main memory-bound applications and compute-bound applications, we can see a throughput increase of up to 35% while at the same time reducing energy consumption by around 30%.
Generative models for the trajectories of slow-progressing mobility diseases following medical interventions

CEREBRAL palsy, a medical condition that affects mobility, evolves over several years. Progression varies according to the health and characteristics of the patient. Clinicians attempt to alleviate the symptoms through surgery interventions. Since some surgical procedures are heavy, it is key to quantify the positive impact that they may bring about in the patient’s state. Thus the availability of a robust predictor for disease trajectory will help clinicians to determine whether surgery intervention is appropriate for a patient at a given time.
In Vitro Activities of Levofloxacin and Comparable Agents against Middle Ear Fluid, Nasopharyngeal, and Oropharyngeal Pathogens Obtained from Costa Rican Children with Recurrent Otitis Media or Failing Other Antibiotic Therapy

ABSTRACT This study analyzes the in vitro activities of levofloxacin and other commonly used antimicrobials against middle ear fluid, nasopharyngeal, and oropharyngeal pathogens obtained from children with otitis media at risk of having a resistant pathogen. Levofloxacin proved to be very active against these pathogens and had intermediate activity against Streptococcus pyogenes.
AGENCY COSTS, OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN PRE-AND POST-IPO FIRMS

Following the approach in Ang, Cole, and Lin (2000), we estimate the impact of CEO ownership on agency costs in pre-IPO firms and again in the post-IPO period when they have become publicly traded companies. We find that CEO ownership is large in both the pre and post-IPO firms. Greater CEO ownership is associated with lower agency costs both before and after the IPO, and CEO ownership in these firms seems to dominate all other agency control mechanisms. Board composition and involvement by venture capital firms does not appear to mitigate agency costs.
An exploration of developing multi-touch virtual learning tools for young children

Learning tool based teaching is an important way for pre-school education. It pays more attention on teaching comparing with toys. Virtual learning tool is one of the trends of learning tool development and application. Compared with practical material tool, virtual learning tool has a strongly competitive advantage in perceptible dimensions, expanded reusability and status saving. But its development was greatly constrained by the lack of technology supporting good operational interaction. The appearance of multi-touch technology gave us a new idea and motivation. The conception of multi-touch virtual tools was introduced in this paper and its application was demonstrated by the development and experiment of a virtual learning tool software called “e-Wa Sketchpad”.
CORPORATE CASH HOLDINGS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE QUALITY IN TURKEY

This paper investigates the role of corporate governance quality on corporate cash holdings of the firms listed in Borsa Istanbul 100 Index for the period 2009-2013. System- GMM panel regressions are used in order to test the hypothesis. It is found that as the corporate governance quality decreases, cash holding ratios of the firms increase. Therefore, in case of poor investor protection, the managers use the firms' resources for their own interests at the expense of shareholders. This conflict can be solved with the increased corporate governance quality. http://dx.doi. org/10.17130/ijmeb.2016icafr22481
The research on express delivery service quality evaluation system based on customer perception

With economic development, Express delivery companies is growing faster. In the fierce competition, quality of service become more and more important in the Express business, and it gradual becomes the core competitiveness of express delivery companies. This paper evaluates the express delivery quality through the perspective of customer perception and established the assessment indices. Construct services evaluation system according to the characteristics of the courier express industry, we set up indicators in six dimensions: character, function, safety, economy, aging, speed, which make a very important significance in improving service quality of express delivery companies and customer satisfaction.
What Is the True Value of a Lost Customer?

Customer profitability models have evolved into an important strategic tool for marketers in recent years. Traditional customer profitability models implicitly assume that customers can be valued in isolation from one another and that social interactions can be ignored. The authors show that these conventional models may be inappropriate for markets involving new products or services because they fail to account for the social effects (e.g., word of mouth and imitation) that can influence future customer acquisitions. They show how the impact of a lost customer on the profitability of the firm depends on (a) whether the customer defects to a competing firm or disadopts the technology altogether and (b) when the customer disadopts the technology—distinctions often overlooked in conventional models. The results demonstrate how the value of a lost customer changes throughout the product life cycle, showing that the loss of an early adopter costs the firm much more than the loss of a later adopter.
Social Media Usage and Adoption: Are People Ready?

Social media is in vogue, but managers need to know their customers' social media readiness to help them overcome any resistance to adopting the new benefits that social media offers and to secure customer satisfaction with the services offered through these channels. In this chapter, the authors present findings from two studies. In the first study, general technology readiness is investigated and pockets of users are identified. This study works as a backdrop for the second study, in which consumers' social media readiness, the construct and its drivers are investigated. Overall, the authors find that customers seem to be ready for social media, as social media readiness has a positive, indirect effect on attitudes toward interaction in social media. Moreover, the effect is mediated through ease of use and usefulness.
Characterizing the 410 km discontinuity low‐velocity layer beneath the LA RISTRA array in the North American Southwest

Receiver functions recorded by the 54‐station 920 km long Program for Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere–Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology Colorado Plateau/Rio Grande Rift Seismic Transect Experiment (LA RISTRA) line array display a pervasive negative polarity P to S conversion (Pds) arrival preceding the positive polarity 410 km discontinuity arrival. These arrivals are modeled as a low‐velocity layer atop the 410 km discontinuity (410‐LVL) and are inverted for a velocity profile via a grid search using a five‐parameter linear gradient velocity model. Model parameter likelihood and correlations are assessed via calculation of one‐ and two‐dimensional marginal posterior probability distributions. The maximum likelihood model parameter values found are top velocity gradient thickness of 0.0 km with a 4.6% (−0.22 km/s) shear velocity reduction, a 19.8 km constant velocity layer, and bottom gradient thickness of 25.0 km with a 3.5% (+0.17 km/s) shear velocity increase. The estimated mean thickness of the 410‐LVL is 32.3 km. The top gradient of the 410‐LVL is sharp within vertical resolution limits of P to S conversion (<10 km), and the diffuse 410 km velocity gradient is consistent with hydration of the olivine‐wadsleyite phase transformation. The 410‐LVL is interpreted as a melt layer created by the Transition Zone Water Filter model. Two secondary observations are found: (1) the 410‐LVL is absent from the SE end of the array and (2) an intermittent negative polarity P525s arrival is observed. We speculate that upper mantle shear velocity anomalies above the 410 km discontinuity may manifest Rayleigh‐Taylor instabilities nucleated from the 410‐LVL melt layer that are being shed upward on time scales of tens of millions of years.
A Study of the Expectations and Perceptions of Bhutanese Tour Operators in Regard to the Service Quality of the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators.

This research aims to study the expectations and perceptions of the members of the Association of the Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO) with regard to service quality, focusing on five dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. It analyzes the impact of various demographics factors on the expectations and perceptions of tour operators with regard to ABTO service quality. Data was collected from 218 member tour operators using the convenience sampling method. The results show differences in the tour operators’ expectations and perceptions in regard to ABTO service quality when segmented into the fine dimensions. Expectations were much higher in all cases and perceptions performed much lower than expectations, leading to a negative disconfirmation in regard to the service quality delivered by ABTO.
The Relationship between Total Management Team (TMT) Compensation and Corporate Governance: The Case of Saudi Stock Market

This research aims to evaluate emergent or new dimensions of corporate governance (CG) practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as demonstrated by selected companies listed in the Saudi stock exchange. The research seeks to enrich existing literature in the field for best practice and cutting-edge research applications by undertaking the tripartite processes of: (1) analyzing the firm size elasticity of total management team (TMT) compensation; (2) investigating the simultaneous relationship between TMT compensation and firm performance, controlling for the firm size and other firm-specific variables; and (3) evaluating the impact of the firm board control on TMT compensation accounting for the firm’s ownership structure, including vital policies related to board control, ownership shares, composition, membership, and other firmspecific variables. The results of this research will have important implications for both companies and policy makers, as the outcomes guide companies toward best CG practices and encourage policy makers to leverage these regulations to improved performance of the listed companies. The research outcomes will also afford guidelines on how to use the board composition and its control on TMT in the alignment of the goals of top executives with that of the owners of the firm by structuring TMT pay.
Description of inflammation and cytokine profile at the inoculation site and in heart tissue of mice re-infected with Trypanosoma cruzi vector derived-metacyclic trypomastigotes

We studied the role of Trypanosoma cruzi reinfection in regard to inflammatory and cytokine response at the inoculation site, lymph node and heart. We reinfected Balb/c mice intradermically into the hind foot-pad with natural infective metacyclic trypomastigotes. They were followed from 24 h to 30 days after the last reinfection. At the inoculation site 24 h after the last re-infection, the infiltrating inflammatory cells increased dramatically with respect to baseline inflammation, reaching maximum infiltrates for the third day. In contrast, parasite DNA was undetectable 24 h after inoculation, despite poor cytokine induction, only IFN-gamma, IL-12 and TGF-β were noticeable on days 7 and 15, whereas in the lymph nodes draining the inoculation site positive expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-12 and TGF-beta were found to be induced as soon as 24 h after re-entry of parasite. In the heart, the inflammatory response increased immediately 24 h after re-entry of parasites, reaching its maximum on the 7th day and returning to baseline on day 30. In conclusion, although the inflammatory response is triggered in both compartments by re-entry of parasites, the inflammatory process returns almost to baseline after 30 days, leaving a persistent low-grade inflammation.
The Network Computer Concept

Abstract The thin-client, platform-independent network computer (NC) device offers organizations the promise of drastically reduced desktop support and management costs and increased security and control. At the same time, issues such as up-front training, software availability, bandwidth, and network reliability must be considered. This article explains the NC's architecture, success factors, and ramifications for several computing arenas and the industry in general.
Parallel Distance-Based Instance Selection Algorithm for Feed-Forward Neural Network

Abstract Instance selection endeavors to decide which instances from the data set should be maintained for further use during the learning process. It can result in increased generalization of the learning model, shorter time of the learning process, or scaling up to large data sources. This paper presents a parallel distance-based instance selection approach for a feed-forward neural network (FFNN), which can utilize all available processing power to reduce the data set while obtaining similar levels of classification accuracy as when the original data set is used. The algorithm identifies the instances at the decision boundary between consecutive classes of data, which are essential for placing hyperplane decision surfaces, and retains these instances in the reduced data set (subset). Each identified instance, called a prototype, is one of the representatives of the decision boundary of its class that constitutes the shape or distribution model of the data set. No feature or dimension is sacrificed in the reduction process. Regarding reduction capability, the algorithm obtains approximately 85% reduction power on non-overlapping two-class synthetic data sets, 70% reduction power on highly overlapping two-class synthetic data sets, and 77% reduction power on multiclass real-world data sets. Regarding generalization, the reduced data sets obtain similar levels of classification accuracy as when the original data set is used on both FFNN and support vector machine. Regarding execution time requirement, the speedup of the parallel algorithm over the serial algorithm is proportional to the number of threads the processor can run concurrently.
'We're just sick people, nothing else': ... factors contributing to elderly stroke patients' satisfaction with rehabilitation

Objective: To identify factors contributing to elderly stroke patients' satisfaction with rehabilitation following stroke. Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Setting: Interviews conducted in two phases, once in a stroke rehabilitation unit and once after hospital discharge. Subjects: Twelve elderly stroke patients (seven women and five men, aged 60—87 years). Results: One main category: 'To be treated with respect and dignity' was identified as a core factor contributing to patients' satisfaction with the rehabilitation services. This main factor was divided into five subcategories: (1) Being treated with humanity, (2) Being acknowledged as individuals, (3) Having their autonomy respected, (4) Having confidence and trust in professionals, (5) Dialogue and exchange of information. The statements covered a continuum from satisfaction via indifference to dissatisfaction. Expressions of satisfaction emerged mainly as general statements while expressions of dissatisfaction described situations in greater detail. Satisfaction was merely connected to daily care experiences and fulfilment of basic needs. Trust in providers and being dignified seemed more closely associated with satisfaction than being involved in treatment decisions. The findings demonstrate how the quality of patient—professional interaction influences patients' satisfaction with stroke rehabilitation. Conclusion: To be treated with respect and dignity seems to be a core element influencing vulnerable elderly stroke patients' satisfaction with rehabilitation. A merely functional definition of the success of rehabilitation should be expanded into an approach encompassing patients' perceptions and personal preferences. The meaning of dignity for elderly stroke patients in the rehabilitation setting should be further clarified and given practical substance.
Rôle de la matrice d'information et pondération des composantes dans les noyaux de Fisher pour PLSI

RESUME. Des similarites entre documents a base de categories semantiques latentes et de noyaux de Fisher ont ete proposees pour la premiere fois il y a dix ans par T. Hofmann dans le contexte du “Probabilistic Latent Semantic Indexing”, puis etendues par Nyffenegger et al. (2006). Le present article presente une etude approfondie et une revision de ces modeles par (1) une description unifiee et simplifiee, (2) une etude du role de la matrice d’information de Fisher G(θ), et (3) une analyse de l’impact des parametres associes aux categories latentes. Il fournit de plus de nouveaux resultats experimentaux sur une grande collection de document provenant du corpus d’evaluation TREC–AP.
A model based on data from echosounder buoys to estimate biomass of fish species associated with fish aggregating devices

Most of the drifting fish aggregating devices (DFADs) used in industrial tropical tuna purse seine fisheries are equipped with satellite linked echosounder buoys, which provide fishing crews with remote, accurate geolocation information and rough estimates of FAD-associated tuna biomass. One of the most common brands of echosounder buoys (SATLINK, Madrid, Spain) is currently calibrated for the target strength of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and provides biomass data on. that species. Using that brand of echosounder buoy, we developed a new behavior-based approach to provide relative biomass estimates and a remote target classification of fish aggregations at FADs. The model is based on current knowledge of the vertical distribution of the main fish species associated with FADs, as well as on appropriate TS and weight values for different species and sizes, and is further based on parameter optimization against a set of fishing operations on DFADs. This model reduced the error variability in biomass estimates by about 60% and also reduced the ranges of underestimation. and overestimation by 55% and 75%, respectively. Similarly, the original coefficients of correlation and determination were also considerably improved from 0.50 and 0.25 to 0.90 and 0.82, respectively. We discuss how this new method opens new opportunities for scientific studies and has implications for sustainable fishing.
Approaching the cellular mechanism that supports the intercellular spread of Tobacco mosaic virus

Plant viruses spread cell-to-cell in infected plants by exploiting plasmodesmata (PD), gatable channels in the cell wall that provide cytoplasmic passageways for the trafficking of informational macromolecules. Since it became known that the intercellular spread of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) depends on virus-encoded movement protein (MP), the mechanism by which this protein mediates in the targeting of this virus to PD is subject to intense studies. TMV movement occurs in a non-encapsidated form and thus promises to reveal important host functions involved in the intra-and intercellular trafficking of RNA molecules. We have recently presented new evidence that the cell-to-cell trafficking of TMV RNA (vRNA) involves the formation and intracellular trafficking of distinct MP particles. Upon assembly, these particles detach from cortical microtubule (MT) sites and then move with the flow of ER through the cell. During passage the particles continue to undergo transient interactions with MT which may guide the particles to their destination. The comprehensive analysis of particle composition may lead to important insights into the regulation of RNA transport in plants and may also reveal potential similarities to RNA transport mechanisms in animals and humans. Addendum to: Sambade A, Brandner K, Hofmann C, Seemanpillai M, Mutterer J, Heinlein M. Transport of TMV movement protein particles associated with the targeting of RNA to plasmodesmata. Traffic 2008; In press.
Data Visualization during the Early Stages of Drug Discovery

Multidimensional compound optimization is a new paradigm in the drug discovery process, yielding efficiencies during early stages and reducing attrition in the later stages of drug development. The success of this strategy relies heavily on understanding this multidimensional data and extracting useful information from it. This paper demonstrates how principled visualization algorithms can be used to understand and explore a large data set created in the early stages of drug discovery. The experiments presented are performed on a real-world data set comprising biological activity data and some whole-molecular physicochemical properties. Data visualization is a popular way of presenting complex data in a simpler form. We have applied powerful principled visualization methods, such as generative topographic mapping (GTM) and hierarchical GTM (HGTM), to help the domain experts (screening scientists, chemists, biologists, etc.) understand and draw meaningful decisions. We also benchmark these principled methods against relatively better known visualization approaches, principal component analysis (PCA), Sammon's mapping, and self-organizing maps (SOMs), to demonstrate their enhanced power to help the user visualize the large multidimensional data sets one has to deal with during the early stages of the drug discovery process. The results reported clearly show that the GTM and HGTM algorithms allow the user to cluster active compounds for different targets and understand them better than the benchmarks. An interactive software tool supporting these visualization algorithms was provided to the domain experts. The tool facilitates the domain experts by exploration of the projection obtained from the visualization algorithms providing facilities such as parallel coordinate plots, magnification factors, directional curvatures, and integration with industry standard software.