Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Model Development and Hypotheses

In this chapter three research models around BPS are derived in subsections 3.1 to 3.3. These research models shed light on the consequences/value dimensions of BPS (i.e. analyze the impact of BPS on business process performance and its sub-dimensions time, cost, and quality, as well as on business process flexibility). 1 In a first step, the chapter introduces the three research models which are used and evaluated throughout the remainder of this book. In a second step, the chapter introduces the individual constructs used in the three research models. Finally, Section 3 establishes links between the constructs and derives a set of research hypotheses per model. 2 The use of models does not necessarily lead to good policies, but it does avoid the worst possibilities. In this section we will introduce the three research models (compare Figure 1) on which the main part of this book will focus. As discussed in section 3.1 within this book we focus on analyzing business process standards and business process standardization within the boundaries of a preselected focal organization. Building upon the IT business value model developed by Melville et al. (2004), we derived our BPS value model. By specifically zooming in on the link from " business processes " to " consequences/value dimensions of BPS " we aim at analyzing the BPS value creation on selected consequences/value dimensions (e.g. business process performance or business process flexibility) on process level, because recent research promotes a process-level perspective (compare section 2.2). In the following the three models will be developed, starting with an overview of the model (this section), followed by collecting the constructs into the model (section 2), and finally theoretically deriving and adding the hypothesized linkages between the introduced constructs into the models (section 3).
Intellectual Capital, Impact Factor in Competitiveness: SMEs Manufacturing Industry in Mexico.

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of the intellectual capital (IC) on the competitiveness in the SMEs manufacturing in Mexico.Design/methodology/approach: The approach of this investigation is developing a theoretical construct to determine the correlation between intellectual capital and competitiveness, and find the most relevant factors that impacts it, where IC is independent variable, and the competitiveness as dependant variable. Using the Likert scale in order to determine the degree of agreement or disagreement, and the survey was applied to 420 SMEs. The results were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach's alpha and subsequently structural equation models (SEM). Findings: The results show that the IC dimensions the information obtained, intellectual capital developed and learning and feedback; have effect on the competitiveness of SMEs. The paper presents the theoretical validation of the factors that impact on intellectual capital and competitiveness, and hence the key elements that impact mostly on each analysed variable.Originality/value: This study shows the effects of the IC that are directly impacting the competitiveness of SMEs, so that each factor of the dependent and independent variables should be analysed separately to propose improvements in implementing CI to seek higher level of competitiveness.Practical implications: The results obtained measure the level of correlation between the variables in study, hence to design the strategies and key factors needed to integrate the intellectual capital and develop competitive synergies in the SMEs manufacturing.
Administration of fentanyl before remifentanil‐based anaesthesia has no influence on post‐operative pain or analgesic consumption

Background: Remifentanil's short‐acting analgesic effect and the potential of producing hyperalgesia is a challenge to post‐operative pain control. This study investigated whether pre‐treating the patients with fentanyl before remifentanil‐based anaesthesia could reduce post‐operative pain or analgesic consumption.
Changes of sympatho‐adrenal and hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenocortical system in patients with head injury

To determine the role of the sympatho‐adrenal (SAS) and hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenocortical system (HPAS) after head injury, the relationship between venous blood epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), Cortisol levels, and clinical condition was examined in 55 patients. These observations suggest that head injury causes mainly activation of the above‐mentioned systems depending on the severity of trauma. An inverse correlation between the levels of E, NE and Glasgow Coma Scale score, indicating the severity of head injury was revealed. ACTH and Cortisol were similarly related to the clinical condition, although the observed correlation was less expressed. The changes in hormonal levels were present during the whole research period (1 week), although a certain shift to normalization was observed. However, catecholamines and ACTH levels in plasma were relatively low in severely head‐injured patients whose CT scans revealed serious alterations in the mesencephalic‐diencephalic area. At the same time their Cortisol levels obtained maximal values and their chance to survive was diminutive. The results of this study indicate that investigation of hormones of SAS and HPAS might be useful as an additional method in the complex of ordinary examinations in establishing early prognosis in patients with brain injury.
CAMPATH (alemtuzumab) for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and beyond

CAMPATH® (CAMPATH-1H, alemtuzumab, MabCAMPATH), is a lymphocyte-depleting humanized monoclonal antibody that was recently approved in the USA and Europe for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It targets CD52 – a small glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored glycoprotein that is highly expressed on normal T- and B-lymphocytes and on a large proportion of lymphoid cell malignancies – but not on hematopoietic progenitor cells. CAMPATH was shown to be effective against CLL refractory to chemotherapy with an acceptable toxicity profile. CAMPATH is also active against T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia and has been extensively used to prevent graft-versus-host disease associated with bone marrow transplantation. CAMPATH is owned by ILEX Pharmaceuticals LP and distributed by Schering AG and its US affiliate Berlex Laboratories.
Information Shares in a Two-Tier FX Market

Using several popular measures of information share, we examine price discovery across the inter-dealer and dealer-customer market tiers in the foreign exchange market. We generally find that the information share of the inter-dealer tier is higher than that of the dealer-customer one for non-financial sector trades and is lower than the dealer-customer tier for financial sector trades. In the forward market, we find that the dealer-customer tier generally has the greater information share. Our results indicate the market where customers' trades are the most informative and how exogenous events can affect price discovery across markets and market tiers.
Implementation of Active Anti-Islanding Methods Protection Devices for Grid Connected Photovoltaic Systems

Single-phase grid tied inverter is one among types of inverters widely used in photovoltaic generation systems due to the advantages they offer, in the absence of the grid, islanding situations occur. This paper describes model and simulation of such inverter in operation as distributed generation in electrical power system under islanding phenomena. In this configuration, it is imperative that the inverter automatically disconnects from the grid without remaining any residual voltage that can be dangerous for the plants and stakeholders. It is important to detect the islanding situation. For this purpose several techniques are used. We present in this article the implementation of the method called Slide-Mode frequency Shift (SMS) in the control of a single phase photovoltaic inverter, for which we provide a description of our SIMULINK implementations and their evaluations performed on the basis of comparison with Active Frequency Drift (AFD) method. Simulation results show that the developed algorithm detects the islanding phenomenon in the time approaching that required by the IEC and IEEE standards that secures the PV system connected to the grid.  Index Terms—PV systems, electrical grid, islanding detection methods, single phase PV inverter, distributed generation systems
Commercial electricity supply chain management practices in kenya

v LIST OF TABLES . viii LIST OF FIGURES . viii ABBREVIATION AND ACRONYMS . ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem . 4 1.3 Objectives of the Study . 6 1.4 Value of the Study . 6 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 7 2.1 Defining Supply Chain Management. 7 2.2 Commercial Electricity Supply Chain Management Practices . 8 2.3 Supply Chain Management Best Practices . 15 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY . 19 3.1 Research Design. 19 3.2 Population of the Study . 19
α-bisabolol-loaded lipid-core nanocapsules reduce lipopolysaccharide-induced pulmonary inflammation in mice

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe clinical condition of respiratory failure due to an intense inflammatory response with different etiologies. Despite all efforts, therapy remains limited, and ARDS is still associated with high mortality and morbidity. Plants can provide a vast source of active natural products for the discovery of new drugs. α-bisabolol (α-bis), a constituent of the essential oil from chamomile, has elicited pharmacological interest. However, the molecule has some limitations to its biological application. This study was conducted to develop a drug delivery system using lipid-core nanocapsules (LNCs) to improve the anti-inflammatory effects of orally administered α-bis. α-bis-loaded LNCs (α-bis-LNCs) were prepared by interfacial deposition of poly(ε-caprolactone) and orally administered in a mouse model of ARDS triggered by an intranasal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that α-bis-LNCs (30, 50, and 100 mg kg−1) significantly reduced airway hyperreactivity (AHR), neutrophil infiltration, myeloperoxidase activity, chemokine levels (KC and MIP-2), and tissue lung injury 18 hours after the LPS challenge. By contrast, free α-bis failed to modify AHR and neutrophil accumulation in the bronchoalveolar lavage effluent and lung parenchyma and inhibited elevation in the myeloperoxidase and MIP-2 levels only at the highest dose. Furthermore, only α-bis-LNCs reduced LPS-induced changes in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, as observed by a significant reduction in phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 proteins. Taken together, our results clearly show that by using LNCs, α-bis was able to decrease LPS-induced inflammation. These findings may be explained by the robust increase of α-bis concentration in the lung tissue that was achieved by the LNCs. Altogether, these results indicate that α-bis-LNCs should further be investigated as a potential alternative for the treatment of ARDS.
Water Stress in Beta vulgaris: Osmotic Adjustment Response and Gene Expression Analysis in ssp. vulgaris and maritima

Beta vulgaris genus comprises wild and cultivated subspecies. The “maritima” subspecies is formed by wild or weedy accessions, well adapted to low-water potential environments; it was previously shown that B. vulgaris ssp. maritima has mechanisms of osmotic adjustment more effective than the cultivated B. vulgaris ssp. vulgaris. The response to a progressive lowering of soil potential was compared in two Beta accessions, a cultivated and a wild one. Throughout the 4-months experiment under rain shelters, osmotic potential and relative water content were measured and total RNA was extracted to test the expression of six target genes known in sugar beet or in other plants to be modulated by water shortage. The mild occurrence of drought was paralleled by slow increase in transcription for sucrose synthase 1 and choline monoxygenase, in a way that was in some cases accession-dependent, e.g. the gene for choline monoxygenase was found to be up-regulated at the later stages of growth in stressed plants compared to control ones, and showed a higher constitutive transcription in sea beet compared to sugar beet. Transcription factor DREB2Aalso was slowly induced during the growth season and upon onset of water shortage, and this induction was stronger in sea beet than in sugar beet. In control plants, the transcription of all genes tested except DREB2Awere significantly higher in maritima accession compared to vulgaris one.
The Optical Parameters of ZnxCd ( 1x ) Te Chalcogenide Thin Films

A procedure to make optical quality thin films of ZnxCd(1-x) Te by use of thermal evaporation of the ternary compound has been investigated. Structural and optical properties of ZnxCd(1-x) Te solid solution with x = 0.1 to 0.5 were synthesized, from the resulting ZnTe and CdTe composition used in preparation of thin films. Structural investigation indicates they have polycrystalline structure. Composition was confirmed from EDAX while SEM picture shows homogeneity in films. Plots of (αhν) versus (hν) yield straight line indicating direct transition occurs with optical band gap energies in the range 1.7 2.3 eV. It is also found with increase Zn content the band gap of the films increases. Refractive indices and extinction coefficients have been evaluated in the spectral range (200 2500 nm).
Decoy receptor 3 polymorphisms are not associated with the risk of esophageal cancer in a Chinese population

Abstract Esophageal cancer (EC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, and esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for more than 90% of ECs. We hypothesized that genetic factors might play an important role in ESCC carcinogenesis. We conducted a hospital-based case–control study to evaluate the association between two single nucleotide polymorphisms of decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), namely, rs2297441 G > A and rs2257440 T > C, on the ESCC risk. In all, 629 ESCC cases and 686 controls were included. Genotypes were determined using the ligation detection reaction method. When the DcR3 rs2297441 GG homozygote genotype was used as the reference group, the GA genotype showed no association with the ESCC risk (GA versus GG: adjusted OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.88–1.40, p = 0.396); similarly, even the TT genotype showed no association with the ESCC risk (AA versus GG: adjusted OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.55–1.18, p = 0.268). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the DcR3 rs2257440 T > C polymorphism was not associated with the ESCC risk. DcR3 rs2297441 G > A and DcR3 rs2257440 T > C polymorphisms may not contribute to the ESCC risk, and additional, larger studies are required to confirm our results.
Sarbanes-Oxley, Capital Structure and the Choice of Payment in Mergers and Acquisitions

The present paper studies the impact of the SOX act to the choice of payment in Mergers & Acquisitions for firms with different capital structures. Use Probit and Tobit models to access the firms’ pre-acquisition leverage levels as well as the leverage changes of firms because of the SOX act. The behavior of cash payment M&As is compared to the Stock M&As.
Contribution to prior tuning of LQG selftuners

A prior prediction of control quality achievable by the optimally tuned LQG selftuner of a fixed structure is proposed. The prediction helps to judge in advance the usefulness of the intended selftuner implementation. The proposed algorithmization makes also possible the offline tuning of particular penalties in accordance with user's wishes. In this way, the used Bayesian methodology (together with existing solution of structure determination problem) provides algorithmic tools for systematic pre-tuning of majority of user's knobs
Review of Enterprises Financial Early-Warning Models

The financial early-warning is one of the compositions of the enterprise early-warning system, if no preventive risk for enterprises; it will bring serious consequences to the enterprise. Therefore, it plays an important role in predicting whether enterprises encounter financial risk in the future. Based on the domestic and foreign scholars’ research on enterprise financial early-warning models, after we describe and compare the advantages and disadvantages of each model, this paper review each model that can make the researchers of financial early-warning and practitioners have a preliminary understanding of the financial early-warning model. It provides strong support for their researches on the financial early-warning models. We can choose the appropriate model to study the financial early-warning.
Brain Activity in Response to Visual Symmetry

A number of studies have explored visual symmetry processing by measuring event related potentials and neural oscillatory activity. There is a sustained posterior negativity (SPN) related to the presence of symmetry. There is also functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity in extrastriate visual areas and in the lateral occipital complex. We summarise the evidence by answering six questions. (1) Is there an automatic and sustained response to symmetry in visual areas? Answer: Yes, and this suggests automatic processing of symmetry. (2) Which brain areas are involved in symmetry perception? Answer: There is an extended network from extrastriate areas to higher areas. (3) Is reflection special? Answer: Reflection is the optimal stimulus for a more general regularity-sensitive network. (4) Is the response to symmetry independent of view angle? Answer: When people classify patterns as symmetrical or random, the response to symmetry is view-invariant. When people attend to other dimensions, the network responds to residual regularity in the image. (5) How are brain rhythms in the two hemispheres altered during symmetry perception? Answer: Symmetry processing (rather than presence) produces more alpha desynchronization in the right posterior regions. Finally, (6) does symmetry processing produce positive affect? Answer: Not in the strongest sense, but behavioural measures reveal implicit positive evaluation of abstract symmetry.
Antiferromagnetic correlations in almost-localized Fermi liquids.

A Monte Carlo method is used to calculate various properties of one-band Gutzwiller wave functions which are formed by restricting the charge fluctuations in noninteracting wave functions. Gutzwiller's approximate formula for the kinetic energy is tested both for the ground state and excited states. The ground state is found to have strong antiferromagnetic short-range spin-spin correlations for nearly-half-filled bands, thus extending previous work on the half-filled case. These correlations are very sensitive to the choice of occupied Bloch states and when the occupation is distributed uniformly over the band they disappear. From this fact we conclude that correlations are present only at temperatures low compared to the coherence temperature. In the almost-localized limit it is advantageous to describe the system by an effective Hamiltonian which separates into a term due to the kinetic energy of the charge carriers and one due to the Heisenberg spin-spin coupling. We show that the almost-localized Fermi liquid can gain energy from both terms in the effective Hamiltonian. In other words the restrictions on charge fluctuations can cause spin correlations which in turn can stabilize the Fermi-liquid ground state.
Information Theory Models of Instabilities in Critical Systems

The book is a unique exploration of a spectrum of unexpected analogs to psychopathologies likely to afflict real-time critical systems, written by a specialist in the epidemiology of mental disorders. The purpose of this book is to develop a set of information-theoretic statistical tools for analyzing the instabilities of real-time cognitive systems at those varying scales and levels of organization, with special focus on high level machine function.The book should be of particular interest to both industry and academic scientists, and government regulators, concerned with driverless cars on intelligent roads. Many of the same concerns also afflict high-end automated weapons systems. The book should appeal to students, researchers, and industrial and governmental administrators facing the design, operation, and maintenance of real time critical systems ranging across manufacturing facilities, transportation, finance, and military operations.
In Pursuit of Business Excellence

: Excellence and the related notions, such as competence, expertise and expert performance, elude precise definition. Historically, these notions have been approached in different ways by scholars developing their theories in a number of disciplines. These theories are discussed in the article with special reference to determinants of excellence in business and in light of the anthropocentric theory of human languages. The author’s main hypothesis is that all these three notions refer to the inherent, non-transferable properties of human beings and not to organizations. Referring to the dominant theory of deliberate practice as a key factor contributing to expertise, the author discusses other scholars’ counter arguments and formulates, in addition, his own reservations based on the specificity of business practice. These reservations relate to the diversity of the business field and to certain impact factors inextricably linked with business activity that distinguish this domain from many others.
Buoyancy driven autonomous profiling float for shallow waters

This paper presents a new underwater vertical profiling float with anchoring mechanism to embed in the seabed during adverse tidal conditions and navigate in coastal currents with minimal energy consumption to achieve extended periods of deployment. The profiling float has been built with industrial PVC pipes to maintain low cost of production and has been rated to operate at depths of 100m and has been tested in the northern coast of Singapore. Vertical profiles of temperature and depth are obtained from pre-programmed missions. Two configurations were developed; one with multiple chambers with weight changing capability and second with stacked profile and oil bladders where buoyancy control is achieved through volume change. This vehicle serves as a workhorse for measuring salinity, temperature, conductivity, and other parameters aiming at reliable, robust and long term environmental sensing in the coastal regions of Singapore.
An examination of mobile app usage and the user’s life satisfaction

Abstract Increased engagement with mobile apps is an emerging trend with people today. Mobile devices have become so personalized that many people consider their mobile device as an extension of themselves. Research has suggested that one driving factor in a person’s adoption of mobile apps is the pursuit of happiness. However, there is little research regarding the influence of apps on a person’s well-being. The purpose of this paper was to examine mobile app usage among college students and the relationship between app usage and one’s satisfaction with life. Findings suggest that there is a correlation between mobile app usage and a person’s level of satisfaction with life. Gender differences in app usage were also found.