Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Load-bearing capacity of handmade and computer-aided design–computer-aided manufacturing-fabricated three-unit fixed dental prostheses of particulate filler composite

Abstract Objective. To compare handmade and computer-aided design–computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM)-fabricated fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) composed of a particulate filler composite. Material and methods. Handmade FDPs were made of restorative composite (Z 100) and CAD-CAM-fabricated FDPs were made of commercial CAD-CAM blocks (VITA Temp) and two experimental CAD-CAM blocks of particulate filler composite. Experimental CAD composite A was prepared by mixing 31.2 wt. % of dimethacrylate resin with 68.7 wt. % of filler particles of barium oxide silicate (BaSiO2). Experimental CAD composite B was prepared by mixing 25.6 wt. % of dimethacrylate resin with 74.3 wt. % of filler particles of BaSiO2. Six groups were fabricated (n = 6 in each); FDPs were statically loaded until final fracture. Results. Experimental CAD composites A and B revealed the highest load-bearing capacity of the FDPs, while Z 100 showed the lowest. Conclusion. FDPs made of experimental CAD composite blocks showed higher load-bearing capacities than handmade commercial composites and commercial blocks.
Investment Performance of Swedish Liesed Family Firms

This paper looks at the consequences on investment performance of family control. Sweden is an interesting case as vote differentials are widely used. Two questions are posed. Do we see family control of listed firms because the family is better than other owners in generating value enhancing investments or do we see family control because the family uses the control for other purposes of amenity type? These questions are expressed as two alternative hypotheses. If family ownership in general can be considered as motivated by concern about firm value only investments with a positive net present value will be made. On the other hand if other motives are at play investments with a negative net present value might be carried out. Marginal q analysis is used. We find a positive impact of family control on investment performance. However excess votes over cash flow rights turns out to have a negative effect on investment performance. Our explanation to that result is that amenity types of investments are chosen when excess votes make it less expensive for controlling owners to indulge in that kind of consumption. Acknowledgments: Financial support from Sparbankstiftelsen Alfa and CeFeo to James Dzansi s and Johanna Palmberg’s dissertation work is gratefully acknowledged.
Management--concepts, practices, and skills

Part 1 Introduction: management - an overview the manager's environment social responsibility and business ethics. Part 2 Decision making and planning: managerial decision making the planning process strategic planning. Part 3 Organizing: the organizing process and informal organization organizing concepts and organizational structure human resource management and the staffing function. Part 4 Influencing: motivation leadership communication group performance, intergroup behaviour and conflict power, organizational politics and stress organizational culture change and development. Part 5 Controlling: the controlling process controlling techniques. Part 6 Special topics: management in the multinational enterprise production and operations management management information systems.
Red cell distribution width is associated with hospital mortality in unselected critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a variability of red cell sizes and has been associated with outcomes in many clinical settings. Its prognostic value in intensive care unit (ICU) has been reported but requires confirmation. The study aimed to investigate the role of RDW in predicting hospital mortality in critically ill patients. METHODS This is a retrospective study conducted in a 24-bed ICU of a tertiary teaching hospital. Data on demographic characteristics and laboratory measurements were collected from medical information database. Baseline variables were compared between survivors and nonsurvivors. The primary endpoint was hospital mortality; and ICU length of stays (LOS) were compared between patients with RDW >14.8% and ≤14.8%. The predictive value of RDW was also measured using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Two-sided P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS A total of 1,539 patients were enrolled during study period, including 1,084 survivors and 455 nonsurvivors. In univariate analysis, variables such as age, sex, primary diagnosis, C-reactive protein (CRP), RDW and albumin were significantly associated with hospital mortality. RDW remained significantly associated with mortality after adjustment for sex, age, Charlson index albumin and CRP, with an odds ratio of 1.1 (95% CI: 1.03-1.16). Diagnostic performance of RDW in predicting mortality appeared to be suboptimal (AU-ROC: 0.62). Changes in RDW during a short follow up period were not associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS RDW measured on ICU entry is associated with hospital mortality. Patients with higher RDW will have longer LOS in ICU. Repeated measurements of RDW provide no additional prognostic value in critically ill patients.
Delay-Reduction Technique for DWA Algorithms

This brief presents a delay-reduction technique for data weighted averaging (DWA) algorithms. The proposed technique is based on quantizing the shift pointer of the DWA circuit, which leads to a complexity reduction of the shuffler and, consequently, to a delay reduction as well. Synthesis results in a 65-nm CMOS process show that the proposed technique reduces DWA delay below 100 ps for a 5-bit delta-sigma modulator. The proposed technique reduces the DWA in-band tones that arise as well, particularly for low input amplitudes.
Simulation modeling for making decision on clinical trials using acceptability curve of cost-effectveness and expected net benefits

Simulating empirical distributions of costs and health benefits are widely used for making decisions on health interventions. Decisions using acceptability curves (CEAC) are commonly adopted to represents the probability of incremental cost-effectiveness model regarding the Northeast quadrant of joint density of incremental cost and benefits distributions, considering variability within samples. Using an expected net benefits model, we show how to integrate in one curve the distributed points of costs and benefits that fall in Northeast, Southeast, Northwest and Southwest quadrants, considering variability between and within samples. We applied the methods to a clinical trial that evaluates the effects of resonance magnetic image and computerized tomography image in the diagnostic of stroke. Thus, modeling and simulation of expected net benefits allow for drawing an acceptability curve, integrating the four quadrants of joint density of incremental cost and benefits without altering decisions that might be undertaken using the classical acceptability curve approach.
The Hidden Economy and the Tax-Gap in New Zealand: A Latent Variable Analysis

This paper develops a structural, latent variable, model for the hidden economy in New Zealand, and a separate currency-demand model. The latent variable model is used to generate an historical time-series index of hidden economic activity, which is calibrated via the information from the currency-demand model. The hidden economy varies between 6.8% and 11.3% of measured GDP. This, in turn, implies that the tax-gap is of the order of 6.4% to 10.2% of total tax liability in that country.
Result evaluation strategies for peer selection in P2P

P2P networks provide a highly reliable way of sharing resources. For the peers to behave honestly trust needs to be incorporated. The trust framework should incorporate self-experience and reputation to calculate trustworthiness of a peer, in order to enable assessing the peers based on the services provided by them. Within the trust framework, various strategies for assessing the peers based on the performance shall be analysed which may result in selection of peers for providing certain type of services. This paper proposes Game Tree strategy, Tit for Tat strategy, Self Trust strategy, Dynamic strategy and Auditing strategy for selecting peers for doing job in trust-driven P2P networks.
Merger Laws, Globalization, and Corporate Value

This paper is the first attempt to isolate the direct effect of competition laws on a country's merger activity and indirectly on corporate value. We find that, although the direct relationship between merger laws and Tobin's Q is positive and significant, once we control for the net cross-border merger flows in a country, the relationship vanishes. We conclude that the positive effect of merger laws on corporate value is driven by their deterring effect on horizontal, cross-border, anti-competitive mergers. To the extent that the trend towards globalization in the world has dramatically increased merger flows from some countries to others, we argue that there is a need for competition laws that make up for the pervasive effects of the global market on some countries. We also show that the European Merger Directive has had a negative impact on corporations value.
Antibiotic Susceptibility of Potential Probiotic Lactobacilli Isolated from the Vagina of Chinese Pregnant Women

To study the antibiotic susceptibility of eleven vaginal probiotic lactobacilli, the disc diffusion method in LAPTg agars was performed. The results had shown that all strains were resistance to tobramycin, lomefloxacin, nalidixic scid, ofloxacin, enoxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and fleroxacin. Thereof eight were resistance to sparfloxacin, six were resistance to gentamicin and netilmicin. All the lactobacilli were sensitive to -lactamade inhibitors and macrolides whereas resistant to tinidazole. Therefore, the susceptibility to some antibiotics presented similar. On the other hand, the sensitivity to other antibiotics depended on strains. Our results indicated that resistant strains of lactobacilli against tinidazole could be combinated with tinidazole for the restoration of the normal urogenital flora and curing of urinary tract infections or bacterial vaginosis.
Estimating willingness to pay by risk adjustment mechanism

Measuring consumers’ Willingness To Pay (WTP) without considering the level of uncertainty in valuation and the consequent risk premiums will result in estimates that are biased toward lower values. This research proposes a model and method for correctly assessing WTP in cases involving valuation uncertainty. The new method, called Risk Adjustment Mechanism (RAM), is presented theoretically and demonstrated empirically. It is shown that the RAM outperforms the traditional method for assessing WTP, especially in a context of a nonmarket good such as a totally new product.
Do geographic concentration and vertically-related variety foster firm productivity? Micro-evidence from Italy

Using a large unbalanced panel dataset of more than 12,000 Italian manufacturing firms for the period 1999–2007, this paper investigates the role of geographic concentration and related variety on firms' total factor productivity (TFP). The main idea is that diversification—captured by a measure of vertically related variety—promotes firm innovativeness and, consequently, productivity, but when the technology has been consolidated, firms join specialized clusters that enhance efficiency. Our results suggest that the effect on firms' TFP of geographic concentration is stronger than that of related variety. We also confirm previous findings on the relevance of agglomeration forces for small firms compared with medium and large firms, where these agglomerative forces do not seem to influence TFP.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch : altruistic parents and the response of household food expenditures to nutrition program reforms

Many countries provide extensive in-kind public transfers for specific needs of particular client groups such as the elderly, the disabled, and children. However, this may crowd out private expenditures on the goods in question and, to some extent, undermine the case for not simply giving cash. If the target group belongs to a larger household the mechanism behind this crowding out could be either altruism or agency. This paper is concerned with three nutrition programmes for children in UK households: free lunch at school for children from poor households; free milk to poor households with pre-school children; and free milk at day-care for pre-school children in attendance regardless of parental income. We exploit a reform that removed eligibility to the first two programs from working poor households. We find significant crowding-out of private food expenditures – a free school lunch reduces food expenditure by around 15% of the purchase price of the lunch, and a free pint of milk reduces milk expenditure by about 80% of the market price. We conclude that this is due to altruism rather than agency problems because milk expenditure crowd-out is similar across milk programs that have different delivery mechanisms.
Co-ordinating Urban Development, Stations and Railway Services as a Component of Urban Sustainability: An Achievable Planning Goal in Britain?

The spatial relationship between stations and the ultimate origins and destinations of people's journeys has important implications for the relative competitiveness of rail transport. This relationship can be co-ordinated by the planning process but British practice in this respect has been erratic. This article reviews the functional and institutional arrangements for co-ordination between urban development and railway interests since railway nationalization and the creation of the modern planning system in 1947, and draws conclusions as to what factors influenced the good practice that occurred. It then goes on to consider the contemporary policy context which promotes the development of more sustainable patterns of urban growth which favour the rail mode, but wherein the British railway system has been privatized. This has thrown up a number of functional and institutional barriers to successful co-ordination. The article reviews these and concludes by making recommendations as to how things might be improved.
c-Myc Functionally Cooperates with Bax To Induce Apoptosis

ABSTRACT c-Myc promotes apoptosis by destabilizing mitochondrial integrity, leading to the release of proapoptotic effectors including holocytochrome c. Candidate mediators of c-Myc in this process are the proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family. We show here that fibroblasts lacking Bak remain susceptible to c-Myc-induced apoptosis whereas bax-deficient fibroblasts are resistant. However, despite this requirement for Bax, c-Myc activation exerts no detectable effects on Bax expression, localization, or conformation. Moreover, susceptibility to c-Myc-induced apoptosis can be restored in bax-deficient cells by ectopic expression of Bax or by microinjection of a peptide comprising a minimal BH3 domain. Microinjection of BH3 peptide also restores sensitivity to c-Myc-induced apoptosis in p53-deficient primary fibroblasts that are otherwise resistant. By contrast, there is no synergy between BH3 peptide and c-Myc in fibroblasts deficient in both Bax and Bak. We conclude that c-Myc triggers a proapoptotic mitochondrial destabilizing activity that cooperates with proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family.
Single-Sex Education versus Coeducation in North Georgia Public Middle Schools.

Catherine Danielle Blake. SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION VERSUS COEDUCATION IN NORTH GEORGIA PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOLS (under the direction of Dr.Leldon W. Nichols) School of Education, Liberty University, July 2012. The U.S. Department of Education is giving more liberties to school districts to offer single-sex schools in order to adequately serve the needs of students. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to test the theory of students’ performances based on their educational environment by comparing students who received instruction in a single gender classroom in a public middle school compared to students who received instruction in a mixed gender classroom in a public middle school. The achievement test, Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test, was used with each site school. There were two years of data collected with the standardized test and was utilized as a pretest and posttest in all subtests areas. The data were compared as whole group, females to females, and males to males. The findings in the study showed that there were significant differences for the whole group in reading, science and social Studies. There were also significant differences in the males in science, and social studies; females showed significant differences in math, reading, science, and social
An adoptive T cell immunotherapy targeting cancer stem cells in a colon cancer model.

PURPOSE Colon cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are a distinct subgroup of cancer cells that play a vital role in the development of cancer and also a role in the development of resistance against therapeutic agents. In this study we investigated the role of CSCs in colon cancer and evaluated the tumor-associated antigen CEP55 for targeting immunotherapeutically CSCs. METHODS Side population (SP) cells from colon cancer cell line SW480, were isolated using DNA-binding dye Hoechst 33342. The cytotoxic activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) clone 41 for side population (SP) cells and main population (MP) cells was evaluated using 51Cr release assay. The SP cells, MP cells and presorted cells from the colon cancer cell line were evaluated in NOD/SCID mice. RESULTS The isolated SP cells showed resistance to the chemotherapeutic agents irinotecan and oxaliplatin, which suggests that targeting the CSCs can be a better strategy for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant colon cancer. HLA class I and HLA-A24 in SP cells and MP cells were expressed at the same level. We used CTL clone 41 to corroborate the sensitivity of SP cells to cytotoxic T lymphocyte response. The cytotoxic responses of SP cells were to the same extent as they were in MP cells and pre-sorted cells. Adoptive transfer of CTL clone 41 in immunodeficient mice inhibited SW480-induced tumors, suggesting that this approach can be used for colon cancer immunotherapy. CONCLUSION Our novel findings suggest that colon cancer CSCs are sensitive to CTLs, and CEP55, a tumor-associated antigen, can be successfully used as active immunotherapy for targeting CSCs in colon cancer.
Does Tourism Affect House Prices? Evidence from Italy

The purpose of the present work is to analyze whether—and to what extent—tourism activity affects urban house price dynamics in Italy. Using a system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM-SYS) approach and after controlling for socioeconomic characteristics of the local housing markets as well as amenities and disamenities, we test for the effect of tourism by employing a composite index that enables us to capture the complexity of the tourism market. Data consist of yearly observations on the average house prices of 103 Italian cities over the period of 1996–2007. The results confirmed by several robustness checks demonstrate that tourism activity positively affects house prices. In addition, this work provides several first hints that this relationship might not be the same for all types of cities; hence, further developments of the present work should proceed in the direction of searching for different potential regimes through the use of mixture models.
Prospects of Kiswahili as a Regional Language in a Socioculturally Heterogeneous East Africa

Abstract The three East African states, namely Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, are currently working towards a regional confederation. This task poses challenges of implementation. The main stakeholders have called for unity of purpose, philosophy, and strategy in order to achieve mutual compatibility of values among these politically independent and socioculturally diverse entities. This paper examines the language situation in the three states and the central role that language plays in the social, economic, cultural and educational aspects of political integration. We conclude that the search for a regional identity needs to be driven by practical policies that promote rather than inhibit interaction of East Africans. We also demonstrate that the existing ethnolinguistc and national identities can be harnessed to complement the unitary efforts towards regionalization.
Migration, Jobs and Welfare: A General Equilibrium Analysis

Immigration has been an important element of the economic development of many countries, although in recent years there has been an intensification of doubts about the benefits of further immigration. This paper brings some simple general-equilibrium modelling tools to bear on the question of the employment and welfare effects of immigration. Employment and taxation effects, rather than wage and distributional effects, are found to be crucial in determining the impact of immigration on the welfare of factor-owners in the receiving country. These employment effects depend on the type of immigration and the substitutability or complementarity relationships between immigrant labour and unemployed labour. Certain types of immigration are shown to be Pareto-improving for the receiving country, without any need for lump-sum transfers. Simple numerical simulations illustrate the results.
Regional Trade Integration in the Middle East and North Africa: Lessons from Central Europe

In this paper regional integration among the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is addressed. There are a number of economic and integration blocs with one or more MENA countries’ participation, but there is no one overarching agreement that would cover the whole MENA region. The results of various gravity model calculations suggest that intra-MENA trade is below its potential. Intra-MENA trade is a small fraction (5.9% in exports, 5.1% in imports) of the MENA countries’ total trade. Exports to the EU are ten times, imports from the EU eight times more relevant than intra-MENA trade flows. The most recent goal of the EU-MENA cooperation has been the creation of a deep Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area, aimed at a substantial liberalization of trade between both the EU and Southern Mediterranean countries (North-South), and Southern Mediterranean countries themselves (South-South). Recent research result point out that a successful revival of intra-regional trade in Central Europe was conditional upon these countries’ close integration with the EU. In the case of the Central European countries close integration meant full EU membership, what is for the MENA not available currently. Nevertheless a provision of some of the main attributes of deep integration with the EU, even without full membership, may facilitate intra-MENA trade to a similar way as it did for Central Europe.
Integrating Neurocomputing and Auditing Expertise

Investigates the possibility of applying artificial intelligence to solve practical auditing problems faced by the public sector, namely the tax auditor of the Internal Revenue Services, when targeting firms for further investigation. Suggests that organizations which incorporate an operational artificial neural network system will raise their performance greatly. Proposes that the neural network will overcome problems faced by a direct knowledge acquisition method in building an expert system to preserve the expertise of senior auditors by the IRS in Taiwan. Provides an explanation of the neural network theory with regard to multi‐ and single‐layered neural networks. Statistics reveal the neural network performs favourably, and that three‐layer networks perform better than two‐layer neural networks. The results strongly suggest that neural networks can be used to identify firms requiring further auditing investigation, and also suggest future implications for intelligent auditing machines.