Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality of life, self‐care ability, and sense of coherence in hemodialysis patients: A comparative study

The number of patients treated for end‐stage renal disease has increased in Sweden as in the rest of the world. During the last 6 years, more than 1000 people per year started renal replacement therapy in Sweden. Today hemodialysis (HD) patients have the opportunity to choose from different treatment modalities, home HD, self‐care dialysis or conventional dialysis. The aim of the study was to investigate whether there are differences in the way HD patients view their quality of life, self‐care ability and sense of coherence if they dialyze themselves at home, dialyze themselves in center (self‐care), or if they are dialyzed by nurses in an outpatient dialysis unit. The instruments consisted of the Short Form 36 (SF‐36) health survey, the Appraisal of Self‐Care Agency questionnaire and the Sense of Coherence questionnaire. Nineteen patients participated in the study (5 patients on home HD, 6 self‐care patients and 8 patients on conventional in center dialysis). There was a tendency for those who dialyzed at home to score higher on quality of life, self‐care ability and sense of coherence than those who dialyzed themselves in center. Since the number of participants in this study was low, it is necessary for future studies to include more patients to verify the results.
The influence of health and environment-focused values on restaurateur satisfaction in organic restaurants: a descriptive analysis in Spain

[EN] As a consequence of the increasing importance of the organic food in several countries, there are many theoretical and empirical studies focused on analyzing whether the health values or rather the environmental attitudes of the restaurateurs, are the most influential factors on their satisfaction. However, it is very important to differentiate the impact of these factors in order to improve the restaurateur satisfaction in the marketing of organic labeled foods. As most studies in restaurants are related to customer satisfaction, this paper deals with a novel topic relating promotion and differentiation in organic restaurants and particularly describing restaurateur satisfaction (i.e. manager satisfaction). In the framework of a research project focused in organic restaurants, in this paper we investigate how restaurant managements’ attitudes influence decisions to promote organic foods as inputs on menus. Different combinations of promotional attributes of an organic menu are considered and a wide spatial representation of cross-sectional nature has been obtained, and an investigation of chefs’ decision-making criteria based on a questionnaire was carried out to collect data. We illustrate how is possible to manage the promotion of the organic restaurants in Spain and the implications of these findings for restaurants are discussed. The main contribution of this work is that there is a potential niche for restaurants in the marketing of organic labeled foods, in order to facilitate the promotion of organic food consumption in restaurants highlighting the attributes on which to establish the proposition of value.
Gestion intégrée de données CAO et EF : contribution à la liaison entre conception mécanique et calcul de structures

Ces dernieres annees, l’utilisation de la simulation numerique s’est generalisee dans le processus de developpement des produits. Auparavant, les simulations etaient realisees sequentiellement et n’intervenaient qu’en phase avale de l’activite de conception dans une optique de validation. Les approches actuelles tendent vers une simulation concourante avec l’integration de parametres multiples telles que les analyses stochastiques (statistiques), les simulations d’optimisation multi-physiques ou les analyses multi-scenarios. L’impact direct de ces approches et l’augmentation du nombre de simulations et de variantes de simulation, la croissance de la complexite des modeles de simulation, et l’augmentation du volume de donnees. Ceci a genere un fort besoin de gestion, de tracabilite, d’echange et de synchronisation des donnees de simulation pour garantir l’obtention des resultats indispensables aux prises de decision. Ces preoccupations sont a l’origine des travaux presentes dans ce memoire, lequel specifie un environnement de gestion de donnees de simulation dans une approche PLM. Ce dernier a ete defini dans l’optique de favoriser l’integration des donnees de CAO et d’analyse par elements finis. Cet environnement, nomme EGDS, propose une modelisation novatrice des cycles de simulation a travers l’adaptation et l’enrichissement des methodes de gestion des donnees issues des PLM. Afin de garantir son interoperabilite, un format neutre d’echange de donnees de gestion de simulation s’appuyant sur la norme STEP est egalement specifie
The impact of promotion on inventory forecasting for an Asian wholesale corporation

The Impact of Promotion on Inventory Forecasting for an Asian Wholesale Corporation by Tzu-Chu Chien Dr. Audrey C. McCool, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Food & Beverage Management University o f Nevada, Las Vegas Inventory control has been a challenge to wholesale firms since inventory can be easily affected by numerous operational, social, cultural, and environmental factors. Besides, marketing related factors create uncertainty as to the levels o f the product demands, and that uncertainty makes inventory forecasting much more difficult and forces wholesalers to estimate the impacts o f the potentially influential factors. Hence, an imderstanding o f the factors affecting inventory levels is the primary goal o f this study. Utilizing historical inventory data and other marketing related information provided by an Asian wholesale corporation, the researcher estimated the effect of promotion on product sales and replenishments with considerations o f the wholesale environment and cultural influences. Several theories were applied in this study in order to explain demand fluctuation, and these theories acted as guidelines for the study. Nine research hypotheses were tested in this study to investigate the effects o f the marketing
Immunomodulatory Role of CXCR2 During Experimental Septic Peritonitis 1

The loss of CXCR2 expression by neutrophils is a well-described, but poorly understood, consequence of clinical sepsis. To address the potential impact of this CXCR2 deficit during the septic response, we examined the role of CXCR2 in a murine model of septic peritonitis provoked by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). CLP-induced mouse mortality was significantly attenuated with i.v. or i.p. administration of an affinity-purified murine CXCR2-specific polyclonal Ab. Mouse survival required Ab administration before and every 2 days following CLP. Furthermore, mice deficient in CXCR2 (CXCR2−/−) were significantly protected against CLP-induced mortality compared with control (CXCR2+/+) mice. The anti-CXCR2 Ab treatment delayed, but did not completely inhibit, the recruitment of leukocytes, specifically neutrophils, into the peritoneal cavity. Peritoneal macrophages from anti-CXCR2 Ab-treated mice exhibited markedly increased RNA and protein levels of several key proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Specifically, isolated preparations of these cells released ∼11-fold more CXCL10 protein compared with peritoneal macrophages from control-treated or naive mice. CXCR2−/− mice had higher resting and CLP-induced levels of peritoneal CXCL10 compared with CXCR2+/+ mice. Administration of a neutralizing, affinity-purified, murine CXCL10-specific polyclonal Ab before CLP in wild-type mice and every 2 days after surgery significantly increased mortality compared with control Ab-treated mice. Anti-CXCL10 treatment in CXCR2−/− mice negated the protective effect associated with the absence of CXCR2. In summary, these data demonstrate that the absence of CXCR2 protects mice from septic injury potentially by delaying inflammatory cell recruitment and enhancing CXCL10 expression in the peritoneum.
HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION EVENTS, 1998-2007: A NEAR-GLOBAL SURVEY

The greatest 1-day and 3-day precipitation accumulations in a 10-year period have been identified, at every grid cell in the 0.25-degree 3-hourly TRMM 3B42 data set covering 50°S50°N. Basic seasonality and statistics of these record precipitation amounts are shown here. The mean size of contiguous regions where the record was set on the same day is just a few pixels, and record 3-day rainfalls are only about 50% larger than record 1-day totals. Both these finding highlight the importance of convective and mesoscale processes in extreme precipitation events. Still, satellite imagery of cases also shows that high-amplitude synoptic patterns are important. Tropical cyclones set the precipitation record in many locations, but tropical-extratropical interactions, including poorly-understood long-range interactions ahead of transitioning tropical systems, seem to be another powerful combination. An interactive web atlas http://www.rsmas. miami.edu/users/bmapes/HeavyRains_clickmaps allows anyone to find these record events by clicking on detailed maps and getting back web links to satellite imagery and other case-study resources.
Approches de la programmation DC et DCA en data mining : modélisation parcimonieuse de données.

Nous abordons dans cette these les approches de la Programmation DC et DCAen Data Mining (fouille de donnees). Plus particulierement, nous nous interessons aux problemes de parcimonie en modelisation parcimonieuse de donnees. Le travail porte sur des recherches theoriques et algorithmiques et la principale approche utilisee est la programmation DC et DCA.Nous avons etabli des proprietes interessantes, des reformulations DC, voire quadratiques,equivalentes pour ces problemes grâce a de nouvelles techniques de penalite exacte developpees durant cette these. Ces resultats donnent une nouvelle facette et une nouvelle maniere de voir ces problemes de parcimonie afin de permettre une meilleure comprehension et prise en main de ces problemes. Ces nouvelles techniques ont ete appliquees dans le cadre de la modelisation parcimonieuse pour le probleme de la valeur propre maximale et dans le cadre de la modelisation parcimonieuse dans les modeles de regression lineaire.La structure simple des reformulations obtenues se prete bien a la programmation DC et DCA pour la resolution. Les simulations numeriques, obtenues avec DCA et un algorithme combine DCA et la procedure Separation et Evaluation pour l’optimisation globale, sont tres interessantes et tres prometteuses et illustrent bien le potentiel de cette nouvelle approche.
Considerations for Effective Requirements Analysis in Offshore Software Development Projects: Lessons from Multi-method Research

: Offshore software development using geographically distributed teams is an accepted practice in software development today. However, software development companies have largely only offshored the software development lifecycle’s coding and testing phases. However, lately, offshoring the requirements analysis (RA) phase has become increasingly viable for several reasons including the software industry’s maturation and improved communication technologies. However, successfully evaluating this highly interactive phase between geographically dispersed client and provider teams requires special considerations. In this paper, we present practical insights garnered from conducting experiments and surveys of IS professionals from the Indian software industry and from extensively examining the literature. Our findings confirm that, subject to certain best practices, one can effectively conduct RA in software projects offshore. We present these practices as lessons learned and provide related recommendations for industry and academia.
A robust algorithm for automatic development of neural network models for microwave applications

In this paper, we propose a robust algorithm for automating the neural network based RF/Microwave model development process. The algorithm can build a neural model starting with zero amount of training/test data, and then proceeding with neural network training in a stage-wise manner. In each stage, the algorithm utilizes neural network error criteria to determine additional training/test samples required and their location in model input space. The algorithm dynamically generates these new data samples during training, by automatic driving of simulation tools, e.g., OSA90, Ansoft-HFSS. Initially, fewer hidden neurons are used, and the algorithm adjusts the neural network size whenever it detects under-learning. Our technique integrates all the sub-tasks involved in neural modeling, thereby facilitating a more efficient and automated model building process. It significantly reduces the intensive human effort demanded by the conventional step-by-step neural modeling approach. The algorithm is demonstrated through MESFET and Embedded Capacitor examples.
Business intelligence model to support a judge's decision making about legal situations

Legal decision-making support is key for legal security in any legal system. This paper describes a new scope and method for Business Intelligence applied in the legal domain. We describe a legal case processing model based on the transformation of relevant data from a legal case file by a judge, to produce what we call the judge's perception of the case. That is a representation of the case that stresses (1) the relevance of the different attributes of the case, and (2) the relationships among attributes that the judge considers relevant for argumentation purposes.
Perceived Value Dimensions of Shopping Tourism

Superior customer value is essential to win competition. The perception of customer value has grown in interest since it has been found to have stable impacts on satisfaction, behavioral intentions and ultimately business performance. Considering that the most common definition of perceived value refers to the trade-off between benefits and sacrifices, thus, this study adopts the second-order formative conceptualization of perceived value and examined its links to satisfaction and loyalty. Four main tourist shopping locations in Yogyakarta were used to collect the data. By applying Partial Least Squares to test the model in the tourism shopping context, the results indicate that perceived value has positive relationships with satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, it was found that the total contribution of perceived value and satisfaction on loyalty were only small.
An A-type double helix of DNA having B-type puckering of the deoxyribose rings.

DNA usually adopts structure B in aqueous solution, while structure A is preferred in mixtures of trifluoroethanol (TFE) with water. However, the octamer d(CCCCGGGG) and other d(C(n)G(n)) fragments of DNA provide CD spectra that suggest that the base-pairs are stacked in an A-like fashion even in aqueous solution. Yet, d(CCCCGGGG) undergoes a cooperative TFE-induced transition into structure A, indicating that an important part of the aqueous duplex retains structure B. NMR spectroscopy shows that puckering of the deoxyribose rings is of the B-type. Hence, combination of the information provided by CD spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy suggests an unprecedented double helix of DNA in which A-like base stacking is combined with B-type puckering of the deoxyribose rings. In order to determine whether this combination is possible, we used molecular dynamics to simulate the duplex of d(CCCCGGGG). Remarkably, the simulations, completely unrestrained by the experimental data, provided a very stable double helix of DNA, exhibiting just the intermediate B/A features described above. The double helix contained well-stacked guanine bases but almost unstacked cytosine bases. This generated a hole in the double helix center, which is a property characteristic for A-DNA, but absent from B-DNA. The minor groove was narrow at the double helix ends but wide at the central CG step where the Watson-Crick base-pairs were buckled in opposite directions. The base-pairs stacked tightly at the ends but stacking was loose in the duplex center. The present double helix, in which A-like base stacking is combined with B-type sugar puckering, is relevant to replication and transcription because both of these phenomena involve a local B-to-A transition.
Case-Based Explanation for Medical Diagnostic Programs, with an Example from Gynaecology

Abstract: One of the most accountable methods of providing machine assistance in medical diagnosis is to retrieve and display similar previously diagnosed cases from a database. In practice, however, classifying cases according to the diagnoses of their nearest neighbours is often significantly less accurate than other statistical classifiers. In this paper the transparency of the nearest neighbours method is combined with the accuracy of another statistical method. This is achieved by using the other statistical method to define a measure of similarity between the presentations of two cases. The diagnosis of abdominal pain of suspected gynaecological origin is used as a case study to evaluate this method. Bayes’ theorem, with the usual assumption of conditional independence, is used to define a metric on cases. This new metric was found to correspond as well as Hamming distance to the clinical notion of “similarity” between cases, while significantly increasing accuracy to that of the Bayes’ method itself.
The Evolutionary Dominance of Ethnocentric Cooperation

Recent agent-based computer simulations suggest that ethnocentrism, often thought to rely on complex social cognition and learning, may have arisen through biological evolution. From a random start, ethnocentric strategies dominate other possible strategies (selfish, traitorous, and humanitarian) based on cooperation or non-cooperation with in-group and out-group agents. Here we show that ethnocentrism eventually overcomes its closest competitor, humanitarianism, by exploiting humanitarian cooperation across group boundaries as world population saturates. Selfish and traitorous strategies are self-limiting because such agents do not cooperate with agents sharing the same genes. Traitorous strategies fare even worse than selfish ones because traitors are exploited by ethnocentrics across group boundaries in the same manner as humanitarians are, via unreciprocated cooperation. By tracking evolution across time, we find individual differences between evolving worlds in terms of early humanitarian competition with ethnocentrism, including early stages of humanitarian dominance. Our evidence indicates that such variation, in terms of differences between humanitarian and ethnocentric agents, is normally distributed and due to early, rather than later, stochastic differences in immigrant strategies.
Weak Tie Matters for Well-Being: An Examination of Chinese Migrant Workers' Personal Network Structure, Social Capital, and Perceived Social Support

Previous studies have examined the role of personal networks, social capital, and social support in one's subjective well-being. However, there is a dearth of research on how personal networks are constructed by multimodal media use, and in turn, influence individuals' well-being alongside other factors. This study examines Chinese internal migrant workers who exhibit dynamic network characteristics owing to their mobility. Through a survey of 504 Chinese internal migrant workers, this study found that WeChat and mobile phone calling intensity predicted bonding social capital, while bridging social capital was predicted only by QQ intensity. Two dimensions of personal networks ---density and weighted tie multimodal connectedness (WTMC) -- explained migrant workers' well-being. Notably, perceived social support consistently predicted well-being outcomes and played a mediating role between tie proximity and well-being. Importantly, bridging social capital and weak-tie in the personal network were found to be strong and significant predictors of well-being, indicating migrant workers' weak-tie support preference. The results provide a clearer understanding of the role of diverse media use in one's personal network, and attendant influence on one's social capital, social support, and well-being related outcomes.
A Fluorescent Live Imaging Screening Assay Based on Translocation Criteria Identifies Novel Cytoplasmic Proteins Implicated in G Protein-coupled Receptor Signaling Pathways*

Several cytoplasmic proteins that are involved in G protein-coupled receptor signaling cascades are known to translocate to the plasma membrane upon receptor activation, such as beta-arrestin2. Based on this example and in order to identify new cytoplasmic proteins implicated in the ON-and-OFF cycle of G protein-coupled receptor, a live-imaging screen of fluorescently labeled cytoplasmic proteins was performed using translocation criteria. The screening of 193 fluorescently tagged human proteins identified eight proteins that responded to activation of the tachykinin NK2 receptor by a change in their intracellular localization. Previously we have presented the functional characterization of one of these proteins, REDD1, that translocates to the plasma membrane. Here we report the results of the entire screening. The process of cell activation was recorded on videos at different time points and all the videos can be visualized on a dedicated website. The proteins BAIAP3 and BIN1, partially translocated to the plasma membrane upon activation of NK2 receptors. Proteins ARHGAP12 and PKM2 translocated toward membrane blebs. Three proteins that associate with the cytoskeleton were of particular interest : PLEKHH2 rearranged from individual dots located near the cell-substrate adhesion surface into lines of dots. The speriolin-like protein, SPATC1L, redistributed to cell-cell junctions. The Chloride intracellular Channel protein, CLIC2, translocated from actin-enriched plasma membrane bundles to cell-cell junctions upon activation of NK2 receptors. CLIC2, and one of its close paralogs, CLIC4, were further shown to respond with the same translocation pattern to muscarinic M3 and lysophosphatidic LPA receptors. This screen allowed us to identify potential actors in signaling pathways downstream of G protein-coupled receptors and could be scaled-up for high-content screening.
An Evaluation of the User Experience on C2C Online Short-Term Rentals

With the rapid development of internet and the gradually-spreading sharing economy, online short-term rentals can make full use of the idle resources in the industry of house rent which gradually comes into our sight. In the form of e-commerce websites, online short-term rent platforms provide various services for landlords and tenants so as to realise short-term house tenancy. In this paper, the author tries to evaluate the user experience of online short-term rent through oriented research and by means of analytic hierarchy process, this paper attempts to construct the hierarchical structure model of user experience, establish dimensional indexes, carry out empirical analysis and work out the weight of key factors influencing user experience through verification. To a certain extent, this research provides a wide scope of thinking for follow-up studies in relevant fields, which is of certain theoretical significance. By applying theoretical research into practice, this can provide some references for online short-term rent platforms so as to better enhance their service ability and increase consumers’ actual perception.