Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a framework of firm responsiveness to turbulent environments

While posing a real problem for management practitioners, environmental turbulence finds only fleeting and fragmented mention in the mainstream academic literature of management. This article discusses turbulence, traces its origins, and subjects it to critique. Based on observations of responses to it, and several theoretical streams, including new theories such as hypercompetition and chaos theory, a framework of responsiveness to turbulence is presented and discussed, and a set of propositions presented. The rationale behind the framework is that successful responses to turbulence are contingent on sociocultural as well as technical-economic conditions in the environment.
A non-intrusive method for measuring switching losses of GaN power transistors

In modern power electronics, the design of power converters relies on accurate modeling of losses of all components. Losses in the switches are usually the most important point to be considered in a converter design; however, switching losses are not always provided in datasheets. Typical methods for measuring switching losses, such as the double-pulse method, need the insertion of current and voltage probes across the device. These probes add parasitic elements into the power loop, which modifies the switching behavior, especially when modern semiconductor devices, such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors, are considered. Thus, with the purpose of precisely measuring switching losses, an opposition method test bench has been built to characterize, under real working conditions, one GaN power transistor. The measurement method employed can accurately estimate turn-on and turn-off losses, separately. It does not add parasitic elements to the circuit, which ensures operation at the same conditions of the real converter. Results obtained from this method show the switching characteristics of a specific GaN device and measurements include the power dissipation in a reverse conduction mode. These results help to show the best operation points of the device to maximize the efficiency of a given application.
Ultra-Low-Dose Fetal CT With Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction: A Prospective Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE Prenatal diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia by means of 3D skeletal CT examination is highly accurate. However, it carries a risk of fetal exposure to radiation. Model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) technology can reduce radiation exposure; however, to our knowledge, the lower limit of an optimal dose is currently unknown. The objectives of this study are to establish ultra-low-dose fetal CT as a method for prenatal diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia and to evaluate the appropriate radiation dose for ultra-low-dose fetal CT. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Relationships between tube current and image noise in adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction and MBIR were examined using a 32-cm CT dose index (CTDI) phantom. On the basis of the results of this examination and the recommended methods for the MBIR option and the known relationship between noise and tube current for filtered back projection, as represented by the expression SD = (milliamperes)-0.5, the lower limit of the optimal dose in ultra-low-dose fetal CT with MBIR was set. The diagnostic power of the CT images obtained using the aforementioned scanning conditions was evaluated, and the radiation exposure associated with ultra-low-dose fetal CT was compared with that noted in previous reports. RESULTS Noise increased in nearly inverse proportion to the square root of the dose in adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction and in inverse proportion to the fourth root of the dose in MBIR. Ultra-low-dose fetal CT was found to have a volume CTDI of 0.5 mGy. Prenatal diagnosis was accurately performed on the basis of ultra-low-dose fetal CT images that were obtained using this protocol. The level of fetal exposure to radiation was 0.7 mSv. CONCLUSION The use of ultra-low-dose fetal CT with MBIR led to a substantial reduction in radiation exposure, compared with the CT imaging method currently used at our institution, but it still enabled diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia without reducing diagnostic power.
Selection of Minimal Variable Subsets with the help of Genetic Algorithms in Economic Analysis

In this paper we demonstrate the use of Genetic Algorithms in the selection of significant variables from a large set of available variables used to explain the observed behavior of subjects in an economic experiment. Standard regression analysis requires assumptions on a functional form and may thus prevent us from finding all relevant relationships. When using a more flexible functional form the number of coefficients (corresponding to different variables and their interactions) grows exponentially. Hence, our goal in this paper is to select the smallest set of variables with the largest “explanatory” value. We use a variation of a non-traditional type of Genetic Algorithm, CHC, to “evolve” this preferred minimal set of relevant variables. We compare this approach with estimation based on basic linear (least squares) regression models and regression models chosen by using the stepwise regression method. Additionally, we also evaluate the effectiveness of various fitness criteria in our genetic algorithm’s fitness function. We believe that an evolutionary computation approach provides a useful alternative and supplementary method to more traditional methods by offering potentially new useful subsets of significant variables warranting further exploration and a limit to the number of coefficients in outputs.
Reelin receptors in developing laminated brain structures of mouse and human

Reelin is an extracellular matrix protein secreted by a variety of cell types throughout the developing brain. The target cells for reelin express the cytoplasmic adapter protein Dab1, which binds to the reelin receptors VLDLR and ApoER2. In the present work, we have studied the localization of both receptors in developing mouse and human cortex, olfactory bulb and cerebellum. In mouse, some Cajal–Retzius cells express reelin and VLDLR; in humans, all the components of the signalling pathway (Reelin, Dab1, VLDLR and ApoER2) are present in subsets of Cajal–Retzius cells. In the mouse cortical plate, VLDLR and ApoER2 are present from E15 to postnatal stages; in human cortical plate they are most prominent at ≈ 20 gestational weeks. In mice, cerebellar Purkinje cells only express VLDLR whereas in humans they express both VLDLR and ApoER2. Mitral cells of the mouse olfactory bulb are ApoER2‐positive and VLDLR‐negative. In sum, the receptor expression patterns are similar in the human and mouse cortical plate but differ in Cajal–Retzius and Purkinje cells, which in humans express additional components of the reelin–Dab1 pathway.
Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in European Wildlife

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known colonizer and cause of infection among animals and it has been described from numerous domestic and wild animal species. The aim of the present study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of S. aureus in a convenience sample of European wildlife and to review what previously has been observed in the subject field. 124 S. aureus isolates were collected from wildlife in Germany, Austria and Sweden; they were characterized by DNA microarray hybridization and, for isolates with novel hybridization patterns, by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The isolates were assigned to 29 clonal complexes and singleton sequence types (CC1, CC5, CC6, CC7, CC8, CC9, CC12, CC15, CC22, CC25, CC30, CC49, CC59, CC88, CC97, CC130, CC133, CC398, ST425, CC599, CC692, CC707, ST890, CC1956, ST2425, CC2671, ST2691, CC2767 and ST2963), some of which (ST2425, ST2691, ST2963) were not described previously. Resistance rates in wildlife strains were rather low and mecA-MRSA isolates were rare (n = 6). mecC-MRSA (n = 8) were identified from a fox, a fallow deer, hares and hedgehogs. The common cattle-associated lineages CC479 and CC705 were not detected in wildlife in the present study while, in contrast, a third common cattle lineage, CC97, was found to be common among cervids. No Staphylococcus argenteus or Staphylococcus schweitzeri-like isolates were found. Systematic studies are required to monitor the possible transmission of human- and livestock-associated S. aureus/MRSA to wildlife and vice versa as well as the possible transmission, by unprotected contact to animals. The prevalence of S. aureus/MRSA in wildlife as well as its population structures in different wildlife host species warrants further investigation.
Calretinin and calbindin distribution patterns specify subpopulations of type I and type II spiral ganglion neurons in postnatal murine cochlea

As the first neural element in the auditory pathway, neurons in the spiral ganglion shape the initial coding of sound stimuli for subsequent processing. Within the ganglion, type I and type II neurons form divergent and convergent innervation patterns, respectively, with their hair cell sensory receptors, indicating that very different information is gathered and conveyed. Layered onto these basic innervation patterns are structural and electrophysiological features that provide additional levels of processing multifaceted sound stimuli. To understand the nature of this additional complexity of signal coding, we characterized the distribution of calretinin and calbindin, two regulators of intracellular calcium that serve as markers for neuronal subpopulations. We showed in acute preparations and in vitro that calretinin and calbindin staining levels were heterogeneous. Immunocytochemical analysis of colocalization further showed that high levels of staining for the two molecules rarely overlapped. Although varied amounts of calbindin and calretinin were found within each tonotopic location and neuronal type, some distinct subdistributions were noted. For example, calretinin levels were highest in neurons innervating the midcochlea region, whereas calbindin levels were similar across the entire ganglion. Furthermore, we noted that apical type II neurons, identified by antiperipherin labeling, had significantly lower levels of calretinin and higher levels of calbindin. We also established that the endogenous firing feature of onset tau of the subthreshold response showed a pattern related to quantified calretinin and calbindin staining levels. Taken together, our results suggest an additional dimension of complexity within the spiral ganglion beyond that currently categorized. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:2299–2318, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Relevance of Exchange Rates on the Trade Imbalance in the Eurozone

European monetary integration is causing economic imbalan- ces because the optimal currency area criterion is not being properly met. Euro countries are experiencing chronic current account deficits. The purpose of this study is to explore the long-running divergent dynamics of real exchange rates and their determinants and influence. In this estimation, we find that the real effective exchange rate (REER) has a long term equilibrium relation to the balance of current account, the demographic aging effect, and the stage of development effect as a Euro-zone group. Also, we find that individual REER discrepancies have greatly diminished in recent years while the misalignments of individual and group REERs show a steady converging tendency of their equilibrium rates. The co-movement effect on the REER misalignment indicates a weak influence of determinant factors. In addition, the Euro-zone drives the undervalued rate of 3.44% with the current account deficit of 0.08% for the sample period, and the REER misalignment is not closely related to the trade deficit. The results for the future of the Eurozone would imply that the misalignments of currency cooperation members show an increasingly converging tendency of their equilibrium over time, and they also display co-integration regarding the cur- rent account balance and development phase as well as population aging.
Nonuniform temporal weighting of interaural time differences in 500 Hz tones.

The discrimination and lateralization of interaural time differences (ITD) in rapidly modulated high-frequency sounds is dominated by cues present in the initial portion of the sound (i.e., at sound onset). The importance of initial ITD at low frequencies is, however, less clear. Here, ITD discrimination thresholds were measured in 500 Hz pure tones with diotic envelopes and static or dynamic fine-structure ITD. Static-ITD thresholds improved as tone duration increased from 40 to 640 ms but by an amount less than expected from uniform temporal weighting of binaural information. Dynamic conditions eliminated ITD from either the beginning or end of the sound by presenting slightly different frequencies to the two ears. While overall thresholds were lower when ITD was available at sound onset than when it was not, listeners differed appreciably in that regard. The results demonstrate that weighting of ITD is not temporally uniform. Instead, for many listeners, ITD discrimination at 500 Hz appears dominated by ITD cues present in the initial part of the sound. To a variable degree, other listeners rely more equally on ITD cues occurring near sound onsets and offsets, although no listeners appear to utilize such cues uniformly throughout the sound's duration.
Do Small Donors Improve Representation? Some Answers from Recent Gubernatorial and State Legislative Elections

This is the second paper from a multi-year, multi-state Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) research effort known as "The CFI Small Donor Project". The full project involves surveys of candidates in six states, survey of donors and non-donors in seven states, and data analysis of individual contribution records from these jurisdictions and others. This paper presents preliminary findings from the first largescale survey of private individual contributors to gubernatorial and state legislative election campaigns. We find that the policy views and priorities of small donors sometimes correspond more closely with those who give no money than do the views and priorities of large donors. We also find that large donors are more likely to give for reasons related to particularistic material concerns, particularly business concerns. These particularistic motives also carry over into the large donors’ policy communications with lawmakers and staffs. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2008 State Politics and Policy Conference, May 30-31, Philadelphia, PA. The Campaign Finance Institute is a non-partisan, non-profit institute, affiliated with The George Washington University. Our thanks are extended to The Carnegie Corporation, JEHT Foundation, Joyce Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Smith Richardson Foundation and The Stuart Family Foundation, which have helped support the institute’s work. Thanks to Brendan Glavin without whose data management talents this project would not have been possible. Thanks also to Jessi Saracino and Carissa Lenfert who helped to prepare the sample file for the donor survey. The authors’ statements, as with any statements from the Campaign Finance Institute or its Task Forces, do not necessarily reflect the views of CFI’s Trustees or financial supporters. Paper prepared for delivery at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, August 28-31, Boston, MA The CFI Small Donor Project
Think Tanks and Civil Societies : Catalysts for Ideas and Action

Government and individual policymakers throughout the developed and developing world face the common problem of bringing expert knowledge to bear in government decision making. Policymakers need understandable, reliable, accessible, and useful information about the societies they govern. They also need to know how current policies are working, as well as possible alternatives and their likely costs and consequences. This expanding need has fostered the growth of independent public policy research organizations, commonly known as think tanks. Think Tanks and Civil Societies analyzes their growth, scope, and constraints, while providing institutional profiles of such organizations in every region of the world. Beginning with North America, contributors analyze think tank development past and future, consider their relationship to the general political culture, and provide detailed looks at such examples as the Heritage Foundation and the Institute for Research on Public Policy. A historical and subregional overview of think tanks throughout Europe notes the emphasis on European Union issues and points to a dramatic rise in the number and influence of free market institutes across the continent. Think tanks in Germany, Spain, and France are profiled with respect to national politics and cultures. Advanced industrial nations of northern Asia are compared and contrasted, revealing a greater need for independent policy voices. Moving to countries undergoing economic transition, contributors deal with challenges posed in Russia and the former Soviet bloc and their think tanks' search for influence, independence, and sustainability. Other chapters deal with the developing countries of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, finding that the number, quality, and independence of think tanks is largely determined by the degree of democracy in individual nations.
Verification efficiency of electric coupling wireless power transfer in water

This paper focuses on efficiency improvement of electric coupling wireless power transfer in water. The S-Parameters of the parallel plate electric coupler are clarified by using 3D simulation and measurement. Based on the result, the frequency characteristic of the maximum efficiency of the electric coupling wireless power transfer in fresh water was revealed by the simulated and measured results. Finally, over 60% of power transfer efficiency is experimentally achieved.
Learning multi-objective binary features for image representation

Image representation is proven as a long-standing activity in computer vision. The rich context and large amount of information in images makes image recognition hard. So the image features must be extracted and learned correctly. Obtaining good image descriptors is greatly challenging. In recent years Learning Binary Features has been applied for many representation tasks of images, but it is shown to be efficient and effective just on face images. Therefore, designing a method that can be simultaneously successful in representing both texture and face images as well as other type of images is very important. Moreover, advanced binary feature methods need strong prior knowledge as they are hand-crafted. In order to address these problems, here a method is proposed that applies a pattern called Multi Cross Pattern (MCP) to extract the image features, which calculates the difference between all the pattern neighbor pixels and the pattern center pixel in a local square. In addition, a Multi-Objective Binary Feature method, named MOBF for short, is presented to address the aforementioned problems by the following four objectives: (1) maximize the variance of learned codes, (2) increase the information capacity of the binary codes, (3) prevent overfitting and (4) decrease the difference between binary codes of neighboring pixels. Experimental result on standard datasets like FERET, CMU-PIE, and KTH-TIPS show the superiority of MOBF descriptor on texture images as well as face images compared with other descriptors developed in literature for image representation.
Monoclonal antibodies to the human TSH receptor: epitope mapping and binding to the native receptor on the basolateral plasma membrane of thyroid follicular cells.

We have characterized four murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the extracellular domain of the human TSH receptor (TSH-R.E), the target autoantigen of Graves' disease. Recombinant TSH-R.E used as immunogen, was produced in E. coli as a fusion protein with glutathione-S-transferase or in a baculovirus-insect cell system, as a non-fusion glycoprotein. To increase the epitope specificity of the mAbs, two different strains of mice (H-2(b) and H-2(d)) were immunized. The epitopes recognized by the mAbs were characterized by immunoblotting with various recombinant constructs of TSH-R.E and by binding to overlapping synthetic peptides of the receptor. The four IgG mAbs characterized recognized epitopes localized to different regions on the TSH-R.E; amino acids 22-35 (A1O and A11, both IgG2b from H-2(b) animals), amino acids 402-415 (A7, IgG2b from H-2(b) animals) and amino acids 147-228 (A9, IgG1 from H-2(d) animals). Immunolocalization studies showed that mAb A9 recognized TSH-R.E on unfixed cryostat sections, where binding was localized to the basolateral plasma membrane of thyroid follicular cells, suggesting that this antibody reacts with the native receptor on thyroid cells. The binding of the mAbs A7, A10 and A11 was also restricted to the basal surface of thyroid cells, but only after acetone fixation of the sections, implying that the epitopes recognized on the amino and carboxyl terminus of the extracellular region of the receptor are not accessible on the native molecule. None of the mAbs stimulated cyclic AMP responses in COS-7 cells transiently transfected with full-length functioning TSH-R.E, whilst weak inhibition of binding of radiolabelled TSH to porcine membranes in a radioreceptor assay was apparent with mAb A10 and A11, but only at high concentrations of IgG. The ability of mAb A9 to bind to the native receptor without stimulating activity or inhibition of TSH binding suggests that antibody can bind to the central region of the TSH-R.E without perturbing receptor function. The availability of mAbs that recognize epitopes on different regions of the extracellular domain of TSH-R will lead to a better understanding of the autoantigenic regions on TSH-R implicated in disease activity.