Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human Herpesvirus 6 Variant B Infection in Adult Patients after Unrelated Cord Blood Transplantation

Human herpesvirus 6 var1iant B (HHV-6B) infection was studied in 23 adult patients who underwent cord blood transplantation (CBT). HHV-6B DNA was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis after CBT in the sera from 15 patients (65%) at day 14 or 15 (week 2), from 16 patients (70%) at day 21 or 22 (week 3), and from 3 patients (13%) at day 28 or 29 (week 4). HHV-6B DNAemia was found in none of the 20 patients examined at day 7 or 8 (week 1). The overall incidence of HHV-6B DNAemia reached 87% (20 of 23 patients). This incidence was much higher than after unrelated bone marrow transplantation (19%, P < .0001). In CBT patients, positive HHV-6B DNAemia at week 3 was significantly associated with early skin rash (88% versus 14%, P < .005) and grade II–IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) (69% versus 14%, P < .05). In contrast, positive HHV-6B DNAemia at week 2 was associated with neither skin rash nor aGVHD. Prospective large-scale studies are needed to determine the role of HHV-6 infection in CBT patients.
Effects of Velocity Modulation during Surgical Needle Insertion

Precise interstitial intervention is essential for many medical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. But accurate insertion and placement of surgical needle in soft tissue is quite challenging. The understanding of the interaction between surgical needle and soft tissue is very important to develop new devices and systems to achieve better accuracy and to deliver quality treatment. In this paper we present the effects of velocity (linear, rotational, and oscillatory) modulation on needle force and target deflection. We have experimentally verified our hypothesis that needle insertion with continuous rotation reduces target movement and needle force significantly. We have observed little changes in force and target deflection in rotational oscillation (at least at lower frequency) of the needle
Young's modulus and fatigue lifetime improvements by diamond size effect on electroplated Ni-diamond nanocomposite

Fatigue and Young's modulus characterizations have been investigated using the bending-test method on microsized cantilever-beam specimens made of electroplated Ni and Ni-diamond nanocomposites with different particle sizes (i.e. 350nm and 50nm in diameter). The experimental results show that electroplated Ni-diamond nanocomposite has slightly smaller fatigue strength than that of pure electroplated Ni due to the ductility reduction resulted by the nano-diamond particles. However, once the incorporated particle size of nano-diamond is reduced from 350nm to 50nm, it has been found that the electroplated Ni-diamond nanocomposite can have higher Young's modulus (13.6% enhancement, i.e. 178GPa) and comparable fatigue strength (∼2.4GPa) with that of pure electroplated Ni.
Neutron irradiation effects on A15 multifilamentary wires

Whereas Nb/sub 3/Sn wires are commercially available and produced in long lengths for the fabrication of large high field magnets, Nb/sub 3/Al is emerging as a candidate material for even higher fields, particularly for nuclear fusion devices. We are therefore investigating the basic superconducting parameters of both materials, such as the transition temperature, the critical current densities and the upper critical fields, as a function of gamma dose and fast neutron fluence. Whereas the transition temperature of these multifilamentary wires is found to decrease slightly, both J/sub C/ and the upper critical fields (as determined from Kramer plots) increase with neutron fluence, in agreement with previous work on A15 systems. The enhancement of the critical currents amounts to approximately 15%. Further irradiation work to higher fluences is under way, in order to investigate the limits of these materials for applications in a radiation environment.
Mid Year Review : AMSC / CMSC 663 and 664 The Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers An Adaptive Step-size Software Library

The Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) is a method that solves convex optimization problems of the form min(f(x) + g(z)) subject to Ax + Bz = c, where A and B are suitable matrices and c is a vector, for optimal points (xopt, zopt). It is commonly used for distributed convex minimization on large scale data-sets. However, it can be technically difficult to implement and there is no known way to automatically choose an optimal step size for ADMM. Our goal in this project is to simplify the use of ADMM by making a robust, easy-to-use software library for all ADMM-related needs, with an adaptive step-size selection algorithm to optimize performance on every iteration. The library will contain a general ADMM method, as well as solvers for common problems that ADMM is used for. It will also implement adaptive step-size selection, utilize the Message Passing Interface (MPI) for parallel computing and have user-friendly options and features.
An investigation of the attitudes of travel and tourism intermediaries to mature travellers

This study considers the attitudes to and experiences of travel agents and tourism intermediaries when servicing the needs of mature travellers. It reviews the literature on mature travellers within the broader area of ‘accessible tourism’. The survey of members of a professional association within the travel industry in Auckland, New Zealand highlighted a number of key challenges and opportunities for those working in this increasingly valuable sector of the tourism industry. While this study was a pilot study of the supply side of the tourism industry in Auckland, the research concludes with examples of best practice and some recommendations drawn from the many years’ experience of the survey respondents which would form a useful starting point for a more detailed study considering the experiences of mature travellers.
Performance and Value Creation: Family Managed Business versus Non-Family Managed Business

Business groups today, by and large, play a vital role in Indian economy. Corporate India, as seen today, was nurtured by many business groups that had left a strong imprint on the country’s economy. In this context, it is highly interesting to explore the underpinnings of a business group’s ability to create value for its shareholders. For this purpose, business groups have been categorized as family managed and non-family managed. This paper attempts to compare the performance indicators and the value created by a family managed firm with those of a non-family managed firm belonging to the same industry. It also throws light on the literature-based definitions of a Family Managed Business (FMB) and how it is different from a Non-Family Managed Business (NFMB). Further, the paper gives a concrete analysis of the various parameters used to assess shareholder value creation from both perspectives. The study shows that even a professionally managed non-family business can create value to its shareholders.
A learning environment for developers of mobile apps

This paper presents a new learning environment for developers of mobile apps that merges two quite different views of the same topic. Creative design and system engineering are core issues in the development process that are based on diverging principles. This new learning environment aims to address both points of view by not suppressing one of them but trying to benefit from both.
Effect of compensatory growth on feed intake and feed conversion efficiency of heavyweight steers.

Compensatory growth is an integral part ofNew Zealand beef production systems (Nicol and Kitessa, 1997) with restricted winter nutrition followed by good spring and summer feeding enabling a better fit with seasonal pasture production. Purchasers of store cattle (including feedlotters) often prefer animals with a previous history of perturbed growth because they believe they can benefit from higher liveweight gains. Twenty-eight Angus and twenty-eight Simrnental steers were purchased as weaners and allocated to two groups. Group 1 steers, Angus and Simmental, were transferred to a feedlot and adjusted to a concentrate diet of 70% maize grain and 30% pasture silage, fed ad libitum. Feed was offered daily and feed intakes measured weekly. The Angus steers were fed on this diet for 6 19 d to a weight of 8 10 kg, at which stage daily liveweight gain had plateaued. Similarly, the Simmental steers were fed for 703 d to a weight of 937 kg. Group 2, steers of both breeds, were grazed on pasture for 497 d (557 kg for Angus and 605 kg for Simmental) and then transferred to the feedlot where they were given the same diet ad libitum until they reached the same liveweights as their Group 1 counterparts. When compared at the same liveweight (and by inference the same stage of maturity) Group 2 steers had mean monthly feed intakes which were up to 45% greater than Group 1 steers. Liveweight gains and feed conversion efficiencies have been calculated over the period of compensatory growth for Group 2 steers and over a similar weight range for Group 1 steers (Table 1). Steers undergoing compensatory growth had faster liveweight gains and were feedlot fed for a shorter period of time than their ad libitum counterparts. Liveweight gains and feed conversion efficiencies in this experiment were poor for all treatment groups (Table I), presumably because these animals were close to their mature size. However in both breeds, the steers fed ad libitum were more efficient at converting feed to liveweight gain than the compensating animals with higher growth rates. For the combined breeds, steers fed ad libitum were approximately 15% more efficient than compensating steers over the same weight range despite taking 49 more days to achieve a similar weight These differences in feed conversion efficiency may be because the compensating animals were significantly leaner (PC 0.00 l), with fatter animals being more efficient than leaner animals because of the energetic inefficiency associated with protein turnover (Webster, 1989). Compensating steers also had heavier viscera weights (e.g. at slaughter, compensating animals had liver weights 30% higher than the steers fed ad libitum) which could contribute to large differences in fasting heat production (Baldwin, Calvert and Oberbauer, 199 1). Compensatory growth enables higher growth rates to be achieved but the present results suggest that at heavy weights it may be more expensive in feed terms to achieve the extra weight gain.
The Value of Intraday Prices and Volume using Volatility-Based Trading Strategies

This paper investigates the role of intraday prices and volume to generate daily volatility forecasts used for individual stock trading. The analysis is based on a 7-year sample of transaction prices for 14 NYSE stocks. Volatility forecasts are obtained from daily returns in a GARCH equation which is augmented with several nonparametric intraday volatility measures or with volume. The overall results from various trading strategies suggest that the use of high frequency price data is not pro…table. The baseline GARCH forecasts outperform the intraday price augmented GARCH forecasts. However, the information content in trading activity can enhance pro…ts. The best performing strategies involve buying the stock when its forecasted volatility is extremely high, suggesting a stronger volatility-return relationship in turbulent periods.
Stock price reaction to earnings announcement: the case of an emerging market

In an efficient stock market stock prices instantaneously and accurately adjust to new information. This paper conducts an event study analysis on an emerging market namely the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) by investigating the stock price reaction to public announcement of quarterly after tax profit by listed firms. By employing 5 year data on stock prices from January 2004 to August 2008 for 114 non financial firms we found that there is no abnormal return post earnings announcement. Moreover the study provides evidence that there is a bigger element of surprise in bad news than in good news as the market reaction to bad news is stronger.
Development and Validation of the Social Emotional Competence Questionnaire (SECQ)

Reliable and valid measures of children’s and adole scents’ social emotional competence (SEC) are necessary to develop in order to assess their social emotional development and provide appropriate intervention in child and adolescent development. A pool of 25 items was created for the Social Emotional Competence Questionnaire (SECQ) that represented five dimensions of SEC: self-awareness, social awareness, self-mana gement, relationship management and responsible decision-making. A series of four studies are reported relating to the development and validation of the measure. Confirmatory factor analyses of the responses of 44 4 fourth-graders showed an acceptable fit of the model. The model was replicat ed with another 356 secondary school students. Additional studies revea led good internal consistency. The significant correlations among the five SEC components and academic performance provided evidence for the predictive validity of the instrument. With multiple samples, these results sh owed that the scale holds promise as a reliable, valid measure of SEC.
The mouse sperm proteome characterized via IPG strip prefractionation and LC‐MS/MS identification

Proteomic profiling of the mouse spermatozoon has generated a unique and valuable inventory of candidates that can be mined for potential contraceptive targets and to further our understanding of the PTMs that regulate the functionality of this highly specialized cell. Here we report the identification of 858 proteins derived from mouse spermatozoa, 23 of which demonstrated testis only expression. The list contained many proteins that are known constituents of murine spermatozoa including Izumo, Spaca 1, 3, and 5, Spam 1, Zonadhesin, Spesp1, Smcp, Spata 6, 18, and 19, Zp3r, Zpbp 1 and 2, Spa17, Spag 6, 16, and 17, CatSper4, Acr, Cylc2, Odf1 and 2, Acrbp, and Acrv1. Certain protein families were highly represented in the proteome. For example, of the 42 gene products classified as proteases, 26 belonged to the 26S‐proteasome. Of the many chaperones identified in this proteome, eight proteins with a TCP‐1 domain were found, as were seven Rab guanosine triphosphatases. Finally, our list yielded three putative seven‐transmembrane proteins, two of which have no known tissue distribution, an extragenomic progesterone receptor and three unique testis‐specific kinases all of which may have some potential in the future regulation of male fertility.
Biodegradation of Methyl tert-Butyl Ether by a Bacterial Pure Culture

ABSTRACT A bacterial strain, PM1, which is able to utilize methyltert-butyl ether (MTBE) as its sole carbon and energy source, was isolated from a mixed microbial consortium in a compost biofilter capable of degrading MTBE. Initial linear rates of MTBE degradation by 2 × 106 cells ml−1 were 0.07, 1.17, and 3.56 μg ml−1 h−1 for initial concentrations of 5, 50, and 500 μg MTBE ml−1, respectively. When incubated with 20 μg of uniformly labeled [14C]MTBE ml−1, strain PM1 converted 46% to14CO2 and 19% to 14C-labeled cells within 120 h. This yield is consistent with the measurement of protein accumulation at different MTBE concentrations from which was estimated a biomass yield of 0.18 mg of cells mg MTBE−1. Strain PM1 was inoculated into sediment core material collected from a contaminated groundwater plume at Port Hueneme, California, in which there was no evidence of MTBE degradation. Strain PM1 readily degraded 20 μg of MTBE ml−1 added to the core material. The rate of MTBE removal increased with additional inputs of 20 μg of MTBE ml−1. These results suggest that PM1 has potential for use in the remediation of MTBE-contaminated environments.
Financing Entrepreneurial Ventures in Europe: The Vico Dataset

The VICO project collected a database on young high-tech entrepreneurial companies operating in seven European countries (Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom). The objective of the data collection process was to build a data infrastructure to conduct an extensive study about the venture capital (VC) activity in high-tech sectors in Europe. The dataset includes two strata of companies: the first is a sample of VC-backed companies and the second a control group of non-VC backed (but potentially investable) companies. Data were collected by local teams from each country (using a variety of commercial and proprietary sources) and checked for reliability and consistency by a centralized data collection unit. The dataset consists of 8,370 companies, 759 of which VC-backed, and 1,125 VC investors. Detailed information was collected for each firm, investor, and investment, including accounting data, patenting data, and investor type and experience.
Pricing Multivariate Currency Options with Copulas

Multivariate options are widely used when there is a need to hedge against a number of risks simultaneously; such as when there is an exposure to several currencies or the need to provide cover against an index such as the FTSE100, or indeed any portfolio of assets. In the case of a basket option the payoff depends on the value of the entire portfolio or basket of assets where the basket is some weighted average of the underlying assets. The principal reason for using basket options is that they are cheaper to use for portfolio insurance than a corresponding portfolio of plain vanilla options on the individual assets. This cost saving depends on the correlation structure between the assets; the lower the correlation between currency pairs in a currency portfolio for instance, the greater the cost saving.
Firm Life Cycle and the Choice of the Form of Payout

I examine the emergence and evolution of three distinct groups of payers – firms that distribute cash to shareholders in the form of (i) repurchases, (ii) dividends, and (iii) the mixture of dividends and share buybacks – to understand what determines firms’ preferences for certain distribution techniques. I document that the choice of the form of payout is a reflection of a life cycle stage and evolves as firms alternate between the introductory, growth and maturity stages of their life cycle. My findings imply that viewing paying population of industrial firms as a homogeneous group may be seriously flawed – I document the existence of three distinct groups of payers that display dissimilar firm characteristics and have unique motives for choosing a particular method of distribution.
Improving a travel recommender service by segmentation and personalization

Recommender systems are increasingly deployed in e-commerce, helping the customer to overcome the information overload on the internet. So far recommender services for specific cities are not widely adopted and commercially applied in the travel industry, although it is a promising market. The aim of this study is to improve the existing service features of a specific recommender service offered in Berlin called George. Moreover, the goal is to gain marketing knowledge through identifying coherent user segments in order to find new service improvements. A customer-focused approach framework called GIST serves as a guideline to identify the different customer segments and needs. In order to understand and enhance user experience and interaction, a segmentation of users is made. Different wishes of users and service gaps in terms of content design and usability of the service are identified and practical recommendations are made.
Effects of Small-Scale Gold Mining Tailings on the Underwater Light Field in the Tapajós River Basin, Brazilian Amazon

Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) within the Amazon region has created several environmental impacts, such as mercury contamination and changes in water quality due to increased siltation. This paper describes the effects of water siltation on the underwater light environment of rivers under different levels of gold mining activities in the Tapajos River Basin. Furthermore, it investigates possible impacts on the phytoplankton community. Two field campaigns were conducted in the Tapajos River Basin, during high water level and during low water level seasons, to measure Inherent and Apparent Optical Properties (IOPs, AOPs), including scattering (b) and absorption (a) coefficients and biogeochemical data (sediment content, pigments, and phytoplankton quantification). The biogeochemical data was separated into five classes according to the concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) ranging from 1.8 mg·L−1 to 113.6 mg·L−1. The in-water light environment varied among those classes due to a wide range of concentrations of inorganic TSS originated from different levels of mining activities. For tributaries with low or no influence of mining tailings (TSS up to 6.8 mg·L−1), waters are relatively more absorbent with b:a ratio of 0.8 at 440 nm and b660 magnitude of 2.1 m−1. With increased TSS loadings from mining operations (TSS over 100 mg·L−1), the scattering process prevails over absorption (b:a ratio of 10.0 at 440 nm), and b660 increases to 20.8 m−1. Non-impacted tributaries presented a critical depth for phytoplankton productivity of up to 6.0 m with available light evenly distributed throughout the spectra. Whereas for greatly impacted waters, attenuation of light was faster, reducing the critical depth to about 1.7 m, with most of the available light comprising of red wavelengths. Overall, a dominance of diatoms was observed for the upstream rivers, whereas cyanobacteria prevailed in the low section of the Tapajos River. The results suggest that the spatial and temporal distribution of phytoplankton in the Tapajos River Basin is not only a function of light availability, but rather depends on the interplay of factors, including flood pulse, water velocity, nutrient availability, and seasonal variation of incoming irradiance. Ongoing research indicates that the effects of mining tailings on the aquatic environment, described here, are occurring in several rivers within the Amazon River Basin.
The Influential Behavior of Individual, Group, and Organizational Levels towards Police Station Performance in the Task of Providing Security for the Public

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the influential behavior from individual, group, and organizational levels most affect the task of providing public security for people’s well-being. Two hundred police stations from Provincial Police Regions 1-9 in Thailand were selected for this study at the organizational level. Data collected by questionnaires and LISREL 8.80 was used to analyze the data.The results revealed that task performance, contextual performance, public service motivation, transformational leadership, and organizational justice have effects onthe task of providing security for the public. Key Words : Performance; Transformational Leadership; Organizational Justice;Public Service Motivation
Transmission strategies under imperfect instantaneous CSIT

We propose a simple solution based on Perron-Frobenius theorem and uplink-downlink duality to the longstanding problem of transmission strategies: maximize the minimum SINR or minimize the transmit power. In contrary of using perfect and instantaneous CSIT (requires higher overhead and backhauling), or using only average CSIT, e.g. channel covariance which suffers from quality fluctuations; we account for imperfect instantaneous CSIT. The solution emerges from the observation that the crux of the robustness problem is the construction of SINR estimates itself. We provide a MLE-based estimate which being sub-optimal and failing to incorporate the channel estimation error, we reinforce it by biasing the estimate, which not only achieves smaller error but is strictly conservative as well. We also consider both transmission strategy problems, and show that the biased estimates are not only robust compared to traditional unbiased estimates, but also substantially outperform the probabilistic method with Bernstein-type relaxation proposed in [1].