Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using T-QAAT for comparison of quality management practices in telecom industry (a comparative case study of telecom organizations of Pakistan)

The study presents framework (T-QAAT) for quality attribute analysis. The proposed validated framework draws inspiration from Malcom Baldrige Award (A U.S. Quality Award). The study investigates differences in quality practices of two leading telecom organizations of Pakistan using T-QAAT. The proposed framework uses Malcolm Baldrige self evaluation criteria. Focus is laid on the fact that organizations with legacy and bureaucratic structures fit lesser on quality attributes of Malcolm Baldrige award. The proposed framework can also help managers to compare effectiveness of quality management practices of their organization with that of their competitors.
Efficiency Dynamics of Sugar Industry of Pakistan

Pakistan is the 15th largest producer of sugar in the world, 5th largest in terms of area under sugar cultivation and 60th in yield. The sugar industry is the 2nd largest agro based industry which comprises of 81 sugar mills. With this scenario, Pakistan has to import sugar which exposes it to the effects of shortage and rising prices in the world. The present sugar crisis has opened up new avenues for researcher to analyse the performance and efficiency of the firms in this sector. Total factor productivity plays a significant role in measuring the performance of a firm which ultimately affects the shareholder’s value. This paper analyses the performance of sugar firms in Pakistan and estimate/calculate the Malmquist total factor productivity growth indices using non-parametric approach. TFP growth is further decomposed into technical, scale and managerial efficiency change using balanced panel data of 20 sugar firms listed on Karachi Stock Exchange for the period 1998 to 2007. The results reflect a tormenting picture for the sugar industry. Overall sugar industry improved technological progress by 0.8 percent while managerial efficiency change put a negative effect on the productivity by a same percentage; as a result the overall total factor productivity during 1998-2007 remained almost static with a decline of 0.1 percent. The analysis of TFP and its sources in individual year for overall sugar industry also presents divergent trend. The research suggests that sugar industry is facing serious productivity growth problems where no increase is recorded in total factor productivity during 1998 to 2007. The sugar industry is lacking in terms of managerial efficiency which could be explained by a general reduction in the quality of managerial decision-making among the best practice firms . Regardless of the reason for this decline, it has potentially serious implications for the longer-term financial viability of these sugar firms. The pattern of TFP growth tends to be driven more by technical change (or technical progress) rather than improvements in technical efficiency.
Soft Computing Techniques for Free-Space Measurements of Complex Dielectric Constant

A novel method for estimating the dielectric properties of materials by applying different soft computing techniques is presented. Dielectric properties allow us to know other material characteristics such as moisture content, bio-content, chemical concentration, etc., which are of great importance on industrial or science fields. In this paper, we present a free-space measurement method along with soft computing techniques, such as Genetic Algorithms (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and other approaches like Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), for estimating the dielectric properties of materials. The proposed method is validated by measurements and synthetic materials, which were generated to test the performance of these soft computing algorithms.
Extending the Operating Range of Electric Spring Using Back-To-Back Converter: Hardware Implementation and Control

This paper presents the first hardware implementation and control of an electric spring based on a back-to-back converter configuration. Because of its ability to provide both active and reactive power compensation, this back-to-back electric spring (ES-B2B) can substantially extend the operating range of the original version of the electric spring (ES-1) and provide enhanced voltage support and suppression functions. The hardware system and control of the ES-B2B have been successfully developed and tested. The experimental results have confirmed the effectiveness of the ES-B2B in supporting and suppressing the mains voltage. Particularly, the voltage suppression ability of the ES-B2B is superior over that of ES-1. The use of ES-B2B in a simulation study of a weak power grid has also been conducted. The ES-B2B has been found to be highly effective in mitigating voltage fluctuation caused by intermittent renewable power generation.
Rethinking University Education: A Navigation in the Emerging Knowledge Economy in Africa

Globalization has placed organizations everywhere in new and different competitive situations where knowledgeable, effective behavior has come to provide the competitive edge. This paper makes important contributions to academicians and practitioners by showing how the academic community needs a rapid shift in understanding of firms as knowledge-based systems by increasing institutional focus on the organization of the knowledge development and application. This can sharpen the knowledge-based students who can be able to face challenges in today’s dynamic world. Challenges of education in the knowledge economy are highlighted with a focus on the exponential growth of information. The need to restructure university education to meet the knowledge demand is explained and this can be achieved by incorporating indigenous knowledge, defining the role of university knowledge in globalization, creating networks, working towards knowledge that will lead to change and also preparing students for future knowledge demands
In vivo measurement of the photostability of sunscreen products using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

Background/Aim: The issue of the photostability of sunscreens has been frequently raised because of the possible loss of photoprotection, mainly in the UVA range, during sun exposure. Up to now, in vitro techniques have been mainly proposed to evaluate photostability. These techniques have generated controversial debates concerning the predictive value of these in vitro observations in relation to the in vivo reality during sun exposure.
REVISITING “DIVIDEND YIELD PLUS GROWTH” AND ITS APPLICATION

ABSTRACT In this paper we extend Thompson's [17] work using time series models within the discounted cash flow framework to estimate the cost of equity capita] for a firm. In particular we do the following: First, we prove the existence and uniqueness of a solution for the cost of equity capital. Secondly, we verify that the cost of equity function is continuously differentiable and derive the formula for its reliability. Formulas for both the cost and its reliability are in terms of infinite sums or infinite dimension matrices. Thirdly, we derive estimators of the cost of equity capital and its reliability which are in terms of finite sums and easy to calculate. We show that these estimated converge to the cost of equity capital and its reliability. Finally, our procedure for estimation applies to a wide variety of time series models that may be used to forecast dividends.
Investigating the Use of Spatial Interaction for 3D Data Visualization on Mobile Devices

Three-dimensional visualizations employing traditional input and output technologies have well-known limitations. Immersive technologies, natural interaction techniques, and recent developments in data physicalization may help to overcome these issues. In this context, we are specifically interested in the usage of spatial interaction with mobile devices for improved 3D visualizations. To contribute to a better understanding of this interaction style, we implemented example visualizations on a spatially-tracked tablet and investigated their usage and potential. In this paper, we report on a qualitative study comparing spatial interaction with inplace 3D visualizations to classic touch interaction regarding typical visualization tasks: navigation of unknown datasets, comparison of individual data objects, and the understanding and memorization of structures in the data. We identify several distinct usage patterns and derive recommendations for using spatial interaction in 3D data visualization.
Chaotic mixing in cross-channel micromixers

In this article we concentrate on a particular micromixer that exploits chaotic trajectories to achieve mixing. The micromixer we consider here is a cross–channel intersection, in which a main stream is perturbed by an oscillatory flow, driven by an external source. Depending on the amplitude and frequency of the oscillatory flow, one obtains wavy and chaotic regimes, reminiscent of a tendril–whorl mapping. The chaotic states, in which material lines are stretched and folded, favour mixing. A spatiotemporal resonance phenomenon, in which the material–line deformation is transient, is shown. An experiment using soft lithography and integrated valves, in which the resonant states are revealed, is described. From a practical viewpoint, the cross–channel micromixer offers a variety of regimes, which can be exploited to mix fluids or separate particles of different sizes. In the context of microsystems, it can be viewed as a ‘smart’ elementary system.
Innovation in Organizations

This article reviews the role of organizational learning and knowledge management in innovation. An extensive review of past literature hints that knowledge, although a very strategic resource, is not easy to manage. Explicit knowledge can be stored in databases or documents but implicit knowledge resides in peoples’, brains. It is the management of this knowledge which poses a bigger challenge for most organizations. Past research mentions that implicit knowledge can be managed indirectly by managing various factors which contribute to an organization's culture, structure, technology, and leadership. A preliminary model has been proposed highlighting the role of organizational learning and knowledge management in innovation. The model high-lights the importance of a flexible and adaptive organization structure, a culture of trust and knowledge sharing, a strong technological network and a committed leadership to promote knowledge development and learning in the organization which is a prerequisite for innovation and creation of new knowledge. The article in addition to providing a detailed narrative of literature highlighting the importance of the various factors identified in the model, also gives practical implications and directions for future research in the area.
Ensuring retention in longitudinal studies: a practical evaluation of an intensive follow-up protocol and suggested adaptations

Ensuring retention in longitudinal studies of individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) is a continual challenge for researchers. This study made several modifications to a highly intensive follow-up protocol, originally designed for adults with SUD, in order to adapt it to a group of adolescents in low intensity outpatient SUD treatment (N = 127, M age 16.7 years) and to accommodate limitations in the financial resources available for study staffing and transportation. In the present sample, adolescent participants generally found it unreasonable for study staff to request to contact people outside their immediate family in order to locate them and to attempt to schedule interviews 3–6 months in advance, as specified in the original protocol. Changes were made to accommodate these concerns and follow-up rates remained high (85–91%). Even though this study is limited by its non-experimental nature, it provides a replicable example of a scaled-down, less costly version of a highly intensive follow-up protocol that can be used to achieve high follow-up rates in studies of adolescents with SUD. We hope this will be encouraging for researchers and program evaluators who have limited resources or who work with participants who express concerns about privacy or study burden.
Secondary metabolism in plant tissue culture: scope and limitations.

1 2 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 5 6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 7 8 9 Introduction Methodology Secondary Metabolism in Cultures Totipotency Differentiation and Secondary Metabolism Storage and Excretion of Products Profiles of Product Formation Genetic Stability of Culture Lines Turnover Optimization of Yields Nature of Explant Variation of Media Temperature and Illumination Precursor Feeding Selection Methods Two-phase Culture Use of Elicitors Immobilized Cultures Transformed Root Cultures High-yielding Culture Lines Special Topics Phenylpropanoid Metabolism Alkaloids Lower Terpenoids An ti tumour Compounds Unexpected Metabolites Studies on Enzymes and Mechanisms Biotransformations Commercial Applications and Prospects References
Bookbuilding versus auction selling methods: A study of US IPOs

Abstract This study documents differences between two widely known IPO selling methods: the auction method and bookbuilding method for a sample of US IPOs. We employ a matched firm technique to compare the two IPO selling methods and empirically test hypotheses relating to the two selling methods. Our sample comprises all auction IPOs in the US between January 1999 and December 2004. Our results indicate that in comparison to matched bookbuilding IPOs, auction IPOs are less underpriced and thus leave less money on the table for the issuers, and have lower underwriter spreads. Relative to auction IPOs, bookbuilding IPOs are more likely to be followed and positively recommended by analysts and they receive more coverage by lead analysts, i.e. analysts affiliated with lead underwriters. Moreover, bookbuilding IPOs tend to outperform auction IPOs up to 18 months post-IPO, exhibit lower aftermarket volatility, and insiders of auction IPOs agree to lock up a higher fraction of their shares and hold them for a longer period of time.
Gesture Recognition Using Enhanced Depth Motion Map and Static Pose Map

In this paper, we propose a gesture recognition method using Enhanced Depth Motion Map (eDMM) and Static Pose Map (SPM) from depth videos. Firstly, the eDMM is proposed to describe motions in gesture videos, which is more robust to noise than DMM. The SPM is constructed to describe static postures of a gesture, which provides complementary information for the eDMM. Then a 2-CNN architecture is used to extract features from eDMM and SPM. The extracted features are fused to form gesture feature which contains both dynamic movement information and static pose information. Finally an ANN is trained for gesture recognition. The proposed method is evaluated on the Chalearn IsoGD dataset and the NATOPS dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves higher recognition rate than the baseline method of the Chalearn IsoGD dataset and is competitive with the-state-of-art of the NATOPS dataset.
3-D volumetric and vascular analysis of the urethrovaginal space in young women with or without vaginal orgasm.

INTRODUCTION The existence of the G-spot is controversial. AIM To evaluate, by the use of three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasonography, the anatomic structures of the urethrovaginal space. METHODS Nineteen (Group I) eumenorrheic young women who experienced, and 20 (Group II) who did not experience a vaginal orgasm underwent two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D ultrasonography and color Doppler analysis of the urethrovaginal space and of the clitoris during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES 2-D ultrasonographic evaluation of the urethrovaginal space, and color Doppler evaluation of the urethrovaginal main feeding artery and dorsal clitoral arteries; 3-D volume calculation of the urethrovaginal space, and 3-D power Doppler analysis of vascular indices of the urethrovaginal space and clitoral body (vascularization index, flow index, vascularization flow index); hormonal evaluation. RESULTS The 3-D reconstruction of the urethrovaginal space demonstrated a gland-like aspect with small feeding vessels. The total length (19.1 + or - 2.7 mm vs. 17.5 + or - 2.1 mm; P = 0.047), measured with 2-D ultrasound, and the 3-D mean volume (0.59 + or - 0.13 mL vs. 0.26 + or - 0.07 mL; P < 0.001) of the structures contained in the urethrovaginal space were significantly higher in Group I than in Group II. The mean time since the last intercourse was 31 + or - 9 hours in Group I and 18 + or - 3 hours (P = 0.033) in Group II. The urethrovaginal space vascularization, the clitoral volume and vascularization, and the circulating hormonal values did not significantly differ among the two groups. The mean volume of the structures contained in the urethrovaginal space was correlated with time since intercourse (r = 0.685; P = 0.021) and with serum testosterone (r = 0.637; P = 0.032) and androstenedione (r = 0.744; P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS The structures we observed in the urethrovaginal space have a gland-like aspect and their volume is correlated with both serum androgen concentrations and time since intercourse.
Exploring relationships of shared service arrangements in local government

Purpose – Scant research attention has been given to investigating shared service organizations and in particular their relationships. The aim of this research is to investigate the critical decisions and design choices regarding the design of a shared service center (SSC) and the relationship with its users.Design/methodology/approach – Using a framework developed by Kern and Willcocks published in 2000, this paper investigates the case of a shared services arrangement and its relationships in the Municipality of Amsterdam using qualitative research.Findings – There are many mutually interrelated factors that need to be taken into account during the decision and design process of shared service arrangements. Antecedent conditions provide the basis for setting the objectives that the SSC needs to meet and determine the way the SSC is operationalized and designed in terms of its service and financial model, organizational structure, and communication mechanisms. In addition, this research also found that i.
Regulating Competition in ICT Value Networks

The recent Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) norms on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) create a two-pronged upper bound for the merged entity based on spectrum share and market share. The spectrum share, defined in terms of share of second generation (2G) spectrum held, is set at a low level (25 per cent) and the market share at a high level (60 per cent). This severely restricts the M&A transactions possible, and also ignores the fact that since each subscriber is increasingly being serviced using a combination of 2G and third generation (3G) technologies, the definition of spectrum share cannot merely be restricted to 2G spectrum. Further, given the convergence of the computing and telecommunications industries and the creation of value networks of devices, service providers and applications to provide a seamless computing, telecommunications and entertainment interface to the consumer, one has to look at regulating the market power of networks rather than of industry silos. This article details the implications of the TRAI approach and shows the need for a new framework of regulation.
Analysis and Application of Optimization Techniques to Power System Security and Electricity Markets

Determining the maximum power system loadability, as well as preventing the system from being operated close to the stability limits is very important in power systems planning and operation. The application of optimization techniques to power systems security and electricity markets is a rather relevant research area in power engineering. The study of optimization models to determine critical operating conditions of a power system to obtain secure power dispatches in an electricity market has gained particular attention. This thesis studies and develops optimization models and techniques to detect or avoid voltage instability points in a power system in the context of a competitive electricity market. A thorough analysis of an optimization model to determine the maximum power loadability points is first presented, demonstrating that a solution of this model corresponds to either Saddle-node Bifurcation (SNB) or Limit-induced Bifurcation (LIB) points of a power flow model. The analysis consists of showing that the transversality conditions that characterize these bifurcations can be derived from the optimality conditions at the solution of the optimization model. The study also includes a numerical comparison between the optimization and a continuation power flow method to show that these techniques converge to the same maximum loading point. It is shown that the optimization method is a very versatile technique to determine the maximum loading point, since it can be readily implemented and solved. Furthermore, this model is very flexible, as it can be reformulated to optimize different system parameters so that the loading margin is maximized. The Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problem with voltage stability (VS) constraints is a highly nonlinear optimization problem which demands robust and efficient solution techniques. Furthermore, the proper formulation of the VS constraints plays a significant role not only from the practical point of view, but also from the market/system perspective. Thus, a novel and practical OPF-based auction model is proposed that includes a VS constraint based on the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the power flow Jacobian. The newly developed model is tested using
Cross-Price Effects and US Trade Elasticities

This article examines the interactions of the import and export markets through cross-prices. The idea is that import demand is affected by export prices, because imports and exports are likely substitutes in consumption. Additionally, import supply is also affected by export prices as exports may be intermediate inputs in the production of imports. The traditional partial equilibrium model of trade is extended to include these cross-price effects in demand and supply. Theoretically, it is shown that these cross-price effects can impede trade balance adjustment in the presence of exchange rate and income shocks. Using quarterly US and rest-of-the-world data from 1975 to 2002, a fully modified general method of moments estimation of the structural equations demonstrates significance of cross-price effects in both the demand and supply of non-petroleum merchandise imports. JEL Classification: F1
Hepatocyte Growth Factor Induces Glucose Uptake in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes through A Gab1/Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Glut4 Pathway*

Adipose tissue is a source of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and circulating HGF levels have been associated with elevated body mass index in human. However, the effects of HGF on adipocyte functions have not yet been investigated. We show here that in 3T3-L1 adipocytes HGF stimulates the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase-dependent protein kinase B (PKB) activity, AS160 phosphorylation, Glut4 translocation, and consequently, glucose uptake. The initial steps involved in HGF- and insulin-induced glucose uptake are different. HGF enhanced the tyrosine phosphorylation of Gab1, leading to the recruitment of the p85-regulated subunit of PI 3-kinase, whereas p85 was exclusively recruited by IRS1 in response to insulin. In adipocytes rendered insulin-resistant by a long-lasting tumor necrosis factor α treatment, the protein level of Gab1 was strongly decreased, and HGF-stimulated PKB activation and glucose uptake were also altered. Moreover, treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with thiazolidinedione, an anti-diabetic drug, enhanced the expression of both HGF and its receptor. These data provide the first evidence that in vitro HGF promotes glucose uptake through a Gab1/PI 3-kinase/PKB/AS160 pathway which was altered in tumor necrosis factor α-treated adipocytes.