Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unlocking the potential of biological sample archives : benthic-pelagic feeding of Baltic cod assessed by otolith protein amino-acid specific stable isotope analysis

3 INTRODUCTION . 4 MATERIAL AND METHODS . 10 Study area . 10 Study organism . 11 Sampling . 12 Sampling design . 12 Sample Preparation . 14 Extraction the organic matrix out of otoliths . 14 Muscle samples . 15 Stable isotope analysis (SIA) . 16 Principle of bulk stable isotope analysis (bulk SIA) . 16 Stable isotope analysis of samples . 18 Principle of compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA for CAA) . 18 Sample Preparation and Analysis for CSIA . 19 RESULTS . 21 Relationship of otolith length / weight and cod individual data . 21 bulk SIA . 22 Method applicability testing . 22 How do bulk SIA values (C, N, S) differ between muscle tissue and otolith protein of the same cod individual? 22
Dynamic and Coordinative Capabilities: Creating Competitive Advantage for Architectural Firms

With the emergence of new organizational forms and environmental dynamism, research on organisational capabilities and their value creation has become an important focus among scholars. The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of organisational capabilities (OC), specifically dynamic capabilities (DC) and coordinative capabilities (CC) for the strategic performance of architecture companies. Based on the resource-based-view (RBV) we hypothesize that DC and CC, which are embedded in the organization itself and developed through projects and individual capabilities, influence the strategic performance of architects and thus lead to competitive advantage and higher performance of architectural firms. The research framework is empirically evaluated by using data from architecture companies in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. We test the hypotheses by applying a stepwise regression analysis. Our research results provide strong support for the hypotheses that innovation capabilities and coordinative capabilities have a strong influence on firm performance, especially when moderated by environmental uncertainty.
Costs and Benefits of Electronic Portfolios in Teacher Education

Abstract This descriptive study investigated the benefits and costs of using electronic portfolios (EPs) in preservice teacher education by examining the voices of students in six programs thought to be mature in their implementation. Benefits included opportunities to reflect, better access to and organization of professional documents, increased technology skills, and better understanding of teaching standards. The costs or disadvantages included issues of program implementation, access to and reliability of the technology, and the amount of time and effort expended. The authors conclude that understanding student perceptions of their experiences can lead to improved practices and policies with regard to EPs and should be considered in future research.
Linking Customer Behaviors to Cash Flow Level and Volatility: Implications for Marketing Practices

Marketing affects customer behavior, and customer behavior in turn drives a firm's cash flows and, ultimately, valuation. In this sequence of relationships, a commonly overlooked factor by marketers is the volatility of customers' cash flows. This study links different recurring customer behaviors to the future level and volatility of a customer's cash flows. Empirical analyses of the large customer database of a Fortune 500 retailer reveal that a 1% desired change in the different types of recurring customer behaviors corresponds to a future quarterly 4.61% decrease in the cash flow volatility and $39.42 million increase in the future cash flow level of the firm. Furthermore, firm-initiated marketing is 1.9–3.2 times more effective at managing the future cash flow level and volatility when it is selectively targeted to customers with certain characteristics. Overall, the study enables marketers to manage different customer behaviors that influence customers' future cash flow level and volatility and ultimately quantify the impact of these behaviors on the shareholder value of the firm.
Cytochemical studies on the second gradient axis of fertilized oyster eggs. V. On the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase and the relationship between egg nucleolus and egg periphery.

Upon the insemination of the oyster egg, the nucleolus of the germinal vesicle changes its position, so that the karyosome-plasmosome axis (KP axis or the first gradient axis) becomes parallel to the egg axis (the second gradient axis). This feature was first described by Kobayashi (1959), who subsequently has reported on some newer aspects of the activity of many enzymes in the course of fertilization to shed more light on this phenomenon. The present report describes the results of further studies carried out on the activity of three enzymes and also on the relationship between the egg nucleolus and egg periphery.
ATPase and Multidrug Transport Activities of the Overexpressed Yeast ABC Protein Yor1p*

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome encodes 15 full-size ATPbinding cassette transporters (ABC), of whichPDR5, SNQ2, and YOR1 are known to be regulated by the transcription factors Pdr1p and Pdr3p (pleiotropic drug resistance). We have identified two new ABC transporter-encoding genes,PDR10 and PDR15, which were up-regulated by thePDR1–3 mutation. These genes, as well as four other ABC transporter-encoding genes, were deleted in order to study the properties of Yor1p. The PDR1–3 gain-of-function mutant was then used to overproduce Yor1p up to 10% of the total plasma membrane proteins. Overexpressed Yor1p was photolabeled by [γ-32P]2′,3′-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-8-azido-ATP (K 0.5 = 45 μm) and inhibited by ATP (K D = 0.3 mm) in plasma membranes. Solubilization and partial purification on sucrose gradient allowed to detect significant Yor1p ATP hydrolysis activity (∼100 nmol of Pi·min−1·mg−1). This activity was phospholipid-dependent and sensitive to low concentrations of vanadate (I50 = 0.3 μm) and oligomycin (I50 = 8.5 μg/ml). In vivo, we observed a correlation between the amount of Yor1p in the plasma membrane and the level of resistance to oligomycin. We also demonstrated that Yor1p drives an energy-dependent, proton uncoupler-insensitive, cellular extrusion of rhodamine B. Furthermore, cells lacking both Yor1p and Pdr5p (but not Snq2p) showed increased accumulation of the fluorescent derivative of 1-myristoyl-2-[6-(NBD)aminocaproyl]phosphatidylethanolamine. Despite their different topologies, both Yor1p and Pdr5p mediated the ATP-dependent translocation of similar drugs and phospholipids across the yeast cell membrane. Both ABC transporters exhibit ATP hydrolysis in vitro, but Pdr5p ATPase activity is about 15 times higher than that of Yor1p, which may indicate mechanistic or regulatory differences between the two enzymes.
Control Theoretic Splines with Deterministic and Random Data

In this paper we give a basic derivation of smoothing splines and through this derivation we show that the basic smoothing spline construction can be separated into a Altering problem on the raw data and an interpolating spline construction. Both the filtering algorithm and and the interpolating spline construction can be effectively implemented. We allow hard constraints (such as boundary values) on the dynamics and we allow data that is subject to error. We are thus constructing smoothing splines with hard constraints.
Errors in Audited Financial Statements and Restatement – Evidence from Brazil

The main objective of this study was to analyze the pattern of accounting events that signals error in audited financial statements and resulted in restatement in Brazil during the periods of 2000-2009. The study which is characterized as interpretative, borrows a leaf from the contexts studied by academics and practitioners worldwide by reflecting upon the phenomenon of restatement through narrative approach. The study identified that 2008 restatement was comprised of 3rd Quarterly Financial statement reporting, motivated by errors in reporting financial instruments (derivatives, swaps, hedges) interpreted wrongly by companies with incorrect policies or have had lukewarm attitude on their treatment. This made up of approximately 43% of the restatements listed during 2000-2009. There was also evidence from our study that shows that restatements had institutional causality. Others were organisational accounting policies, tax contingencies, risk assumptions, items treated as others, to mention just a few. With the trend of things, evidence suggests that the financial reporting environment — securities regulators, independent auditors, the security markets themselves appear to be successfully causing firms who are caught in violation of financial accounting rules to reform their financial reporting policies through restatement. We arrive at this conclusion as a result of the perceived increase of restatement generated recently.
A new inverter compensation strategy based on adjusting dead-time on-line

This paper proposes a new dead-time compensation technique for minimizing current distortion of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). Conventional dead-time compensation techniques for space vector PWM (SVPWM) are based on the fact that inverter dead-time is fixed, and need current direction information to eliminate dead-time effects correctly. In this paper, a new method which independently adjusts each dead-time of three inverter legs on-line according to the value of corresponding phase current is developed. The new means leads the dead-time disturbance voltage vector to rotate synchronously with current vector and no longer depends on current direction. Furthermore, dead-time disturbance voltages in dq frame can be calculated using id and iq while need no current direction knowledge. The experimental results validate that the new algorithm can minimize the phase current distortion.
Copyright Enforcement and Quality Differentiation on the Internet

Right-holders can create differences between their cultural goods to attract consumers with varying levels of willingness to pay. Some Internet intermediaries propose similar choices but do so without authorization. In this paper, we present a theoretical model of copyright piracy in which a rightholder competes in price with an Internet intermediary in a leader-follower game. The Internet intermediary provides two types of streaming goods (with and without restrictions). Copyright and intellectual property rights on the Internet are subject to ex-post adjudication. This means that enforcement can lead to uncertainty regarding Internet intermediariesâ€™ liability. We analyze how copyright enforcement and quality differences impact price competition. Our analysis suggests that law uncertainty plays a role in an intermediaryâ€™s decision to enter the market, and thus that quality has an impact on law enforcement efficiency.
Consumer receptiveness to international retail market entry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a suggested framework for improving the understanding of consumer receptiveness to incoming international retailers. The consumer perception of country of origin against consumer receptiveness index (CRI) is proposed as a method to explore the receptiveness of consumers in the host market to incoming international retailers.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews the international retailing literature, highlighting the need for specific knowledge regarding consumer receptiveness to incoming international retailers. A method is proposed to explore how consumers in the host market respond to incoming international retail firms.Findings – The literature review indicates that the majority of the extant work investigates the process from the perspective of the internationalising retailer, while consumer receptiveness to the international retailer has not been fully considered.Research limitations/implications – This paper does not present an empirical .
On network operating system security

The emerging concept of software‐defined networking (SDN) enables new opportunities for building future networks. In such setups, a so‐called network operating system (NOS), which is also known as SDN controller, provides services to manage the underlying and programmable network infrastructure. On top, the so‐called SDN applications leverage NOS services and implement business needs in order to orchestrate the network as required. Thereby, such applications have access to all kinds of operations (including critical ones) to use valuable NOS and SDN resources. In case of faulty and malicious SDN applications, we demonstrate that today's NOSs can be significantly harmed, for example, by fatal errors and the adverse use of critical operations. To tackle this problem, we propose a sandbox system, which allows us to restrict not only SDN applications but also internal NOS components to access only a configurable set of critical operations. This enables operators to prevent the entire NOS from crashing in case a single SDN application or NOS component runs into a fatal error. Furthermore, operators can deny access to unwanted critical operations in order to prevent the potential misuse of such operations. For our proposal, we provide two proof‐of‐concept implementations: one for the industry's leading open‐source NOS called OpenDaylight and another one for the HP controller, which serves as foundation for the world's first SDN App Store. As a result of our work, we harden a mandatory SDN component, that is, the NOS, and achieve robustness as well as pro‐active security against faulty and malicious SDN software. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultradian Rhythm of Growth Hormone Secretion in Unrestrained, Conscious Male Rabbits: Role of Endogenous Somatostatint †

The profiles of growth hormone (GH) secretion were examined by obtaining serial blood samples every 15 min for a 5 to 24 h observation period from freely‐moving, conscious male rabbits chronically implanted with a right atrial cannula. The effects of restraint or surgical stress on GH secretion were also investigated in these animals. Four days after cannulation of the right atrium, plasma GH levels remained low without oscillation, during a 5 h observation period (1100 to 1600 h) with the mean (± SEM) value of 1.6±0.2 ng/ml. Individual rabbits exhibited a spontaneous, pulsatile GH secretion 7 days after the surgery. Mean 6 h GH levels were 5.6 ± 0.8 ng/ml at 7 days after the surgery, 6.3 ± 0.6 ng/ml at 14 days and 7.0 ± 1.2 ng/ml at 28 days. Therefore, the animals, 7 to 14 days after cannulation, were used to analyse the pulsatile pattern of GH secretion throughout 6 to 24 h. Two episodes of 45 min immobilization stress, separated by 75 min, caused a complete suppression of the spontaneous GH secretion (mean 6 h GH levels, 2.2 ± 0.1 ng/ml vs control, 5.0 ± 0.5 ng/ml, P<0.01). No surges appeared after the first restraint stress. In 14 non‐treated rabbits, plasma GH levels fluctuated in an episodic manner throughout the study with the peaks of 14.2 + 0.7 ng/ml, the nadirs of 2.6 ± 0.2 ng/ml and the peak to peak intervals of 2.20 ± 0.17 h. The iv administration of normal goat λ‐globulin (NGG) affected neither GH secretory patterns nor baseline levels of plasma GH. In contrast, the iv administration of anti‐sornatostatin goat λ‐globulin (ASG) caused a significant increase in the amplitude of plasma GH peaks (38.8±1.9 vs NGG‐treated, 13.7 ± 0.8 ng/ml, P<0.001) as well as the trough level (13.5 ± 0.6 vs NGG, 2.9 ± 0.1 ng/ml, P<0.001) during a 24 h observation period. Also, ASG treatment increased numbers of plasma GH peaks per day (18.8±2.7 vs NGG, 12.2 ± 0.8, P < 0.05) with concomitant shortening of the peak to peak interval (1.25 ± 0.10 vs NGG, 2.03±0.12h, P<0.01).
The Value of Foreign Currency Hedging

This study examines the use of derivatives by 137 public firms in Germany in 2006-2010. To our knowledge our study is the first examination of the relation between hedging and market value on the German market. We find in univariate tests that the use of derivatives by nonfinancial firms does not add value. The results from our tests are inconsistent with theoretical predictions. Additionally our multivariate tests turn out to be inconsistent compared to the reported significant results within the documented U.S. sample examination as regards a valueenhancing effect imposed by derivatives. We identify influence factors in the areas of corporate governance, internationalization and managerial ability as a possible explanation for countryspecific differences between firms in Germany and the U.S.
Value of Tricuspid Annular Peak Systolic Velocity (s′) Measurement in Scleroderma‐Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Comment on the Article by Gopal et al

We read with interest the article by Gopal et al published recently in Arthritis Care & Research (1). This is an excellent article describing the need for a detailed investigation of right ventricular (RV) function, including the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and tricuspid annular systolic velocity (s ), in a population with systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma)–associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (1). The authors evaluated the relationship between echocardiographic measurements of RV function and the gold standard rightsided heart catheterization (RHC) measurements in scleroderma patients and found that the RHC data strongly correlated with noninvasive measurements of RV function (1). In 2006, Forfia et al first described the excellent sensitivity, reproducibility, and clinical utility of the M-mode– derived parameter TAPSE in various forms of PAH (2). Recently, Mathai et al (3) proposed that TAPSE strongly predicted survival in patients with SSc-associated PAH. The s , a newer tissue Doppler imaging–derived echocardiographic measurement, has been demonstrated to be a relevant measurement of RV systolic function regardless of the pulmonary artery pressure (4). Tedford et al (5) showed that RV dysfunction was worse in SSc-associated PAH compared to patients with idiopathic PAH. For the convenience of the audience of Arthritis Care & Research and especially the centers performing detailed echocardiographic investigations of the RV, we want to add that we have recently published similar data on impaired s values in adolescents and young adults with PAH secondary to congenital heart diseases (PAH-CHD) (6). In our opinion, s proved to be a valuable parameter of systolic RV function in various forms of PAH, such as SSc-associated PAH, idiopathic PAH, and PAHCHD (4–6). We want to thank the authors for addressing the need for a systematic evaluation of the RV in SSc-associated PAH patients and want to highlight that Gopal et al (1) correlated the echocardiographic parameters TAPSE and s to RHC measurements, which significantly strengthened the results. In our opinion, systolic RV function should be carefully investigated in patients with systemic diseases leading to secondary PAH, such as rheumatologic disorders. We hope that TAPSE and s will be used in the future as parameters that provide information about the extent of RV dysfunction in patients with SSc-associated PAH, regardless of the disease stage.
Predicting equity returns using Twitter sentiment

Predicting events and responding to unforeseen events quickly has been a significant struggle. Previous publications have shown the ability to monitor and predict events using semantic analysis. These publications have been able to use semantic analysis to predict movements in the stock market and respond to events faster than ever before. This thesis aims to fuse these ideas to develop and test a new approach to semantic scoring and test its effectiveness. The semantic scoring focuses on mood related word referencing a single company, a sector, and the market for predicting stock returns. In addition to returns, focus was placed on predicting direction of the market as well. This work found an inconclusive relationship between sentiment and the returns over the following days. With the framework from this thesis in place, a refined wordlist and modeling could improve predictive accuracy.
Risk Management in PPP Maintenance Projects of Communal Street Networks

The public sector aims to raise the efficiency of public procurement and services through implementing Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). The development is driven by contradicting requirements: on the one hand by the demand for high quality service to maintain the attractiveness for industry and dwellers and on the other hand by budget constraints. Communal street maintenance, in particular, includes complex and interactive risks arising from the interaction of various street-related services and the uncertainties and problems caused by political, technical, natural and anthropogenic influences. A methodical assessment tool for systematically analyzing and evaluating the risk potential is under development at ETH Zurich in collaboration with major Swiss cities to ensure the optimal distribution of risk among the PPP partners and the long-term economic efficiency of PPP.
Measurements of lactate in exhaled breath condensate at rest and after maximal exercise in young and healthy subjects

Arterial lactate concentrations, taken as indicators of physical fitness, in athletes as well as in patients with cardio-respiratory or metabolic diseases, are measured invasively from arterialized ear lobe blood. Currently developed micro enzyme detectors permit a non-invasive measurement of hypoxia-related metabolites such as lactate in exhaled breath condensate (EBC). The aim of our study is to prove whether this technology will replace the traditional measurement of lactate in arterialized blood. Therefore, we determined the functional relation between lactate release in EBC and lactate concentration in blood in young and healthy subjects at rest and after exhausting bicycle exercise. During resting conditions as well as after exhausting bicycle exercise, 100 L of exhaled air along with blood samples from the ear lobe was collected after stationary load conditions in 16 healthy subjects. EBC was obtained by cooling the expired air volume with an ECoScreen I® (FILT GmbH, Berlin) condenser. The analysis was performed within 90 min using an ECoCheck® ampere meter (FILT GmbH, Berlin). Lactate measurements were performed using a bi-enzyme sensor after lactate oxidase-induced oxidation of lactate to pyruvate and H2O2. The rates of lactate release via the exhaled air were calculated from the lactate concentration, the volume and the collection time of the EBC. The functional relation of lactate release in exhaled air and lactate concentration of arterial blood was computed. At rest, the mean lactate concentration in arterialized blood was 0.93 ± 0.30 mmol L−1. At a resting ventilation of 11.5 ± 3.4 L min−1, the collection time for 100 L of exhaled air, Ts, was 8.4 ± 2.9 min, and 1.68 ± 0.40 mL EBC was obtained. In EBC, the lactate concentration was 21.4 ± 7.7 µmol L−1, and the rate of lactate release rate in collected EBC was 4.5 ± 1.7 nmol min−1. After maximal exercise load (220 ± 20 W), the blood lactate concentration increased to 10.9 ± 1.8 mmol L−1 and the ventilation increased to 111.6 ± 21.4 L min−1. The EBC collection time decreased to 3.9 ± 1.9 min, and 1.20 ± 0.44 mL EBC were obtained in the recovery period after termination of exercise. The lactate concentration in EBC increased to 40.3 ± 23.0 µmol L−1, and the lactate release in EBC increased to 13.6 ± 8.6 nmol min−1 (p < 0.01). Assuming a volume of 4.3 mL water in 100 L of exhaled air (saturated with water at 37 °C), we calculated a lactate release at rest of 11.5 ± 4.3 nmol min−1 and 48.6 ± 30.7 nmol min−1 (p < 0.01) after exhausting exercise. Detectable releases of lactate in exhaled breath condensate were found already under resting conditions. During exhausting external load on a bicycle spiroergometer, an increase in the lactate concentration was found in arterialized blood along with an increased lactate release in EBC. The correlation between expiratory lactate release via EBC and lactate concentration in arterialized blood is studied in pursuing investigations.