Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Steady state of echo–shifted sequences with radiofrequency phase cycling

Due to a delayed echo–formation, echo–shifted gradient echo sequences (ES–GRE) allow for an enhanced T2*–weighting at short repetition times. While they are in use with and without RF spoiling, analytical solutions are only known for the latter. The signal formation in the former could only be assessed in approximative form, so far. In this article an exact analytical solution is presented for TR–periodic ES–GRE sequences with RF phase cycling. Besides providing a better numerical performance, it should be useful for systematic sequence development. The relation to recent approximative solutions is discussed. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Component Library of Problem Models for ALMM Solver

ABSTRACT The article presents the software tool named Algebraic-Logical Meta-Model of Multistage Decision Processes (ALMM) Solver to solve combinatorial and discrete optimization problems including non-deterministic polynomial-time hard ones. The solver utilizes the modelling paradigm named ALMM and its theory, both developed by Dudek-Dyduch E. ALMM enables a unified approach to creating discrete optimization problem models and representing knowledge about the problems as well as the solving methods for them. The models have a component structure and are stored in a module named Problem Model Library (PML). A new, extended modular structure of ALMM Solver is presented together with a basic layout of the PML. The article focuses on application of the component technology to the PML designing and component modelling of different type of limitations. General library source code organization is proposed. Considerations are illustrated by means of a sample class of scheduling problems.
ESD-TR-67-633 THE DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOLOG ICAL MODELS FOR SPEECH RECOG

This report has two principal sections. In Section I the theoretical issues relating to the development of syntax recognition routines based on psychological models of human speech recognition are discussed and the relevant psychological literature reviewed. The research reported in this section deals with attempts to relate various syntactic variables to measures of the perceptual complexity of sentences. The results of the research indicate that (1) analysis by synthesis routines are probably not appropriate to models of the system employed by speakers of natural languages for speech recognition, (2) the complexity of sentences is not related in any direct way to the number of operations required by a grammar to produce them (3) both the lexical structure of verbs and the relation of certain other lexical formatives to transformational operations of the grammar are significantly related to the ease of understanding sentences. Section II of the report deals with research concerning the perceptual segmentation strategies employed by speakers in their analysis of continuous speech. The report details the development of a particular investigative technique and its application to the determination of segmentation strategies. The research reported indicates that speech signals are initially analyzed into segments that approximate the clause. The experiments reviewed explore the relationship between the constituent structure of sentences and this clause-like segmentation.
Optimal control problem for stochastic evolution equations in Hilbert spaces

In this article, we consider an optimal control problem in which the controlled state dynamics is governed by a stochastic evolution equation in Hilbert spaces and the cost functional has a quadratic growth. The existence and uniqueness of the optimal control are obtained by the means of an associated backward stochastic differential equations with a quadratic growth and an unbounded terminal value. As an application, an optimal control of stochastic partial differential equations with dynamical boundary conditions is also given to illustrate our results.
Neck muscle strength and endurance in fighter pilots: effects of a supervised training program.

INTRODUCTION Cervical discomfort is common among pilots of high performance aircraft. An exercise program was introduced to increase the strength and endurance of the neck muscles. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether coaching or reinforcement strategies by a physical therapist was associated with improvement in neck muscle strength, endurance, and neck complaints in two cohorts of fighter pilots performing regular neck muscle exercises. METHODS A reinforced group (RG) of 20 pilots (24-40 yr) at an Air Force base received weekly encouragement to perform their standardized exercise program three times per week. A non-reinforced reference group (NRG) of 20 pilots (23-37 yr) from another Air Force base carried out the same program without any supervision. Both groups performed the training program for 6-8 mo. Before and after the training period, isometric measurements of the neck flexors and neck extensors were performed in both groups. RESULTS After the completion of the 6-8 mo training period, the RG pilots significantly increased their neck muscle strength (flexors: M = 3.9 nm, p = 0.000 and extensors: M = 5.0 nm, p = 0.001) as well as endurance in their neck extensors (M = 53 s, p = 0.000). The NRG pilots significantly decreased both strength (M = 11.5 nm, p = 0.0001) and endurance (M = 33 s, p = 0.003) of their neck extensors. Furthermore, the NRG pilots did not show any significant change of their neck flexor strength. No significant changes in the frequency of neck complaints were reported in either group throughout the entire study period. CONCLUSION The reinforced training program increased the strength and endurance of the appropriate muscle groups. In order to draw any further conclusions concerning reducing neck complaints, a longer observation period with a larger group of pilots might be needed. However, it is likely that there is an individual correlation between strength and endurance of the neck muscles and neck pain, which means that any rehabilitation program should be tailored for each individual.
Can more capital buy higher productivity

The question of declining US productivity has generated much discussion but few practical or new suggestions for a turnaround. Often, companies have injected capital into declining industries to improve their own productivity levels without achieving any long-term, tangible objectives. According to the Strategic Planning Institute (SPI), part of the problem may be a lack of analytic tools available to top management. Instead of relegating improvement of productivity to line managers, top management must decide for itself where to allocate capital. To that end, SPI is using its data base comprised of confidential information culled from more than 200 member companies to help solve the problem. Here, the research director of SPI offers companies practical guidelines and formulas for more-accurate productivity measurement and better linking of strategic planning to capital allocation.
Benchmarking transverse spin relaxation based oxygenation measurements in the brain during hypercapnia and hypoxia

To simultaneously assess reproducibility of three MRI transverse relaxation parameters ( R2′ , R2* , and R2) for brain tissue oxygenation mapping and to assess changes in these parameters with inhalation of gases that increase and decrease oxygenation, to identify the most sensitive parameter for imaging brain oxygenation.
Does the Performance of Non-Audit Services by Auditors Impair Independence? Evidence from Firms Post-Service Performance

This study examines whether the provision of non-audit services by a firm’s own auditors provides value to the firm. We examine the future return on assets and sales growth as a function of the expenditures by the client firms on non-audit services, reasoning that if such payments are intended primarily to impair auditor independence, no association with future firm performance should be detected. Our findings show that, in fact, the payments to auditors for non-audit services are positively related to the one-period ahead sales growth. We interpret these findings as suggesting that firms do obtain value for their expenditures on non-audit services provided by their auditors. Thus, even if auditor independence is compromised by such hiring, the value obtained by the client firms for their non-audit services may justify their hiring.
[Protective effect of ischemic postconditioning on ischemic reperfusion injury of rat liver graft].

OBJECTIVE To observe the protective effect of ischemic postconditioning on ischemic reperfusion injury of rat liver graft and to investigate the possible mechanism. METHODS Male Sprague Dawley rats were used as donors and recipients of orthotopic liver transplantation, and the period of cold preservation and anhepatic phase were 100 min and 18 min, respectively. Sixty rats were randomly divided into three groups, twelve rats in control group, twenty-four rats in ischemic reperfusion injury group and ischemic postconditioning group respectively. Control group is sham operation group, only the ligaments around liver were cut off; donor livers in ischemic reperfusion injury group were infused through portal vein with heparinized saline before harvested; ischemic postconditioning group: at very onset of reperfusion after donor liver was implanted, several brief reperfusion-ischemia were given before persistent reperfusion of portal vein. Half recipients of ischemic reperfusion injury group and ischemic postconditioning group were taken blood samples and hepatic tissue samples after 2 hours of reperfusion of liver graft. Rest recipients were taken samples of hepatic tissue after 6 hours of reperfusion. Recipients of control group were taken blood and hepatic tissue samples at corresponding time after abdomen was sutured. RESULTS Compared with ischemic reperfusion injury group, liver functional parameters, cytokines and peroxidized products contents were lower in ischemic postconditioning group (P < 0.05); meanwhile, the antioxidases contents of hepatic tissue were higher in ischemic postconditioning group than those in ischemic reperfusion injury group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Ischemic postconditioning could relieve the ischemic reperfusion injury of rat liver graft. Through improving antioxidation capability and cutting down cytokines contents, ischemic postconditioning could apply its protective effect.
Imperfect Adaptation in Next Generation OFDMA Cellular Systems

Most cellular standards for the forthcoming beyond 3G (B3G) and 4G technologies state Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) for multiplexing and modulation procedures. OFDMA is able to combine multiple access techniques with Adaptive Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (AQAM) to maximize system performance while keeping the errors below a certain target. In order to achieve this objective, Channel Quality Indicators (CQI) are fedback from the receivers. However, potential errors and/or delays in the reception of such CQIs as well as an imperfect channel estimation may lead to a system performance degradation. This paper analyzes the impact of an imperfect adaptation on a Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular network.
Financial Constraints, Stock Liquidity, and Stock Returns

This paper examines stock liquidity in explaining the mixed relations between financial constraints and stock returns and the pricing of stock liquidity across financially constrained and unconstrained firms. We find a negative relation in liquid portfolios and a positive relation in illiquid portfolios. Financially constrained firms have higher liquidity risk and earn a higher illiquidity premium than unconstrained firms. Financial constraints cannot be independently priced in stock returns and can only be priced in conjunction with stock liquidity in bad economic times. Stock liquidity is independently priced for financially constrained firms or in good times, but not for unconstrained firms.
Influence of landmark and surgical variability on virtual assessment of total knee arthroplasty

Given advances in recent years in imaging modalities and computational hardware/software, virtual analyses are increasingly valuable and practical for evaluating total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the influence of variabilities at each step in computational analyses on predictions of TKA performance for a population has not yet been thoroughly investigated, nor the relationship between these variabilities and expected variations in surgical practice. Understanding these influences is nevertheless essential for ensuring the clinical relevance of theoretical predictions. Here, a morphological analysis of proximal tibial resections within TKA is proposed and investigated. The goals of this analysis are to quantify the influence of variability in landmark detection on resection parameters and to evaluate this sensitivity relative to expected clinical variability in TKA resections. Results here are directly applicable to population-level computational analyses of morphological and functional TKA performance.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: new insights into the impact of the FcgammaRIIa-R-H131 polymorphism.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a severe complication of heparin treatment, can be associated with new thrombotic complications. HIT antibodies activate platelets via the platelet Fcgamma-receptor (FcgammaRIIa), which carries a functionally relevant polymorphism (FcgammaRIIa-R-H131). The effect of this polymorphism on the clinical manifestations of HIT is controversial. We determined prospectively the FcgammaRIIa-R-H131 genotypes in 389 HIT patients, in 351 patients with thrombocytopenia or thrombosis due to causes other than HIT and without detectable HIT antibodies, and in 256 healthy blood donors. For this purpose, a novel nested sequence-specific primer-polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) was developed. FcgammaRIIa-R/R131 was found to be overrepresented in the HIT patients (27%) compared with the control groups (non-HIT patients [21%] and blood donors [20%]). In a subgroup of 122 well-characterized HIT patients, the genotype distribution in patients presenting with thrombocytopenia only was compared with that of patients who developed thromboembolic complications. The frequency of FcgammaRIIa-R/R131 among patients with thrombotic events was significantly elevated (37% v 17%; P = .036). Our results indicate that genotype distribution can be correlated to the clinical outcome of patients with HIT. We speculate that the reduced clearance of immune complexes in patients with the FcgammaRIIa-R/R131 allotype causes prolonged activation of endothelial cells and platelets, thus increasing the risk for thrombotic complications.
Pecking Order Theory: An Empirical Test of Textile Firms Listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange

This research paper tests the pecking order theory of capital structure on the textile firms listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) covering a period of six years from 2004–2009. The basic pecking order model predicts that firms follow a pecking order of financing, preferring internal finance to external finance and debt to equity. The paper shows that firms do indeed prefer internal financing to external financing. However, the role of preferring debt to equity is ambiguous and requires further research on empirical fronts as well as theoretical fronts. Nevertheless, this article shows that the pecking order theory provides more convincing explanation about the firms’ financing behavior then the conventional leverage factors. The results indicate that the pecking order theory by itself is rejected empirically. However, when compared to a contending regression based on conventional leverage factors it does display much more explanatory power then the conventional leverage regression. The addition of financing deficit to a conventional leverage regression significantly adds to the explanatory power of the model suggesting a greater support towards the pecking order theory.
Genetic and biological diversity among isolates of Neospora caninum

Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite that causes bovine abortion. The epidemiology of N.caninum is poorly understood and little is known about the genetic diversity of the parasite, or whether individual isolates differ in virulence. Such diversity may, among other factors, underlie the range of pathologies seen in cattle. In this study we analysed biological and genetic variation in 6 isolates of N. caninum originating from canine and bovine hosts by measurement of growth rate in vitro, Western blotting and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD). This comparative analysis of intra-species diversity demonstrated that heterogeneity exists within the species. The relative growth rate in vitro, as assessed by 3[H]uracil uptake, showed significant variation between isolates. However, no significant differences were detected between the antigenic profiles of each isolate by Western blotting. RAPD-PCR was performed on DNA from the 6 Neospora isolates; 3 strains of Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium parvum were also analysed. Twenty-six RAPD primers gave rise to 434 markers of which 222 were conserved between all the Neospora isolates and distinguished them from the other Apicomplexa. An additional 54 markers were unique for Neospora but were polymorphic within the species and able to differentiate between the individual isolates. The RAPD data were subjected to pair-wise similarity and cluster analysis and showed that the Neospora isolates clustered together as a group, with T. gondii as their nearest neighbour. N. caninum isolates showed no clustering with respect either to host or geographical origin. The genetic similarity between Neospora isolates from cattle and dogs suggests that these hosts may be epidemiologically related, although further analysis of bovine and canine field samples are required. The genetic and biological diversity observed in this study may have important implications for our understanding of the pathology and epidemiology of neosporosis.
The determinants and consequences of CEO cheap stock in IPOs

The term “cheap stock” describes undervalued stock options granted to CEOs and other key employees prior to initial public offerings (IPOs). Pre-IPO firms have incentives to issue cheap stock as compensation because it results in lower compensation expense on the income statement and in large cash windfalls to CEOs subsequent to the IPO. Because cheap stock results in an overstatement of earnings, the Securities and Exchange Commission frequently challenges the valuations of these grants, which makes cheap stock a key accounting issue in many IPOs. Using a sample of firms that completed IPOs between 2004 and 2007, I investigate the effect of corporate governance structures, outside monitors, and other factors on the level of cheap stock grants. My results suggest that higher-quality governance structures, specifically audit committee accounting experts and more independent boards, constrain the level of cheap stock granted to CEOs. I also find that when CEOs have a stronger intrinsic commitment to the firm and when firms receive independent stock valuations on option grant dates, CEOs receive lower levels of cheap stock. Greater levels of cheap stock are granted when directors receive pre-IPO stock options and when CEOs are hired in the two-year period before the IPO. Additionally, I find a negative relation between CEO cheap stock and future firm operating and stock return performance. Overall, my results illustrate the importance of corporate governance structures in IPO firms and suggest that greater levels of cheap stock are an indication of agency problems, which in turn, adversely affect shareholder value.
LTTS: A course management system for online inquiry learning

There is a wide variety of reasons for the notorious growth in distance education (DE) (Allen & Seaman, 2004) and these have been well discussed (Moore & Anderson, 2003). Universities can increase enrollments without increasing their physical plant requirements. They can reach out to audiences that would not otherwise be able to attend post-secondary education as well as to new audiences who would normally not attend that particular institution. For many, the online environment provides their only avenue to post-secondary education or professional development opportunities. Most DE learners are time restricted by work requirements or similar restrictions; those that cannot afford the residential or commuting costs, and those who are house bound with children, with a disability, or other constraints. A very large number of those taking online courses are “part-time” learners and young adults or adults (Tucker, 2003). Learners who are at a distance need ease of access, affordability, and greater flexibility in their learning environment.
An Exploratory Study of Trauma and Religious Factors in Predicting Drinking Outcomes in African American Sexual Assault Survivors

In this exploratory study, we examined the relationships between religious factors, trauma histories, and life satisfaction and alcohol-related outcomes in adult sexual assault survivors. A mail survey was administered to a community sample of African American survivors (N = 836) in the Chicago metropolitan area. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that for non-religious women, interpersonal trauma was related to greater frequency of heavy drinking. For moderately religious women, interpersonal and contextual traumas were related to more frequent heavy drinking. For highly religious women, religious coping was related to less frequent heavy drinking. Implications are drawn for research and treatment of female survivors.
A compact four-port patch antenna for MIMO application

A directional shorted patch antenna designed for the application of WiFi router with Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology is proposed in this paper. By feeding the antenna with vertical probes and proper matching networks, this antenna can be operated in either dual linear or circular polarization modes. When operating at dual polarization mode, the impedance bandwidth is around 6% (S11<;-15dB) for both input ports and the isolation is better than -30dB across the 5.8GHz ISM band. As for the circular polarization mode, the impedance (S11<;-15) and 3-dB axial ratio bandwidth are 12.9% and 9.6% respectively. Symmetric radiation patterns are obtained in horizontal and vertical planes for both modes.
Evaluation of the effect of SMA–pirarubicin micelles on colorectal cancer liver metastases and of hyperbaric oxygen in CBA mice

Tetrahydropyranyladriamycin (THP or pirarubicin) destroys tumors via several mechanisms; one of which involves the production of ROS that requires molecular oxygen for its generation. SMA forms stable self-assembled associated micelles with pirarubicin (SMA–pirarubicin), and confers macromolecular characteristics to pirarubicin. This micellar macromolecular drug is selectively delivered to solid tumors via the EPR effect and its preferential tumor accumulation suppresses the systemic toxicity whilst its prolonged high concentration at the site of tumor enhances its efficacy much higher compared to free pirarubicin. Administration of SMA–pirarubicin micelle under HBO can further enhance the delivery of molecular oxygen that facilitates tumor selective generation of ROS, thus augmenting its antitumor potency. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of SMA–pirarubicin micelles either as single drug or in combination with HBO in a mouse metastatic colorectal cancer model. At or below the maximum tolerated dose, SMA–pirarubicin remarkably reduced metastatic tumor nodules and it was far more effective than free pirarubicin. The data also suggests a potential benefit of combined therapy of HBO with micellar anthracyclins.