Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investment in New Manufacturing Systems: An Italian-based empirical analysis

This study reports the findings of a survey investi gation into investment decision making practices, e specially in relation to investment in advanced manufacturing te chnologies (AMT), of Italian manufacturing companies. The results from a large scale questionnaire survey indicate that non-financial/investment criteria ar e very important in justifying AMT, while little evidence emerg e of non-financial criteria for capital investment decision making in non-AMT. Expectations that investments in AMT firms use more sophisticated financial apprais al and risk analysis techniques than non-AMT firms were not supported by the data. The method differs from pr ior studies because it test three hypotheses considerin g (fully integrated) CIM firms versus all other fir ms. Expectations that CIM firms use more investment appraisal sophistication than all others firms were supported by the data. In particular, the data and the interviews co nfirm that large firms use in percentage more CIM, the justification approaches for CIM tend to use more than all o ther investments, a combination of sophisticated fi nancial and risk analysis techniques and non-financial inve stment criteria, especially in relation to strategi c benefits such as improved flexibility, quality and capability.
E-Government and the Influence of Power in the Development of Information Infrastructure

Abstract Information infrastructures are important for implementing e-government solutions for enterprise activities and for society in general, thus being essential for global IT solutions. Few studies have been published on this theme, despite its importance. Infrastructure development can be affected by many organizational and cultural aspects. This study analyses the development of an information infrastructure with special attention to the influence of power. This infrastructure was implemented by the State of São Paulo in Brazil, its first attempt ever at e-government implementation. The infrastructure's institutionalization and further development was influenced by powerful or empowered agents that used it as a controlling or empowering tool. Hanseth 's infrastructure theory is the theoretical basis employed to study the process, complemented with an adaptation of the circuits of power framework that was used to study the effects of power upon this infrastructure's development. The study is aimed at expanding Hanseth's infrastructure theory by showing that certain organizational, social and cultural aspects can affect information infrastructure development, and also complementing his theory by unveiling the role of power in information infrastructure development.
The Quality of Apprenticeship Training

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between a firm’s training motives and the quality of apprenticeship training. Data on training quality and training motives are obtained by interviewing former apprentices. The paper employs a novel measure for training quality based on subjective survey data on the firm’s training effort. It is found that firms that train apprentices because of a future need for qualified workers provide better quality training than firms that do not have future benefits from training.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Multiresistant Bovine Isolate of Staphylococcus lentus from Tanzania

ABSTRACT We report here the draft genome sequence of a Staphylococcus lentus isolate, 050AP, collected in Tanzania from a swab of healthy bovine perineum. The draft genome sequence contained 2.72 Mbp and 2,750 coding sequences with a G+C content of 31.7%.
Take the money and run? Organisational boundaries and consultants' roles

Criticisms of management consultants are increasingly common, but are also frequently based on simplistic assertions that powerful consultants exploit uncertain or ignorant clients. We argue that considerable insight to the tensions between consultants and clients can be gained by focusing on the boundary relationship between them. Using the work of Granovetter, we explore how organisational boundaries vary in their permeability. Consultant roles vary from that of ‘outsider’, based on simple market exchange of payment for advice or service, to ‘insider’, in which a web of social ties develops in what are often long-lasting relationships. Although criticisms of consultants are sometimes based merely on misunderstanding the nature of these roles, we argue that tensions frequently arise through the activities of both consultants and clients in terms of their boundary relationships.
Effort and negative affect interact to predict cardiovascular responses to stress

Objective: Although traditional models posit that negative emotional responses to stress increase cardiovascular reactivity (CVR), laboratory studies have generally not found a strong emotion–CVR association. In this paper, we took a multidimensional approach to examining psychological reactions to stress in three studies. Methods: In each study we assessed the amount of effort exerted by a participant and the negative affect (NA) felt by the participant with different self-reported measures and an effort behavioural measure. Results: Our findings consistently demonstrated that NA was associated with CVR when effort was relatively high, but not when effort was relatively low. Conclusion: This suggests that the weak NA–CVR correlations reported in past research may have been confounded by a third effort-related variable and that CVR is significantly associated with NA under certain circumstances. Furthermore, our findings suggest that by considering the multidimensional nature of psychological responses to stress, we may come to better understand the links between stress-related emotion and physiology.
High Rate of Return to Running for Athletes After Hip Arthroscopy for the Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement and Capsular Plication

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is most commonly diagnosed in athletes who sustain repetitive flexion loading to their hips. No studies to date have focused solely on patients’ return-to-running ability after hip arthroscopy. Purpose: To evaluate patients’ ability to return to running after hip arthroscopy for FAI and capsular plication. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Clinical data were retrospectively retrieved for 51 consecutive patients with FAI (22 men, 29 women) who had undergone hip arthroscopy for the treatment of FAI and identified themselves as recreational or competitive runners on intake forms. Two-year outcome measures included the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and the Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL) and Sport-Specific (HOS-SS) subscales. A postoperative return-to-running survey was used to obtain running-specific information. Results: Patient age and body mass index (BMI) were a mean (±SD) of 26.3 ± 7.8 years and 23.7 ± 3.3 kg/m2, respectively. Before surgery, patients had refrained from running because of pain for a mean of 8.1 ± 5.7 months. After surgery, 48 patients (94%) returned to running at a mean of 8.5 ± 4.2 months. Patients who had discontinued running for more than 8 months before surgery had a longer return-to-running time than did those who had stopped for less than 8 months (10.6 ± 4.2 vs 7.6 ± 4.1 months; P = .01). After 2 years, mean preoperative distance had decreased significantly (P < .01) from 9.5 ± 6.5 miles per week when healthy to 6.4 ± 5.8 miles postoperatively. Despite decreased mileage, all 2-year outcomes scores improved significantly (P < .001). Conclusion: Recreational and competitive runners with FAI returned to running 94% of the time at a mean of 8.5 months after hip arthroscopy. However, runners should be counseled before their surgery that they may run fewer miles than when they were pain free. Additionally, patients with a higher BMI and/or longer preoperative lull may have a longer recovery time.
Heparin‐like molecules bind differentially to prion‐proteins and change their intracellular metabolic fate

PrPSc is the only known component of the scrapie prion. The difference between PrPSc and its normal isoform PrPc is probably conformational, since no difference has been found in the amino acid sequence or postranslational modifications between both proteins. Heparan sulfate (HS) has been shown to be a component of amyloid plaques in a number of diseases including the prion diseases. We now present evidence that PrP can specifically bind to heparin‐like compounds and that this interaction might have a physiological significance. HS can increase the concentration of PrP in normal neuroblastoma cells, whereas low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) does not. In contrast, LMWH and other heparin‐like molecules, excluding HS, can inhibit the synthesis of PrPSc in scrapie infected cells and reverse their phenotype back to normal as judged by measurement of PrPSc by immunoblotting and by infectivity experiments. Whether an interaction between PrP and glycosaminoglycans plays a direct role in the conversion of PrPc into PrPSc remains to be established. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
2-[(1Z)-(9-Ethyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)methyleneamino]-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothiophene-3-carbonitrile–benzene (2/1)

In the title compound, 2C24H21N3S·C6H6, the two independent Schiff base molecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit differ in the orientation of the tetrahydrobenzothiophene ring system with respect to the carbazole ring system by 180° rotation about the C—C bond in the C—C=N—C linkage. The two molecules also differ in the orientation of the ethyl groups [C—N—C—C torsion angle of 90.7 (3)° in molecule A, and −79.4 (3)° in molecule B]. In molecule B, two methylene C atoms of the cyclohexene ring are disordered over two sites with occupancies of 0.58 (1) and 0.42 (1). The cyclohexene rings in both molecules adopt half-chair conformations. The dihedral angle between the thiophene ring and the carbazole ring system is 8.07 (9)° in molecule A [3.10 (9)° in molecule B]. In the crystal structure, the independent molecules are linked into dimers by intermolecular C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds. In addition, C—H⋯π interactions are observed.
Codesign strategy of inferential controllers for wireless sensor networks

In this work, a new strategy to minimize the use of the network in a closed loop system over networks is addressed, leading to a co-design procedure of the observer, controller and the policy for message sending. The sensor nodes implement a send-on-delta approach, sending new data only when there is a considerable deviation from the last sent measurement. This strategy is useful to minimize the network usage necessities from wireless sensors in order to reduce the energy consumption and to maximize its useful life. The inferential controller node implements a gain scheduling approach that takes into account the availability of new received data to estimate the state and compute the control action. The performance of the closed loop system is analyzed through H∞ norm, and this norm is used to design the gains of the observer and the controller, as well as the output variations that induce the sensors to send new outputs to the estimator node, while guaranteeing a given level of performance on the RMS norm of the controlled state. The design approach is based on an optimization procedure with linear and bilinear matrix inequalities constraints that is solved iteratively.
Power system stabilizer for comunicationless parallel connected inverters

In this paper, small-signal stability issues of low-voltage parallel-connected voltage source inverters without control interconnections are addressed by means of dynamic analysis and experimentations. The studies performed showed that the parallel system damping is severely reduced when the traditional droop method is employed and the cabling is long. This paper proposes the application of the PSS (Power System Stabilizer) action to the control of parallel inverters in order to increase the stability range concerning the connection impedance composition R/X. It is shown that the PSS action can significantly improve the system damping. Experimental results for two 1kVA inverters in parallel sharing a common load are presented and corroborate the presented ideas.
Rural Labour Markets: The Welsh Example

This paper examines the rural labour market within Wales over the last decade. Data from the Labour Force Survey and the New Earnings Survey are used to compare trends in economic activity rates, employment, education and earnings in rural Wales with the rest of the country. In addition to the rural-urban comparison, evidence presented from other rural labour market studies is used to establish similarities between the rural labour market within Wales and the rest of the UK. In this respect, the paper collects evidence from which the need for differential labour market policy between the rural and urban area can be assessed.
Oxalic acid–pyridine-4-carbonitrile (1/2)

In the title compound, 2C6H4N2·C2H2O4, the oxalic acid molecule lies about an inversion center. The pyridine ring of the pyridine-4-carbonitrile molecule is almost planar, the largest deviation from the least-squares plane being 0.006 (1) Å; the nitrile N atom deviates from this plane by 0.114 (1) Å. In the crystal, the oxalic acid molecules and the pyridine-4-carbonitrile molecules form stacks. Neighboring molecules within the stacks are related by translation in the a direction, with interplanar distances of 3.183 (1) and 3.331 (2) Å, respectively. Each oxalic acid molecule forms strong O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds with two molecules of pyridine-4-carbonitrile. Besides this, there are also weak C—H⋯O interactions.
Development of a Novel, Rapid IntegratedCryptosporidium parvum Detection Assay

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to develop a reverse transcription-PCR assay and lateral flow detection protocol for specific identification of Cryptosporidium parvum. The method which we developed is sensitive and specific and has a low limit of detection. In our protocol a solid phase material, the Xtra Bind Capture System, was used for extraction and purification of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) specific for C. parvum. The Xtra Bind Capture System interfaced with pellets concentrated from water samples collected with previously developed filtration devices. The pellets were resuspended in reagent water (final volume, 0.5 ml), and an equal amount of rupture buffer and the Xtra Bind Capture System was added to the resuspended pellet mixture. The dsRNA target sequences in a 0.5-ml portion were captured by the solid phase material via hybridization. The debris and potential inhibitors were removed by washing the Xtra Bind material several times with buffer. The Xtra Bind material with its bound dsRNA was added directly to an amplification reaction mixture, and the target was amplified without elution from the Xtra Bind material. A PCR was performed in the presence of the Xtra Bind Capture System, which resulted in robust amplification of the target. The detection system which we used was adapted from lateral flow chromatography methods typically used for antigen-antibody reactions. The result was a colored line that was visible if the organism was present. When this method was used, we were able to reproducibly and correctly identify 10 oocysts added to 0.5 ml of reagent water. When the protocol was evaluated with a small set of environmental samples, the level of detection was as low as 1 oocyst/liter. The total time from resuspension of the pellet to detection was about 3 h, which is considerably less than the 5 h required for immunomagnetic separation followed by an indirect immunofluorescence assay and microscopy.
Swimming Training Assessment: The Critical Velocity and the 400-m Test for Age-Group Swimmers

Abstract Zacca, R, Fernandes, RJP, Pyne, DB, and Castro, FAdS. Swimming training assessment: the critical velocity and the 400-m test for age-group swimmers. J Strength Cond Res 30(5): 1365–1372, 2016—To verify the metabolic responses of oxygen consumption (V[Combining Dot Above]O2), heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentrations [La], and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) when swimming at an intensity corresponding to the critical velocity (CV) assessed by a 4-parameter model (CV4par), and to check the reliability when using only a single 400-m maximal front crawl bout (T400) for CV4par assessment in age-group swimmers. Ten age-group swimmers (14–16 years old) performed 50-, 100-, 200-, 400- (T400), 800-, and 1,500-m maximal front crawl bouts to calculate CV4par. V[Combining Dot Above]O2, HR, [La], and RPE were measured immediately after bouts. Swimmers then performed 3 × 10-minute front crawl (45 seconds rest) at CV4par. V[Combining Dot Above]O2, HR, [La], and RPE were measured after 10 minutes of rest (Rest), warm-up (Pre), each 10-minute repetition, and at the end of the test (Post). CV4par was 1.33 ± 0.08 m·s−1. V[Combining Dot Above]O2, HR, [La], and RPE were similar between first 10-minute and Post time points in the 3 × 10-minute protocol. CV4par was equivalent to 92 ± 2% of the mean swimming speed of T400 (v400) for these swimmers. CV4par calculated through a single T400 (92%v400) showed excellent agreement (r = 0.30; 95% CI: −0.04 to 0.05 m·s−1, p = 0.39), low coefficient of variation (2%), and root mean square error of 0.02 ± 0.01 m·s−1 when plotted against CV4par assessed through a 4-parameter model. These results generated the equation CV4par = 0.92 × v400. A single T400 can be used reliably to estimate the CV4par typically derived with 6 efforts in age-group swimmers.
Sundew adhesive: a naturally occurring hydrogel

Bioadhesives have drawn increasing interest in recent years, owing to their eco-friendly, biocompatible and biodegradable nature. As a typical bioadhesive, sticky exudate observed on the stalked glands of sundew plants aids in the capture of insects and this viscoelastic adhesive has triggered extensive interests in revealing the implied adhesion mechanisms. Despite the significant progress that has been made, the structural traits of the sundew adhesive, especially the morphological characteristics in nanoscale, which may give rise to the viscous and elastic properties of this mucilage, remain unclear. Here, we show that the sundew adhesive is a naturally occurring hydrogel, consisting of nano-network architectures assembled with polysaccharides. The assembly process of the polysaccharides in this hydrogel is proposed to be driven by electrostatic interactions mediated with divalent cations. Negatively charged nanoparticles, with an average diameter of 231.9 ± 14.8 nm, are also obtained from this hydrogel and these nanoparticles are presumed to exert vital roles in the assembly of the nano-networks. Further characterization via atomic force microscopy indicates that the stretching deformation of the sundew adhesive is associated with the flexibility of its fibrous architectures. It is also observed that the adhesion strength of the sundew adhesive is susceptible to low temperatures. Both elasticity and adhesion strength of the sundew adhesive reduce in response to lowering the ambient temperature. The feasibility of applying sundew adhesive for tissue engineering is subsequently explored in this study. Results show that the fibrous scaffolds obtained from sundew adhesive are capable of increasing the adhesion of multiple types of cells, including fibroblast cells and smooth muscle cells, a property that results from the enhanced adsorption of serum proteins. In addition, in light of the weak cytotoxic activity exhibited by these scaffolds towards a variety of mammal cells, evidence is sufficient to propose that sundew adhesive is a promising nanomaterial worth further exploitation in the field of tissue engineering.
Kompensatorische Lohndifferenziale und der Wert eines statistischen Lebens in Deutschland (Compensating wage differentials and the value of a statistical life in Germany)

"This paper is the first empirical study to determine the value of a statistical life for the Federal Republic of Germany. The analyses are conducted on the basis of a data set composed of the IAB employment sample and information concerning industrial accidents from the employers' liability insurance associations. The panel estimates yield an average value of a statistical life for workers in employment subject to social security contributions of E 1.65 million. This value is clearly below the cross-sectional studies conducted for comparison purposes (mean Euro 4.5 million) and suggests that (also) the results obtained from studies conducted in the USA to date (median US$ 7 million), which are based almost solely on cross-sectional data, are upwardly biased due to the lack of control for unobserved heterogeneity. The results obtained for the value of a statistical life can be used in cost-benefit analyses of projects aimed at risk reduction e.g. in health policy, environmental policy, transport policy and crime policy. " (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
Rescue of vector-expressed fowl plague virus hemagglutinin in biologically active form by acidotropic agents and coexpressed M2 protein

The hemagglutinin of the Rostock strain of fowl plague virus was expressed in CV-1 cells by a simian virus 40 vector, and its stability in the exocytotic transport process was examined by a fusion assay. A 50-fold increase in the fusion activity of the hemagglutinin was observed when expression occurred in the presence of ammonium chloride, Tris-HCl, or high doses of amantadine. When chloroquine, another acidotropic agent, was used, the hemagglutinin exposed at the cell surface had to be activated by trypsin, because intracellular cleavage was inhibited by this compound. Hemagglutinin mutants resistant to intracellular cleavage did not require acidotropic agents for full expression of fusion activity, when treated with trypsin after arrival at the cell surface. These results indicate that fowl plague virus hemagglutinin expressed by a simian virus 40 vector is denatured in the acidic milieu of the exocytotic pathway and that cleavage is a major factor responsible for the pH instability. Coexpression with the M2 protein also markedly enhanced the fusion activity of the hemagglutinin, and this effect was inhibited by low doses of amantadine. These results support the concept that M2, known to have ion channel function, protects the hemagglutinin from denaturation by raising the pH in the exocytotic transport system. The data also stress the importance of acidotropic agents or coexpressed M2 for the structural and functional integrity of vector-expressed hemagglutinin.
Development and implementation of a PV performance monitoring system based on inverter measurements

Performance monitoring and fault detection systems are becoming more common in large photovoltaic (PV) plants as they can contribute to decreasing operation and maintenance costs, as well as for maximizing plant yield and lifetime. However, in case of residential and smaller commercial PV system applications the cost of the performance monitoring hardware and implementation is still high. Therefore, we present the practical development and implementation of a low-cost PV performance monitoring system for residential and commercial PV applications, based on the inverter's own monitoring and communication capabilities. The proposed monitoring system supervises the PV array maximum power and inverter energy production using performance models of the system, and is able to detect PV array and inverter level power loss and faults.