Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is the first step in strategic management. Decisions made during this stage allow organizations to choose which products, services, or markets to abandon or pursue, how to allocate resources, how to design the organization to carry out a chosen strategy, and how to compete. For example, Morrison Restaurants, Inc., has developed and implemented an integrated strategic plan for the organization as a whole as well as strategic plans for each of its three divisions and multiple concepts. The overall plan addresses how an organization that operates different concepts in various markets will pursue its organizational goals and describes how each division and concept should contribute to achieving those goals. In effect, Morrison Restaurants has established a hierarchy of flexible plans linked to one another through supporting goals and objectives. It did so by developing a mission statement and a related set of goals, creating operational plans that could achieve those goals, and making action plans to show how to carry out the operational goals. This article focuses on the 1992 planning process within Morrison's Ruby Tuesday Group.
Phase Diagram of Prisoner's Dilemma: Empirical Evidence from the Human Subjects Experiments

This paper presents the empirical phase diagram showing the cooperation phase, the mixed phase and the defection phase of prisoner’s dilemma experiment. The empirical data includes 21 experiments using a total of 350 human subjects. Experimental parameters are the possibility of continuation within [0, 1], the sizes of population within [12, 24], and a prisoner's dilemma payoff matrix (S, R, T, P) = (-2, 2, 4, 0). Twenty-one different combinations of these parameters were used in the experiments. The results provide the first empirical instance for Folk Theorem.
An efficient mobile sink routing in wireless sensor network using dynamic steiner tree

Sink mobility in WSN is considered to be a challenge for routing the data, as it creates rapid topological changes in the network. Most of the routing protocols available in the literature are prone to high control overhead and are less efficient. An elastic routing technique utilizing overhearing feature, is an efficient protocol with less control overhead for routing the data, from a single static source to a mobile sink. But, when there are multiple static sources, the delivery of data to the mobile sink pose huge delay and high traffic. Here we propose an efficient routing algorithm utilizing the feature of overhearing to route the packets from all the source nodes to the mobile sink. We use a modified version of iterative-1 Steiner tree algorithm with elastic routing, for finding the shortest path to the mobile destination, with minimum control packet overhead. Calculation of Steiner points is dynamic in nature, so as to adapt to the topological changes. The simulation results show that the proposed approach is better in-terms of data rate, energy efficiency and control overhead. Test-bed results indicate that the proposed approach can be used effectively in WSN, where topological changes are frequent.
Effects of variation in perfusion rates and of perfusion models in computational models of radio frequency tumor ablation.

PURPOSE Finite element method (FEM) models are commonly used to simulate radio frequency (RF) tumor ablation. Prior FEM models of RF ablation have either ignored the temperature dependent effect of microvascular perfusion, or implemented the effect using simplified algorithms to reduce computational complexity. In this FEM modeling study, the authors compared the effect of different microvascular perfusion algorithms on ablation zone dimensions with two commercial RF electrodes in hepatic tissue. They also examine the effect of tissue type and inter-patient variation of perfusion on ablation zone dimensions. METHODS AND MATERIALS The authors created FEM models of an internally cooled and multi-tined expandable electrode. RF voltage was applied to both electrodes (for 12 or 15 min, respectively) such that the maximum temperature in the model was 105 degrees C. Temperature dependent microvascular perfusion was implemented using three previously reported methodologies: cessation above 60 degrees C, a standard first-order Arrhenius model with decreasing perfusion with increasing degree of vascular stasis, and an Arrhenius model that included the effects of increasing perfusion at the ablation zone boundary due to hyperemia. To examine the effects of interpatient variation, simulations were performed with base line and +/-1 standard deviation values of perfusion. The base line perfusion was also varied to simulate the difference between normal and cirrhotic liver tissue. RESULTS The ablation zone volumes with the cessation above 60 degrees C perfusion algorithm and with the more complex Arrhenius model were up to 70% and 25% smaller, respectively, compared to the standard Arrhenius model. Ablation zone volumes were up to 175% and approximately 100% different between the simulations where -1 and +1 standard deviation values of perfusion were used in normal and cirrhotic liver tissue, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The choice of microvascular perfusion algorithm has significant effects on final ablation zone dimensions in FEM models of RF ablation. The authors also found that both interpatient variation in base line tissue perfusion and the reduction in perfusion due to cirrhosis have considerable effect on ablation zone dimensions.
Experimental infection of broiler breeder hens with the intestinal spirochaete Brachyspira ( Serpulina ) pilosicoli causes reduced egg production

The pathogenic potential of the anaerobic intestinal spirochaetes Brachyspira ( Serpulina ) pilosicoli and Brachyspira innocens was evaluated in adult chickens. Thirty 17-week-old Cobb broiler breeder hens were individually caged in three groups of 10 birds. Control birds (group A) were sham inoculated with sterile broth medium. Birds in the other two groups (groups B and C) were inoculated, respectively, with an isolate of B. innocens or of B. pilosicoli . Birds were monitored daily, and killed at 41 weeks of age. Infection had no consistent effect on body weight gain, but inoculation with B. pilosicoli resulted in a transient increase in faecal water content. B. innocens infection had no effect on egg production, but B. pilosicoli infection caused a delayed onset of laying, and a highly significant reduction in egg production over the first 11 weeks of lay. This study confirms that B. pilosicoli can cause serious egg production losses in adult chickens, while B. innocens is not obviously pathogenic.
Increased Depression and Anxiety Symptoms are Associated with More Breakdowns in Cognitive Control to Cocaine Cues in Veterans with Cocaine Use Disorder

ABSTRACT Objective: Cue-elicited craving is a clinically important aspect of cocaine addiction directly linked to cognitive control breakdowns and relapse to cocaine-taking behavior. However, whether craving drives breakdowns in cognitive control toward cocaine cues in veterans, who experience significantly more co-occurring mood disorders, is unknown. The present study tests whether veterans have breakdowns in cognitive control because of cue-elicited craving or current anxiety or depression symptoms. Methods: Twenty-four veterans with cocaine use disorder were cue-exposed, then tested on an antisaccade task in which participants were asked to control their eye movements toward cocaine or neutral cues by looking away from the cue. The relationship among cognitive control breakdowns (as measured by eye errors), cue-induced craving (changes in self-reported craving following cocaine cue exposure), and mood measures (depression and anxiety) was investigated. Results: Veterans made significantly more errors toward cocaine cues than neutral cues. Depression and anxiety scores, but not cue-elicited craving, were significantly associated with increased subsequent errors toward cocaine cues for veterans. Conclusions: Increased depression and anxiety are specifically related to more cognitive control breakdowns toward cocaine cues in veterans. Depression and anxiety must be considered further in the etiology and treatment of cocaine use disorder in veterans. Furthermore, treating depression and anxiety as well, rather than solely alleviating craving levels, may prove a more effective combined treatment option in veterans with cocaine use disorder.
Phase 1 Study of the Safety and Immunogenicity of a Live, Attenuated Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 Vaccine in Seronegative Children

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3) are important causes of lower respiratory tract illness and hospitalization in young children. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine against RSV or PIV3. Methods: In this randomized, phase 1, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalating study, 49 healthy RSV/PIV3-seronegative children 6 to <24 months of age were randomized 2:1 to receive 3 doses (at 104, 105, or 106 median tissue culture infective dose [TCID50]) of MEDI-534 (a live, attenuated RSV/PIV3 chimeric virus vaccine candidate) or placebo at 2-month intervals. Solicited adverse events (SEs) and unsolicited adverse events (AEs) were recorded during days 0 to 28 after each dose. Nasal wash samples were collected 3 times (days 7–10, 12–18, and 28–34) after each dose and at unscheduled illness visits. Blood for antibody response was collected at baseline and 28 days after each dose. Subjects were followed for 180 days after the last dose or to the end of the RSV season. Results: Overall, there was no difference in the incidence of SEs and AEs between the RSV/PIV3 vaccine and placebo arms. Runny/stuffy nose was the most commonly reported SE. Medically attended lower respiratory illness rates were balanced between treatment arms, and there was no evidence of enhanced RSV disease or vaccine-related serious AEs. Vaccine virus was detected in most vaccinees on days 7 to 10 after dose 1 in a dose-dependent manner. Seroresponse to RSV and PIV3 was highest in subjects receiving the 106 dosage. Conclusions: The safety profile and vaccine take as measured by shedding and/or seroresponse in this RSV/PIV3-seronegative pediatric population support the continued development of this RSV/PIV3 pediatric vaccine candidate.
Relationship between inhaled &bgr;2-agonists and ventilator-associated pneumonia: A cohort study*

Objective:To determine the impact of aerosolized bronchodilators on ventilator-associated pneumonia. Design:Prospective cohort study. Setting:A 30-bed medical and surgical intensive care unit. Methods:All intubated patients requiring mechanical ventilation for >48 hrs were eligible during a 13-month period. Nebulized &bgr;2-agonists were administered at the intensive care unit physician's discretion. Ventilator-associated pneumonia definition included clinical and quantitative microbiological criteria. Only first ventilator-associated pneumonia episodes were analyzed. Risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses. The influence of inhaled &bgr;2-agonists on ventilator-associated pneumonia occurrence was also adjusted for confounding factors using Cox's proportional-hazards model. Results:Ventilator-associated pneumonia was diagnosed in 137 (31%) of the 439 enrolled patients. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was early-onset in 14 (10%) patients. The incidence rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was 20 per 1,000 ventilator days. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was polymicrobial in 16 (11%) patients, and related to multidrug-resistant bacteria in 42 (28%) patients. Most cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia were caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Inhaled &bgr;2-agonists were significantly more frequently used in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia compared with those without ventilator-associated pneumonia (49% vs. 34%, odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.9 [1.2–2.8], p = .003). Multivariate analysis identified aerosolized &bgr;2-agonists (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.7 [1.1–2.6], p = .012), Simplified Acute Physiology Score II at intensive care unit admission (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.01 [1.001–1.02] per point, p = .031), and red blood cell transfusion (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 2 [1.3–3.1], p = .001) as independent risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia. Cox's proportional-hazards model also identified inhaled &bgr;2-agonists as a risk factor for ventilator-associated pneumonia (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.52 [1.06–2.19], p = .021). Conclusion:Use of aerosolized bronchodilators in intensive care unit mechanically ventilated patients is an independent risk factor for ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Household Expenditure Patterns, Equivalence Scales, and Poverty in Belarus

Abstract: This study estimates the equivalence scale for Belarus, while directly accounting for household size economies of scale. The poverty levels for vulnerable social groups are estimated using the households’ equivalized total expenditures. The change in poverty between 2006 and 2010 is evaluated. In addition, the comparison of Engel curves for several expenditure categories is conducted for this time period.
Farmers' preferences for irrigation water demand management tools: a Bayesian analysis of choice behaviour of farmers in Krishna river basin, India.

Policy designers have various water demand management (WDM) strategies to achieve efficient water use and allocation at their disposal, such as setting the price of water, decentralizing irrigation water management or improving the quality of water rights. Interestingly, most of these strategies have been applied individually without focusing on the relations between them. This paper uses a discrete choice model to analyse the scope for and the farmer’s acceptance of combinations of irrigation WDM tools. In terms of local irrigation water governance the presence or absence of collective irrigation water management among farmers in the form of water user association (WUA) is considered. Water rights are specified by the duration of the title, by their transferability and by the quality of title. Finally, four types of water pricing methods (area, crop, quota and volumetric pricing) are selected for the experimental design. Using the choice experiment we can elicit the most preferred water pricing method under different water rights, water prices and local irrigation water governance contexts. Our results indicated that under conditions of improved water rights, preference for volumetric pricing increases, while the presence of a WUA decreases this preference. We also showed that making the right combination of WDM tools considerably increases the willingness to pay for a change in scenario.
Ectomycorrhizas of Cercocarpus ledifolius (Rosaceae).

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY Woody species in the Rosaceae form ectomycorrhizal associations, but the fungal symbionts are unknown. The species of fungi determine whether host plants are isolated from other ectomycorrhizal species in the plant community or linked with other trees through mycorrhizal networks. In this study we identified the fungi that form ectomycorrhizas with Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany). • METHODS Soil samples were collected under canopies of C. ledifolius. Ectomycorrhizas were described by morphology and by DNA sequences of the ITS region. Host species were confirmed by rbcL sequences. • KEY RESULTS Sixteen species of fungi were identified from ectomycorrhizas of Cercocarpus ledifolius. The ectomycorrhizal community was distinguished by the presence of a Geopora species situated in the G. arenicola clade and by the absence of Rhizopogon, suilloids, and Sebacinales. Of the species on C. ledifolius, two also occurred on trees of Quercus garryana var. breweri and four on Arctostaphylos sp. • CONCLUSIONS The presence of fungal species in common with other ectomycorrhizal hosts shows that C. ledifolius, Q. garryana var. breweri, and Arctostaphylos species could be linked by a mycorrhizal network, allowing them to exchange nutrients or to share inoculum for seedling roots and new fine roots. Single-host fungi limited to C. ledifolius may improve resource acquisition and reduce competition with other ectomycorrhizal hosts. The finding of a Geopora species as a frequent mycobiont of C. ledifolius suggests that this fungus might be appropriate for inoculating seedlings for habitat restoration.
Light and electron microscopic in-situ hybridization of collagen type I and type II mRNA in the fibrocartilaginous tissue of late-stage osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE Biochemical analysis indicates the presence of collagen type I in fibrocartilaginous tissue of osteoarthritic cartilage, whereas normal hyaline cartilage contains only collagen type II produced by normal chondrocytes. Fibrocartilaginous tissue of late-stage osteoarthritis also exhibits irregularly shaped type 2b secretory chondrocytes as described in the literature. We have attempted to elucidate the type of cell which produces each type of collagen in late-stage osteoarthritis. DESIGN We carried out in-situ hybridization at the light and electron microscopic level on the same tissue embedded in LR-Gold applying silver enhancement for gold-coupled anti-DIG antibodies. We correlated the types of cells with the expression of transcripts for type I and type II collagen. RESULTS We found that cells resembling type 2b secretory chondrocytes of deep zones of fibrocartilaginous tissue expressed collagen type I mRNA and almost no collagen type II mRNA. The amount of collagen type I mRNA was as high as the amount produced in normal human skin fibroblasts. CONCLUSION Some of the collagen type I in osteoarthritic human cartilage of late-stage disease is produced by cells resembling type 2b secretory chondrocytes of the deep zone.
Public opinion formation with the spiral of silence on complex social networks

Public opinion is formed through social interactions of individuals. A mechanism behind the formation of a highly dominant public opinion is a sociological theory called the spiral of silence. Here we study opinion dynamics resulting from the spiral of silence, using an agent-based model with complex interaction networks. We show that an extremely dominant public opinion arises in the presence of a moderate proportion of neutrals and its dominance level is enhanced by social interactions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a correlation between characteristics and social interactions of the individuals has a large influence on the opinion formation dynamics.
Wage Growth and Inequality Change During Rapid Economic Transition

East Germany, a unique socialist command economy prior to the 1990s, underwent rapid transition to a market-oriented economic system. This transition has been of intense interest given the environment of Eastern Germany vis-a-vis Western Germany, a setting different from most other transition economies. However, changes in the Eastern wage structure during transition demonstrates considerable similarity to that occurring in other transition economies. During the course of this transition, East Germany experienced big increases in both its wage level and wage dispersion. From 1990 to 2000 real wages in East Germany for men aged 20-60 rose by 118%, while various inequality measures indicate an increase in wage inequality of 25 to 61%. This paper studies the causes of this growth in wages and the changes in wage inequality, the first two moments of the wage distribution. We find that changes in the wage structure due to the transition explains most of wage growth and inequality change in East Germany. Most of the increases occur at the beginning of the transition. We compare our 1990-2000 results for East Germany to West German wage earners during the same period in order to investigate whether convergences took place in terms of mean (level) and dispersion (inequality).
Building Personas of Students Accessing a Peer-Facilitated Support for Learning Program

The modern student represents a change from the traditional learner. More than ever before, additional resources are available online and yet personalised learning and peer-assistance programs are becoming an essential part of tertiary education delivery. This paper presents the first stage in a user-centred design approach to the analysis of the completeness and efficacy of such a personalised, peer-based support for learning program. This approach used an iterative design methodology based on contextual interview, workshops and focus groups to develop personas representing students visiting the program. Initial uses of these developed personas have included training of new personnel as well as the evaluation of the program. Overall the use of this user-centred approach and iterative persona development methodology has yielded an invaluable resource for the design of support for learning programs across the higher education industry within Australia and beyond.
Collusion in Hierarchical Agency

In this model, shareholders can use auditors' reports to contract with a privately-informed manager. Imperfect audit technology allows the auditor and the manager to collude. Auditors are useful when they have good information and the manager's liability is high. Expected maximum deterrence is not desirable and production is suboptimal, even with unbounded punishments. Raising the manager's punishment raises the bribe he may offer the auditor, which raises the cost of preventing collusion. The authors also distinguish internal auditors (costless but collusive) from external ones (costly but not collusive) and show that the optimal contract may specify random external audits. Copyright 1993 by The Econometric Society.
A Comparison of Imputation Methods for Bayesian Factor Analysis Models

Imputation methods are popular for the handling of missing data in psychology. The methods generally consist of predicting missing data based on observed data, yielding a complete data set that is amiable to standard statistical analyses. In the context of Bayesian factor analysis, this article compares imputation under an unrestricted multivariate normal model (Multiple Imputation [MI]) to imputation under the statistical model of interest (Data Augmentation [DA]). The former method is popular in applied research, but the latter method is more straightforward from a Bayesian perspective. Simulations demonstrate that DA yields less-biased parameter estimates for moderate sample sizes and high missingness proportions. MI, however, yields less-biased parameter estimates for large sample sizes with misspecified models. The incorporation of auxiliary variables in DA is also addressed, and BUGS code is provided.
Futures Trading and the Storage of Cotton and Wheat

C OMMODITY futures markets provide the economist with abundant data for studying the behavior of individuals coping with uncertainty. However, relatively little empirical work has been undertaken to test some of the theories of uncertainty developed for futures markets, and relatively little theoretical explanation of the empirical results can be found in the more factual studies of futures markets.2 This article combines a theoretical approach with an examination of the evidence and develops a theory of stockholding and futures markets capable of predicting the relations among some of the data collected in futures markets. The evidence presented is inconsistent with a theory of futures markets advanced by J. M. Keynes and J. R. Hicks. The first part of the article presents the theory of stockholding for a competitive industry. Since most of the commodities traded on futures markets