Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross Cultural Perspectives of the Learning Organization: Assessing the Validity and Reliability of the DLOQ in Korea.

In the current era of fierce economic struggle, human capital can be considered a dominant competitive weapon of organizations. The extent of workforce knowledge will be a priority over external and physical resources formerly relied on, such as cash, capital, or even technology. There is a growing awareness of the importance of individual knowledge created in organizations that plays a key role in many functions (Thurow, 2003). Those functions include developing and introducing new products and technology, shortening or manufacturing-cycle times, overcoming barriers to entering new markets, and improving service to name just a few (von Krogh, Ichijo, & Nonaka, 2000). Since the economic crisis in the 1990s, Korean organizations have focused on continuous performance improvement as a competitive advantage. Along with this economic trend, more attention has been given to the learning organism, in which collaborative learning could occur continuously, both culturally and systematically (Yoo, 2005). As one of the most critical issues in the field of performance improvement, including Human Resource Development (HRD), and Organization Development (OD), the lack of the practical and validated measurement tools has been endorsed (Holton, Bates, & Ruona, 2000; Lim & Morris, 2006; Yang, Watkins & Marsick, 2004). In this regard, Yang, Watkins and Marsick (2004) proposed, “The concept of the learning organization has received increasing attention in the field of organizational studies, yet little is known about how to measure it” (p.31). This research attempts to contribute to providing a confirmative measurement tool for the learning organization concept through the validated applicability of the DLOQ across international regions.
Inositol 1 , 4 , 5-Trisphosphate Receptors Are Downregulated in Mouse Oocytes in Response to Sperm or Adenophostin A but Not to Increases in Intracellular Ca 2 1 or Egg Activation

Fertilization in mammals stimulates a series of Ca oscillations that continue for 3–4 h. Cell-cycle-dependent changes in he ability to release Ca are one mechanism that leads to the inhibition of Ca transients after fertilization. The ownregulation of InsP3Rs at fertilization may be an additional mechanism for inhibiting Ca transients. In the present study we examine the mechanism of this InsP3R downregulation. We find that neither egg activation nor Ca transients are necessary or sufficient for the stimulation of InsP3R downregulation. First, parthenogenetic activation fails to stimulate downregulation. Second, downregulation persists when fertilization-induced Ca transients and egg activation are inhibited using BAPTA. Third, downregulation can be induced in immature oocytes that do not undergo egg activation. Other than fertilization, the only stimulus that downregulated InsP3Rs was microinjection of the potent InsP3R agonist denophostin A. InsP3R downregulation was inhibited by the cysteine protease inhibitor ALLN but MG132 and lactacystin ere not effective. Finally, we have injected maturing oocytes with adenophostin A and produced MII eggs depleted f InsP3Rs. We show that sperm-induced Ca signaling is inhibited in such InsP3R-depleted eggs. These data show that nsP3R binding is sufficient for downregulation and that Ca signaling at fertilization is mediated via the InsP3R. © 2000 Academic Press
Curvelet Transform Analysis for Image Watermarking

A variety of transformation methods in form of Mathematical Models is available in the field of Signal Processing. In the similar way, as a specialized branch of the field, Image Processing also follows such mathematical models for different applications such as image watermarking, image compression, image denoising, image fusion etc. In this paper the most feasible, robust and efficient method for Image Watermarking is to be derived for the sake of obtaining the most appropriate results. These techniques include LSB method, Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), Discrete Ridgelet Transform (DRT), Discrete Curvelet Transform (DCvT) etc. Multiresolution Multiscale Transform methods are more suitable for image processing of the images where data security, and the information contained within are of most concerned such as satellite images, medical and other biological images. The curvelet transform is a multiscale representation suitable for the objects that are having discontinuity across the curvatures. There are some limitations of the conventional methods those can be overcome using curvelet transformation. This paper mainly focuses towards the advantageous features of this transform for the medical images. As in our previous paper, by the comparative study we had concluded that for data security purpose, watermarking is an efficient tool for the various fields telemedicine.
Adaptive Sampling of Large Deviations Grégoire Ferré

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Adaptive Sampling of Large Deviations Grégoire Ferré, Hugo Touchette
UBE2C, Directly Targeted by miR-548e-5p, Increases the Cellular Growth and Invasive Abilities of Cancer Cells Interacting with the EMT Marker Protein Zinc Finger E-box Binding Homeobox 1/2 in NSCLC

Background: Recent evidence indicates that UBE2C participates in carcinogenesis by regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis, metastasis, and transcriptional processes. Additionally, miR-548e-5p dysregulation plays a vital role in tumor progression. However, the molecular mechanism via which UBE2C is directly targeted by miR-548-5p, resulting in increase in cellular growth and invasiveness of cancer cells, and its interactions with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker protein ZEB1/2 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not understood. Methods: Expression of UBE2C and miR-548e-5p was analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The protein level of UBE2C and ZEB1/2 was analyzed using western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Cellular proliferation was detected using the cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. Cell migration, invasion, and growth were analyzed using the wound healing and transwell assay. Promoter activity and transcription was analyzed using the luciferase reporter assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to detect binding of UBE2C to 5′UTR-ZEB1/2. Results: We observed that 4,5-ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C) expression was higher in NSCLC tissue than in the adjacent normal tissue and was associated with increased cell proliferation and invasion. UBE2C enhanced NSCLC progression and metastasis by affecting the cell cycle and inhibiting apoptosis. We also observed that miR-548e-5p was significantly downregulated in lung cancer tissue specimens, which decreased the expression of its direct substrate, UBE2C. Moreover, miR-548e-5p overexpression and UBE2C under-expression significantly suppressed lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that miR-548e-5p directly binds to the 3′-UTR of UBE2C and decreases UBE2C mRNA expression. Furthermore, UBE2C knockdown downregulated the mesenchymal marker vimentin and upregulated the epithelial marker E-cadherin. Bioinformatics assays, coupled with western blotting and luciferase assays, revealed that UBE2C directly binds to the 5′-untranslated region (UTR) of the transcript of the E-cadherin repressor ZEB1/2 and promotes EMT in lung cancer cells. Conclusion: miR-548e-5p directly binds to the 3′-UTR of UBE2C and decreases UBE2C mRNA expression. UBE2C is an oncogene that promotes EMT in lung cancer cells by directly targeting the 5′-UTR of the transcript encoding the E-cadherin repressor ZEB1/2. miR-548e-5p, UBE2C, and ZEB1/2 constitute the miR-548e-5p-UBE2C-ZEB1/2 signal axis, which enhances cancer cell invasiveness by directly interacting with e EMT marker proteins. We believe that the miR-548e-5p-UBE2C-ZEB1/2 signal axis may be a suitable diagnostic marker and a potential target for lung cancer therapy.
Comparison of conventional and leafy maize silage hybrids in New Zealand dairy farm systems

This study compared the yield and nutritive content of conventional and leafy maize silage hybrids, and the expected differences in milksolids (MS) production if fed to cows. A range of conventional and leafy hybrids were planted in paired strip trials (n=162) or small plot trials (n=132) during spring 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 in all of the main maize silage growing areas from Nor thland to Canterbury. Paired comparisons of short, medium, and long maturity conventional and leafy hybrids were made. On average, conventional hybrids yielded 1824 kg DM/ha (9%) more than leafy hybrids and had a marginally lower fibre digestibility (0.6 percentage units). Modelling using the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein Systems (CNCPS) model showed that leafy hybrids had a similar metabolisable energy (ME) content and MS per cow and per tonne of maize silage were not different. For dairy farmers growing their own maize silage crop to feed to cows, the planting of conventional hybrids will result in more MS and profit/ ha of maize grown than will the planting of leafy hybrids. If maize silage is purchased on a cent/kg dry matter (DM) basis, the small differences in nutritive content of leafy and conventional hybrids will not affect MS production or profit.
The methodological and theoretical foundations of decision support

Decision support systems (DSS) is the part of the information systems (IS) discipline that is focused on supporting and improving managerial decision making. The field covers personal DSS, group support systems, negotiation support systems, intelligent DSS, knowledge management-based DSS, executive information systems/business intelligence, and data warehousing. Our long-term project on the intellectual foundations of DSS research has revealed a conservative field that needs to re-orient its research agendas to achieve greater quality and impact. This paper furthers this project and explores what we feel may be at the core of the field’s problems — its methodological and theoretical foundations. A number of recommendations for improving the quality and relevance of DSS research are made. As DSS is a significant proportion of IS research, the lessons and recommendations from this study may be of use to all IS researchers.
Artificial Neural Network-Based Decision Support System for Development of an Energy-Efficient Built Environment

Implementing energy-efficient solutions in a built environment is important for reaching international energy reduction targets. For advanced energy efficiency-related solutions, computer-based decision support systems are proposed and rapidly used in a variety of spheres relevant to a built environment. Present research proposes a novel artificial neural network-based decision support system for development of an energy-efficient built environment. The system was developed by integrating methods of the multiple criteria evaluation and multivariant design, determination of project utility and market value, and visual data mining by artificial neural networks. It enables a user to compose up to 100,000,000 combinations of the energy-efficient solutions, analyze strengths and weaknesses of a built environment projects, provide advice for stakeholders, and calculate market value and utility degree of the projects. For visual data mining, self-organizing maps (type neural networks) are used, which may influence the choosing of the final set of alternatives and criteria in the decision-making problem, taking into account the discovered similarities of alternatives or criteria. A system was validated by the real case study on the design of an energy-efficient individual house.
Profit-Improving Linear Tariffs Pricing in a Vertical Oligopoly

Considering the interplay between intra-firms (own retailing firms) and inter-firms (rival retailing firms) competition in vertically related markets, we compare linear tariffs and two-part tariffs pricing. In contrast to previous results, we show that when both products are sufficiently close substitutes, there is a threshold level of the number of retailing firms, beyond which each manufacturing firm’s profits are larger under linear tariffs pricing than under two-part tariffs pricing. It shows the contradictions to the conventional wisdom that two-part tariffs pricing is always better than linear tariffs pricing from the viewpoint of manufacturing firms. We also show that the wholesale prices increase as the number of retailing firms increases under two-part tariffs pricing, regardless of the degree of product substitutability.
Management of Twinning in Dairy Cows

In 2001, I published a review of the scientific literature on the topic of twinning in dairy cattle (Fricke, 2001). My purpose was to overview the causative factors associated with twinning and to identify management strategies based on data from controlled experiments that might mitigate the negative effects of twinning. At the time of this review, epidemiologic data supported that the incidence of twinning in Holstein dairy cows in the U.S. had increased over time (Kinsel et al., 1998). From an economic perspective in the U.S., lost revenue due to twinning was estimated to be $55 million per year (Johanson et al., 2001). If twinning has continued to increase over time, the negative impacts of twinning on calves born as twins, cows calving twins, and the resulting decrease in dairy farm profitability (Fricke et al., 2001) have only gotten worse and will continue to be a reproductive problem for dairy cows in the future.
Accounting Conservatism and Relational Contracting 1

“Accounting Conservatism and Relational Contracting” Conservatism is a pervasive feature of accounting but has also been the subject of much criticism – by regulators, standard setters, and academics. In this paper, we develop a positive role for accounting conservatism in fostering relational contracts between two agents in a two-period model of moral hazard. Building on Kreps (1996), the principal in our model designs a conservative measurement system and optimal contracts to create multiple equilibria that foster a team culture. Conservatism increases each agent’s stake in the future of the relationship when it matters most – when it is going badly. This makes staying in the relationship worthwhile for the agents, even if they plan to play a low payoff equilibrium in the second period to punish first-period free-riding. In turn, this allows the principal to use lower-powered (and less costly) team incentives rather than higher-powered individual incentives in the first period of the relationship. In contrast, deferred compensation increases each agent’s stake in the future of the relationship when it is going well, making it a less natural tool to use in fostering relationships in our model.
The Effect of a Cell-to-Cell Communication Molecule , Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal ( PQS ) , Produced by P . aeruginosa on Other Bacterial Species

One of the most important factors in the development of a bacterial community is whether the bacteria are able to grow in that habitat. The regulation of bacterial growth is generally studied in relation to physicochemical conditions, however, how bacterial communities regulate themselves remains unclear. In our previous study, it was demonstrated that a cell-to-cell communication molecule, 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4-quinolone, referred to as the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS), affects respiring-activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa without requiring its cognate receptor PqsR. The results suggested that PQS may affect other bacterial species, which was further examined in this study. PQS repressed the growth of several species including both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In most cases, this effect differed from the bacteriostatic or bacteriolytic actions of antibiotics. The growth repression by PQS was inhibited when iron was added to the medium, indicating iron-chelating activity to be involved. In addition, PQS affected oxygen consumption in some species tested, and may have other underlying effects. Thus, this cell-to-cell communication molecule may influence the development of bacterial communities by regulating bacterial growth, and physicochemical factors such as iron would be important in determining its effect.
New method identification of Fusarium species isolated from soil and plants

Fusarium is a large genus of filamentous fungi, part of a group often referred to as hyphomycetes, widely distributed in soil and associated with plants. Most species are harmless saprobes and are relatively abundant members of the soil microbial community. Some species produce mycotoxins in cereal crops that can affect human and animal health if they enter the food chain. The main toxins produced by these Fusarium species are fumonisins and trichothecenes. In this research, the growth of Fusarium sp. on PDA isolated from soil and plants were cultivated on Potato dextrose agar (BAM Media M127) and are common microbiological growth media made from potato infusion and dextrose. Potato dextrose agar (PDA) is the most widely used medium for growing fungi. Some selected Fusarium species identified include F. avenaceum, F. bubigeum, F. culmorum, F. graminearum , F. langsethiae, F. oxysporum, F. poae, F. sporotrichioides, F. tricinctum, F. verticillioides, F. virguliforme. The detected species correspond to F. proliferatum, Fusarium sp. , F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae (which was the most numerous and most pathogenic to melon roots and stems and leaves), an undetermined species of Fusarium and F. proliferatum, which showed no evidence of producing disease symptoms.
The Aggrecan Expression Post Platelet Rich Fibrin Administration in Gingival Medicinal Signaling Cells in Wistar Rats (Rattus novergicus) During the Early Osteogenic Differentiation (In Vitro)

Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) is rich for growth factors which can improve the Gingival Medicinal Signaling Cells’ (GMSCs) osteogenic differentiation. Aggrecan is chondrogenic differentiation marker which has a significant role in the early stage of GMSCs’ osteogenic differentiation. This study aimed to analyze the expression of Aggrecan post PRF administration on the osteogenic differentiation in vitro. This research is a true experimental study using the post-test only control group design with a simple random sampling. GMSCs were isolated from the lower gingival tissue of healthy male Wistar rats (Rattus novergicus) (n=4), weighted around 250 g, a month old, then cultured for 2 weeks and passaged for 4-5 days. GMSCs in the passage 3-5 were cultured in five M24 plates (N=54; n=6/group) for 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days in three different culture mediums, they were negative control group which included α Modified Eagle Medium; positive control group which contained High Glucose-Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEMHG) combined with osteogenic medium; and at last, treatment group which were DMEM-HG combined with both osteogenic medium and PRF. A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test (P<0.05) was performed. The treatment group showed the highest Aggrecan expression of 16.15±2.15 on the 7th day. The lowest Aggrecan expression with a value of 3.67±0.76 on the 21th day occurred in the negative control group. There was a significant difference of Aggrecan expression between groups (P<0.05). PRF administration unexpectedly stimulates Aggrecan expression of GMSCs during the osteogenic differentiation that useful to accelerate the bone remodeling or neo-cartilage formation.Keywords: Aggrecan, Gingival medicinal signaling cells, Osteogenic differentiation, Platelet rich fibrin
The theory of variational hybrid quantum-classical algorithms

Many quantum algorithms have daunting resource requirements when compared to what is available today. To address this discrepancy, a quantum-classical hybrid optimization scheme known as ‘the quantum variational eigensolver’ was developed (Peruzzo et al 2014 Nat. Commun. 5 4213) with the philosophy that even minimal quantum resources could be made useful when used in conjunction with classical routines. In this work we extend the general theory of this algorithm and suggest algorithmic improvements for practical implementations. Specifically, we develop a variational adiabatic ansatz and explore unitary coupled cluster where we establish a connection from second order unitary coupled cluster to universal gate sets through a relaxation of exponential operator splitting. We introduce the concept of quantum variational error suppression that allows some errors to be suppressed naturally in this algorithm on a pre-threshold quantum device. Additionally, we analyze truncation and correlated sampling in Hamiltonian averaging as ways to reduce the cost of this procedure. Finally, we show how the use of modern derivative free optimization techniques can offer dramatic computational savings of up to three orders of magnitude over previously used optimization techniques.
Gallic Acid Ameliorates Bisphenol A-Induced Toxicity in Wistar Rats

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) has received attention in environmental and toxicological research due to its widespread effects in biological systems. While several anti-oxidants have been used in ameliorating BPA-induced toxicities in experimental animals, there is the scarcity of research information on the use of Gallic acid (GA) in protecting against BPA-induced toxicity. This study investigated the ameliorative effect of Gallic acid in BPA-induced toxicities of the adult male Wistar rats. Methods: Thirty two adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups of eight animals each as follows: Group 1 (Control rats): 0.2 ml of corn oil; Group 2 (GA-treated rats): 20 mg/kg/day GA (dissolved in distilled water); Group 3 (BPA-treated rats): 10 mg/kg/day BPA suspended in 0.2 ml corn oil; Group 4 (BPA+GA-treated rats): BPA (10 mg/kg/day) with a concomitant GA (20 mg/kg/day). All treatments were orally administered for 14 days. Results: BPA significantly increased (P<0.05) in the values of liver function enzymes (ALP, AST, ALT, GGT), total globulin, conjugated globulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, creatinine, and urea as well as sodium ions. Concomitant treatment with GA ameliorated these elevated values. Moreover, BPA-induced histopathological alterations in the liver and kidney while GA ameliorated them. Conclusion: BPA caused structural and cellular perturbations of the blood, liver, and kidney of rats while concomitant treatment with GA ameliorates the condition. Hence, GA has hepato-protective and nephroprotective actions against BPA-induced toxicity in Wistar rats.