Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RFID data-based inventory management of time-sensitive materials

In this paper, an adaptive inventory management model, which is founded on a forecasting algorithm that utilizes RFID-based state and event data for tracking and dispatching of time sensitive materials in a manufacturing facility, is presented. The impact of integrating RFID technologies with inventory control on the shop floor is discussed. This study compares a traditional, static inventory model with the proposed model on the basis of cost savings, inventory and waste reduction, and decision making complexity. The validity of the proposed model is demonstrated in a simulation environment, which also demonstrates the overall benefits and effectiveness of RFID technologies in providing low cost manufacturing solutions, reduced inventory levels, and lower overall waste.
Upper Extremity Proprioception After Stroke: Bridging the Gap Between Neuroscience and Rehabilitation

ABSTRACT Proprioception is an important aspect of function that is often impaired in the upper extremity following stroke. Unfortunately, neurorehabilitation has few evidence based treatment options for those with proprioceptive deficits. The authors consider potential reasons for this disparity. In doing so, typical assessments and proprioceptive intervention studies are discussed. Relevant evidence from the field of neuroscience is examined. Such evidence may be used to guide the development of targeted interventions for upper extremity proprioceptive deficits after stroke. As researchers become more aware of the impact of proprioceptive deficits on upper extremity motor performance after stroke, it is imperative to find successful rehabilitation interventions to target these deficits and ultimately improve daily function.
The contribution of a global service provider's Human Resources Information System (HRIS) to staff retention in emerging markets: Comparing issues and implications in six developing countries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the contribution of a global IT service provider's Human Resources Information System (HRIS) to staff retention in emerging markets. This includes a comparison of the relevant issues and implications derived from a study investigating six developing countries. The author of this paper concludes that the functionality of global HR systems should be supplemented with local adaptions in order to achieve the best support for staff retention management.Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical framework for this paper is based on HR literature concerning staff retention and on the framework proposed by Martinsons for human resources management applications of knowledge‐based systems. The argument is illustrated by quotes from 16 semi‐structured expert interviews with Accenture HR executives and managers in Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Latvia and Slovakia.Findings – HRISs contribute positively to staff retention for global IT service providers in emergin.
Queueing and framing disciplines for a mixture of data traffic types

Packet-switched data networks are constructed from switching nodes interconnected by trunks. Trunk queueing delays for short messages can be reduced at the expense of long messages by having the trunk server take no more than a fixed number of bytes from each message before going on to the next message. We report analysis and simulations of two partial-service disciplines, namely Round Robin (RR) and Priority first-in first-out followed by Round Robin (PR + RR), for a mixture of traffic types. The PR + RR discipline permits short messages to experience finite mean delay at traffic levels where longer messages see infinite mean delay. Information is transmitted over the trunk in frames, where a frame may contain parts of several messages. At the far end of the trunk, the contents of a frame are not transmitted further until the end of the frame has arrived. We simulate two framing algorithms that work effectively with the PR + RR queueing discipline to achieve acceptably low frame overhead together with short delays for short messages. In addition, queueing plus framing delays for longer messages are substantially reduced, at a given overall traffic intensity if the access lines run more slowly than the trunk.
Optimal control of a linear discrete system

Optimal control of linear discrete dynamic systems with quadratic performance index is discussed. The optimal controller uses all states of the system. An additional constraint of using only the measurable output of the system is imposed. A suboptimal controller using only the measurable output of the system is derived. The tracking problem for a discrete system is also solved.
Improved electrical properties of Germanium MOS capacitors with gate dielectric grown in wet-NO ambient

Wet-NO oxidation with or without wet NH/sub 3/ pretreatment is used to grow GeON gate dielectric on Ge substrate. As compared to dry NO oxidation, negligible growth of GeO/sub x/ interlayer and, thus, a near-perfect GeON dielectric can be obtained by the wet-NO oxidation. As a result, MOS capacitors prepared by this method show greatly reduced interface-state and oxide-charge densities and gate-leakage current. This should be attributed to the hydrolyzable property of GeO/sub x/ in water-containing atmosphere.
Peptide profiling of the route from Mahoney to Sabin, and return

In order to define poliovirus (PV) neurovirulence at the molecular level, we comparatively analyze the primary amino acid sequence of Mahoney, a neurovirulent PV strain, versus (i) Sabin, an attenuated PV strain, and (ii) IS1, a PV isolate obtained in temporal association to a paralysis event from a polio vaccinated subject. We identify and describe 12 pentapeptides that, originally present in the Mahoney sequence, are changed in the non‐neurovirulent Sabin strain, and, successively, restored in IS1 strain.
Evaluation of coronary artery stenoses using electron-beam CT and multiplanar reformation.

PURPOSE We assessed the diagnostic value of electron-beam CT with multiplanar reformation for coronary artery stenoses. METHOD Thirty-seven patients who underwent conventional coronary angiography were evaluated with ECG-triggered thin section electron-beam CT with intravenous contrast enhancement. Multiplanar reformation of a stack of the images was performed to visualize coronary arteries. Two observers blind to the results of conventional coronary angiography independently evaluated the reformatted images. RESULTS The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of significant lesions were 100 and 100% in the left main coronary artery, 83 and 84% in the left anterior descending artery, 67 and 96% in left circumflex artery, 63 and 79% in the right coronary artery, and 74 and 94% for total results, respectively. All false-positive results in the left anterior descending artery were caused by wall calcification, and in the right coronary artery, 83% of the false-positive results were caused by small slice gaps in noncalcified segments. CONCLUSION Electron-beam CT was feasible for the detection of coronary artery stenoses. For interpretation of reformatted images, calcification and slice gaps should be taken into consideration.
Development of Assistive Technology - When Learning Disability is no Barrier

Assistive technology does not cure a specific learning disability. These tools are allowing a student with learning disabilities to demonstrate their intelligence and knowledge. Assistive technology for the person with learning disabilities is a made-to-fit implementation. Trial and error may be required to find a set of appropriate tools and techniques for a specific individual. Therefore this paper is aimed to attest the use of assistive technology: Thai Spell Checker program which enhanced students with learning disabilities in their writing. This paper will also depict the details of the design and development of assistive technology tool, including information on the experiment with real users. The results from the study show that the assistive technology tool has a correct rate of 89% for detecting misspelling words. Additionally results indicate that the students have writing improvement in Thai language as 75%, 15%, 30%, 70%, and 35%.
Studies of isolated fetal mouse hearts in organ culture. Evidence for a direct effect of triiodothyronine in enhancing cardiac responsiveness to norepinephrine.

Definitive confirmation or denial of the hypothesis that thyrotoxic hearts are supersensitive to catecholamines has been difficult to obtain, largely because secondary alterations in neural and humoral factors that occur after thyroid administration in vivo may obscure the primary changes induced by the hormone on the myocardium itself. To study the direct action of thyroid hormone apart from secondary factors, thyrotoxicosis should be induced in isolated hearts in vitro, but the slow onset of thyroid action plus the rapid deterioration of conventional in vitro preparations have precluded such experiments.Recen'ly a method was developed for maintaining intact, spontaneously-beating hearts from late-fetal mice in organ culture for several weeks. When 5 x 10(-7) to 5 x 10(-6)m l-triiodothyronine is added to the culture medium arrhythmias and or tachycardia gradually appear, just as in thyrotoxicosis in vivo. Accordingly, these "thyrotoxic" hearts were used in the present experiments to test for altered responsiveness to norepinephrine. Dose-response curves to norepinephrine were identical for hearts maintained for 3 hr in triiodothyro-nine-treated or control medium. After 2 days, however, the curve was shifted to the left in triiodothyronine-treated hearts. Thus, 10(-8)m norepinephrine increased the atrial rate by 20+/-6.1 (sem) beats/min in hearts exposed to 5 x 10(-6)m triiodothyronine and by 1+/-3.0 in control hearts (P < 0.02); 10(-7)m norepinephrine raised the rate by 79+/-22.3 in treated hearts vs. 17+/-9.8 in controls (P < 0.05). At maximal doses (10(-6)m norepinephrine), increases were identical. In addition, norepinephrine (10(-8)-10(-6)m) induced arrhythmias in 56% of treated hearts vs. 14% of controls (P < 0.01). Thus, in a precisely controlled environment free of differences in neural and humoral factors, triiodothyronine can act directly on the fetal mouse heart to enhance sensitivity to norepinephrine.
Relation between muscle and brain activity during isometric contractions of the first dorsal interosseus muscle

We studied the relationship between muscle activity (electromyography, EMG), force, and brain activity during isometric contractions of the index finger, on a group and individual level. Ten subjects contracted their right or left index finger at 5, 15, 30, 50, and 70% of their maximal force. Subjects received visual feedback of the produced force. We focused our analysis on brain activation that correlated with EMG. Brain activity of specific anatomical areas (region‐of‐interest analysis, ROI) was quantified and correlated with EMG activity. Furthermore, we tried to distinguish between brain areas in which activity was modulated by the amount of EMG and areas that were active during the task but in which the activity was not modulated. Therefore, we used two regressors simultaneously: (1) the produced EMG and (2) the task (a categorical regressor). As expected, activity in the motor areas (contralateral sensorimotor cortex, premotor areas, and ipsilateral cerebellum) strongly correlated with the amount of EMG. In contrast, activity in frontal and parietal areas (inferior part of the right precentral sulcus, ipsilateral supramarginal gyrus, bilateral inferior parietal lobule, bilateral putamen, and insular cortex) correlated with activation per se, independently of the amount of EMG. Activity in these areas was equal during contractions of the right or left index finger. We suppose that these areas are more involved in higher order motor processes during the preparatory phase or monitoring feedback mechanisms. Furthermore, our ROI analysis showed that muscle and brain activity strongly correlate in traditional motor areas, both at group and at subject level. Hum Brain Mapp, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nucleotide exchange factor RIC‐8 is indispensable in mammalian early development

The guanine nucleotide exchange factor RIC‐8 is a conserved protein essential for the asymmetric division in the early embryogenesis in different organisms. The function of RIC‐8 in mammalian development is not characterized so far. In this study we map the expression of RIC‐8 during the early development of mouse. To elucidate the RIC‐8 function we used Ric‐8−/− mutant embryos. The Ric‐8−/− embryos reach the gastrulation stage but do not develop further and die at E6.5‐E8.5. We characterized the Ric‐8−/− embryonic phenotype by morphological and marker gene analyses. The gastrulation is initiated in Ric‐8−/− embryos but their growth is retarded, epiblast and mesoderm disorganized. Additionally, the basement membrane is defective, amnion folding and the formation of allantois are interfered, also the cavitation. Furthermore, the orientation of the Ric‐8−/− embryo in the uterus was abnormal. Our study reveals that the activity of RIC‐8 protein is irreplaceable for the correct gastrulation of mouse embryo. Developmental Dynamics 239:3404–3415, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antiretroviral Regimen Complexity, Self‐Reported Adherence, and HIV Patients' Understanding of Their Regimens: Survey of Women in the HER Study

Background: Research regarding treatment adherence in chronic diseases, such as hypertension, suggests that increasing complexity in the medication regimen is associated with decreasing patient adherence. However, less is known about the relationship between regimen complexity and adherence in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Objective: To examine the relationship between antiretroviral (ART) regimen complexity and patient understanding of correct regimen dosing to adherence (missing doses in the past 1 and 3 days). Methods: Cross‐sectional survey of a cohort of women living with HIV/AIDS and enrolled in the HER (HIV Epidemiologic Research) Study. Results: Seventy‐five percent of patients correctly understood the dosing frequency of their ART medications, 80% understood the food‐dosing restrictions, whereas only 63% understood both. The percentage of patients with a correct understanding of dosing decreased with increasing regimen complexity (increased dosing frequency and food‐dosing restrictions). Patients were more likely to have missed doses in the previous 3 days if they were taking ART medications three or more times per day or had to take one or more antiretrovirals on an empty stomach. A multivariate logistic regression model demonstrated that patients with less complex regimens (twice daily or less in frequency, no food‐dosing restrictions) who correctly understood the dosing and food restrictions of their ART regimen were less likely to have skipped doses in the past three days (odds ratio [OR], 0.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2‐0.7) than those with more complex regimens. Younger age and higher CD4 count were also associated with a reduced likelihood of skipping doses. No association was found between adherence and race/ethnicity, current or past injection drug use, or education. Conclusions: Self‐reported adherence is better among patients with less complex ART regimens. This is in part because patients' understanding of regimen dosing decreases as regimen complexity increases. Therefore, simplifying antiretroviral regimens may have an important role in improving patients' adherence.
Specific binding of [18F]fluoroethyl‐harmol to monoamine oxidase A in rat brain cryostat sections, and compartmental analysis of binding in living brain

We investigated [18F]fluoroethyl‐harmol ([18F]FEH) as a reversible and selective ligand for positron emission tomography (PET) studies of monoamine oxidase A (MAO‐A). Binding of [18F]FEH in rat brain cryostat sections indicated high affinity (KD = 3 nM), and density (Bmax; 600 pmol/g). The plasma free fraction was 45%, and untransformed parent constituted only 13% of plasma radioactivity at 10 min after injection. Compartmental analysis of PET recordings in pargyline‐treated rats showed high permeability to brain (K1; 0.32 mL/g/min) and slow washout (k2; 0.024/min), resulting in a uniformly high equilibrium distribution volume (VD; 20 mL/g). Using this VD to estimate unbound ligand in brain of untreated rats, the binding potential ranged from 4.2 in cerebellum to 7.2 in thalamus. We also calculated maps of rats receiving [18F]FEH at a range of specific activities, and then estimated saturation binding parameters in the living brain. In thalamus, striatum and frontal cortex KD was globally close to 300 nM and Bmax was close to 1600 pmol/g; the 100‐fold discrepancy in affinity suggests a very low free fraction for [18F]FEH in the living brain. Based on a synthesis of findings, we calculate the endogenous dopamine concentration to be 0.4 μM in the striatal compartment containing MAO‐A, thus unlikely to exert competition against [18F]FEH binding in vivo. In summary, [18F]FEH has good properties for the detection of MAO‐A in the rat brain by PET, and may present logistic advantages for clinical research at centers lacking a medical cyclotron.
The reliability of production strategy scores for the Ruff Figural Fluency Test.

This study examined the interrater and test-retest reliability of qualitative scoring indices for the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) in a sample (N=90) of healthy college undergraduates. In addition to rotational and enumerative strategies proposed by, other supplemental indices were developed and examined. Seven raters scored protocols independently using guidelines proposed by and additional scoring examples developed by the primary investigator. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were excellent, ranging from r(ICC)=. 91 for number of strategic clusters, to r(ICC)=. 79 for mean cluster size. Coefficients of stability (n=48; mean interval=7 weeks) for strategy scores were also acceptable (e.g., r(ICC)=. 80 for enumerative, r(ICC)=. 71 for rotational). This study is the first to examine the psychometric properties of these supplemental scores for the RFFT. Reliability coefficients obtained for traditional RFFT indices (e.g., unique designs, perseverations) were consistent with previous investigations. Modest practice effects were observed on unique designs produced, but not for strategy scores. The implications of using RFFT strategy scores for assessing executive functions are discussed and considerations for future research are presented.
Displacement Above the Hypocenter of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake

The Quake That Rocked Japan The 11 March 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki megathrust earthquake just off the Eastern coast of Japan was one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history. Japan's considerable investment in seismic and geodetic networks allowed for the collection of rapid and reliable data on the mechanics of the earthquake and the devastating tsunami that followed (see the Perspective by Heki). Sato et al. (p. 1395, published online 19 May) describe the huge displacements from ocean bottom transponders—previously placed directly above the earthquake's hypocenter—communicating with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers aboard a ship. Simons et al. (p. 1421, published online 19 May) used land-based GPS receivers and tsunami gauge measurements to model the kinematics and extent of the earthquake, comparing it to past earthquakes in Japan and elsewhere. Finally, Ide et al. (p. 1426, published online 19 May) used finite-source imaging to model the evolution of the earthquake's rupture that revealed a strong depth dependence in both slip and seismic energy. These initial results provide fundamental insights into the behavior of rare, very large earthquakes that may aid in preparation and early warning efforts for future tsunamis following subduction zone earthquakes. Detailed geophysical measurements reveal features of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki megathrust earthquake. The moment magnitude (Mw) = 9.0 2011 Tohoku-Oki mega-thrust earthquake occurred off the coast of northeastern Japan. Combining Global Positioning System (GPS) and acoustic data, we detected very large sea-floor movements associated with this event directly above the focal region. An area with more than 20 meters of horizontal displacement, that is, four times larger than those detected on land, stretches several tens of kilometers long along the trench; the largest amount reaches about 24 meters toward east-southeast just above the hypocenter. Furthermore, nearly 3 meters of vertical uplift occurred, contrary to observed terrestrial subsidence.
An ATP-Grasp Ligase Involved in the Last Biosynthetic Step of the Iminomycosporine Shinorine in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133

ABSTRACT We investigated the genetic basis for mycosporine sunscreen biosynthesis by the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133. Heterologous expression in Escherichia coli of three contiguous N. punctiforme genes (NpR5600, NpR5599, and NpR5598, here named mysA, mysB, and mysC, respectively) led to the production of mycosporine-glycine, an oxomycosporine. Additional expression of gene NpF5597 (mysD) led to the conversion of mycosporine-glycine into iminomycosporines (preferentially shinorine but also others like mycosporine-2-glycine and porphyra-334). This represents a new mode of enzymatic synthesis for iminomycosporines, one that differs in genetic origin, mechanism, and apparent substrate specificity from that known in Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413. These results add to the emerging profile of the protein family of ATP-dependent ligases, to which the mysC product belongs, as important condensation enzymes in microbial secondary metabolism.