Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bactericidal activity of orally available agents against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

BACKGROUND The recent proliferation of community-acquired (CA) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has led to a marked increase in the need for outpatient treatment of MRSA infections. Many oral agents active against MRSA have been available for years, and a paucity of literature compares them, leaving physicians with little guidance for choosing among them. The purpose of the present study was to compare the bactericidal effects of orally available antibiotics against MRSA and to determine whether there were differences in antimicrobial killing activity against CA-MRSA and hospital-acquired (HA) MRSA isolates. METHODS A total of 12 unique patient MRSA isolates were studied. Six strains were CA, carrying the staphylococcal chromosomal cassette (SCCmec) type IVa, while six were HA and carried SCCmec type II. Time-kill methods were used to study the bactericidal activity of the orally available antimicrobials linezolid, rifampicin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, minocycline, and moxifloxacin alone and in combination in vitro. RESULTS Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was rapidly bactericidal resulting in >2 log(10) cfu/mL decrease at 8 h and >3 log(10) cfu/mL decrease at 24 h in vitro. No antibiotic combination exhibited better killing than trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole alone. Adding rifampicin to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole showed a trend towards antagonism in vitro. There were no differences in the bactericidal activity of any antimicrobial or antimicrobial combination against MRSA isolates carrying SCCmec type IVa versus those carrying SCCmec type II. CONCLUSION Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole is rapidly bactericidal against MRSA in vitro when compared with most other orally available antimicrobials. No differences in bactericidal activity were detected when activities against CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA were compared.
Measurement of low-frequency tissue response of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica.

A one-dimensional acoustic resonator technique was used to study leaves of the Mediterranean seagrass species Posidonia oceanica collected from Crete and Sicily. The leaf blades were finely divided, mixed with artificial seawater, and degassed to create a suspension of tissue independent of leaf structure and free bubbles or internal voids. The low-frequency (1 to 8 kHz) bulk modulus of the leaf tissue was inferred from the acoustic measurements and independent density measurements. The measured density of the seagrass tissue was 960 ± 20 kg/m3 which agrees with previously published values. The inferred bulk modulus was 2.1 GPa with 90% confidence limits 1.0-5.0 GPa.
Management by projects in manufacturing industry

Management-by-projects (MBP) and its call for less hierarchical and more flexible and responsive organisations have attracted much attention in the 1990s. MBP is relevant and useful in the manufacturing industry as it provides an ideal multi-project environment for MBP to be implemented. The organisational activities are viewed as a network of internal and external projects. The projects are interrelated and implemented at different levels within the base organisation. MBP is built on modern project management concepts and methods, but it also represents a new management paradigm which helps organisations to transform and in turn its implementation is enabled by such transformation. The link between MBP and TQM is also discussed.
Ecological Consumer Behavior – Influencial Factors -

The study of the consumer behavior is a complex task because it is possible to analyze it from different points of view. So, if we investigate the ecological consumer behavior we realize that it is also difficult to establish the limits that clearly define the profile of a consumer who acts in an environmentally friendly manner. Consequently, the measurement, the conceptual delimitation of this behavior and the identification of the ecological segment in the market are essential aspects for the commercial strategies development of the companies. Regarding the definition of this concept and its measurement, it seems reasonable to think that these consumers are those who are concerned about environmental problems. Very often, their behavior is characterized by their attitudes and actions towards the environmental protection.
A geostatistical investigation of agricultural and infrastructural risk factors associated with primary verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) infection in the Republic of Ireland, 2008–2013

SUMMARY Ireland reports the highest incidence of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) infection in Europe. This study investigated potential risk factors for confirmed sporadic and outbreak primary VTEC infections during 2008–2013. Overall, 989 VTEC infections including 521 serogroup O157 and 233 serogroup O26 were geo-referenced to 931 of 18 488 census enumeration areas. The geographical distribution of human population, livestock, unregulated groundwater sources, domestic wastewater treatment systems (DWWTS) and a deprivation index were examined relative to notification of VTEC events in 524 of 6242 rural areas. Multivariate modelling identified three spatially derived variables associated with VTEC notification: private well usage [odds ratio (OR) 6·896, P < 0·001], cattle density (OR 1·002, P < 0·001) and DWWTS density (OR 0·978, P = 0·002). Private well usage (OR 18·727, P < 0·001) and cattle density (OR 1·001, P = 0·007) were both associated with VTEC O157 infection, while DWWTS density (OR 0·987, P = 0·028) was significant within the VTEC O26 model. Findings indicate that VTEC infection in the Republic of Ireland is particularly associated with rural areas, which are associated with a ubiquity of pathogen sources (cattle) and pathways (unregulated groundwater supplies).
Assessing TAA Manager Performance

For U.S. two-way tactical asset allocation (TAA) managers, performance is a function of at least two factors: forecasting ability and tilt size. Assessing the relative performance across a universe of managers is made difficult because of small peer group and relative short return histories. Simulated performance universes are used to decompose the source of relative performance and to overcome the small sample problems. Surprising, little forecasting ability is required, on average, to provide positive excess returns. Portfolio risk, measured as the probability of underperforming the benchmark, decreases with forecasting skill of U.S. TAA managers and demonstrates that after accounting for equity tilt, size, sample period, and length, seemingly equivalent managers possess vastly different levels of forecasting ability.
Multi-category bioinformatics dataset classification using extreme learning machine

This paper presents recently introduced learning algorithm called Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) for Single-hidden Layer Feed-forward Neural-networks (SLFNs) which randomly chooses hidden nodes and analytically determines the output weights of SLFNs. The ELM avoids problems like local minima, improper learning rate and over fitting commonly faced by iterative learning methods and completes the training very fast. We have evaluated the multi-category classification performance of ELM on five different data sets related to bioinformatics namely, the Breast Cancer Wisconsin data set, the Pima Diabetes data set, the Heart-Statlog data set, the Hepatitis data set and the Hypothyroid data set. A detailed analysis of different activation functions with varying number of neurons is also carried out which concludes that Algebraic Sigmoid function outperforms all other activation functions on these data sets. The evaluation results indicate that ELM produces better classification accuracy with reduced training time and implementation complexity compared to earlier implemented models.
Do export status and export intensity increase firm performance

This study examines the effects of export status and export intensity on the performance of firms in Ghana. Our measures of performance include productivity and profitability. Using the Regional Project on Enterprise Development (RPED) dataset covering the period 1991–2002, the results of this study indicate that export status and export intensity have positive effects on productivity, confirming the learning-by-exporting hypothesis. Competition on the international market exposes exporting firms to new technologies, and this has the potential of increasing their productivity. Thus, economic policy initiatives should be directed at encouraging firms to enter the export market. Existing exporters should also be motivated to intensify their exporting efforts by exporting more of their output to foreign markets. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Knowledge-Based Development: Opportunities for Medium-Sized Cities in Hungary

This paper foucuses on medium-sized cities (in Hungary, county seats) as key elements in transmitting innovations to the lower levels of the settlement hierarchy. In the cluster of county seats, there is a substantial group of innovative, adaptive, information-oriented individuals in their local societies which may facilitate early application of information technologies. Their local economies, particularly the information sector, are also able to adapt to new waves of innovation. Regional policy should concentrate on the most important elements in information transfer, the county seats, in order to build local information sectors into a larger, city network of knowledge centres.
A 0.77 ps RMS Jitter 6-GHz Spread-Spectrum Clock Generator Using a Compensated Phase-Rotating Technique

This study demonstrates a 6-GHz triangular-modulated spread-spectrum clock generator (SSCG) based on a fractional-N PLL in a 90-nm CMOS process. This paper presents a phase-rotating technique to create the fractional-N topology for the SSCG and implement spread-spectrum clocking (SSC) by modulating the fractional-N ratios. The proposed phase-rotating technique consists of virtual multiphase generation and the phase compensation approach. This technique effectively compensates the instantaneous timing error and shows the ignorable quantization error. Unlike the delta-sigma technique commonly used for SSCGs, the proposed SSCG realizes non-dithered fractional division ratios. In terms of SSC, this approach suppresses the RMS jitter to less than 1 ps, showing a significant improvement in the jitter performance in this work. The measured power attenuation of electromagnetic interference (EMI) is 16.12 dB, with a deviation of less than 0.5% (5000 ppm). Operating at a 6-GHz clock rate, the measured RMS jitter with and without the down-spreading spectrum are 0.77 and 0.71 ps, respectively. The chip core area is less than 0.55 × 0.45 mm2 and the core power consumption is 27.7 mW at a supply of 1.0 V.
Image Compression Based on Compressive Sensing: End-to-End Comparison With JPEG

We present an end-to-end image compression system based on compressive sensing. The presented system integrates the conventional scheme of compressive sampling (on the entire image) and reconstruction with quantization and entropy coding. The compression performance, in terms of decoded image quality versus data rate, is shown to be comparable with JPEG and significantly better at the low rate range. We study the parameters that influence the system performance, including (i) the choice of sensing matrix, (ii) the trade-off between quantization and compression ratio, and (iii) the reconstruction algorithms. We propose an effective method to select, among all possible combinations of quantization step and compression ratio, the ones that yield the near-best quality at any given bit rate. Furthermore, our proposed image compression system can be directly used in the compressive sensing camera, e.g., the single pixel camera, to construct a hardware compressive sampling system.
Northern Ireland Electricity and the performance management movement: How five major organizational business units compare

The external business environment is changing at an ever-increasing rate. Organizations are now facing competition from ® rms in diVerent industries and in diVerent parts of the world. National and regional markets are steadily being eroded. One-time market leaders are now being threatened by smaller, younger and more aggressive organizations. The internal business organization is also changing in response to commercial demands. Previously large public utility bodies are now in the hands of private investors and many have seen mammoth change, resulting from the transition. Consequently, many organizations must examine how they operate; traditional management assumptions and practices need to be challenged. Such developments have provided the perfect opportunity for many writers to present their views on various organizational change initiatives. Whilst much work has been carried out in the area of change management, signi® cantly less focuses on the evaluation and measurement of the change/business improvement initiative itself. This paper will introduce readers to the issues associated with the nature of organizational change, and present a classi® cation framework describing features and characteristics of changing organizations based on a set of key organizational dimensions. The key dimensions have been distilled from an extensive review of the literature. This classi® cation framework is then used as the basis for developing a model, the Stakeholder Evaluation model. This model incorporates stakeholder interests, and in particular employee interests. It attempts to evaluate the eVectiveness of the process of managing organizational business improvement. The Stakeholder Evaluation model is then tested on a electrical utility organization across ® ve of its major business units. The main emphasis of this paper will be on discussing the ® ndings resulting from the application of the model to the business case. Much of the detail relating to the development of the model itself will be lightly brushed over.
[Preliminary results in the therapy of psoriatic arthritis with mycophenolate mofetil].

BACKGROUND Psoriatic arthritis concerns both the skin and the joints. Therapeutic interventions should therefore ideally improve both symptoms. Current disease modifying drugs are effective; however, they are usually limited to either psoriasis or arthritis. AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of this study was to analyze the therapeutic effects of a new immunosuppressive drug (Mycophenolate mofetil) in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis. METHODS Six patients with psoriatic arthritis were treated with Mycophenolate mofetil for a period of 12 weeks and examined every 14 days (range of motion, joint swelling, joint deformity, PASI score (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index). In addition, a life quality assessment (SF-36 Health Survey) was performed. White and red blood count as well as inflammation parameter were controlled regularly. RESULTS 6 patients could be included in a complete follow-up (5 men, 1 woman, average age 50.3 years, average duration of psoriasis 8.3 years, average duration of arthritis 5.7 years). Four of 6 patients showed relevant improvement in pain, mobility and degree of psoriatic skin effluorescences. Only 3 of 6 showed relevant improvement in life quality. CONCLUSION For the first time results of treatment of psoriatic arthritis with a new immunosuppressive drug (Mycophenolate mofetil) were presented. A positive influence on both, the arthritis and the psoriasis could be shown. These first observations warrant controlled, randomized clinical trials.
Epilepsy and Narcolepsy-Cataplexy in a Child

We report a 5-year-old boy with epilepsy and narcolepsy-cataplexy. He developed myoclonic seizures at the age of 4 years, which manifested as head shaking to the left. Approximately 6 months later, narcolepsy-cataplexy with excessive daytime sleepiness occurred. Although a short-time electroencephalography (EEG) and 24-hour ambulatory EEG monitoring found epileptiform discharges, no seizures were determined. Oxcarbazepine was used and led to increased attacks. Video EEG testing finally confirmed the diagnosis of epilepsy; therefore, valproate was given and seizures were controlled completely. Typical cataplexy triggered by laughing, together with the positive multiple sleep latency tests confirmed a diagnosis of narcolepsy-cataplexy. Human leukocyte antigens DQB1*0602 was positive, and the hypocretin level in cerebrospinal fluid was found to be decreased. Combination of valproate, methylphenidate, and clomipramine treatment improved the symptoms of both narcolepsy-cataplexy and seizure. The coexistence of both disorders in this single patient indicated that there might be a common mechanism between epilepsy and narcolepsy-cataplexy.
Iterative regulation of an electrically driven flexible-joint robot with model uncertainty

Considers the set-point regulation control problem of rigid and flexible-joint electrically driven robots with model uncertainties and unknown payloads. The proposed control scheme is based on simple linear state and output feedbacks. The resulting controller can also be implemented in a case where the current signal is not measurable. Applications of the approach when the Coulomb friction forces are taken into account have also been considered.
Do Monetary Unions Make Economic Sense? Evidence from the Scandinavian Currency Union, 1873–1913

Popular propositions as to what constitutes a successful single currency area are examined by looking at the Scandinavian Currency Union (1873-1913) formed by Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Applying a frequently used indicator of the desirability of monetary union, we study the symmetry of country-specific structural shocks (measured net of the non-Scandinavian influence) in these three countries. It is found that country-specific shocks are not highly symmetric. This conclusion is also supported by the absence of clear-cut differences between the pattern of structural shocks in Belgium and structural shocks in the Scandinavian countries. This suggests that the three Scandinavian countries did not form an optimum currency area during the period 1873-1913. Copyright 1999 by The editors of the Scandinavian Journal of Economics.
Using k-nearest neighbors to handle missing weak classifiers in a boosted cascade

We propose a generic framework to handle missing weak classifiers at prediction time in a boosted cascade. The contribution is a probabilistic formulation of the cascade structure that considers the uncertainty introduced by missing weak classifiers. This new formulation involves two problems: 1) the approximation of posterior probabilities on each level and 2) the computation of thresholds on these probabilities to make a decision. Both problems are studied and solutions are proposed and evaluated. The method is then applied on a popular computer vision application: detecting occluded faces. Experimental results are provided on classic databases to evaluate the proposed solution related to the basic one.
Silicon-on-Insulator-Based Retroreflective Optical Marker Chips for Simultaneous Identification and Localization

We demonstrate an omnidirectional, retroreflective optical marker in silicon on insulator that enables simultaneous identification and localization of objects. The most important chip requirement - its retroreflectivity - is realized by a large number of equally designed reflective ring resonator circuits, which operate at different angles of the incident light. The markers are characterized by an infrared camera that captures the response during flood exposure by a tunable infrared laser.
Development and Assessment of a Novel Decoupled XY Parallel Micropositioning Platform

This paper presents the development and performance assessment procedures for a new XY parallel micropositioning platform (PMP) aiming at a submicrometer accuracy for microscale manipulation. The uniqueness of the proposed micro-parallel platform lies in that it possesses an uncomplicated structure as well as actuation isolation and output motion decoupling properties, which facilitates the adoption of two single-input-single-output controllers. Based on the matrix method, the kinetostatics models of the PMP are established and verified by finite-element analysis. Via system identification, a digital lag--lead compensator is designed to compensate for the hysteresis of each piezoelectric actuator. A feedforward control is then implemented to construct a zero phase error tracking controller. Positioning performance of the PMP in terms of resolution, accuracy, repeatability, and contouring performances of 1-D and 2-D motions has been evaluated by several experimental studies. Experimental results not only validate the effectiveness of the designed controller but also show that both positioning and contouring of the PMP can achieve a submicrometer precision within a specified velocity range.
Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Enhances Neuronal Translation by Activating Multiple Initiation Processes

The effects of neurotrophic factors on translational activation were investigated in cortical neurons. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increased protein synthesis within 30 min, whereas insulin produced a weaker enhancement of protein synthesis. BDNF-triggered protein synthesis was inhibited by LY294002, PD98059, and rapamycin, whereas the effect of insulin was unaffected by PD98059. To explore the mechanisms underlying this effect, the protein phosphorylation cascades that lead to the activation of translation initiation in neurons were examined. BDNF induced the phosphorylation of both eukaryote initiation factor (eIF) 4E and its binding protein (eIF4E-binding protein-1). The former reaction was inhibited by PD98059, whereas the latter was inhibited by LY294002 or rapamycin. In agreement, BDNF induced the phosphorylation of mammalian TOR (target of rapamycin) and enhanced its kinase activity toward eIF4E-binding protein-1. In contrast, insulin failed to activate MAPK and did not induce the phosphorylation of eIF4E. Since BDNF and insulin increased the activity of eIF2B and eIF2, the only difference between them was eIF4E phosphorylation. Thus, this may explain the lower activity of insulin in potentiating neuronal protein synthesis. These results suggest strongly that BDNF simultaneously activates multiple signaling cascades consisting of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, mammalian TOR, and MAPK to enhance translation initiation in neurons.
Pressure-rate deconvolution using nonorthogonal exponential Functions Dictionary

The deconvolution method, which has received considerable attention recently, is rapidly becoming one of the major tools for well test and production data analysis in the oil and gas industry. The clear justification for this approach is the fact that in well-test and production data analysis we are interested in the transient response which, for a stable linear system, is a linear combination of exponential functions. In this paper, we present a new deconvolution approach, which is potentially an important contribution to the existing body of knowledge in this field. We show that the solution of the deconvolution problem can be successfully represented as a linear combination of non-orthogonal exponential functions. In addition, we present three deconvolution algorithms. The first two algorithms are based on regularization concepts borrowed from the wellknown Tikhonov and Krylov methods. The third algorithm is based on the stochastic Monte Carlo method. Our analysis results show that the Tikhonov regularization method is stable, and feasible for a modest number of data points. Based on the results, the Krylov conjugate gradient method requires minimal storage and achieves fast convergence. This method is recommended for small to large data sets. The Monte Carlo method achieved the best results. It was able to handle large amounts of data, had minimal storage requirements, was robust to noise and avoided local minima. However, the Monte Carlo method was noticeably slower than the others. The computational results show that the exponential basis functions decomposition method provides a robust, solution in the presence of moderate levels of noise.