Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of different signal propagation models for a mixed indoor-outdoor scenario using empirical data

In this paper, we are choosing a suitable indoor-outdoor propagation model out of the existing models by considering path loss and distance as parameters. Path loss is calculated empirically by placing emitter nodes inside a building. A receiver placed outdoors is represented by a Quadrocopter (QC) that receives beacon messages from indoor nodes. As per our analysis, Stanford University Interim (SUI) model, COST-231 Hata model, Green-Obaidat model, Free Space model, Log-Distance Path Loss model and Electronic Communication Committee 33 (ECC-33) models are chosen and evaluated using empirical data collected in a real environment. The aim is to determine if the analytically chosen models fit our scenario by estimating the minimal standard deviation from the empirical data.
Embeddedness Perspectives of Economic Action within Family Firms

Family firms are embedded in social structures that differ substantially from those of nonfamily firms. While these social structures can be sources of strength, they can also lead to dysfunctional consequences. The four papers and three commentaries contained in this special issue on theories of family enterprise deal with the various positive and negative aspects of family involvement in a firm. The purpose of this introduction is to attempt to establish linkages between these papers and to provide further insights on their contributions to knowledge and the directions that future research might take to build upon them.
La politique du logement locatif

Le logement est un bien de nécessité absolue qui justifi e une intervention publique lorsque le marché produit spontanément de l’exclusion ; mais l’intervention publique doit être dosée avec précaution, sous peine d’être contreproductive. Au regard de son coût (40 milliards d’euros en 2010 dont 16 milliards pour les seules aides au logement), la politique française du logement a été très peu évaluée, en raison, en particulier, d’un accès diffi cile aux données.
Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Prolongs Islet Allograft Survival

Exposing donor mice to carbon monoxide (CO) protects transplanted islet allografts from immune rejection after transplantation (referred as the “donor” effect). In an attempt to understand the mechanisms of the donor effect of CO, we found that donor treatment with CO upregulates expression of peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor γ (PPARγ), a transcriptional regulator, in isolated islets. In this study, we evaluated whether PPARγ contributes to the survival and function of transplanted islets and whether PPARγ mediates the protective effect of CO in a major mismatch islet allogeneic transplantation model. BALB/c (H-2d) islets in which PPARγ activity was induced by its agonists, 15-deoxy-Δ12–14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) or troglitazone were transplanted into C57BL/6 (H-2b) recipients that had been rendered diabetic by streptozotocin (STZ). Blood glucose levels of recipients were monitored to determine the function of transplanted islets. Our data indicated that PPARγ activation in islets led to a high percentage of BALB/c islets survived long-term in C57BL/6 recipients. Activation of PPARγ in the donor suppresses expressions of proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in transplanted islets. Blocking PPARγ activity by its antagonist, GW9662, abrogated the donor effect of CO in vivo and in vitro. Our data demonstrate that PPARγ plays a critical role in the survival and function of transplanted islets after transplantation in the recipient. The protective effects of CO are at least in part mediated by PPARγ.
DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor, etoposide, induces p21WAF1/CIP1 through down-regulation of c-Myc in K562 cells.

BACKGROUND Anticancer agents modulate gene expression and these changes are essential for tumor cell killing. To investigate the mechanism by which etoposide acts as an anticancer agent, the relationship between p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21) and c-Myc was studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS K562 cells with and without ectopic c-Myc expression were studied. Apoptosis was detected using propidium iodide and Hoechst 33342 double staining. The c-Myc and p21 levels were studied by RT-PCR and immunoblot. The p21 promoter (from -205 to +67) was investigated by the luciferase reporter gene assay. RESULTS Ectopic c-Myc-expressing K562 (K562/c-Myc) cells showed more extensive apoptosis than K562 cells after continuous exposure to 200 microM etoposide for 24 hours. During this treatment, p21 expression was not observed in K562/c-Myc cells, and the expression of c-Myc and p21 was mutually exclusive. Etoposide activated the p21 promoter in a concentration-dependent manner, and etoposide-induced luciferase activity was suppressed by co-transfection of c-Myc. CONCLUSION p21 promoter activity was repressed by c-Myc in proliferating K562 cells, and detoposide-induced down-regulation of c-Myc released this suppression, resulting in the induction of p21.
Analysis of Retrial Demand Inventory System with Partial Backlogging in Supply Chain

In this article, we consider a continuous review inventory system in supply chain(consist of retailer, distributor and manufacturer) with Markovian demand. Theoperating policy is (s S) policy, that is, the maximum inventory level is Sand whenever the inventorylevel drops to, s an orderforQ(S-s)units is placed. The items are supplied to the retailers and the direct customers (Direct demand), in packs of Q items from the distribution center which has instantaneous replenishment facility from an abundant source (manufacturer). The ordered items are received after a randomtime which is assumed to be exponential distribution. The demands that occur during stock outperiod are enter into the orbit offinite size N.These orbiting demandsretry for their demand after a random time, which is assumed to be exponential distribution. The jointprobability distribution of the inventory levels of both retailer and distributor and the number of customers in the orbit is obtained in thesteady state case. Various system performance measures in the steady state are derived and the long-runtotal expected cost rate is calculated. Several instances of a numerical example, which provide insight intothe behaviorof the system, are presented.
The influence of immigration on the mental health of those seeking psychiatric care in southern Israel: a comparison of new immigrants to veteran residents.

OBJECTIVE The wave of immigration from the countries of the former Soviet Union from 1990 to 2006 brought to Israel over 1,000,000 people. Many of them suffer from different diseases including mental disorders. Although the majority of older persons are free of serious psychopathology, 15-20% of the elderly people may be in need of psychiatric services. The aim of the study is to compare the mental health parameters of two elderly groups living in the southern part of Israel who suffer from severe mental problems: new immigrants from the former USSR (NI) in contrast to veteran Israelis (VR). METHOD In this retrospective study we compare two groups of aged inhabitants (NI and VR) from the southern region of Israel who sought psychiatric services (both outpatient and inpatient). The comparison concerns socio-demographic characteristics of people in care in a mental health center, rate of use of these services and diagnoses of the patients. RESULTS One hundred and fifty-six (1.2%) NI sought psychiatric help versus 584 (2.1%) VR. The major findings include the significantly increased number of adjustment disorders and the significantly lower number of organo-mental diagnoses among psychiatrically hospitalized NI in comparison to VR. No differences were found in the frequency of mood or psychotic disorders between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Immigration is acknowledged to be a major stressor which may increase the emotional distress of an immigrant and in some cases may even lead to psychopathological reactions. NI are prone not to seek medical aid in outpatient facilities until a real worsening of mental health status compels them to be hospitalized.
Structural Determinants of Metal-induced Conformational Changes in HIV-1 Integrase*

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) undergoes a reversible metal-induced conformational change that activates the enzyme (Asante-Appiah, E., and Skalka, A. M. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 16196–16205). In this report, key structural features that mediate this conformational change have been identified by site-directed mutagenesis, limited proteolysis, and mass spectrometry studies. The results reveal two separable metal-induced effects. One depends on residues in the N-terminal domain (amino acids 1–50) and a C-terminal tail (amino acids 274–288) and is detected by increased resistance of the full-length protein to proteolytic digestion. This effect appears to depend on metal binding at an undefined location distinct from the known sites in the N-terminal and catalytic core domains. The second conformational change depends on metal binding at the active site in the catalytic core domain. Substitution of acidic residues Asp64 or Glu152 in the catalytic core D,D(35)E motif or truncation of the Src homology 3 (SH3)-like domain in the C-terminal region of the enzyme abolishes this metal-induced change. Comparison of tryptic digests of an HIV-1 IN derivative competent for metal-induced conformational change and a conformation-defective D64N derivative identified specific regions in HIV-1 IN that are affected by this second change. A region in the N terminus that spans Lys14, an extended loop and the adjacent region in the core domain (including lysines 136, 156, and 160 and Arg173), and residues at the C terminus beyond the SH3-like domain all become less accessible to proteolysis in the conformation-competent protein. In contrast, a region that encompasses Lys258 in the putative DNA binding groove of the SH3-like domain becomes more sensitive to proteolysis in the presence of Mn2+. The results are consistent with a model in which the binding of the metal ion by residues of the D,D(35)E motif elicits specific changes in all three domains of HIV-1 IN, inducing the restructuring of the enzyme for catalytic competence.
Glycemic control and insulin therapy in sepsis and critical illness.

OBJECTIVE To review the literature about the pathophysiology of hyperglycemia and glycemic control in children and adults with sepsis and critical illness. SOURCES Non-systematic survey of the medical literature using MEDLINE and terms hyperglycemia, glycemic control, intensive insulin therapy, sepsis and intensive care. Articles were selected according to their relevance based on the authors' opinion. SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS Hyperglycemia is frequent in critically ill children and it is associated with worsened outcome. In adults, there is no consensus on the efficacy and safety of glycemic control. We describe the possible mechanisms involved in glucose toxicity and the beneficial effects of glycemic control. Initial studies showed that use of insulin to achieve glycemic control reduced morbidity and mortality in adult intensive care; however, recent studies have failed to confirm these findings. Importantly, it is evident that glycemic control is associated with increased incidence of hypoglycemia. The efficacy of glycemic control has not yet been studied in critically ill children. CONCLUSION Glycemic control is a novel therapeutic option in critical care. Conflicting evidence in adults means that before we apply this approach to pediatrics it will need to be assessed in clinical trial.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3 Are Key Regulators of Extracellular Matrix Degradation by Mouse Embryos1

Abstract Embryo implantation in humans and rodents is a highly invasive yet tightly controlled process involving extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) has been implicated as the major facilitator of this ECM degradation. MMP-9 is expressed by the embryo's trophoblast cells, whereas tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3 (TIMP-3) is expressed by the maternal uterine cells immediately adjacent to the trophoblast. We examined the functional roles of MMP-9 and TIMP-3 during in vitro ECM degradation by mouse embryos. Blastocysts were treated with either MMP-9 antisense or sense oligonucleotides and incubated on an ECM gel. The extent of ECM degradation exhibited by the blastocysts due to proteinase secretion was quantified. Embryos exposed to MMP-9 antisense oligonucleotides exhibited reduced ECM-degrading activity as compared with controls, and this reduced activity was correlated with the level of MMP-9 secreted by the embryos. The functional role of TIMP-3 was then examined by incubating blastocysts on an ECM gel that had been impregnated with various amounts of TIMP-3. In a dose-dependent manner, increases in TIMP-3 resulted in a reduction in ECM degradation and were correlated with diminished MMP-9 activity. These results provide important functional evidence that in vitro ECM degradation is regulated by embryo-derived MMP-9 and ECM-derived TIMP-3.
Single-Chip Tri-Band WCDMA/HSDPA Transceiver without External SAW Filters and with Integrated TX Power Control

With growing WCDMA adoption there is a strong demand to reduce the cost of WCDMA terminals. Contributing to the relatively high WCDMA terminal cost is the low integration of today's WCDMA radios. Since WCDMA is an FDD system the transmitter and receiver are on simultaneously. A duplexer is used to isolate the receiver from the transmit signal but the isolation of small low-cost duplexers is limited, with a guaranteed isolation at the TX frequency of not more than 52dB. For a Class-3 terminal with 2dB TX path loss due to duplexer and switch, the power at the PA output is +26dBm and the receiver will see a TX leakage of up to -26dBm. Today's state-of- the-art WCDMA transceivers deal with the TX blocking problem by using an external TX SAW filter to eliminate TX noise in the RX band and an external LNA and RX SAW filter to achieve sufficient RX linearity. A typical tri-band transceiver requires 6 SAW filters and 3 LNAs. The tri-band WCDMA transceiver presented here eliminates all external SAW filters and LNAs and achieves excellent performance with standard low-cost duplexers.
Teaching-learning methodology for formal languages and automata theory

Formal languages and automata (FLA) theory have fundamental relevance to the base of knowledge in the computer science area, especially focusing on scientific education. Usually presented by a discipline, the teaching-learning process of FLA is characterized by the high level of abstraction, and it is considered difficult due to the complexity of language formalisms. As support for the learning process, tools have been used to simulate language formalisms. However, the simulation is not enough to reinforce the construction of an abstract concept. In this paper, we present an FLA teaching-learning methodology based on the development of simulators as an approach to clarify the formalism for the students. Through developing their simulators, students are exposed to the data structure and algorithms to handle the formalism. Consequently, students have the opportunity to make the concept concrete.
Strategies for managing human resource diversity: From resistance to learning

Executive Overview Most writing on the subject suggests there is one best way to manage workforce diversity in organizations. We argue that there is no single best way, but that the organization's approach depends on the degree of pressure for diversity, the type of diversity in question, and managerial attitudes. Strategic responses for managing diversity are presented in a framework of proactive, accommodative, defensive, and reactive modes. These responses are discussed in terms of episodic, freestanding, and systemic implementation practices.
Earnings Management Constraints and Classification Shifting

Prior literature has investigated three forms of earnings management: real earnings management (REM), accruals earnings management (AEM) and classification shifting. Managers make trade-off decisions among these methods based on the costs, constraints and timing of each strategy. This study investigates whether managers use classification shifting when their ability to use other forms of earnings management is constrained. We find that when REM is constrained by poor financial condition, high levels of institutional ownership and low industry market share, managers are more likely to use classification shifting. Further, we find that when AEM is constrained by low accounting system flexibility and the provision of a cash flow forecast, managers are more likely to use classification shifting. In addition, when we limit our sample to firms that are most likely to have manipulated earnings, we continue to find support for constraints of both REM and AEM leading to higher levels of classification shifting. We also find support for the hypothesis that the timing of each earnings management strategy influences managers’ trade-off decision. Our results indicate that managers use classification shifting as substitute form of earnings management for both AEM and REM.
Prediction And Volatility Of Black Market Currencies: Evidence From Renminbi And Rial Exchange Rates

We perform out-of-sample prediction on both fixed and black market Chinese renminbi/US dollar, and black market rial/US dollar exchange rates by using the time-delay embedding technique and the local linear prediction method. We also predict an artificially generated chaotic time series with and without noise for the purpose of validation of the methods used in this study. In all examples tested, our prediction results significantly outperform those by the benchmark mean value predictor based on a statistic defined by Harvey et al. [11]. Another interesting result found in this paper is that one may use the embedding dimension as a measure of volatility of a financial asset.
Minimization of inter-module leakage current in cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverters for grid connected solar PV applications

Cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverters (CHB-MLIs) are well accepted for medium and high power grid connected photovoltaic (PV) applications. Independent MPPT and modularity are the advantages of these converters over the diode clamped and capacitor clamped MLIs. However, CHB-MLIs are associated with inter-module leakage current through the parasitic capacitor of PV panels even though an isolation transformer is used on the AC side. This necessitates the use of an additional isolated DC-DC converter in each power cell, which increases the cost and reduces efficiency. In order to address these limitations, a simple passive solution is proposed to minimize the intermodule leakage current. It comprises of several L-C filters placed among the power cells to mitigate the switching frequency components in voltage across the parasitic capacitors. Moreover, the proposed solution can be easily upgraded to higher number of power cells. In this paper, the expressions for inter-module leakage currents are derived for five level CHB-MLI. The required filter values are designed for various pulse width modulation (PWM) techniques and it is found that the modified carried disposition PWM and hybrid PWM techniques are superior in minimizing the leakage currents. Simulation studies validate the claims of proposed solution.
On the Nature of Competition With Differentiated Products

There is an old debate going back to Bertrand (1883) and Edgeworth (1925) about the fragility of market equilibrium when competition arises among a few sellers. It was Hotelling's belief that price instability vanishes when products are differentiated (Hotelling, 1929). Recently attention was drawn to the fact that, even if product differentiation can weaken the forces leading to price instability, it cannot eliminate completely the possibility of price cycles (d'Aspremont et al. 1979). The purpose of this paper is to show that vertical and horizontal product differentiation do not operate in the same manner: a stable market outcome (including an endogenous product specification) arises more frequently with the former than with the latter. ' Horizontal product differentiation is rooted in taste differences. More precisely, the potential customers have heterogeneous preferences about the proportion in which the attributes of the product should be combined. A wide range of substitute products can then survive in the same market simply because each of them combines the various attributes of the product in a proportion suitable to a particular segment of customers: between two products in the range the level of some attributes is augmented while that of others is lowered. Each variety has its own circle of customers, exactly as the inhabitants located around a particular shop form its potential market. None the less, competitors can raid these privileged market shares by adequate price cuts. By contrast, vertical product differentiation refers to a class of products which cohabit simultaneously on a given market, even though customers agree on a unanimous ranking between them: between two products in the range the level of all attributes is augmented or lowered. The survival of a low-quality product then rests on the seller's ability to sell it at a reduced price, compensating thereby for the higher a priori attractiveness of a more desirable quality. The seller of a low-quality product will specialise in the segment of customers whose propensity to spend on the corresponding range of products is low, either because they have relatively lower income, or relatively less intensive preferences, than other customers. At the same time, the seller of a high-quality product will enjoy an absolute advantage over his competitor.2 Interestingly, it turns out that price and product competition does not lead to the same results in these two situations, regarding the stability of the market equilibrium. To stress the differences, we have chosen to concentrate on two
Blood pressure variability among chronic dialysis patients: recent advances in knowledge

Purpose of reviewThis review focuses on recent evidence linking blood pressure variability (BPV) to adverse clinical outcomes in the chronic hemodialysis patient population. Recent findingsBPV is an increasingly recognized poor prognostic factor in the general population. A growing body of evidence suggests that both short-term and long-term BPV are associated with adverse events among chronic dialysis patients. Over the last 18 months, several studies have linked long-term BPV (considered dialysis treatment to dialysis treatment) to all-cause and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Similar results have been demonstrated for short-term (considered as intradialytic) BPV and clinical outcomes. Further studies substantiating these findings and examining potential BPV mitigation strategies are needed. Additionally, a BPV metric that is easily calculated and tracked in the clinical setting is necessary before BPV can become a routine component of clinical monitoring. SummaryRecent observational data demonstrate an association between short-term and long-term BPV and adverse outcomes among chronic hemodialysis patients. Further research is needed to identify strategies that mitigate this risk and to translate these findings into clinical practice.