Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mergers and acquisitions through an intellectual capital perspective

The acquisition of knowledge and other intangible resources often underlies merger and acquisition strategies. Past streams of research regarding the effect intangible resources have on merger and acquisition performance have been fragmented and remained mutually exclusive of each other. Introduces, in an attempt to integrate these streams of research, the intellectual capital perspective and argues that core intellectual capital has to be at the root of high value synergies. With the help of a case study presents a framework that can be used to identify core intellectual capital. Then discusses the conditions surrounding the trade of intellectual capital and their effect on value creation prospects. Proposes that the value creation potential of synergies involving core intellectual capital is a function of the conditions for trading and leveraging intellectual capital and the transformation inertia associated with the trade.
Commentary: Why sprint interval training is inappropriate for a largely sedentary population

Hardcastle et al. (2014) argued that an inactive population is unlikely to engage in sprint interval training (SIT) due to poor affective responses, low self-efficacy and motivation, and increased challenges to self-regulation. Their opinion article offers reasonable critiques to the potential broader effectiveness of SIT vis-a-vis the efficacy demonstrated within laboratory trials. However, three commentary responses (Del Vecchio et al., 2015; Astorino and Thum, 2016; Jung et al., 2016) have since been published with one common thread being to question the assumption that low affective perceptions necessarily accompany engagement in SIT. We have followed this debate with interest, in particular regarding affective responses to SIT [and, more broadly, high-intensity interval training (HIIT)]1. Building on the current debate, we further propose that in order to advance the research agenda, and specifically our understanding of “the acceptability of, and affective responses to, SIT programs” (Hardcastle et al., 2014, p. 2), a discussion of how and when affective responses are measured is warranted. Affect is believed to be related to, but distinct from, both emotion and mood (Ekkekakis, 2013). Ekkekakis (2013) further noted that “[e]xamples of core affect include pleasure, displeasure, tension, calmness, energy, and tiredness. A person experiences core affect constantly, although the nature and intensity of affect varies over time” (p. 38). The relationship between affect (and other psychological responses) and engagement in HIIT/SIT was examined in a recent scoping review (Stork et al., 2017). The review authors identified inconsistencies in the timing of when measures of affect were given across the included 42 studies, which resulted in some difficulty for comparisons across studies (Stork et al., 2017). In addition to timing, they also observed that “[m]any different measures were used to evaluate the same psychological constructs” (Stork et al., 2017, p. 25). It is this heterogeneity in measures we suggest requires further discussion and more purposeful consideration in future studies, in particular as it relates to replication. In the 17 studies that measured affect, Stork et al. (2017) reported that six different measures were used with the most common measure of affect being the Feeling Scale (FS; Hardy and Rejeski, 1989). Another psychological indicator, enjoyment, was assessed in 22 studies with five different
An integrated vendor-buyer cooperative inventory model for items with imperfect quality

This article develops a model to determine an optimal integrated vendor-buyer inventory policy for flawed items in a just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing environment. The aim is to minimize the total joint annual costs incurred by the vendor and the buyer. The proposed model extends the integrated vendor-buyer inventory model by accounting for imperfect quality items. The expected annual integrated total cost function is derived and an analytic solution procedure is proposed to determine the optimal policy. Finally, numerical examples are also given to illustrate the solution procedure presented in this article.
Chlorine Disinfection of Atypical Mycobacteria Isolated from a Water Distribution System

ABSTRACT We studied the resistance of various mycobacteria isolated from a water distribution system to chlorine. Chlorine disinfection efficiency is expressed as the coefficient of lethality (liters per minute per milligram) as follows: Mycobacterium fortuitum (0.02) > M. chelonae (0.03) > M. gordonae (0.09) > M. aurum (0.19). For a C · t value (product of the disinfectant concentration and contact time) of 60 mg · min · liter−1, frequently used in water treatment lines, chlorine disinfection inactivates over 4 log units of M. gordonae and 1.5 log units of M. fortuitum or M. chelonae. C · t values determined under similar conditions show that even the most susceptible species, M. aurum and M. gordonae, are 100 and 330 times more resistant to chlorine than Escherichia coli. We also investigated the effects of different parameters (medium, pH, and temperature) on chlorine disinfection in a chlorine-resistant M. gordonae model. Our experimental results follow the Arrhenius equation, allowing the inactivation rate to be predicted at different temperatures. Our results show that M. gordonae is more resistant to chlorine in low-nutrient media, such as those encountered in water, and that an increase in temperature (from 4°C to 25°C) and a decrease in pH result in better inactivation.
Rapid Detection of H5N1 Subtype Influenza Viruses by Antigen Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using H5- and N1-Specific Monoclonal Antibodies

ABSTRACT Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus of the H5N1 subtype has caused devastating damage to poultry flocks and sporadic human H5N1 infections. There is concern that this virus subtype may gain transmissibility and become pandemic. Rapid diagnosis and surveillance for H5N1 subtype viruses are critical for the control of H5N1 infection. In this study, we report a robust antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (AC-ELISA) based on H5- and N1-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) for the rapid detection of H5N1 subtype viruses. The H5 hemagglutinin (HA)-specific MAb (2D9) targets a conformational epitope which recognized multiple clades of H5N1 viruses, including clades 0, 1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4, 7, and 8. The N1 neuraminidase (NA)-specific MAb (8H12) recognized a linear epitope comprising the sequence AELPF. This epitope was 99% conserved in the NA of 708 analyzed H5N1 viruses, while the epitope was absent in NAs of subtypes N2 through N9. The specificity of the AC-ELISA was examined by using 41 H5N1 HPAI strains from multiple clades, 36 non-H5N1 viruses, and 4 influenza B viruses. No cross-reactivity was observed for any of the non-H5N1 viruses tested. The estimated detection limit was 1 to 2 HA titers. It is concluded that this H5N1 AC-ELISA can simultaneously detect H5 and N1 subtype antigens, eliminating the need for secondary testing for the NA subtype. Implementation of this assay in ELISA-like formats suitable for field use, such as dot ELISA, immunofiltration, or electrochemical biosensor technologies, would provide dual on-site detection of H5 and N1 in clinical or environmental specimens.
Supply chain risk management in SMEs: analysing the barriers

The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers to risk management in supply chains of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and to understand their mutual relationships. Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) was applied to present a hierarchy-based model and the contextual relationships among these barriers. The research shows that there exists a group of barriers that have high driving power and low dependence and are of strategic importance. The proposed model provides a useful tool for SME supply chain managers to focus on those variables that are most important for effective risk management in supply chains.
Road Traffic Demand Elasticity Estimates: A Review

A brief summary of road traffic‐related elasticity estimates as reported in the international literature is given. An indication of the orders of magnitude of these elasticities is outlined and the variation in estimates commonly found is emphasized. The results of previous extensive surveys are collated, but a wider scope of traffic‐related research is provided by reviewing recent work and including research that has received less attention. A variety of elasticity measures related to car travel, car ownership, freight traffic and fuel demand are reported. Based on the review, some important themes underpinning the demand for road traffic are revealed.
A Novel Asynchronous e-FPGA Architecture for Security Applications

With the growing security needs of applications such as homeland security or banking, the frequent updates in cryptographic standards and the high ASIC costs, the ciphering algorithms on an asynchronous embedded FPGA co-processor are becoming a viable alternative. Within the SAFE project, a novel architecture of asynchronous e-FPGA has been proposed. This architecture is natively robust against side channel attacks such as simple and differential power analysis or clock based fault attacks. Simulation-based security proofs are also presented.
Evaluation of a Backpack-Mounted 3D Mobile Scanning System

Recently, several backpack-mounted systems, also known as personal laser scanning systems, have been developed. They consist of laser scanners or cameras that are carried by a human operator to acquire measurements of the environment while walking. These systems were first designed to overcome the challenges of mapping indoor environments with doors and stairs. While the human operator inherently has the ability to open doors and to climb stairs, the flexible movements introduce irregularities of the trajectory to the system. To compete with other mapping systems, the accuracy of these systems has to be evaluated. In this paper, we present an extensive evaluation of our backpack mobile mapping system in indoor environments. It is shown that the system can deal with the normal human walking motion, but has problems with irregular jittering. Moreover, we demonstrate the applicability of the backpack in a suitable urban scenario.
Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA

Abstract As many observers expected when the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, employers have faced numerous court cases regarding the matter of appropriate accommodations for disabled workers under the law. The difficulty is that no consensus has emerged on the various interpretations of that law. Three particular areas of concern and disagreement have emerged, namely, how the accommodation request is made, how to handle reassignments, and whether to permit telecommuting as a substitute to working on premises. Several federal circuit courts have determined that the employer must respond to an employee's request in virtually any form, while others have stated that the employee must be specific in requesting an accommodation for disability. In two circuits, the employee must show some evidence of disability. The case law governing reassignment also varies by circuit, but in general a disabled employee who is being transferred would be given priority over prospective hires for the same position. The work of existing employees is not to be increased as a consequence of the ADA. Finally, telecommuting has thus far not found favor in most courts, but an employer who permits telecommuting for some employees will find it difficult to claim hardship for a worker who seeks to telecommute under the ADA's provisions. The courts have been most supportive of employers who have made a specific, fact-based determination regarding an employee's request for accommodation. By focusing directly on the situation at hand, an employer can document the particulars of an ADA request, regardless of whether the employee is satisfied by the employer's determination.
Thoracic positron emission tomography using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose for the evaluation of residual mediastinal Hodgkin disease.

Residual mediastinal masses are frequently observed in patients with Hodgkin disease (HD) after completed therapy, and the discrimination between active tumor tissue and fibrotic residues remains a clinical challenge. We studied the diagnostic value of metabolic imaging by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in detecting active mediastinal disease and predicting relapse. Twenty-eight HD patients with a residual mediastinal mass of at least 2 cm after initial therapy or after salvage chemotherapy were prospectively assigned to 29 examinations with FDG PET and were evaluated as 29 "subjects. " Patients were monitored for at least 1 year after examination and observed for signs of relapse. Median follow-up was 28 months (range, 16 to 68 months). A PET-negative mediastinal tumor was observed in 19 subjects, of whom 16 stayed in remission and 3 relapsed. Progression or relapse occurred in 6 of 10 subjects with a positive PET, whereas 4 subjects remained in remission. The negative predictive value (negative PET result and remission) at 1 year was 95%, and the positive predictive value (positive PET result and relapse) was 60%. The disease-free survival for PET-negative and PET-positive patients at 1 year was 95% and 40%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant. A negative FDG PET indicates that an HD patient with a residual mediastinal mass is unlikely to relapse before 1 year, if ever. On the other hand, a positive PET result indicates a significantly higher risk of relapse and demands further diagnostic procedures and a closer follow-up.
Expressions of connexin 32 and 26 and their correlation to prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) plays an important role in regulating homeostasis and differentiation in many tissues. Connexins are gap junction proteins, whose expressions directly affect the function of GJIC. This study was to investigate expressions of connexin 32 and 26 proteins in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and their correlation to clinicopathological characters of NSCLC. METHODS Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect expressions of connexin 32 and 26 in 77 NSCLC tissues. Correlations of connexin 32 and 26 expressions to smoking, tumor size, histological type, the degree of differentiation, lymph node metastasis and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS The positive rates of connexin 32 and 26 were 51.9% and 40.3% in the 77 samples, which were significantly higher than 20.3% and 30.5% in alveolar epithelium (p = 0.000, r = -0.322; p = 0.013, r = -0.215). Positive expression of connexion 32 was positively correlated with the differentiation degree of NSCLC tissues (p = 0.010, r = 0.345). The one- to five-year survival rates were higher in patients with positive connexion 32 expression than those without (p = 0.005). Moreover, the positive rate of connexin 26 was not correlated to smoking, tumor size, histological type, the degree of differentiation, lymph node metastasis and the postoperative survival time (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Expression of connexin 32 is closely correlated to the differentiation of NSCLC and affects the prognosis of NSCLC patients. Increasing the expression of connexin 32 may improve the prognosis of NSCLC.
Trade Credit Terms Offered by Small Firms: Survey Evidence and Empirical Analysis

Trade credit has been shown to be an important source of short-term finance for smaller firms but small firms are also suppliers of trade credit. There is little empirical evidence on the credit granting decisions of small firms. Previous empirical work (Petersen and Rajan, 1997; and Ng, Smith and Smith, 1999) has focused on credit granting and investment in accounts receivable in larger firms. In this paper we look at the influences on credit granting for the smallest firms, using a sample of firms with an average of 10 employees. As in previous studies we find that product and demand characteristics influence credit terms. Moreover, we find evidence that firm size affects credit extension choices directly by setting limits on the possibilities for economies of scale, but it also impacts indirectly by affecting the firm's access to finance and its bargaining strength "vis-a-vis" suppliers. The dominant position of larger customers in bargaining with small suppliers constrains the impact of other factors on the firm's choice of credit terms. Small firms are also under pressure to conform to industry norms, although lack of resources can be a limiting factor. Constrained firms may make use of two-part terms in an attempt to improve their cashflow. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd 2002.
Analysis of the Strength of Legal Firearms Restrictions for Perpetrators of Domestic Violence and Their Associations With Intimate Partner Homicide

In this research, we estimate the association of firearm restrictions for domestic violence offenders with intimate partner homicides (IPHs) on the basis of the strength of the policies. We posit that the association of firearm laws with IPHs depends on the following characteristics of the laws: 1) breadth of coverage of high-risk individuals and situations restricted; 2) power to compel firearm surrender or removal from persons prohibited from having firearms; and 3) systems of accountability that prevent those prohibited from doing so from obtaining guns. We conducted a quantitative policy evaluation using annual state-level data from 1980 through 2013 for 45 US states. Based on the results of a series of robust, negative binomial regression models with state fixed effects, domestic violence restraining order firearm-prohibition laws are associated with 10% reductions in IPH. Statistically significant protective associations were evident only when restraining order prohibitions covered dating partners (-11%) and ex parte orders (-12%). Laws prohibiting access to those convicted of nonspecific violent misdemeanors were associated with a 24% reduction in IPH rates; there was no association when prohibitions were limited to domestic violence. Permit-to-purchase laws were associated with 10% reductions in IPHs. These findings should inform policymakers considering laws to maximize protections against IPH.
Microvascular Anastomotic Thrombosis in Experimental Diabetes Mellitus

&NA; An experimental model was developed to investigate the effects of glycemic control and pentoxifylline administration on microvascular anastomotic patency rates in Streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was confirmed by blood glucose levels of more than 300 mg/d1 prior to administering insulin and/or pentoxifylline. Microvascular anastomoses of the femoral artery and vein were performed 4 weeks after induction of diabetes. Subsequently, the comparative rates of anastomotic thrombosis in diabetic and nondiabetic groups with or without insulin or pentoxifylline administration were assessed by direct visualization of the anastomotic sites after 4 days. The results suggest that hyperglycemia impairs the postoperative patency of microvascular venous anastomoses. The diabetic animals maintained under insulin regimens that tightly controlled their serum glucose levels (100 to 200 mg/d1) experienced patency rates similar to those of nondiabetic controls (p < 0.05). Pentoxifylline improved microvenous patency at all levels of hyperglycemia studied, suggesting a possible hemorrheologic mechanism for microvascular venous anastomotic thrombus formation in diabetic animals.
Sensory capacity and behaviour of insects

Several examples of neural machinery underlying animal instinct are demonstrated. Neuro-ethology is a field of biology where the neural basis of animal behaviour is studied. The field is closely related with cybernetics: the multi-disciplinary field of engineering science for communication and control in both man-made machines and living organisms. The size of animal and sensory apparatus is an essential factor for the way of animal life. Small sized animals such as insects detect predator or prey in the dark by using filamentous hair sensitive to medium flow. A moving object nearby the animal causes medium flow, but a distant one does not. Ants and bees use the sun as a compass to orient themselves towards their nest or food place. The sun's azimuth is detected as the axis of symmetry of the skylight polarization by using the bilateral symmetry of their body plan. Nocturnal insects control their level flight without any mechanical organ for equilibrium sense. They have a horizon detector monitoring ultra.
Impact of predictors upon the reduction of lipid parameters in family medicine practice

ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate predictors of changes in lipid parameters consisting of LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), TC (total cholesterol) and non-HDL-C (non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol) among primary care patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study conducted on family medicine patients. METHODS: Demographic features and other clinically relevant information were abstracted from medical records. The primary outcome was the difference in LDL-C level from initial testing to the index test. Secondary outcomes were the changes in TC and non-HDL-C levels between two measurements. RESULTS: Three hundred and eleven participants were included in the final secondary analysis. Multiple linear regression revealed that male patients (β = 4.97, P = 0.040), diabetes (β = 9.75, P = 0.003) and higher LDL-C levels at baseline (β = 0.35, P < 0.001) were positively associated with LDL variance, whereas longer time period (β = -0.15, P = 0.045) and familial hypercholesterolemia history (β = -7.56, P = 0.033) were negatively associated. Male patients (β = 8.45, P = 0.002), DM (β = 9.26, P = 0.011), higher TC levels at baseline (β = 0.35, P < 0.001) and taking statins (β = 7.31, P = 0.023) were positively associated with TC variance, whilst longer time period (β = -0.183, P = 0.031) and familial hypercholesterolemia (β = -10.70, P = 0.008) were negatively associated. CONCLUSION: In the present study, patients who were male, on statin treatment, diagnosed with diabetes and had higher baseline lipid values were more likely associated with better lipid outcomes at future testing.
International Production and Distribution Networks in East Asia: Eighteen Facts, Mechanics, and Policy Implications*

International production/distribution networks in East Asia developed in the 1990s and after have distinctive features in their significance, extensiveness, and sophistication. This paper first lists “18 facts” on production/distribution networks in East Asia that have been identified by a number of studies using international trade data, microdata of Japanese multinational enterprises, and casual observations. It then presents a concept of two‐dimensional fragmentation as a starting point of theoretically formalizing the phenomena of fragmentation and agglomeration. It finally discusses the policy environment in which the formation of production/distribution networks has been accelerated and policy implications of the existence of such networks for economic integration in East Asia.