Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When collaborative HR practices may not work well: the moderating role of social capital in the Chinese life insurance industry

In this study, we examine the main and interaction effects of insurance agent-focused collaborative HR practices and insurance agents' social capital on their sales performance. Data from 984 participants were collected in five subsidiaries of a large Chinese life insurance company. The results show a strong relationship between social capital and objective sales performance. More importantly, we found a negative interaction effect of collaborative HR practices and network size on individual performance and a positive interaction effect of collaborative HR practices and network range on objective sales performance. The study is unique in that it looks at the interaction between HR and social capital, investigates how HR practices affect individual performance and not firm performance as has been more commonly done, and focuses on one industry to be able to capture the unique aspects of HR practices in that industry. Theoretical contributions, managerial implications, and limitations are also discussed.
LPS binding protein and CD14 in the LPS dependent activation of cells.

Editors Jack Levin University of California School of Medicine and Veterans Administration Medical Center San Francisco, California Sander J.H. van Deventer Center for Hemostasis, Thrombosis, and Atherosclerosis Research Academic Medical Center University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tom van der Poll Laboratory of Surgical Metabolism Cornell Medical Center New York Hospital New York Augueste Sturk Department of Clinical Chemistry Academic Medical Hospital Leiden Leiden, The Netherlands
Monetary policy in Cape Verde and macroeconomic changes: Empirical evidences

The main objective of this study was to analyze Cape Verdean monetary policy, the rules chosen by the decision makers, its changes and its transmission to the economy. Primarily, we analyzed the dynamics of the most important Cape Verdean macroeconomic time series. By using the Vector Autoregression (VAR) and the Markov Switching Vector Autoregression (MS-VAR) models, we also analyzed and compared how those dynamics were connected to the monetary policy regime adopted during the period of 1991 to 2011. We tried two models, in the second of which was included the effective exchange rate index in order to capture transmissions of the exchange rate channel. Through the MS-VAR, we also estimated two regimes which were statistically identified. The second regime seems to be more persistent and characterized the entire period from 1993 to 2006, which matches with important changes in Cape Verde's economy. We compare the impulse-response functions estimated by using the VAR model and the impulse-response regime-dependent functions estimated by MS-VAR models. The latter indicated that only in the second regime does a positive shock in the residuals of interest rate have the expected effects, decreasing the output level and the price index. Key words: Monetary policy transmission channels, Cape Verde, MS-VAR.
A low-cost shoe-mounted Inertial Navigation System with magnetic disturbance compensation

The work evaluates the performance of a custom-built shoe-mounted pedestrian indoor localization system based on commercially available low-cost inertial and magnetic sensors. This self-contained approach employs quaternions for attitude representation, whereas the estimation problem is formulated as a Kalman filter (KF) for INS strapdown mechanization equations. The paper compares three nonlinear KF techniques based on Unscented KF, Extended KF and Error-state Extended KF. Additionally, for poorly observable INS estimates, some magnetic field disturbance compensation mechanisms are implemented and tested for longer walking scenarios. The performance of the developed techniques was tested on a set of both indoor and outdoor paths.
Impact of supplemental protein source offered to primiparous heifers during gestation on II. Progeny performance and carcass characteristics

Abstract A 3-yr study using primiparous crossbred beef heifers (n = 114) was conducted to determine the effects of protein supplement during late gestation on progeny performance and carcass characteristics. Pregnant heifers were stratified by heifer development system, initial BW, and AI service sire and placed in an individual feeding system. Heifers were offered meadow hay (8 to 11% CP) from early November to mid-February and provided no supplement (CON; n = 37), 0.83 kg/d (DM basis) of a dried distillers grains with solubles–based supplement (HI; n = 39), or 0.83 kg/d (DM basis) of a dried corn gluten feed–based supplement (LO; n = 38). Supplements were designed to be isonitrogenous (28% CP) and isocaloric but to differ in RUP with HI (59% RUP) having greater levels of RUP than LO (34% RUP). After the individual feeding period, heifers were placed in a drylot for calving. All heifers were bred using a fixed-timed AI protocol and pairs were moved to a commercial ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills for summer grazing. Calf weaning BW did not differ (P = 0.14) based on maternal diet. However, feedlot entry BW was greater (P = 0.03) for HI compared with CON calves. Average daily gain during the initial feedlot phase tended (P = 0.10) to be greatest for calves born to CON dams and lowest for calves born to LO dams. However, overall ADG was similar (P = 0.50) for the entire feedlot period. Residual feed intake during the reimplant and total feeding period was improved in calves born to supplemented dams in yr 2 and 3 compared with calves born to CON dams. There was no difference in final BW among treatments (P = 0.71). Hot carcass weight was similar (P = 0.72) among treatments; however, steers had greater (P < 0.01) HCW than heifers. Furthermore, percent empty body fat and 12th rib fat thickness were lowest (P = 0.05 and P = 0.04) for calves born to LO dams. Tenderness measured by Warner-Bratzler shear force was increased (P = 0.03) in longissimus samples from calves from CON dams compared to calves from LO dams. Similarly, crude fat levels tended to be greater (P = 0.07) for calves from CON dams compared with calves from LO dams. Based on these data, providing RUP supplements, similar to those used in this study, to primiparous heifers in late gestation consuming ad libitum grass hay resulted in increased initial feedlot BW for HI compared to CON calves, improved feed efficiency, and altered carcass characteristics in calves born to supplemented compared with CON dams.
A Continuous-Time Yield Management Model with Multiple Prices and Reversible Price Changes

This article studies a continuous-time yield management model in which reversible price changes are allowed. We assume that perishable assets are offered at a set of discrete price levels. Demand at each level is a Poisson process. To maximize the expected revenue, management controls the price dynamically as sales evolve. We show that a subset of these prices that form a concave envelope is potentially optimal. We formulate the problem into an intensity control model and derive the optimal solution in closed form. Properties of the optimal solution and their policy implementations are discussed. Numerical examples are provided.
Prescribed finite time consensus of networked multi-agent systems

The paper presents a finite-time distributed control method for consensus of networked multiple systems, which is different from the traditional methods based on signum function or fractional power state feedback (where the finite convergence time is contingent on initial conditions and the control action is discontinuous or non-smooth). More specifically, the proposed method is built upon the regular state feedback, incorporated with a finite-time scaling function, leading to distributed smooth control action. Furthermore, with this method, the consensus is achieved within prescribed-time under bidirectional interaction. Namely, all the agents reach the average consensus in designer-assigned finite time under undirected connected topology. Numerical simulations demonstrate and validate the superiority of the proposed control.
Fair value accounting in the agricultural sector: some implications for international accounting harmonization

In a recent issue of this journal, Argiles and Slof (2001) analysed the main features of the European Farm Accountancy Database Network (FADN) against the backdrop of IAS 41, the new international accounting standard on agriculture, and arrived at the conclusion that FADN offers an excellent tool for operationalizing IAS 41 in European farms. The present study revisits some of the key issues in Argiles and Slof's paper in a wider international context and highlights their implications for the harmonization of farm accounting practices around the world. In particular, this paper contends that there are some key provisions of IAS 41 that are incompatible with the European Union Fourth Directive which Argiles and Slof (2001, p. 364) apparently overlooked by focusing only on aspects of the directive that sanction current value measurement and ignoring those that relate to the treatment of associated holding gains or losses. Furthermore, this paper also demonstrates that Argiles and Slof's argument that simplicity is another improvement of IAS 41 vis-a-vis the French Plan Comptable General Agricole is flawed. Indeed, it is shown here that it would be virtually impossible to implement IAS 41 in Francophone countries in the absence of a fundamental revision, if not complete abandonment, of the plan comptable, at least in view of major conceptual differences between the notions of income, production and value added espoused by national statisticians and those enshrined in IAS 41.
Induction of in vivo hyporesponsiveness to contact allergens by hapten-modified Ia+ keratinocytes.

Because our previous in vitro studies of hapten-modified Ia+ keratinocytes (KC) indicated that these cells induced anergy in Ag-specific Th1 cells, we assayed such cells for their ability to induce unresponsiveness in an in vivo animal model system of delayed type hypersensitivity (allergic contact dermatitis). Naive animals that were treated with i.p. injections of FITC-modified Ia+ cultured Langerhans cells (cLC) developed allergic contact dermatitis to subsequent hapten challenge; whereas, animals treated with similar doses of FITC-Ia+ KC failed to become sensitized to epicutaneous application of FITC, as evidenced by absent ear swelling responses to a FITC challenge. Those animals that were first treated with intraperitoneal injections of hapten modified Ia+ KC could not be sensitized when they were subsequently exposed to sensitizing doses of FITC; whereas a similar first exposure to FITC-cultured Langerhans cells did not interfere with epicutaneous sensitization. This hyporesponsiveness to sensitization was hapten specific, as FITC-Ia+ KC-treated animals were hyporesponsive only to FITC but not to the irrelevant hapten, TNCB. Additionally, Ia- KC failed to induce unresponsiveness. Additional studies indicate that the hyporesponsiveness was not passively transferrable with splenocytes and was not related to the I-J MHC locus. In contrast to our in vitro studies, the unresponsiveness induced by hapten-modified Ia+ KC in vivo was transient in nature. These data indicate that hapten-modified Ia+ KC function in vivo as nonstimulatory accessory cells, by generating down-regulatory signals that can interfere with the induction of contact hypersensitivity.
Speculative Efficiency and the Exchange Rate: Some Evidence since the Float

This paper considers whether the speculative efficiency hypothesis holds in the foreign exchange market since the floating of the Australian dollar in December 1983. For the postfloat period as a whole, the speculative efficiency hypothesis can be rejected in the thirty-day market, but not in the fifteen-day or ninety-day markets. Evidence of a structural change in the market in February 1985--the time of the first major depression--was also found. Copyright 1988 by The Economic Society of Australia.
Determination of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow by Inhalation of 133‐Xenon

A method for estimating regional cerebral blood flow is described in which tracer amounts of 133Xe are inhaled for 2 min and monitored extracranially over the next 45 to 60 min. A three-compartment model used to analyze the resulting clearance curves provided separate blood flows for “gray” and “white” matter, plus a decay constant for a slow third component, believed to arise from extracerebral tissue. The analysis included a correction for recirculation of all three components, based on radioisotope concentration of the expired air or arterial blood. Results from the analysis were compared with those obtained by the more traditional two-compartment approach, using data from 15 healthy young males. Whereas the three-compartment method yielded measurements comparable with those obtained by established techniques (average CBF = 54.7 ml/100 g/min), the two-compartment analysis gave consistently lower values (average CBF = 30.2). Comparison of results based on expired air and arterial sampling suggested that end-expiratory air is a reasonable substitute for arterial blood. Although the 133Xe inhalation method is technically simpler and less traumatic than other methods, complex analytic treatment of the data is necessitated by the presence of appreciable recirculation and extracerebral contamination.
A Trail Across Time: American Environmental Planning From City Beautiful to Sustainability

Problem: It would be useful to identify and connect the major ideas of American environmental planning from the late 19th century up to today, to show its evolution over time and anticipate its potential future direction. Purpose: I aim to tie together the major ideas of American environmental planning, showing how they have evolved, and suggest what additional changes will be required to progress further toward sustainability. Methods: I review the literature, defining five time periods that are useful for understanding and analyzing environmental planning successes and shortcomings. Results and conclusions: Environmental planning has its roots in the physical design of cities and the tension between conserving natural resources for human use and protecting wilderness. In the 1920s, regional environmental planning emerged. Federal environmental impact statements were first required in the 1970s, along with efforts to clean up and prevent pollution. A backlash against government command and control began in the 1980s, leading governments to use incentives to address environmental problems. The current era makes sustainability the goal, tying together the ideas and practices of the previous eras and blending regulation and financial incentives to address national and global environmental problems, such as climate change. To reduce carbon footprints and increase water and energy conservation in the face of significant population growth in the United States will require making environmental planning a political priority, with the goals of curbing sprawling land development, and changing lifestyles and business practices. Takeaway for practice: Environmental planning ideas have been around for the past century and underlie the currently popular concept of planning for sustainability. However, environmental planning has been only modestly effective at influencing business practices and lifestyles. To change this, federal and local governments will have to lead by example, pursuing environmental sustainability as seriously as they pursue economic growth. Research support: None.
Evaluation of the Impact of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Biofilm Formation on Antimicrobial Susceptibility.

OBJECTIVE To compare the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of four antimicrobials in planktonic vs. biofilm-associated Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. STUDY DESIGN In vitro study. SAMPLE POPULATION 78 isolates from dogs colonized or infected with methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP, n=39) or methicillin-susceptible S. pseudintermedius (MSSP, n=39). METHODS Agar dilution was used to determine the MIC of amikacin, cefazolin, enrofloxacin, and gentamicin for planktonic bacteria. A modified broth microdilution assay was used to assess the MIC of biofilm-associated bacteria. RESULTS MIC were significantly higher in biofilm-associated vs. planktonic bacteria for all antimicrobials; amikacin (median MIC: biofilm >2,000 μg/mL vs. planktonic 3 μg/mL, P<.0001), cefazolin (>1,000 vs. 0.5 μg/mL, P<.0001), enrofloxacin (>1,000 vs. 0.25 μg/mL, P<.0001), and gentamicin (>1,000 vs. 0.3 μg/mL, P<.001). For all antimicrobials, there were significant differences in planktonic MIC for MRSP and MSSP (all P<.0001) but no differences between biofilm MIC for MRSP and MSSP (P=.08-1.0). CONCLUSION The MIC for biofilm-associated S. pseudintermedius are significantly higher than for planktonic bacteria. Standard methods for determining MIC are not appropriate for biofilm-associated infections. This must be considered when determining treatment regimens for infections that potentially involve biofilms, and further study of methods to control biofilm-associated infections is needed.
Sex Work and HIV Status Among Transgender Women: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background:Transgender women are a key risk group for HIV, and epidemiologic studies have attributed high rates of HIV infection to behaviors associated with sex work in this population. This systematic review compared HIV prevalence among transgender female sex workers (TFSWs) with prevalence among transgender women who do not engage in sex work, male sex workers, and biologically female sex workers. Methods:We conducted systematic searches of 6 electronic databases, and including studies that met pre-established criteria. We extracted data, appraised methodologic quality, assessed heterogeneity, and organized meta-analyses by comparison group. Results:We identified 25 studies among 6405 participants recruited from 14 countries. Overall crude HIV prevalence was 27.3% in TFSWs, 14.7% in transgender women not engaging in sex work, 15.1% in male sex workers, and 4.5% in female sex workers. Meta-analysis indicated that TFSWs experienced significantly higher risk for HIV infection in comparison to all other groups (relative risk [RR] = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02 to 2.09), and particularly in comparison to female sex workers (RR = 4.02, 95% CI: 1.60 to 10.11). We observed significant heterogeneity among the included studies, along with methodologic limitations and imprecise definitions of sex work and gender. Conclusions:TFSWs could benefit from targeted HIV prevention interventions, HIV testing, and interventions to help reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting HIV. Structural interventions to reduce reliance on sex work among transgender women may be warranted.
Customer engagement, buyer‐seller relationships, and social media

Purpose – The advent of the internet and in particular the interactive features of Web 2.0 in recent years have led to an explosion of interest in customer engagement. The opportunities presented by social media to help build close relationships with customers seem to have excited practitioners in a wide variety of industries worldwide. Academic scholarship on customer engagement, however, has lagged practice and its theoretical foundation is relatively underdeveloped and a better understanding of the concept is essential to develop strategies for customer engagement. This paper seeks to address some of these issues.Design/methodology/approach – The paper attempts to enhance understanding of customer engagement by examining practitioner views of customer engagement, linking it to the marketing concept, market orientation, and relationship marketing, modeling the customer engagement cycle, and developing a customer engagement matrix.Findings – The paper develops a model of the customer engagement cycle wit.
Decreasing the hepatitis B burden in Tunisia need more attention to adults for vaccination

I read with interest the published article by Chaouch et al. [1] in your journal recently. Their study in student with age of 12–21 years in public colleges and after 17 years of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination showed no hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)positive individual and the overall seroprotection rate around 68·9% in vaccinated subjects. It was interesting that the HBsAg was negative in un-vaccinated group too and the rate of anti-HBcAb (hepatitis B core antibody) was 1·4 in un-vaccinated group. It means that the main risk factor for HBV is horizontal in Tunisia. They reported that nine cases had antihepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) positive and two of them were <10 IU/ml. I think they should put these two cases in negative group according the standard of anti-HBsAb testing. In a systematic review after 22 years of Iranian Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), overall 80% were responder to HBV vaccine and with increase in age, the number of responders to vaccine decreased significantly [2] and there was no strong difference between responders vs. Non-responders to vaccine for gender, types of vaccine, ethnicity and living area [2]. Another study in among medical students after 18–22 years of vaccination showed that about 57% of the study group had anti-HBsAb level of 100–1000 mIU/ml. No significant association was found between anti-HBs level and age, sex, and locality [3]. These studies were done in countries where the main risk factor for HBV infection was vertical transmission from pregnant mothers to their infants. I think, it was better in Chaouch et al. study [1] for grouping the level of anti-HBsAb to <10, between 10 and 100 and more than 100 in analysis. The other studies fromTunisia in infants and children under 5 years and adolescents suggested that vertical and perinatal transmission of HBV does not appear to be significant in Tunisia [4]. However, I would like to suggest for more studies in adolescents for finding the main risk factors in general population higher age than 25 years and vaccinate the adult as we did in our country before and we confirmed that strategy was effective in decreasing the HBV burden in our community [5].
Experiments on Wideband Through the Wall Imaging 1

The Center for Advanced Communications (CAC) at Villanova University has conducted several preliminary throughthe-wall imaging experiments and collected real data on different settings behind the wall using a newly-integrated RF instrumentation suite. The full-polarization, 2D aperture data measurements are taken using an Agilent network analyzer, Model ENA 5071B, implementing a step frequency waveform over a 2-3 GHz frequency range. The room imaged is a typical computer lab that has been lined with radar absorbing material. Three different arrangements of the room’s contents are considered: empty scene, calibration scene, and populated scene. The empty scene allows measurement of the noise/clutter background and supports coherent subtraction with the other two scenes. The calibration scene contains isolated reflectors that may be used to determine a fully -polarimetric radiometric calibration solution for the experimental system. The populated scene contains a number of common objects such as a phone, computer, tables, chair and filing cabinet. In addition, a jug of saline solution has been added to crudely approximate a human. Each scene is imaged with and without a wall. The wall is composed of plywood and gypsum board on a wood frame. The antennas are mounted on a 2D scanner that moves the antennas along and adjacent to the wall and is controlled by the network analyzer. Two additional antennas are fixed to the scanner frame and act as bistatic receivers. The paper provides a detailed description of the RF system and experimental conditions and provides a quick look at collected data products . The data measurements, technical details on collection instrumentation, auxiliary measurements, and scene truth data will be made available starting in April 05 to download from the Villanova CAC website at http://www.engineering. villanova.edu/cac/TWRI-experiments.