Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Strategic Sourcing, E-Business Technologies & Integration on Supply Chain Risk Mitigation

Supply chain risk management has emerged as an important issue in recent years, given more dynamic and turbulent business environments. This study investigates the impact of strategic sourcing, e-business technologies and supply chain integration on supply chain risk mitigation. Based on the theoretical background of dynamic capabilities, it also examines the role of business environment and characteristics. A structured survey methodology is used, collecting 152 responses from purchasing and supply management executives from US manufacturing industry. The results empirically confirm that strategic sourcing, e- business technologies and supply chain integration have a negative relationship with supply chain risk. The study also shows that if business environments are dynamic and competitive, more emphasis is found on implementing these three supply chain practices. It is also shown that business environments have a moderating effect on the relationships of strategic sourcing, e-business technologies and supply chain integration, with supply chain risk.
The effects of progressive-resisted exercises on muscle strength and health-related quality of life in persons with HIV-related poly-neuropathy in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT Distal symmetrical poly-neuropathy (DSP) is a neurological complication associated with HIV/AIDS and stavudine (d4T) containing antiretroviral therapy. People with DSP experience pain, numbness and muscle weakness, which affect their quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of a progressive-resisted exercise (PRE) intervention on health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in people living with HIV/AIDS-related DSP. An assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial was conducted, with participants sourced from 10 clinics with HIV services, the family care clinic at Wilkins Hospital and 2 large hospitals in Harare, Zimbabwe. A 12-week PRE intervention was conducted twice weekly for 80 participants, while the control group with 80 participants continued with usual daily activities. The main outcome variable was HR-QOL for which we controlled for demographic and clinical measures in generalised estimating equation population-averaged models. Data were summarised and analysed using an intention to treat analysis approach using the Stata v10 program. Mean age of participants was 42.2 years (SD = 8.5). While d4T was used by 59% (n = 94), an equal proportion of the participants also had moderate to severe neuropathy. PRE was found to significantly improve HR-QOL in the intervention group based on the mean difference between the intervention group mean change and the mean change in the control group (F ratio 4.24; p = .04). This study established that PREs have positive effects on HR-QOL for people living with HIV/AIDS-related DSP.
Similarity Retrieval of Vector Images with Indirect Matching

Increase use of vector images have generated interests on effective ways of vector image retrieval. This paper presents a fast similarity retrieval of vector images. For reducing the computational cost in similarity evaluation, we proposed an indirect matching framework. This framework uses a small number of key images, which are previously randomly selected from a database. The basic idea of the framework is offline calculation of creating a similarity table with pre-selected key images. In the retrieval phase, by referring to the similarity table, the similarity of each database image to the given query is quickly estimated. Experimental results have shown that the retrieval time is greatly reduced by the proposed method without much deterioration of retrieval accuracy.
Image search using deformable contours

This paper presents the use of deformable templates for image retrieval where a template line drawing sketch can be detected in the target image, irrespective of its position, size, rotation, and smooth deformation transformations. First, potential template positions are found in the target image using a modified version of the generalized Hough transform and watershed segmentation, irrespective of position, scale, and orientation. Each candidate position is then used to find a match by allowing the template to undergo a grid deformation transformation. The deformed template contour is matched with the target by measuring (1) the smoothness of the matching vector between edge elements of target and transformed template and (2) the similarity in contour tangent direction at that edge element. The deformation parameters are updated via relaxation using the Gibbs sampler on the energy cost function to find the best match between the deformed template and the target image. To avoid getting stuck in a local minimum solution, we include a novel coarse-and-fine model for contour matching into the energy functional. The matches that meet the preset cost criteria are reported as a result of image search as shown in the experiments.
The Effect of Household Structure on the Employment Behavior of Elderly Male Workers

This study is based on micro data from the Employment Status Survey of the Elderly (1983, 1988, 1992). The findings are twofold. First, the pension paid to elderly workers acts as a kind of employment subsidy. Firms are willing to employ an elderly male if he is receiving a pension because they can lower his wages by the pension amount. This means that the change in the payment schedule of pensions offered to elderly workers has a substantial effect on employment. Second, the structure of a household has a significant impact on employment behavior. Between 1988 and 1993 changes in household structure had a significant effect on elderly males' increased participation in the workforce. These changes had an even greater effect on employment than changes in pension benefits, which can explain almost all shifts in workforce participation before 1986.
Variable structure interacting multiple model algorithm for ship tracking using HF surface wave radar data

These last decades spawned a great interest towards low-power High-Frequency (HF) Surface-Wave (SW) radars for ocean remote sensing. By virtue of their over-the-horizon coverage capability and continuous-time mode of operation, these sensors are also effective long-range early-warning tools in maritime situational awareness applications. In this paper we show how it is possible to take advantage of a priori information on traffic by the means of a knowledge-based multi-target tracking algorithm, demonstrating that the tracking stage can be enhanced by combining on-line data from the HFSW radar with ship traffic information. A significant improvement of the proposed procedure, in terms of system performance, is demonstrated in comparison with the state-of-the-art approach recently presented in the literature. The main benefit of our approach is the ability to better follow targets without increasing the false alarm rate. The ability to follow targets can be over 30% better than existing methods. The proposed approach also exhibits a reduction of the track fragmentation. Average gains between the 13% and the 20% are observed.
Usage of mobile price comparison sites at the point of sale and its influence on consumers' shopping behaviour

This research investigates the influence on purchase decisions of the reference prices given by an Internet site providing comparison prices, which could be accessed by shoppers at the point of sale via a mobile device. We manipulated the reference prices given on the mobile device such that one group of shoppers was shown on-line prices that were slightly higher than those in the shop, another group was shown prices that were slightly lower, and a third group was shown prices that were clearly lower. The research reveals that consumers recognise differences in price. Furthermore, these differences influence their evaluation of the shop's price competence, their trust in the shop and their patronage of it. The findings have serious implications for retailers.
Fast Handovers for Mobile IPv6

Mobile IPv6 enables a Mobile Node to maintain its connectivity to the Internet when moving from one Access Router to another, a process referred to as handover. During handover, there is a period during which the Mobile Node is unable to send or receive packets because of link switching delay and IP protocol operations. This "handover latency" resulting from standard Mobile IPv6 procedures, namely movement detection, new Care of Address configuration, and Binding Update, is often unacceptable to real-time traffic such as Voice over IP. Reducing the handover latency could be beneficial to non-real- time, throughput-sensitive applications as well. This document specifies a protocol to improve handover latency due to Mobile IPv6 procedures. This document does not address improving the link switching latency. This memo defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet community.
Cytokine expression during allergen‐induced late nasal responses: IL‐4 and IL‐5 mRNA is expressed early (at 6 h) predominantly by eosinophils

The production of TH2‐type cytokines [interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and IL‐5] and tissue eosinophilia are characteristic features of allergic diseases. It was previously reported that at 24 h after allergen provocation, CD3+ T‐lymphocytes were the principal cell source of IL‐4 and IL‐5 mRNA transcripts in both atopic asthma and rhinitis.
Government quality determinants of stock market performance in developing countries

How do government policies and institutions affect stock market performance? As stock markets grow broader and deeper in developing countries, the question becomes more critical. Government quality dynamics of corruption-control, government-effectiveness, political-stability or no violence, voice and accountability, regulation quality and rule of law are instrumented with income-levels, religious-dominations, press-freedom degrees and legal origins to account for stock market performance dynamics of capitalization, value traded, turnover and number of listed companies. The results demonstrate a significant positive association between stock market performance measures and the quality of government institutions. These findings suggest countries with better developed government institutions would favor stock markets with higher market capitalization, better turnover ratios, higher value in shares traded and a greater number of listed companies.
Light Microscopy Techniques for Live Cell Imaging

Since the earliest examination of cellular structures, biologists have been fascinated by observing cells using light microscopy. The advent of fluorescent labeling technologies plus the plethora of sophisticated light microscope techniques now available make studying dynamic processes in living cells almost commonplace. For anyone new to this area, however, it can be daunting to decide which techniques or equipment to try. Here, we aim to give a brief overview of the main approaches to live cell imaging, with some mention of their pros and cons.
Location, Location, Location: The Relative Roles of Virtual Location, Online Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) and Advertising in the New-Product Adoption Process

independent website would not necessarily increase its persuasive effectiveness when compared to that of the firms’ own websites. This is due to the fact that persuasion knowledge model posits that consumers can detect advertising messages and can identify an agent trying to influence them and will activate their persuasion knowledge accordingly. In this sense, consumers do not vary their attitudes toward the advertising message in either website. This paper aims to measure the perceived persuasiveness of the combination of advertising and word-of-mouth communications in two types of websites (firm-sponsored versus 3rd-party independent-sponsored websites) toward the new product adoption process to include consumers’ interest and likelihood to adopt a new product. A fictitious movie with its advertising and word-of-mouth information were given to four groups of subjects to measure their response on website location effect, word-of-mouth effect and quantitative information effect. A 2 (firm-sponsored vs. 3rd-party sponsored independent website) x 2 (advertisement only vs. advertisement plus eWOM) between-subject design was used in this experiment. The product used was a new movie DVD. The independent variables consisted of website location and eWOM. Involvement and likelihood to adopt a new product were the two dependent variables. A total of ninety subjects were recruited from a participation pool at a large Northeastern university. The subjects received course credit for participation. All subjects were assigned randomly to the treatment conditions. After conducting an ANOVA, we found empirical support for positive online word-of-mouth having an additive effect to advertising in 3rd-party sponsored websites but not in firm-sponsored websites. The results also supported the interaction effect between website location and eWOM messages, with eWOM added to advertising in a 3rd-party website having a larger additive effect on consumers involvement and likelihood to adopt a new product than in a firm-sponsored website. The results also supported the hypothesis that consumers do not differ in their involvement or likelihood to adopt a new product when exposed to only the advertisement, regardless of where it is placed.
Three dimensional motion mechanism of ultrasound probe and its application for tele-echography system

We have developed a three dimensional movable robot for an ultrasound probe for tele-echography system to apply between hospital, clinic and home. The probe movable mechanism is carefully designed not to damage the human body since miniature force sensors detect not only total contact force to the body surface but also angle of the probe to the surface. Angle and position of probe are controlled not to exceed dangerous contact force. We tried to control it via LAN and 128K ISDN by using a two-axis joystick under the Object Request Broker technique. We found that real time control was possible with an image stream. Though the delay time of the image makes the examiner stressful, we confirmed that remote diagnosis of the human abdomen is useful.
Analysis and Processing of Spaceborne/Airborne Bistatic SAR Data

This paper concentrates on the bistatic SAR (BiSAR) signal processing for the spaceborne/airborne hybrid bistatic configuration. A bistatic SAR experiment based on this hybrid configuration is being planned in cooperation with FGAN/FHR and DLR. Due to the extreme differences of the platform's velocities and altitudes, the spaceborne system works in the sliding spotlight mode, while the airborne system operates in the inverse sliding spotlight mode. In this paper, our previous work (i.e. ISFT) is applied to focus the hybrid bistatic SAR data based on the extended Loffeld's Bistatic Formula (ELBF).
Non-invasive limb ischemic pre-conditioning reduces oxidative stress and attenuates myocardium ischemia-reperfusion injury in diabetic rats

Abstract This study was to explore whether repeated non-invasive limb ischemic pre-conditioning (NLIP) can confer an equivalent cardioprotection against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in acute diabetic rats to the extent of conventional myocardial ischemic pre-conditioning (MIP) and whether or not the delayed protection of NLIP is mediated by reducing myocardial oxidative stress after ischemia-reperfusion. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were randomized to four groups: Sham group, the I/R group, the MIP group and the NLIP group. Compared with the I/R group, both the NLIP and MIP groups showed an amelioration of ventricular arrhythmia, reduced myocardial infarct size, increased activities of total superoxide dismutase (SOD), manganese-SOD and glutathione peroxidase, increased expression of manganese-SOD mRNA and decreased xanthine oxidase activity and malondialdehyde concentration (All p < 0.05 vs I/R group). It is concluded that non-invasive limb ischemic pre-conditioning reduces oxidative stress and attenuates myocardium ischemia-reperfusion injury in diabetic rats.
The future magnitude of urological symptoms in the USA: projections using the Boston Area Community Health survey

To use the population‐based data from the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey to estimate the likely magnitude (prevalence) of urological symptoms in the USA population in 2025, as health‐services researchers use projections of the likely magnitude of disease to inform decisions on the future allocation of health resources.
A Survey on the effect of the Asian Currency Crisis on international students in the Faculty of Business 1998

The recent Asian Currency Crisis has brought a very serious long-term financial impact on most countries in South East Asia, from which the majority of our more than one thousand international students in the Faculty of Business originate. Many of these students have been affected by changes in their parents' circumstances, either financially, or socially, or both. The objective of this survey is to find out the extent of the effects suffered by these students and to study whether the University can provide them with necessary assistance within the currently available resources. The survey was carried out by questionnaires dispatched to them by post.
Rethinking the reporting of intangibles

This paper deals with one of the central problems of financial reporting. Using a mix of qualitative-quantitative approach the paper extends the author’s previous work on intangibles. It attempts to represent the views of users and preparers of financial statements about the identification, valuation and reporting of intangibles. Based on the opinions of users and prepares of financial statements and the principle of indeterminacy, the paper proposes a radical shift from the current financial reporting practice and advocates for the introduction of a separate statement for intangibles.
Efficient sketch‐based creation of detailed character models through data‐driven mesh deformations

Creation of detailed character models is a very challenging task in animation production. Sketch‐based character model creation from a 3D template provides a promising solution. However, how to quickly find correct correspondences between user's drawn sketches and the 3D template model, how to efficiently deform the 3D template model to exactly match user's drawn sketches, and realize real‐time interactive modeling is still an open topic. In this paper, we propose a new approach and develop a user interface to effectively tackle this problem. Our proposed approach includes using user's drawn sketches to retrieve a most similar 3D template model from our dataset and marrying human's perception and interactions with computer's highly efficient computing to extract occluding and silhouette contours of the 3D template model and find correct correspondences quickly. We then combine skeleton‐based deformation and mesh editing to deform the 3D template model to fit user's drawn sketches and create new and detailed 3D character models. The results presented in this paper demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of our proposed approach and usefulness of our developed user interface. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
WING MOVEMENTS AND LIFT REGULATION IN THE FLIGHT OF DESERT LOCUSTS

1. We simultaneously recorded lift/body weight, flight speed, body angle and 12 variables of wing movement for locusts performing tethered long-term flight with low movement scatter. The movements of the forewings and hindwings were recorded in three dimensions by means of miniature induction coils. 2. By adjusting the body angle, we could reproducibly manipulate lift generation as a consequence of induced changes in the wings9 movement patterns. We were therefore able to analyse various relationships between the movement patterns and lift. 3. The most prominent variations of kinematic variables were observed for the forewing movements. The relative lift and the steady angle of pitch were positively correlated but there was a negative correlation between relative lift and pitching amplitude. We found no correlation between relative lift and flapping amplitude. Our results seem to correspond to a new theory about unsteady aerodynamics of oscillating aerofoils. 4. We sometimes observed variations in lagging. 5. The forewing downstroke was delayed by 0–8 ms following the hindwing downstroke. Relative lift was positively correlated to this delay.
Presentation and early detection of post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder after solid organ transplantation

Post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a serious and still frequently observed complication of solid organ transplantation. Despite the recent introduction of anti B‐cell monoclonal antibody therapy (rituximab) for treatment of PTLD, mortality rates remain high. Because PTLD often presents in a nonspecific way in clinically unsuspected patients, it is a major challenge to diagnose PTLD at an early stage. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐DNA load monitoring is a promising tool for the identification of patients at risk for PTLD development. However, there are some limitations of this method, and not all patients at risk for PTLD can be identified by EBV‐DNA measurements alone. Therefore, it is of major importance to recognize early clinical signs and symptoms of PTLD. In this review, risk factors for PTLD development, disease presentation, and methods for early detection will be discussed. Special attention is given to allograft and digestive tract localization and the relation with time of onset of PTLD. The value and pitfalls of EBV‐DNA load monitoring are discussed. In addition, because fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)‐positron emission tomography (PET) has shown to be a powerful tool for staging and response evaluation of malignant lymphoma, the role of FDG‐PET for early diagnosis and staging of PTLD is addressed.
Specific Interaction between RNA Helicase A and Tap, Two Cellular Proteins That Bind to the Constitutive Transport Element of Type D Retrovirus*

Constitutive transport element (CTE) facilitates retroviral RNA export by interacting with the cellular RNA export machinery. Two cellular proteins, RNA helicase A (RHA) and Tip-associated protein (Tap) were identified as binding to CTE and were proposed to function as CTE co-factors (1, 2). Here, we report that these two CTE-binding proteins interact with each other in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro binding of RHA to Tap is direct and independent of either CTE or the nuclear transport domain of RHA. The removal of the first 60 amino acids of Tap significantly diminishes the binding to RHA. The activity of this Tap mutant to enhance CTE-mediated gene expression is also markedly reduced. A transdominant mutant of Tap inhibited RHA-mediated up-regulation of CTE function in mammalian cells. The nuclear transport domain of RHA also interfered with Tap-mediated transactivation of the CTE function in quail cells, in which the function of CTE is dependent on the expression of a functional human Tap cDNA.