Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuromagnetic Response to Body Motion and Brain Connectivity

Visual detection of body motion is of immense importance for daily-life activities and social nonverbal interaction. Although neurobiological mechanisms underlying visual processing of human locomotion are being explored extensively by brain imaging, the role of structural brain connectivity is not well understood. Here we investigate cortical evoked neuromagnetic response to point-light body motion in healthy adolescents and in patients with early periventricular lesions, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), that disrupt brain connectivity. In a simultaneous masking paradigm, participants detected the presence of a point-light walker embedded in a few sets of spatially scrambled dots on the joints of a walker. The visual sensitivity to camouflaged human locomotion was lower in PVL patients. In accord with behavioral data, root-mean-square (RMS) amplitude of neuromagnetic trace in response to human locomotion was lower in PVL patients at latencies of 180–244 msec over the right temporal cortex. In this time window, the visual sensitivity to body motion in controls, but not in PVL patients, was inversely linked to the right temporal activation. At later latencies of 276–340 msec, we found reduction in RMS amplitude in PVL patients for body motion stimuli over the right frontal cortex. The findings indicate that disturbances in brain connectivity with the right temporal cortex, a key node of the social brain, and with the right frontal cortex lead to disintegration of the neural network engaged in visual processing of body motion. We suspect that reduced cortical response to body motion over the right temporal and frontal cortices might underlie deficits in visual social cognition.
Low nutrient availability reduces high‐irradiance‐induced viability loss in oceanic phytoplankton

In situ viability of oceanic phytoplankton may be relatively low in open oceans. This is assumed to be related to the high‐irradiance and low‐nutrient conditions typical for oligotrophic regions. However, experimental evidence for this phenomenon was not yet available. In the present study, the importance of nutrient availability in high‐irradiance‐induced viability loss was therefore studied for three key oceanic phytoplankton species. Prochlorococcus marinus, Ostreococcus sp. , and Thalassiosira oceanica were acclimated to two different N : P ratios. Growth, viability, and photophysiology were assessed under nutrient‐replete and N‐ and P‐starved conditions. Simultaneously, high‐irradiance‐induced photoinhibition and viability loss were measured and three inhibitors were used to investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms contributing to viability loss. High‐irradiance exposure caused viability loss in P. marinus and Ostreococcus sp. , but not in T. oceanica. Low‐nutrient availability enhanced survival during high‐irradiance exposure, although species‐specific differences were observed. The lower sensitivity to high‐irradiance intensities at low‐nutrient availability was related to conformational changes in photosystem II in P. marinus, to enhanced photoprotection by the xanthophyll pigment cycle and alternative electron transport in Ostreococcus sp. , and to enhanced photoprotection by the xanthophyll pigment cycle in T. oceanica. Climate change may lead to enhanced stratification in the open ocean. The resulting increase in the average irradiance intensity phytoplankton experience may promote viability loss in the smallest phytoplankton size fraction. However, this effect may partially be counteracted by the simultaneously expected decrease in nutrient availability.
A FORCE-BASED FORMULATION FOR THE ANALYSIS OF 3-DIMENSIONAL INELASTIC STRUCTURAL FRAMES

A force-based formulation for the step-by-step non-linear (elastic-plastic) analysis of three-dimensional (3D) structural frames is presented. It uses the redundant force and moment components as primary unknowns, and approximates the non-linearity problem in an incremental pattern. Using a simple linear transformation, the equilibrium matrices are quickly formed via a partial multiplication of a subset of matrices with dimensions (3x3). The convex yield function that describes the static admissibility condition of each zero-length plastic hinge is approximated with a linear convex polyhedron (manifold), whose hyper plane equations are automatically defined with the help of De Bruijn sequences. In this way, a number of complex force/moment interaction criteria may easily be defined that take into account shear and torsion. Discontinuities (e.g. articulations) are also accounted for. Out of the partial derivatives of these yield functions with respect to the stresses, the corresponding plastic deformations are computed, with the help of Lagrange multipliers. The formulation may be solved using any non-linear optimization algorithm that solves for linear constraints. Results are compared to those of the equivalent direct stiffness method and to those of the existing literature, proving the efficiency of the proposed formulation.
Investigation of Fine Particulate Matter, NOx and Tropospheric Ozone Transport around a Major Roadway

In the Eastern Seaboard Intermodal Transportation Applications Center at Hampton University, the authors started an investigation of the air pollutants around heavily-travelled roadways, shipping channels, airports, and railroads with the purpose of obtaining real time measurements of pollutant concentrations and relating them to real-time weather and traffic information. In the first two cycles of their research program, the authors built a mobile unit containing a NOx and an ozone analyzer, and a weather station to provide simultaneous measurements of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and solar intensity with the concentration measurements. The measured NO2 concentrations were compared to the predictions of CALINE4. Considering the effects of PM2.5 on public health and the 2008 US Census Bureau report, which showed that around 16% of American households live within 100 m of a highway having four or more lanes, an instrument for the measurements of PM10 and PM2.5 were added to the measurement capabilities for the current research cycle.
Huge Mucinous Cystic Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas

pected to be a mucinous cystic adenocarcinoma. We performed en bloc distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy. The macroscopic appearance was consistent with mucinous cystic neoplasm ( fig. 3 ). Microscopy showed epithelium composed of mucin-secreting cells and a dense cellular ovarian-type stroma ( fig. 4 ). Adenocarcinoma was A 41-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for evaluation of an abdominal tumor. Contrast-enhanced CT and MRI showed a cystic tumor, 21 cm in diameter, with internal septa localized in the tail of the pancreas ( fig. 1 ). FDG-PET revealed significantly increased uptake in the solid component ( fig. 2 ). Thus, this tumor was susPublished online: November 10, 2010
Physicochemical and Nutritional Characteristics of Solar and Sun-dried Tomato Powder

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most important vegetable plants in the world used in cooking foods. In Ghana, at peak seasons of harvesting tomato, high postharvest loses are incurred because of the absence of industrial tomato processing facilities for value addition into other convenient forms to extend shelf-life. Solar drying is a more efficient and low cost method of enhancing the quality and adding value to tomato. This study was carried out to design a natural mixed mode solar dryer suitable for drying tomato and to investigate the quality characteristics of the dried products. Fresh tomatoes were pre-treated with: a) 1% potassium metabisulfite solution; b) 1 % ascorbic acid solution; and c) used untreated as control. Pre-treated tomatoes were dried for three days on the average till there was no significant change in the final moisture content. Open-sun drying was used as a control for comparison purposes. The final moisture content for pre-treated solar dried and sun-dried tomato was 14 - 15 % and 19 - 22 %, respectively. The ash content was higher in the sun-dried samples compared to the solar dried samples, an indication of contamination with extraneous materials from the environment. Sulfur dioxide content of 740.8 mg/Kg d.w. , for solar dried tomato pre-treated with potassium metabisulfite was much lower than the maximum legal limit of 2000 mg/Kg d.w. , of sulfur dioxide recommended in fruits. Solar and sun-dried tomato pre-treated with potassium metabisulfite had significantly higher carotenoids, lycopene and beta carotene contents than pre-treated samples, and the controls. The quality of pre-treated solar-dried tomato was better enhanced by the use of the solar dryer compared to sun-drying.
Glycoside Hydrolases in Plant Cell Wall Proteomes: Predicting Functions That Could Be Relevant for Improving Biomass Transformation Processes

Glycoside hydrolases (GHs) are enzymes that are able to rearrange the plant cell wall polysaccharides, being developmentaland stress-regulated. Such proteins are used in enzymatic cocktails for biomass hydrolysis in the second-generation ethanol (E2G) production. In this chapter, we investigate GHs identified in plant cell wall proteomes by predicting their functions through alignment with homologous plant and microorganism sequences and identification of functional domains. Up to now, 49 cell wall GHs were identified in sugarcane and 114 in Brachypodium distachyon. We could point at candidate proteins that could be targeted to lower biomass recalcitrance. We more specifically addressed several GHs with predicted cellulase, hemicellulase, and pectinase activities, such as β-xylosidase, α and β-galactosidase, α-N-arabinofuranosidases, and glucan β-glucosidases. These enzymes are among the most used in enzymatic cocktails to deconstruct plant cell walls. As an example, the fungi arabinofuranosidases belonging to the GH51 family, which were also identified in sugarcane and B. distachyon, have already been associated to the degradation of hemicellulosic and pectic polysaccharides, through a peculiar mechanism, probably more efficient than other GH families. Future research will benefit from the information available here to design plant varieties with self-disassembly capacity, making the E2G more cost-effective through the use of more efficient enzymes.
Determining the factors that attracts vendors to participate in an e-procurement system

E-procurement has the potential to provide savings to organisations by properly developing, planning, allocating the company’s resources and communicating effectively with vendors. Through the implementation of an enterprise resources planning (ERP) and the electronic data interchange (EDI). As a result, buyers and sellers can develop partnerships through the automation of delivery schedules by linking the company’s material management system with the vendors system. The success of these initiatives however, depends on the vendors’ willingness to participate in an e-procurement system. Therefore, this paper attempts to examine the factors that would attract the vendors to participate in an e-procurement system. A survey was carried out on two hundred and fifty five registered vendors of a public listed company in Malaysia. This study found that the component of spending analysis is the most important component that influences the successful participation of the system while the contract management feature is the least important component.
Statistical and econometric analysis of the correlation between financial transactions and real economy

Abstract The economic activity generates two types of flows: flows of goods and services and cash flows. These two types of flows generate two types of circuits in the economy, flows of goods and services generate the circuit corresponding to real economy and monetary flows (incomes and expenditures) generate the monetary - financial circuit. The monetary circuit is fundamentally determined by the level and structure of real economy. Comparing production revenue used for consumption with the amount of products and services produced and purchased, an average pricing is obtained. Unless the condition that the revenues generated in the economy are equal to production, it will lead to rising prices, i.e., inflation. Therefore, an adequate correlation between financial flows and real economy must be ensured. From this perspective, were analysed countries from European Union over time, using panel analysis.
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE ON CONTACT ANGLE OF QUARTZ-WATER-BITUMEN SYSTEM

One of the novel technologies to produce bitumen from oil sands is the injection of steam into the reservoir. The injected steam contacts the oil sand, heats, mobilizes and pushes the bitumen out of the reservoir. The stability of the water–bitumen interface is a crucial factor in the steam injection method. The shape, strength and energy of this interface are expected to play important roles in the recovery of bitumen from oil sands. However, measurements on bitumen-water interfaces are not apparent in the literature. A measurement of relevance would be the contact angle of water and bitumen at different temperatures. In this paper, the results of contact angle measurements of water and bitumen are presented. The measurements cover a temperature range from ambient to the saturation temperature for a given pressure. The experiments are run in X-ray transparent cells and the contact angles are measured through images taken in a micro-CT scanner.
Pharmacokinetics and Tolerability of Δ9-THC-Hemisuccinate in a Suppository Formulation as an Alternative to Capsules for the Systemic Delivery of Δ9-THC

The objectives of this study were: (1) to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of ascending doses of Δ<sup>9</sup>-tetrahydrocannabinol-hemisuccinate (THC-HS) after rectal administration as suppositories in male volunteers; and (2) to compare the pharmacokinetics of oral administration of Δ<sup>9</sup>-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC) with an equivalent amount of Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC delivered as THC-HS via the suppository formulation. In support of the pharmacokinetic evaluations, an analytical method was developed and validated for the determination of Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC and for its major circulating metabolites 11-hydroxy-Δ<sup>9</sup>-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) and 11-nor-Δ<sup>9</sup>-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THC-COOH) in human plasma. Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC, 11-OH-THC, and THC-COOH were extracted from plasma using solid phase extraction and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The limits of detection and quantitation for all 3 analytes were 0.25 and 0.5 ng/mL, respectively. The method was validated over the range of 0.5–25 ng/mL. This method was used to quantify Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC and any THC-HS as Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC due to the inclusion of a hydrolysis step as part of the extraction procedure. Therefore, Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC measured was the total THC (free Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC plus Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC derived from THC-HS). The assay was reproducible for the measurement of all 3 analytes, with a variability of 7.2, 13.7, and 8.3%, respectively, at the 1 ng/mL level. The method was then used to assess the pharmacokinetics of Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC and metabolites from the suppository dosage form in doses equivalent to 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC per suppository as THC-HS. Systemic exposure to Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC, administered as THC-HS suppository, increased broadly dose proportionally. Systemic exposure and C<sub>max (obs)</sub> estimates for 11-OH-THC and THC-COOH generally increased subproportionally. The pharmacokinetic profiles of Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC and metabolites were also compared after oral administration of 10 mg Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC (as dronabinol capsules) and after administration of 10 mg equivalents of Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC as THC-HS in suppository form. Total systemic exposure to Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC was considerably higher following rectal administration of THC-HS than after oral administration. The Δ<sup>9</sup>-THC area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC<sub>(0–</sub><sub>∞</sub><sub>)</sub>) for THC-HS was 2.44-fold higher (90% confidence interval: 1.78, 3.35) than for the capsule administration.
Investigating the Concept of Product Success A study on product success and the development of new products in the Norwegian grocery industry

Department of Technology Management and Economics Division of Innovation Engineering and Management CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Göteborg, Sverige 2016 Report No. E 2016:008 Investigating the Concept of Product Success A study on product success and the development of new products in the Norwegian grocery industry Master of Science Thesis in the Management and Economics of Innovation Programme
Analysis of Development in Patient Safety Over the Last 15 Years

Patient safety is a significant healthcare issue with substantial clinical and economic consequences. The extensive research in 1999 on patient safety stated that preventable medical errors in US were killing as many as 99,000 people per year. The aim of this paper is through the analysis of patient safety management development to identify main obstacles and success factors for its improvement, coming from global literature review combined with a case study. The literature review was a qualitative meta-analysis from which identified barriers and critical success factors for improvement. This research is underlined by a case study which also shows clear adoption barriers. In the result of analysis of literature review and secondary statistical data, main conclusions can be stated such as: (1) The scope of improving patient safety has not made significant progress and further efforts are rare and not centred; (2) Several macroeconomic obstacles are still observable end especially in the field of commitment, funding, and education, but main attention paid by author of this paper is the analysis of managerial aspects of patient safety at micro-level which is creating the third group of conclusions.
The Role of Organizational Learning in Understanding Relationship between Total Quality Management and Organizational Performance

Total quality management (TQM) is often considered a vital antecedent of a firm’s performance. However, not much is known about the mechanism through which TQM helps organizations to create this performance. The incorporation of organizational learning capability in the goals and objectives of TQM may help us understand TQMperformance relationship. This study focuses on the interrelationship among TQM practices, organizational learning capability and organizational performance in textile sector of Pakistan. Moreover, this study also investigates organizational learning capability as a mediator between TQM practices and organizational performance. The results are based on the empirical data collected from a self-administrative survey from 270 managers working in 90 organizations of the textile sector. Hierarchical linear modeling is used to examine the hypothesized relations. The results reveal that both TQM practices and organizational learning capability of the manufacturing firms significantly impact their performance. The mediating role of organizational learning capability between TQM-performance is fully supported by our data. The implications for the theory and practice are discussed along with direction for the future research.
Formant-pattern estimation guided by cepstral compatibility

The following questions arise in dealing with the problem of estimating vocal-tract, resonancepatterns (or F-patterns) that best explain the observed spectrum: (a) how “robust” is one F-pattern estimator by comparison with another? ; (b) how “reliable” is an F-pattern obtained from a given estimator? A recent attempt (Harrison, 2004) at elucidating the former question has yielded a clear perspective of caution, owing to the lack of consistency uncovered amongst a number of F-pattern estimators. Here we investigate the latter question of reliability using a method that is based on the linear-prediction (LP) model (Markel & Gray, 1976) of speech production.
DEMOCRATIZATION IN SERBIA : AN ANALYSIS OF RATIONAL CHOICE AND STRUCTURALIST EXPLANATIONS

This paper explains political democratization in Post-Milosevic Serbia, utilizing two different accounts of the democratization process: one rooted in the rational choice framework and the other in structuralism. While rational choice explains the decisive role of political leadership in overcoming path dependence, the structuralist explanations show the transnational linkages that encourage democratization in the face of domestic setbacks. This particular debate between the two types of explanations represents the larger debate concerning the role of internal factors and external linkages in propelling democratization in transitional societies. The paper concludes by integrating the two sets of explanations offered by each theoretical perspective, in order to develop a coherent understanding of Serbia's democratization. 2 Review of European and Russian Affairs 9 (1), 2015
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION MEASUREMENT TOOL BY ANALYSING TURKISH PRODUCT REVIEWS

Sentiment analysis aims to determine the attitude of a speaker or a writer with respect to some topic or the overall contextual polarity of a document. The aim of this study is classifying the text in social media with context analysis. Unlike the past, nowadays people are interacting via social networks. These analyses have potential of wide spread applicability. We examined the customer reviews of the products and determined the polarity of the reviews by considering the language features of the customers. The ultimate goal of this study is to extract the features of the humans’ attitudes, polarity etc. towards any kind of topic by considering the language used in the product reviews. This study automatically classifies positive and negative comments using ML methods with high accuracy. The promising results indicate very high accuracy.
Deterrence for Independent Directors andCorporate Boards: Evidence from a NaturalExperiment

We study the effect of the personal liabilities faced/perceived by independent directors (IDs) on ID entry and exit decisions, board composition and monitoring. Since Directors and Officers insurance changes with the risk of personal liabilities, studying this question is difficult. We examine this question using an unexpected, high-profile corporate governance (CG) failure in India, which increased the risk of personal liability. We find that, in contrast to CG failures in the U.S. in 2001, IDs exited in large numbers thereby decreasing the percentage and quality of IDs on boards. On the flipside, the increased deterrence stemming from greater risk of personal liability enhanced ID monitoring.
Exports, Imports, FDI and GDP in Mexico: 1989-2013

This paper studies the impact of trade liberalization on economic growth for Mexico. A four-variable vector autoregression (VAR) is used to study the relationships between trade, FDI and economic growth using quarterly data from 1989 to 2013. The estimated results from the Granger causality/Block exogeneity test show that economic growth is affected by real non-oil exports, real imports and real foreign direct investment. There is only one bidirectional causality, that between GDP an FDI, and two additional one-way causalities, one between FDI and imports and one between imports and non-oil exports. Thus the system is circular: all variables directly or indirectly affect each other. The Impulse Response Functions and Variance Decomposition show that non-oil exports and FDI have little or no impact on GDP, not supporting the growth-led hypothesis or the one that postulates that FDI promotes growth; nor dowe find that GDP has a significant effect on non-oil exports, rejecting the hypothesis that growth induces exports. Finally we find that imports have a significant effect on GDP, supporting the import-compression hypothesis.