Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bayesian localization of an unknown number of ocean acoustic sources

This paper considers localizing an unknown number of ocean acoustic sources when properties of the environment are poorly known. A Bayesian formulation is developed in which environmental parameters, noise statistics, and the number, locations, and complex spectra (amplitudes and phases) of multiple sources are considered unknown random variables constrained by acoustic data and prior information. The number of sources is determined during a burn-in stage by minimizing the Bayesian information criterion using hybrid optimization with an efficient source birth/death scheme. Optimal estimates and marginal posterior probability distributions for source locations are computed employing a variety of sampling approaches. Environmental properties and source locations and are treated as explicit parameters and marginalized using Markov-chain Monte Carlo sampling methods. In particular, environmental parameters are treated using Metropolis-Hastings sampling applied efficiently in a principal-component space, and s.
Review on Relevant Issues with the cloud Storage in Business and

This paper purposes a general idea about the relevant issues with cloud storage while serving this next generation online virtual storage technology. Cloud storage is a novel storage service mode which the service providers supply storage capacities and data storage services through the internet to clients, meanwhile the clients need not know the details of structures and mechanism. Through this paper author is forwarding issues related to availability, security and legislation need to be clear before trying to convince us to move critical data to the cloud.
Preverjanje modelov z uporabo orodij Spin in SpinRCP

Spin is one of the leading verification tools for the model checking of distributed systems. It is used over a broad spectrum of applications where systems can be represented as asynchronously running processes. This paper provides an overview of the concepts of model checking, the Spin model checker together with its input language Promela, and of the available graphical user interfaces to Spin. In order to offer Spin users an integrated development environment for Spin, we have developed a SpinRCP. We introduce its structure and demonstrate some of its features by considering a standard algorithm for leader election in a unidirectional
Importance of characteristics and modalities of physical activity and exercise in the management of cardiovascular health within the general population: Recommendations from the EACPR (Part I) Short title: Exercise and PA characteristics in primary prevention

Over the last decades, more and more evidence is accumulated that physical activity (PA) and exercise interventions are essential components in primary and secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease. However, it is less clear whether and which type of PA and exercise intervention (aerobic exercise, dynamic resistive exercise or both) or characteristic of exercise (frequency, intensity, time or duration and volume) would yield more benefit in the management of cardiovascular health. The present paper, as the first of a series of three, will deal with the importance of these characteristics for cardiovascular health in the population at large. The guidance offered in this series of papers is aimed at medical doctors, health practitioners, kinesiologists, physiotherapists and exercise physiologists, politicians, public health policy makers and the individual member of the public. Based on previous and the current literature overviews, recommendations from the European Association on Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation are formulated regarding type, volume and intensity of PA and regarding appropriate risk evaluation during exercise.
Political Competition, Policy and Growth: Theory and Evidence from the US

This paper develops a simple model to analyse how a lack of political competition may lead to policies that hinder economic growth. We test the predictions of the model on panel data for the US states. In these data, we find robust evidence that lack of political competition in a state is associated with anti-growth policies: higher taxes, lower capital spending, and a reduced likelihood of using rightto- work laws. We also document a strong link between low political competition and low income growth. Copyright , Wiley-Blackwell.
Feline Infectious Uveitis

The uveal tract is composed of the iris, ciliary body and choroid. Uveitis in cats can be induced by either exogenous or endogenous causes. The most common causes of exogenous uveitis include trauma, corneal ulceration, and penetrating wounds which can usually be diagnosed on clinical examination. Endogenous uveitis can be classified as parasitic, infectious, lens-induced, neoplastic or idiopathic. Excluding lens-induced and neoplastic causes, there are no pathognomonic clinical ophthalmic changes associated with uveitis in the cat. Independent of etiology, aqueous flare, iritis, keratic precipitates, hyphema and hypopyon commonly develop in the anterior chamber. The choroid can be inflamed with or without concurrent anterior segment involvement. Appropriate management of uveitis in the cat is important to avoid lens luxations, cataract formation and glaucoma, three common sequelae to intraocular inflammation. The most common infectious agents proposed to cause uveitis in naturally-exposed cats of the United States include Toxoplasma gondii, feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIP), and mycoses including cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis and candidiasis. Uveitis has been induced in cats following inoculation with FIV, FIP and T gondii. Recently, some information suggests that Bartonella henselae and herpesvirus 1 can induce intraocular inflammation in some cats. Clinically, these agents induce intraocular changes that are indistinguishable on ophthalmoscopic examination, particularly if only the anterior uvea is inflamed.
Import Competition, Productivity and Multi-Product Firms

Using detailed firm-product level quarterly data, we develop an estimation framework of a Multi-Product Production Function (MPPF) and analyse firm-product level TFP estimations at various levels (industries, products). After documenting our estimation results, we relate productivity estimates with import competition, using firm and product level measures of import competition. We find that if productivity at the firm level tends to positively react to increased import competition, the multi-product firms response varies according to the relative importance of the product that faces stronger import competition in the firm’s product portfolio. When import competition associated to the main product of a firm increases, the firm tend to increase its efficiency in producing that core product, in which it has a productivity advantage. However, when the degree of foreign competition increases for non core products of a firm, it tends to lower its efficiency in producing those goods.
Comparative stomach contents and growth of the juvenile black rockfish Sebastes inermis reared in illuminated and unilluminated cages

The principal objective of the present study was to determine the positive effects of artificial illumination on the juvenile black rockfish Sebastes inermis by comparing stomach contents and growth between juveniles exposed to light and those maintained in the absence of light. The major prey items of juvenile black rockfish in illuminated cages were: copepods (%IRI=62.6); amphipods (%IRI=36.7); and polychaetes (%IRI=0.3), whereas those, in unilluminated cages were: copepods (%IRI=93.3); amphipods (%IRI=6.1); and polychaetes (%IRI=0.4). The specific growth rates of the juveniles reared in illuminated cages (0.67%) were significantly higher than those juveniles maintained in the unilluminated cages (0.27%).
Disrupting the aged care business model

The ageing population is a pervasive phenomenon affecting societies on a global scale. People can now expect to live longer than ever before, with physical and mental capabilities remaining high into old age (Clarkson et al., 2003). In most developed countries average life expectancy is rising at an almost linear fashion, with no sign of deceleration (Christensen et al., 2009). By 2050 there will be more people globally over the age of 60 than there will be under the age of 15 (Blythe et al., 2005). In addition to major economic implications (Clarkson et al., 2003), these changes present an increasingly discerning customer base, and major changes to regulations (King et al., 2012; Swan, 2010; Weerawardena and Mort, 2001). A popular strategy, and the global direction of most governments to cope with the economic implications of an ageing population is to raise the typical retirement age (Christensen et al., 2009). However, this fails to address the fact that most elderly people aspire to actively participate in mainstream society, and reject the dependency and institutionalization typical of services in the last century (Clarkson et al., 2003). Most elderly individuals are healthy and possess a rich collection of skills, knowledge and expertise, they desire to be active and engaged, and assisting them in reaching this goal will have enormous economic benefits (Clare et al., 2010). The sheer number and proportion of elderly people, along with their collective spending power, provide an unprecedented business case for driving innovation in aged care (Clarkson et al., 2003). Traditional approaches of determining value internally and simply presenting an offer to market are unlikely to see aged care providers through this phase of industry reform and changing customer demands (Nusem et al., 2015). Furthermore, while the relatively homogeneous aged care sector presents an opportunity for new entrants or forwardthinking organizations to disrupt the market and innovate in order to establish a competitive advantage, little existing literature explores an organization’s
Accumulation of Tax-Loss Carryforwards: The Role of Book-Tax Non-Conformity

Using confidential corporate income tax return data, this paper investigates the association between book-tax non-conformity (measured as book-tax differences) and tax-loss carryforwards (TLCFs). I find that TLCFs are positively associated with temporary and permanent book-tax differences. Only firms with positive pre-tax book income and negative taxable income (double-picture firms) drive the positive association between TLCFs and temporary book-tax differences. Conversely, the positive association of TLCFs and permanent book-tax differences is present for double-picture firms and the remaining firms. The results suggest that double-picture firms, which feature high TLCFs compared to their size and to the remaining firms, use temporary book-tax differences to report a lower taxable income than pre-tax book income. Thus, this paper contributes to the understanding of the drivers of rising TLCFs. This is important, as offsetting TLCFs against future profits jeopardizes a country’s tax revenue.
Paroxetine to Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome Not Responding to High-Fiber Diet: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE:The purpose of the trial was to determine whether a high-fiber diet (HFD) alone or in combination with paroxetine or placebo was effective treatment for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS:Design: Trial of HFD alone (Group 1) followed by a randomized, double-blind trial of HFD with paroxetine or placebo (Group 2). Setting: Gastroenterology office in a 524-bed university-affiliated community hospital in Pittsburgh. Patients: Men and women, aged 18–65 yr, previously diagnosed with IBS but otherwise healthy. Intervention: Institution of HFD in 98 participants consuming low- or average-fiber diets. Allocation of paroxetine to 38 and placebo to 43 symptomatic participants consuming HFDs. Measurements: Overall well-being, abdominal pain, and abdominal bloating (Groups 1 and 2); food avoidance, work functioning, and social functioning (Group 2). RESULTS:In Group 1, overall well-being improved in 26% patients, and abdominal pain and bloating decreased in 22% and 26% patients, respectively, with an HFD. In Group 2, overall well-being improved more with paroxetine than with placebo (63.3%vs 26.3%; p= 0.01), but abdominal pain, bloating, and social functioning did not. With paroxetine, food avoidance decreased (p = 0.03) and work functioning was marginally better (p = 0.08). Before unblinding, more paroxetine recipients than placebo recipients wanted to continue their study medication (84%vs 37%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:The difference in overall well-being found in our paroxetine/placebo trial is greater than that found in previously published drug/placebo trials for IBS. Moreover, the difference in well-being applied to nondepressed recipients of paroxetine.
CANCEROUS IMMUNOGLOBULINS AND CA215: IMPLICATIONS IN CANCER IMMUNOLOGY

Immunoglobulins are typically expressed by B cells in our normal immune system. However, certain normal human tissues, such as hyperplastic epithelial cells, cells of the immunologically privileged sites and the majority of cancer cells, have also been found to be sites of immunoglobulin production. Current research is lacking in regards to the differential immunoglobulin expression, the underling mechanisms of action and the biological implications of these cancerous immunoglobulins in cancer immunology. This article reviews the etiology of atypical immunoglobulin expression in normal non-B cells and cancer cells, with emphasis on the exploration of the possible mechanisms of action and biological function of these atypical immunoglobulins, by means of specific biological probes. In contrast to immunoglobulins of B cell origins, atypical immunoglobulins were found to carry additional post-translational modifications, including a unique carbohydrateassociated epitope recognized by RP215 monoclonal antibody. This unique RP215-specific epitope enables us to differentiate between these two types of immunoglobulins. Atypical immunoglobulins expressed by cancer cells have been a common subject of interest in cancer immunology. Furthermore, the recent accumulation of experimental evidence has indicated that these atypical immunoglobulins are essential for the growth and proliferation of cancer cells under our normal immune environment. RP215 monoclonal antibody also reacts with many other cancer cell-expressed glycoproteins, known as CA215, on the cancer cell surface. Apoptosis of cultured cancer cells can be induced and growth inhibition of implanted tumors can be observed in nude mouse animal models. Therefore, humanized RP215 monoclonal antibody, which reacts mainly with surface bound CA215, may have the potential to be developed as an anti-cancer drug for the treatment of human cancers. A better understanding of cancer cell-expressed immunoglobulins not only improves our knowledge of cancer immunology, but also benefits cancer patients in the field of cancer monitoring and therapeutic treatments.
Severity of upper and lower extremity functional limitation: scale development and validation with self-report and performance-based measures of physical function. WHAS Research Group. Women's Health and Aging Study.

OBJECTIVES To better understand disablement and transitions from impairment to disability, discrete valid measures of functional limitation are needed. This study reports the development and criterion-related validity of scales that quantify severity of upper and lower extremity functional limitation. METHODS Data are from 3,635 cognitively intact community-dwelling women aged 65 years and older and 1,002 moderately to severely disabled participants in the Women's Health and Aging Study. Scales assessing severity of upper and lower extremity functional limitation were constructed from commonly available questions on functional difficulty. Criterion-related validity was evaluated with self-report and performance-based measures. RESULTS The upper and lower extremity scales range from 0 to 6 and 0 to 9, respectively. Scale scores were well distributed in the disabled group and discriminated limitations in the broader community. For both scales, rates of difficulty for all ADL and IADL increased (p<.001) with increasing severity score, and percent able and mean performance on respective upper and lower extremity tasks decreased (p<.01). DISCUSSION These scales, constructed from commonly used self-report measures of function, provide discrete measures of upper and lower functional limitation. Because these scales are distinct from measures of disability and impairment, their use should facilitate increased understanding of the disablement process.
Investigating the changes in mortgage loan in the UK retail banking sector : a review of the financial crisis and the resulting implications on households

In every society around the world, shelter is one of the most basic needs for every human being. Unfortunately, it is not one of the free gifts of nature. This means financing for housing is unavoidable. However, majority of the individuals are unable to achieve this without financial assistance. The recent 2007 financial crisis intervened in the pattern of housing finance which brought some changes in the market for the demand and supply of mortgage loans. This study therefore aims at investigating the extent of these changes and the resulting implications. It further explores households’ choice of mortgage provider and homeownership status. Using a longitudinal study, data was collected for periods before, during and after the financial crisis, with data ranging from 2003 to 2013. Primary and secondary method of data collection was employed in achieving the aims and objectives of the study. Primary data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaire involved 320 bank customers while the interviews was done on 43 participants. Out of these 43 participamts, 31 were from the demand side of the study while 12 were mortage advisors. The findings revealed that the three distinct periods had significant differences in their patterns of housing finance. It was also found that households preferred their mortgages to be provided by the high street banks for security reasons with 88.2% of them satisfied with their mortgage providers. Also, initial deposit and increasing house prices were the most important impediment to obtaining a mortgage. Moreover, the claim by the households that the banks were not willing to grant mortgage loan to them was true to an extent as 54.4% of them agreed to the validity of the statement. Finally, the implications of the financial crisis on households as well as homeownership status implications on tenants were generally negative.
Kawasaki disease in parents and children

Aim: To estimate the probability that the parents of patients with Kawasaki disease also had a history of the same disease. Methods: Self‐reported parents’histories of Kawasaki disease were collected from data of the 16th nationwide survey of the disease conducted in Japan from January 1999 to December 2000. The incidence of Kawasaki disease was calculated by using data reported in all 16 nationwide surveys and live births in the Japanese vital statistics. The expected number of parents with a history of Kawasaki disease in the general population, which was calculated by using the assumed number of parents in the vital statistics and the incidence of this disease, was compared with the observed number. Results: Among 14163 parent pairs of patients with Kawasaki disease, 33 parents (25 mothers and 8 fathers) had a history of the disease. The number of parents expected to have a history of Kawasaki disease was 16.1 (8.4 mothers and 7.7 fathers). From a Poisson distribution, the probability of the observed number was less than 0.001 among parents or mothers. The prevalence of a recurrence of Kawasaki disease and incidences involving siblings of patients whose parents had a history of the disease were five or six times higher than those of all patients who were reported in the 16th survey.
Genome variation of human papillomavirus types: Phylogenetic and medical implications

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are described as “types” based on their genome sequences and identified by a number. For example, HPV‐6 is associated with genital warts, and HPV‐16 with anogenital cancers. The genomes of many HPV types have been reisolated, sequenced and compared to reference “prototypes” countless times by laboratories throughout the world. It was found that each HPV type occurs in the form of “variants”, identified by about 2% nucleotide differences in most genes and 5% in less conserved regions. Less than 100 variants of any HPV type have been detected, a scenario that is very different from the quasi‐species formed by many RNA viruses. The variants of each HPV type form phylogenetic trees, and variants from specific branches are often unique to specific ethnic groups. Immigrant populations contain, depending on their respective ethnic origins, mixtures of variants. The absence of HPV genomes intermediate to specific types show that all HPV types existed already when humans became a species. Consequently, humans had always suffered from lesions like anogenital cancer, genital warts and common warts. A growing number of epidemiological, etiological and molecular data suggest that variants of the same HPV type are biologically distinct and may confer differential pathogenic risks. Since the distribution of some variants of HPV‐16 and 18 correlates with the distribution of human populations that have an increased risk to develop anogenital cancer, the study of HPV type variation may point to one of the reasons for the higher incidence rates of these lesions in specific cohorts. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF COSTS - THE MAIN TOOL OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

Both global and national hipercompetiţia and globalization are two phenomena that generate complexity and instability in the business. Therefore, the economic context in which organizations operate has changed a lot, the current environment characterized by globalization, increased competition, rapidly changing, market segmentation, changes in technology, demand volatility, the importance of information. These phenomena not only create a state of turmoil and turbulence in the competitive environment and generate changes in market conditions, but require changes and development in organizations. In these circumstances organizations worldwide are forced to adapt constantly, products and services to market needs to turn its attention to customer satisfaction, they need sophisticated production processes, internal processes flexible to respond quickly to changes environment. Therefore to achieve any competitive advantage, organizations must take the current economic environment strategies that integrate environmental opportunities, market and technology advantages in the most efficient way. In this context the question of modernization, the transformation cost information system, an adaptation to the realities and requirements of this, to change tools, processes and methods to meet current scientific and technical progress.
Chromosomal insertions of Tn917 in Bacillus subtilis

We describe 46 insertions of the Streptococcus faecalis transposon Tn917 into the chromosome of Bacillus subtilis. These insertion mutations were mapped genetically. Some caused auxotrophic requirements, and others were cryptic. These insertions were scattered around the B. subtilis chromosome. The mutant strains were useful in several ways for mapping and cloning B. subtilis genes and were added to the Bacillus Genetic Stock Center collection. Among the auxotrophic markers were a new serine auxotrophy and deletion-insertions that caused auxotrophy in one case for homoserine and threonine, in another case for uracil and either cysteine or methionine, and in a third case for leucine, isoleucine, and valine.