Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Industrial companies' evaluation criteria in new product development gates

This article presents the results of a study on the evaluation criteria that companies use at several gates in the NPD process. The findings from 166 managers suggest that companies use different criteria at different NPD evaluation gates. While such criteria as technical feasibility, intuition and market potential are stressed in the early-screening gates of the NPD process, a focus on product performance, quality, and staying within the development budget are considered of paramount importance after the product has been developed. During and after commercialization, customer acceptance and satisfaction and unit sales are primary considerations. In addition, based on the performance dimensions developed by Griffin and Page (1993), we derive patterns of use of various evaluative dimensions at the NPD gates. Our results show that while the market acceptance dimension permeates evaluation at all the gates in the NPD process, the financial dimension is especially important during the business analysis gate and after-market launch. The product performance dimension figures strongly in the product and market testing gates. The importance of our additional set of criteria (i.e., product uniqueness, market potential, market chance, technical feasibility, and intuition) decreases as the NPD process unfolds. Overall the above pattern of dimensions' usage holds true for both countries in which we collected our data, and across firms of different sizes, holding different market share positions, with different NPD drivers, following different innovation strategies, and developing different types of new products. The results also are stable for respondents that differ in terms of expertise and functional background. The results of this study provide useful guidelines for project selection and evaluation purposes and therefore can be helpful for effective investment decision-making at gate-meetings and for project portfolio management. We elaborate on these guidelines for product developers and marketers wishing to employ evaluation criteria in their NPD gates, and we discuss directions for further research.
Polymorphism of Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-4 Gene in 17 Pig Breeds and Its Relationship with Growth Traits

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) is a member of the IGF super family, and regulates the action of IGFs. The polymorphism of porcine IGFBP-4 gene in 17 pig breeds (total n = 570) was detected by PCR-SSCP, and alleles A and B were detected. In these pig breeds, it was found that exotic pig breeds carried high frequencies of allele A, while Chinese native pig breeds carried high frequencies of allele B. The role of porcine IGFBP-4 was investigated in 172 F2 offspring of a Lantang×Lantang population. Forty eight growth traits were recorded for analyzing the association between IGFBP-4 gene polymorphism and quantitative performance traits. In this resource family, pigs with AA genotype had higher fore-body weight, bone weight of mid-body, bone weight of rear-body, fore-leg weight and rear-leg weight than those pigs with BB genotype (p<0.05); while pigs which carried BB genotype had higher back-fat thickness at C point and lard weight than those pigs with AA genotype (p<0.05); pigs with AA genotype had higher body weight than those with BB genotype; for meat quality traits, pigs with AA genotype had higher meat color than those of BB genotype (p<0.01), and pigs with BB genotype had higher marbling than those of AA and AB genotypes (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). Based on these results, it is necessary to do more studies on IGFBP-4 before using the IGFBP-4 locus for the application of
Energy consumption reduction by automatic selection of compiler options

This paper presents a statistical approach of finding a set of optimum compiler options to minimize the energy consumption of the compiled executable. The method employs a statistical, non-parametric analysis, namely the Mann-Whitney test, to determine a set of options to be turned on and off for a particular source code. Energy measurements show that an improvement of up to 15% over the default optimization set up of the compiler can be achieved with this methodology.
Detection for mobile robot navigation based on multisensor fusion

The work presented in this paper is a part of the research project on multisensor integrated vision system and sensor fusion algorithm for the navigation of an autonomous mobile robot equipped with a laser range finder (LRF) and a color visual CCD camera. To combine the complementary information from LRF and color camera, a fusion algorithm is designed based on the Dempster-Shafer's theory of evidence (DSTE). As we know, DSTE can only be used to the independent evidences, but our fusion algorithm can deal with dependent ones, which is in line with the dependent character of mobile robotics sensor information. Finally, the system and the algorithm have been tested in real environments, and their effectiveness has been proved.
Models of foot-and-mouth disease

During the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the UK, three very different models were used in an attempt to predict the disease dynamics and inform control measures. This was one of the first times that models had been used during an epidemic to support the decision-making process. It is probable that models will play a pivotal role in any future livestock epidemics, and it is therefore important that decision makers, veterinarians and farmers understand the uses and limitations of models. This review describes the utility of models in general before focusing on the three foot-and-mouth disease models used in 2001. Finally, the future of modelling is discussed, analysing the advances needed if models are to be successfully applied during any subsequent epidemics.
Promoting Intercultural Communicative Competence through Foreign Language Courses

LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE is important in intercultural business communication (IBC) studies. But equally important is developing intercultural communicative competence, that is, a recognition of the cultural factors influencing behavior in business encounters around the globe (Beamer, 1992; Bennett, 1986; Varner, 2001). This article suggests how tertiary-level foreign language (FL) courses can be contextualized to promote intercultural learning geared to “achieving an awareness of cultural diversity and an understanding of different modes of living and behaviour” (Krück, 1992, p. 299). It describes the learning projects and tasks incorporated into the 1st-year IBC program at Nijmegen University in the Netherlands, where an integrative approach to course programming was introduced in 2001-2002.
Return to work after coronary artery bypass surgery. A 10-year follow-up study

Objectives. To establish which factors influence patients’ return to work and how well they remain at work after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Design. Five hundred and sixty nine consecutive CABG patients aged less than 65 years were followed for 10 years. Data were collected from patient records and by questionnaires supplemented with information from Finnish national archives. Results. Multivariate analysis showed the best predictors for return to work to be younger age, preoperative working, as well as absence of diabetes or perioperative cardiac damage. Almost half of the patients aged less than 60 and preoperatively not retired were working one year after CABG. Five years postoperatively, 85% of patients younger than 60 years and once returned to work were still working. Correspondingly, of subjects remaining under 60 years during a 10-year follow-up, 75% continued working. Conclusions. Younger age and preoperative employment were the most important predictors of successful return to work. Once returned after CABG, patients’ staying at work was comparable with that in the general population.
Study on measurement and location system of underwater robot

The accurate location is a basic demand for autonomous robot. The location methods of mobile robot can be divided into 2 sorts, namely, absolute location and relative location. Data fusion methods are widely used in autonomous robotspsila measurement system in order to acquire more comprehensive and more exact information. Locaton information from several sensors of different location method can be fused with data fusion methods to improve location accuracy. Move-in-mud robot is a kind of autonomous robot, which can dig hole in the mud underwater The robot can be used in sunken wreck salvage to improve the efficiency of digging holes. Location system of the robot is studied in the paper. Location system of move-in-mud robot is designed. Kalman filter is applied to fuse the location data from different location methods. The data fusion method is simulated with Matlab, and the simulation results show the data fusion method can improve location accuracy.
Effects of hotel characteristics on room rates in Porto: A hedonic price approach

According to the hedonic price method, a price of a good is related with the characteristics or the services it provides. Within this framework, the aim of this study it is to examine the effect on room rates of different characteristics of hotels in and around the city of Porto, such as star category, size, room and service quality, hotel facilities and location. It was estimated a hedonic price function, using data for 51 hotels. The results enable to identify the attributes that are important to consumers and hoteliers and to which extent. This information can be used by hotel managers to define a price strategy and helpful in new investment decisions.
Quantitative Easingand U.S. Financial Asset Returns

This paper is a comprehensive study of the unconventional monetary policy taken by the Federal Reserve since the financial crisis of 2008, specifically on the purchases of different assets by the Fed to change medium and long-term rates. Included in this study are the three rounds of quantitative easing, and the two rounds of Operation Twist. A study as such is needed in order to examine if the Fed’s purchases of these various long-term assets had any effect on the financial markets in the longer term perspective since the first announcement of the first round of purchase in November 2008. While there exists a variety of literature on the effects of quantitative easing on Treasuries and mortgage backed securities, there is no single study comprising of all the large scale asset purchases by the Fed, covering their effects on all major financial assets. This study is an attempt to fill this void in current literature on quantitative easing.
Earnings Response Coefficient of Banking Shares: A Multi-Country Study with Control for Risk

This paper reports new finding on earnings response coefficients of banking firms on how information disclosed regarding (i) total earnings and (ii) fee earnings is associated with share price changes around the time of financial report releases. This paper extends to banking firms a widely used analysis of earnings response studies on non-banking firms. To obtain robust test results, we extended this common model, for the first time, by adding control variables and also by applying panel regression. Changes in total earnings do influence share prices significantly in the four countries studied i.e. Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and Australia. Australian investors appear to use disclosed information on fee income also to revise share prices significantly as being value relevant. Investors regard both total and fee incomes as equally important in Australia whereas investor actions in the other three markets studied lead to weak evidence on fee income effect. This paper reports new findings on value relevance of disclosures extended to banking firms.
Linkages between brand parity, coupon proneness, sales proneness, brand trust and purchase decision involvement: an empirical check

The paper is an effort to investigate the linkages between brand parity, coupon proneness, sales proneness, brand trust and purchase decision involvement in Indian retailing context. Structured questionnaire with mall-intercept sampling technique was used to collect data from National Capital Region, India. Out of 679 returned questionnaires, 652 were found usable for data analysis. Multivariate statistical technique like structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The results reveal that brand parity, coupon proneness, and sales proneness have positive impact on brand trust. The results also reveal that brand parity, sales proneness and brand trust positively influence purchase decision involvement. The discussion, implications for theory and practice and limitations for future studies are discussed.
Volatility Transmission Across GCC Stock Markets

The study of volatility transmission across markets commonly termed 'volatility spillover' provides useful insights into how information disseminates across markets. Research results in this area have useful implications for issues such as international or regional diversification and market efficiency. In this paper, multivariate GARCH model was employed to investigate volatility and information transmission across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets. The model separates direct volatility transmission from indirect transmission, which is mainly due to cross-regional diversification and hedging strategies undertaken by portfolio managers. Findings of the study show that effects of indirect volatility transmission are more prominent than direct transmission effects across the GCC markets.
A low complexity joint parameter estimation scheme for Carrier Frequency Offset and I/Q Imbalance

This paper presents a simple algorithm for jointly estimating Carrier Frequency Offset and I/Q Imbalance parameters. The reduced complexity algorithm used is previously proposed as an estimation algorithm using 2 long training symbols of the 802.11a preamble containing 64 samples each. We have shown in this paper that using two short training symbols for faster and less complex estimation scheme is only 1–2 dB below a system without CFO or IQ Imbalance.
High Glucose Concentration Favors the Selective Secretion of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Through a Constitutive Secretory Pathway in Human Pancreatic Islets

We studied the contribution of the constitutive and the regulated pathways to the total secretion of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) in human pancreatic islets after prolonged culture at either 5.5 or 24.4 m M glucose. In islets cultured in low concentrations of glucose, the secretion of IAPP in response to glucose was unaffected by brefeldin A (BFA) and completely blocked by ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid. In islets cultured in high glucose concentrations, it was strongly inhibited by both agents. BFA had no effect on the glucose-induced insulin secretion. The determination of the islet peptide contents and the mRNA levels revealed a several-fold increase in the IAPP/insulin molar ratio of islets cultured in high glucose concentrations. Thus, prolonged exposure of human islets to high concentrations of glucose results in an increase in the synthesis of IAPP with respect to insulin. As a result, the release of IAPP through a mechanism sensitive to BFA is favored. These data support the hypothesis that IAPP and insulin are regulated in a noncoordinated way in human pancreatic islets.
RNA reflections: converging on Hfq

As the journal RNA celebrates its 20th anniversary, the role of non-coding RNAs as regulators is firmly established in a broad range of organisms. Among these are the many bacterial RNAs that pair with their targets and regulate mRNA stability and translation. In Escherichia coli and other gram-negative organisms, these small RNAs (sRNAs) depend on Hfq, a protein that chaperones pairing. Twenty years ago, Hfq was resuscitated after 15 years of obscurity and the extent and roles of bacterial regulatory RNAs were about to become appreciated to go well beyond the few examples in the literature.
Estradiol Accelerates Reendothelialization in Mouse Carotid Artery Through Estrogen Receptor-&agr; but Not Estrogen Receptor-&bgr;

BackgroundThe atheroprotective effect of 17&bgr;-estradiol (E2) has been suggested in women and clearly demonstrated in animals through both an effect on lipid metabolism and a direct effect on the cells of the arterial wall. It has been shown, for example, that E2 promotes endothelium-dependent relaxation and accelerates reendothelialization in rats. Similar studies have been undertaken in mice to appreciate the molecular mechanism of this process. Methods and ResultsWe report here a model of electric carotid injury adapted from that described by Carmeliet et al (1997) that allows us to precisely evaluate the reendothelialization process. We demonstrate that E2 accelerates endothelial regeneration in castrated female wild-type mice. In ovariectomized transgenic mice in which either the estrogen receptor (ER)-&agr; or ER&bgr; gene has been disrupted, E2 accelerated reendothelialization in female ER&bgr; knockout mice, whereas this effect was abolished in female ER&agr; knockout mice. ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that ER&agr; but not ER&bgr; mediates the beneficial effect of E2 on reendothelialization and potentially the prevention of atherosclerosis.
Autoimmune diseases: MIF as a therapeutic target

Importance of the field: Autoimmune inflammatory diseases occur commonly in developed countries. The treatment of these diseases is usually non-curative and is aimed at suppressing inflammatory end-organ damage. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a multipotent cytokine that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous autoimmune inflammatory disorders. The selective targeting of MIF with either anti-MIF antibody or specific MIF antagonists may offer new therapeutic avenues for these diseases. Areas covered in this review: Our aim is to discuss MIF-directed therapies as a novel therapeutic approach. The review covers literature from the past 10 years. What the reader will gain: MIF inhibition has been shown to be efficacious in many experimental and pre-clinical studies of autoimmune inflammatory diseases. The close regulatory relationship between MIF and glucocorticoids makes therapeutic antagonism of MIF a potential steroid-sparing therapy in patients with refractory autoimmune diseases. Take home message: We expect that MIF antagonism by either small-molecule- or antibody-based approaches will find wide application in the treatment of autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Such therapy also may be informed by the MIF genotype of affected patients.
Effect of Flagellar Mutations on Yersinia enterocolitica Biofilm Formation

ABSTRACT Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1B is one of a number of strains pathogenic to humans in the genus Yersinia. It has three different type III secretion systems, Ysc, Ysa, and the flagella. In this study, the effect of flagella on biofilm formation was evaluated. In a panel of 31 mutant Y. enterocolitica strains, we observed that mutations that abolish the structure or rotation of the flagella greatly reduce biofilm formation when the bacteria are grown under static conditions. These results were further evaluated by assessing biofilm formation under continuous culture using a flow cell chamber. The results confirmed the important contribution of flagella to the initiation of biofilm production but indicated that there are differences in the progression of biofilm development between static growth and flow conditions. Our results suggest that flagella play a critical role in biofilm formation in Y. enterocolitica.
Investigation of Color Removal by Chemical Oxidation for Three Reactive Textile Dyes and Spent Textile Dye Wastewater

This research investigated the efficacy of chlorine dioxide (ClO2), ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, UV in combination with chlorine dioxide (UV/ClO2), and UV in combination with hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) for decolorizing three reactive azo dyes (sultan red, indigo blue and cypress green) and treated textile-manufacturing wastewater. The objective was to determine the best treatment for reducing color to the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit level of 300 American Dye Manufacturers Institute (ADMI) units. The effects of the three chemical oxidation treatments provided color reduction for all three dyes. The results suggested UV/H2O2 and UV/ClO2 treatments provided maximum color reduction of the red and blue dyes, and UV/H2O2 was the most effective for maximum reduction of the green dye. A research goal was to provide predictive models of the wastewater effluent for the treatment processes, including the UV exposure time required to reach the 300 ADMI permit value and the effective ClO2 dose necessary to achieve the 300 units. The results of the investigations regarding the effluent indicated that UV/H2O2 and UV/ClO2 (5 mg/L) provided reduction to 300 units in less than 10 minutes UV exposure when the initial effluent color was less than 500 ADMI units. Without the addition of oxidant, contact times longer than 10 minutes were required for UV to decolorize these effluents to 300 ADMI units. Chlorine dioxide dosages between 10 and 30 mg/L both with and without UV irradiation achieved the same results.
Cell Surface Markers on Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND Since the discovery and isolation of a mesenchymal stem cell population from within the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of adipose tissue, there has been a concerted effort to discover the characteristics of these cells. Particular attention has been paid to their morphology, selfrenewal capacity, multi-lineage differentiation capabilities and, as is of greatest interest in this instance, their cell surface profile. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to analyze and summarize the available literature that pertains to the cell surface characterization of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). The identification of a common set of positive and negative cell surface markers would allow for a much more consistent and reliable method of identifying this stem cell population both in vitro and in vivo. SEARCH METHODS The keywords "adipose-derived stem cells; stromal cells; surface markers" were searched in the following electronic databases: Medline, PubMed, ZETOC, Web of Knowledge, AMED, EMBASE, Ovid in process & other non-indexed citations and PsychINFO. RESULTS The most commonly reported positive markers were found to be CD90, CD44, CD29, CD105, CD13, CD34, CD73, CD166, CD10, CD49e and CD59, while the most commonly found negative markers were CD31, CD45, CD14, CD11b, CD34, CD19, CD56 and CD146. In addition, a number of other markers appeared in the literature including HLA-ABC, HLA-DR, SH2, SH3, STRO-1, VEGF2, vWF, ABCG2, SSEA-1 (CD15), PDGFR, alpha- SMA, c-Kit (CD117), OCT4+ and CCR5X (CD195). CONCLUSION A minimum panel of positive and negative markers for identifying ASCs can be recommended. The following markers should be positive: CD90, CD44, CD29, CD105, CD13, CD34, CD73, CD166, CD10, CD49e and CD59. The following markers should be negative: CD31, CD45, CD14, CD11b, CD19, CD56 and CD146. In addition to this, the positive expression of HLA- ABC and STRO- 1 should be seen along with the negative expression on HLA-DR. This review, however, has also found that there are a number of disagreements over the expression and existence of various markers, namely CD31, CD34, c- Kit (CD117) and STRO-1.