Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Panther: an inexpensive and integrated multimedia environment

An inexpensive yet high performance, integrated and comprehensive multimedia environment based on a low-end PC platform has been designed and prototyped. Major components of the environment consist of (1) an add-on real-time video/audio codec board on PC 386/486, (2) the system software package including both the interactive utility programs and libraries for application and tool development under MS Windows and DOS, respectively, (3) a multimedia authoring tool that can be interactively executed to generate multimedia applications, and (4) a multimedia extension to a relational database that supports a SQL-like query interface for multimedia data. The significance of having such a low-cost, high performance, and integrated environment lies in its potential for an easy and large-scale deployment as either a stand-alone system or a multimedia front-end in a networked environment, or for a high-powered multimedia server. <<ETX>>
Modeling the Internet of Things Under Attack: A G-network Approach

This paper introduces a novel, analytic framework for modeling security attacks in Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructures. The devised model is quite generic, and as such, it could flexibly be adapted to various IoT architectures. Its flexibility lies in the underlying theory; it is based on a dynamic G-network, where the positive arrivals denote the data streams that originated from the various data collection networks (e.g., sensor networks), while the negative arrivals denote the security attacks that result in data losses (e.g., jamming attacks). In addition, we take into account the intensity of an attack by considering both light and heavy attacks. The light attack implies simple losses of traffic data, while the heavy attack causes massive data loss. The introduced model is solved subject to the arrival and departure rates in terms of: 1) average number of data packets in the application domain and 2) attack impact (loss rate). A comprehensive verification discussion accompanied by numerous numerical results verify the accuracy of the proposed model. Moreover, the assessment of the presented model highlights notable operation characteristics of the underlying IoT system under light and heavy attacks.
Pole placement controllers for linear time-delay systems with commensurate point delays

This paper investigates the exact and approximate spectrum assignment properties associated with realizable output-feedback pole-placement type controllers for single-input single-output linear time-invariant time-delay systems with commensurate point delays. The controller synthesis problem is discussed through the solvability of a set of coupled diophantine equations of polynomials. An extra complexity is incorporated to the above design to cancel extra unsuitable dynamics being generated when solving the above diophantine equations. Thus, the complete controller tracks any arbitrary prefixed (either finite or delay-dependent) closed-loop spectrum. However, if the controller is simplified by deleting the above mentioned extra complexity, then the robust stability and approximated spectrum assignment are still achievable for a certain sufficiently small amount of delayed dynamics. Finally, the approximate spectrum assignment and robust stability problems are revisited under plant disturbances if the nominal controller is main-tained. In the current approach, the finite spectrum assignment is only considered as a particular case to the designer's choice of a (delay-dependent) arbitrary spectrum assignment objective.
Marketing effectiveness and its precursors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the linkages between leadership, organisational trust, and marketing effectiveness, in service businesses within three service categories (health care, hotel, and resort) in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approach – The research utilizes ANOVAs and structural equation model.Findings – The findings revealed that transactional leadership is associated with calculus‐based trust. Transformational leadership, on the other hand, cultivates knowledge‐based trust and identity‐based trust, which in turn positively influence marketing effectiveness. A direct relationship between transformational leadership and marketing effectiveness is also examined.Originality/value – The research offers insight into the role that leadership and trust play in determining marketing effectiveness in service businesses in Vietnam.
Financial Management and Ratio Analysis for Agricultural Cooperatives

As from the second half of the 19th century, cooperatives began to play an important role in the social and economic development of all countries and they currently maintain these duties of theirs. As agricultural businesses today are becoming more complex, management needs to consider how its financial ratios play an important part in the health of its business. Financial analysis is an activity that includes the association between various accounts in financial statements as well as their measurement and interpretation.Differences between IOFs and cooperatives mean that some standard financial analyses do not relate well with cooperatives. This is especially relevant for profit-oriented ratios. This publication provides a supplement to standard analysis with an eye toward cooperatives. The aim of this study is to describe some common ratios used in cooperative financial analysis. Ratios will be related to data during the last 4 years from the INDIAN FARMERS FERTILISER COOPERATIVE LIMITED (IFFCO).
Frontal and temporal functional connections of the living human brain

Connections between human temporal and frontal cortices were investigated by intracranial electroencephalographic responses to electrical stimulation with 1‐ms single pulses in 51 patients assessed for surgery for treatment of epilepsy. The areas studied were medial temporal, entorhinal, lateral temporal, medial frontal, lateral frontal and orbital frontal cortices. Findings were assumed to be representative of human brain as no differences were found between epileptogenic and non‐epileptogenic hemispheres. Connections between intralobar temporal and frontal regions were common (43–95%). Connections from temporal to ipsilateral frontal regions were relatively uncommon (seen in 0–25% of hemispheres). Connections from frontal to ipsilateral temporal cortices were more common, particularly from orbital to ipsilateral medial temporal regions (40%). Contralateral temporal connections were rare (< 9%) whereas contralateral frontal connections were frequent and faster, particularly from medial frontal to contralateral medial frontal (61%) and orbital frontal cortices (57%), and between both orbital cortices (67%). Orbital cortex receives profuse connections from the ipsilateral medial (78%) and lateral (88%) frontal cortices, and from the contralateral medial (57%) and orbital (67%) frontal cortices. The high incidence of intralobar temporal connections supports the presence of temporal reverberating circuits. Frontal cortex projects within the lobe and beyond, to ipsilateral and contralateral structures.
The Products Liability Problem

The problem of fixing legal responsibility for product-caused injury or death comes before today's courts with increasing frequency. American courts have begun to look not merely at the product itself and the harm caused, but also at the way in which the product was advertised and especially how it was described in the advertising. It is implied, therefore, that improper advertising can be the CAUSE of injury. And this means that both advertising agencies and advertisers have serious moral and legal responsibilities to see to it that this does not happen.
Association of CYBA rs7195830 polymorphism with estimated glomerular filtration rate in an adult Han sample from Jiangsu province, China

Background Reactive oxygen species are thought to contribute to the development of renal damage. The P22phox subunit of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAPDH) oxidase, encoded by the cytochrome b245&agr; polypeptide gene, CYBA, plays a key role in superoxide anion production. We investigated the association of CYBA rs7195830 polymorphism with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the role it plays in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a Han Chinese sample. Methods The Gaoyou study enrolled 4473 participants. Serum levels of creatinine were measured and eGFR was estimated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equations. The CYBA polymorphisms were genotyped. Then we investigated the association between eGFR and the rs7195830 polymorphism in the recessive model. Results The AA genotype of rs7195830 was associated with significantly lower values of eGFR compared with the GG and AG genotypes ((102.76±17.07) ml·min‐1·1.73 m‐2 vs. (105.08±16.30) ml·min‐1·1.73 m‐2). The association remained significant in the recessive model after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, uric acid, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (&bgr;=1.666, P=0.031). The rs7195832 AA genotype was an independent risk factor for CKD: eGFR <60 ml·min‐1·1.73 m‐2 (odds ratio=3.32; 95% CI=1.21‐9.13). Conclusion The AA genotype of rs7195830 is independently associated with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and is significantly associated with CKD.
Small On-Metal UHF RFID Transponder With Long Read Range

A new small on-metal UHF Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) transponder, 18 mm × 4 mm × 2 mm in size, is presented. The read range of the transponder has been optimized by using the most efficient radiator within the given maximum dimensions and even more importantly, by conjugate impedance matching between the small antenna and the microchip, which has been achieved by using antenna-integrated components. As a commercially viable solution is targeted, the bandwidth and the sensitivity of the antenna to the dimensional variation of the fabrication process have been studied and solutions for improved robustness are presented. After the study and optimization of the transponder, a series of prototypes was fabricated on printed circuit board. The measurement results of the prototypes showed good consistency with the simulations and a read range of 3.0 m was measured for a prototype mounted on a metal plate.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance of Banks in the United States

Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance of Banks in the United States by Waidi Alani Gbadamosi MBA, The University of Manchester, 2014 MSc, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, 2003 BSc, Ogun State University, 1991 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
A new allele uncovers the role of echinus in the control of ommatidial rotation in the Drosophila eye

The precise orientation of the ommatidia in the Drosophila eye is achieved through a specialized process of cell migration taking place in the third‐instar eye imaginal disc when ommatidial clusters rotate by 90 degrees. This process is strictly coordinated with the establishment of planar cell polarity (PCP), but it relies on a specific set of genes that control its mechanism independently from PCP signaling. Recently, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway has been implicated in determining ommatidial rotation. We have isolated a new allele of echinus, a gene known to control the patterning and number of interommatidial cells. We show that echinus displays defects in the rotation of ommatidia that are not evident until mid‐pupal stages, and we propose that echinus action is that of opposing EGFR by an unknown mechanism and that this can explain both its influence in ommatidial rotation and lattice programmed cell death (PCD). Developmental Dynamics 236:2936–2942, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Intracellular Delivery of Bioactive Peptides to RBL‐2H3 Cells Induces β‐Hexosaminidase Secretion and Phospholipase D Activation

This investigation compared the secretory efficacies of a series of peptides delivered to the cytoplasm of RBL‐2H3 mast cells. Mimetic peptides, designed to target intracellular proteins that regulate cell signalling and membrane fusion, were synthesised as transportan 10 (TP10) chimeras for efficient plasma membrane translocation. Exocytosis of β‐hexosaminidase, a secretory lysosomal marker, indicated that peptides presenting sequences derived from protein kinase C (PKC; C1 H‐CRRLSVEIWDWDL‐NH2) and the CB1 cannabinoid receptor (C3 H‐RSKDLRHAFRSMFPSCE‐NH2) induced β‐hexosaminidase secretion. Other peptide cargoes, including a Rab3A‐derived sequence and a homologue of C3, were inactive in similar assays. Translocated C1 also activated phospholipase D (PLD), an enzyme intimately involved in the regulated secretory response of RBL‐2H3 cells, but C1‐induced secretion was not dependent upon phosphatidate synthesis. Neither down‐regulation of Ca2+‐sensitive isoforms of PKC nor the application of a selective PKC inhibitor attenuated the secretory efficacy of C1. These observations indicate that the molecular target of C1 is a protein involved in the regulated secretory pathway that is upstream of PLD but is not a PKC isoform. This study also confirmed that TP10 is a relatively inert cell‐penetrating vector and is, therefore, widely suitable for studies in cells that are sensitive to peptidyl secretagogues.
Assessment of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Canal Position and Accessory Mental Foramen Using CBCT to Overcome Surgical Complication

Introduction: The knowledge of precise location of various mandibular anatomical landmarks is mandatory to obtain the desired surgical outcome. Damage to the nerve can be caused by perforation of the nerve canal during different surgical procedures. Accessory mental foramen (AMF) is a relevant anatomic structure with widespread importance as its presence may cause failure to achieve adequate level of anesthesia using conventional nerve block technique. Aim: To assess the inferior alveolar nerve canal position and accessory mental foramen using CBCT. Objective: 1) To assess the linear relationship of the alveolar nerve canal (ANC) to buccal and lingual cortex, bone crest to canal on both sides of mandible. 2) To identify the occurrence and location of AMF as a rare anatomical variation on both side of mandible. Materials and methods: A total 178 mandibular CBCT scans were examined for AMF and the linear relationship ANC to buccal and lingual cortex, bone crest to canal in both side of mandible was evaluated in cross-section. Result: Out of the studied population, 13 AMF were detected in 12 subjects (9 Males, 4 Females). Gender wise comparison of the linear measurement of the study population in buccal cortex, lingual cortex, cortical width, total width through centre of inferior alveolar nerve canal (IANC) and diameter of inferior alveolar nerve canal (IANC) shows no statistically significant variance (P> 0.05). Conclusion: The presence of anatomical variations is frequently neglected. To get rid of iatrogenic injuries during the surgical procedures, it is important to identify these variations by presurgical imaging examination which permits more accurate planning and contributes more successful treatment.
Comperative study on the cost benefit between indigenous and cross bred cows reared in rural area of Dinajpur District.

A comparative study on cost benefit analysis of crossbred and indigenous cows reared under the small holder dairy was conducted in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. A total of 70 dairy cows (20 crossbred and 50 indigenous) from rural level small and marginal dairy farmers (1-3 cows) were selected. Relevant information from the individual milk producers have been collected through personal interrogation method with the help of a structured data collection questionnaire prepared for the study. The cost involvement for feed, treatment and medication of crossbred cows were significantly higher (P<0.01) than the indigenous dairy cows. The per day milk production was found 1.86 ± 0.57 liter in indigenous cow whereas 5.94 ± 3.49 liter was in crossbred cows and income level from milk yields of crossbred cows were 3.19 times higher than the indigenous cows. The cost benefit ratio of rising crossbred and indigenous dairy cows were 1.19 and 1.26, respectively. The current rearing cost of crossbred cows is 2.71 times higher than indigenous cows. Considering the other traits it may be concluded that the raising of crossbred cows was more economic than the raising of indigenous cows. Since crossbred cows were more economical and gave higher yield than the indigenous cows inclusion of a few crossbred cows can increase the income of a dairy entrepreneur which improve the livelihood and provide round the year employment of its family labour. Key words: Cross bred cows; Indigenous cows; Income; expenditure; Cost benefit ratio DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjas.v39i1-2.9696 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2010, 39(1&2): 191-196
The Force Within: Recommendations Via Gravitational Attraction Between Items

Recommendation systems rely on various definitions of similarities. These definitions while having numerous design factors in different domains help identify and recommend relevant content. For example, similarity between users, or items, are measured based on, but not limited to, explicit feedback such as ratings, thumbs up; or/and implicit feedback such as clicks, views etc; or/and based on composition of item such as tags, metadata etc. In this paper, we explore a similarity model while very intuitive to find similar items using a very common natural law of attraction between bodies, that is gravitational law. We show how the two attributes, relative mass and distance between the bodies, of gravitation law can be interpreted for an effective personalized recommendations; in both spatial and non-spatial domains. Finally, we illustrate the use of distance and mass in a non-spatial domain and we exhibit the accuracy in recommendations against popular baselines.
Volatility and Dispersion in Business Growth Rates: Publicly Traded versus Privately Held Firms [with Comments and Discussion]

We study the variability of business growth rates in the U.S. private sector from 1976 onwards. To carry out our study, we exploit the recently developed Longitudinal Business Database (LBD), which contains annual observations on employment and payroll for all U.S. businesses. Our central finding is a large secular decline in the cross sectional dispersion of firm growth rates and in the average magnitude of firm level volatility. Measured the same way as in other recent research, the employment-weighted mean volatility of firm growth rates has declined by more than 40 percent since 1982. This result stands in sharp contrast to previous findings of rising volatility for publicly traded firms in COMPUSTAT data. We confirm the rise in volatility among publicly traded firms using the LBD, but we show that its impact is overwhelmed by declining volatility among privately held firms. This pattern holds in every major industry group. Employment shifts toward older businesses account for 27 percent or more of the volatility decline among privately held firms. Simple cohort effects that capture higher volatility among more recently listed firms account for most of the volatility rise among publicly traded firms.
Experiments in a Parkinson's rat model.

ously unpublished) family of southern Bavarian origin showed positive lod scores with a maximum multipoint score of 1.5 (family K, Fig. 1). This lod score is close to the theoretical maximum in this relatively small family. In six families (FR-041, FR-722, FR-727, FR-755, UK-A, and UK-B), only the two polymorphic markers most closely linked to PD1 (D4S1647 and D4S2380) have been analysed. Obligate recombinations (no allele shared by all affecteds) were observed in five of these families either for each of the markers individually (three families), or for the haplotype of both markers (two families), again strongly arguing against linkage with the PD1 locus. In one family (FR-041), a positive pairwise lod score was obtained for D4S2380 (0.29 at Theta 5 0). Positive lod scores in families K and FR-041 may reflect true linkage, but they may also be a result of random fluctuations, because the relatively small size of these families precludes definite proof of linkage. We conclude that mutations at the PD1 locus are probably a rare cause of autosomal-dominant parkinsonism. The role of the PD-1 gene in sporadic PD is still to be determined. T. Gasser, Department of Neurology, Klinikum Großhadern, 81377 Munich, Germany; B. Müller-Myhsok, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany; Z. K. Wszolek, Section of Neurology, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE 68198–2045, USA; A. Dürr, INSERM U289, Paris 75013, France; J. R. Vaughan, Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK; V. Bonifati and G. Meco, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università “La Sapienza,” Rome 00142, Italy; B. Bereznai, Department of Neurology, Klinikum Großhadern; R. Oehlmann, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine; Y. Agid and A. Brice, INSERUM U289; N. Wood, Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital Queen Square, and the European Consortium on Genetic Susceptibility in Parkinson’s Disease (GSPD) (10)
Decomposition property of fuzzy systems and its applications

This paper presents the decomposition property of fuzzy systems using a simple, constructive, decomposition procedure. That is, by properly dividing the input space into sub-input spaces, a general fuzzy system is decomposed into several sub-fuzzy systems which are the simplest fuzzy systems in the sub-input spaces. Based on the decomposition property of fuzzy systems, the analysis of fuzzy systems can be divided into two steps: first, analyze the properties of the simplest fuzzy systems, and then, use the decomposition property to extend the results to general fuzzy systems. Using this idea, two applications of the decomposition property are given. The first is the application to the representation capability analysis of fuzzy systems. The second is the application to the analysis of a class of nonlinear control systems. Then, based on the piecewise affine fuzzy-system model, the existence condition and the design of a stable control for a class of single-input single-output (SISO) nonlinear systems are presented.
Considerations for Incorporating "Well-Being" in Public Policy for Workers and Workplaces.

Action to address workforce functioning and productivity requires a broader approach than the traditional scope of occupational safety and health. Focus on "well-being" may be one way to develop a more encompassing objective. Well-being is widely cited in public policy pronouncements, but often as ". and well-being" (e.g., health and well-being). It is generally not defined in policy and rarely operationalized for functional use. Many definitions of well-being exist in the occupational realm. Generally, it is a synonym for health and a summative term to describe a flourishing worker who benefits from a safe, supportive workplace, engages in satisfying work, and enjoys a fulfilling work life. We identified issues for considering well-being in public policy related to workers and the workplace.