Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electronically Reconfigurable Reflective Phase Shifter for Circularly Polarized Reflectarray Systems

This letter presents the design of a two-port electronically reconfigurable phase shifter for circularly polarized reflectarray systems at microwave frequencies. The phase shifter is based on 3 dB/90° couplers combined with reflective circuits that introduce sequentially the phase variation. Each reflective circuit, formed by printed elements (L) and tunable varactors, produces the phase variation due to the variable capacity value of the varactor. The phase shifting process includes three different stages of phase shifting for the signal in its way from the input port towards the output port through the phase shifter. Both ports are interchangeable, acting either as input or output ports. This fulfils the reflection requirements of circularly polarized reflectarrays, being especially suitable for this purpose. The complete design, together with its circuital behavior and performance results, are depicted in this document.
Effects of two types of brief intervention and readiness to change on alcohol use in hazardous drinkers.

OBJECTIVE Brief interventions for hazardous and low-dependent drinkers in the primary care setting have considerable empirical support. The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate the effects of brief advice (BA) and motivational enhancement (ME) interventions on alcohol consumption. In addition, a hindsight matching design was used to (2) study the moderator effects of patient readiness to change (alcohol use) on alcohol consumption. METHOD The subjects (N = 301, 70% men) were patients 21 years of age or older who presented for treatment at one of 12 primary care clinics. After screening for eligibility and providing consent to participate in the study, the patients completed a baseline assessment and were randomly assigned to the BA, ME or standard care (SC) interventions condition. Follow-up assessments were completed at 1-, 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-months postbaseline assessment. RESULTS Evaluation of the first hypothesis (n = 232 for these analyses) showed that all participants tended to reduce their alcohol use considerably between the baseline and 12-month assessments. In addition, evaluation of the second hypothesis showed a moderator effect of readiness to change in predicting the number of drinks at 12 months, such that the BA intervention seemed more effective for patients relatively low in readiness to change compared to those higher in readiness. Readiness to change did not seem to be related to changes in drinking of participants in the SC or ME conditions. CONCLUSIONS The results confirm that, among primary care patients, substantial changes in alcohol consumption are possible. They further suggest that matching studies of patient readiness to change their alcohol use, as well as other variables, are warranted.
Test de type-log rank pour l'évolution de la qualité de vie liée à la santé

Les etudes epidemiologiques longitudinales sur la qualite de vie (QdV) connaissent un essor depuis quelques annees, surtout pour les maladies chroniques ou aucun traitement curatif n'existe. L'objectif de ces etudes est la surveillance de la sante incluant la QdV et la survie. Une telle surveillance repose sur la comparaison de l'evolution longitudinale de QdV entre groupes de patients. Aussi, avons nous elabore un test global de type log-rank pour l'evolution longitudinale de QdV par rapport a un taux de degradation de QdV pour deux groupes de patients. Generalement lors de ces etudes, des questionnaires de QdV sont donnes a remplir aux patients permettant de calculer leur score de QdV. L'evolution de QdV se traduit par le concept de degradation de QdV. Un taux critique x de degradation de QdV peut etre fixe. Les patients sont consideres comme degrades si leur score de QdV est superieur a x. Nous etendons la statistique du score de vraisemblance partielle afin de prendre en compte un taux x de degradation de QdV prealablement fixe et montrons que le vecteur du processus de score normalise converge vers un processus gaussien centre. Le taux x de degradation de QdV est ensuite suppose variable. A l'aide de la theorie des processus empiriques nous prouvons la convergence en distribution de la statistique du score normalise vers un processus gaussien. Ces travaux ont permis de construire, lorsque le taux x de degradation de QdV est variable, un test de type log-rank permettant de comparer l'evolution longitudinale de la degradation de QdV pour deux goupes de patients. Des simulations et une application a une cohorte de patients infectes par le VIH sont presentees.
X-RAY DIFFRACTION STUDIES ON AMYLOID FILAMENTS

The filamentous protein component of amyloid-laden tissue was studied by x-ray diffraction procedures. The principal features of the x-ray pattern from nonoriented amyloid material consist of a sharp, intense ring at 4.75 Å overlaying a diffuse halo at 4.3 Å, and a broad and less intense ring at 9.8 Å. When oriented, the material gives a "cross-β" x-ray pattern. The x-ray findings are interpreted in terms of a "pleated sheet" structure formed by the amyloid polypeptide chain folding in a regular manner on itself such that adjacent chain segments are laterally arranged in an antiparallel manner. The x-ray patterns from oriented amyloid suggest further that the axes of the chain segments run transverse to the filament axis.
Dislocations with edge components in nanocrystalline bcc

We report high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observation of a high density of dislocations with edge components (;10 m ) in nanocrystalline (NC) body-centered cubic (bcc) Mo prepared by high-pressure torsion. We also observed for the first time of the 1⁄2,111. and,001. pure edge dislocations in NC Mo. Crystallographic analysis and image simulations reveal that the best way using HRTEM to study dislocations with edge components in bcc systems is to take images along ,110. zone axis, from which it is possible to identify 1⁄2,111. pure edge dislocations, and edge components of 1⁄2,111. and ,001. mixed dislocations. The ,001. pure edge dislocations can only be identified from,100. zone axis. The high density of dislocations with edge components is believed to play a major role in the reduction of strain rate sensitivity in NC bcc metals and alloys.
Vitamin E supplementation alters HDL‐cholesterol concentration and paraoxonase activity in rabbits fed high‐cholesterol diet: Comparison with probucol

Vitamin E and probucol are well‐known antioxidants that prevent cells from the oxidative stress, which is a risk factor of atherosclerosis. Male rabbits were fed either 0.03% vitamin E or 0.05% probucol in a 0.5% high‐cholesterol (HC) diet for 8 weeks. Vitamin E and probucol significantly suppressed an increase in plasma total‐cholesterol (total‐C) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol compared to HC‐control group. However, plasma high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (HDL‐C) and HDL‐C/total‐C ratio levels and plasma paraoxonase activity were only significantly higher in vitamin E group after 8 weeks. Hepatic ACAT activity was significantly lower in both vitamin E and probucol groups than in HC‐control group, while HMG‐CoA reductase activity was the highest only in the probucol group. Total fecal sterol content was significantly higher in probucol and vitamin E groups than in the two control groups. Some atherogenic signs were discovered in the aortic fatty streak of HC‐control group, yet not in other groups. Hepatic mRNA expressions of apo B‐100 and apo C‐III were significantly lower in probucol group than in other groups. Vitamin E supplementation was found to alter the plasma HDL‐C‐related factors; meanwhile, probucol supplementation was very effective in enhancing cholesterol metabolism, except for a negative effect that reduced plasma HDL‐C concentration. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 19:336–346, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20098
Extending customer relationship management: from empowering firms to empowering customers

Purpose – The focus of customer relationship management (CRM) literature has been predominantly on the firm perspective and on IT, not on customer or service orientation and value co‐creation. This paper seeks to explore and analyse contemporary CRM frameworks and suggests future research directions. To achieve this, a thorough literature review on CRM is conducted focusing on recent advances within CRM. This provides a good basis for critically analysing the current status of both CRM theory and practice.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews CRM literature published 2003‐2011. Based on the literature review, it introduces a conceptual framework of the changing role of customer data in the CRM framework.Findings – Literature has not adequately addressed the role of the emerging service orientation, value co‐creation and the opportunities provided by new technology and communication channels. Drawing on a thorough CRM literature review, we argue that a fundamental change in CRM thinking is needed.
‘Size’ and ‘shape’ in the measurement of multivariate proximity

Ordination and clustering methods are widely applied to ecological data that are non‐negative, for example, species abundances or biomasses. These methods rely on a measure of multivariate proximity that quantifies differences between the sampling units (e.g. individuals, stations, time points), leading to results such as: (i) ordinations of the units, where interpoint distances optimally display the measured differences; (ii) clustering the units into homogeneous clusters or (iii) assessing differences between pre‐specified groups of units (e.g. regions, periods, treatment–control groups). These methods all conceal a fundamental question: To what extent are the differences between the sampling units, computed according to the chosen proximity function, capturing the ‘size’ in the multivariate observations, or their ‘shape’? ‘Size’ means the overall level of the measurements: for example, some samples contain higher total abundances or more biomass, others less. ‘Shape’ means the relative levels of the measurements: for example, some samples have different relative abundances, i.e. different compositions. To answer this question, several well‐known proximity measures are considered and applied to two datasets, one of which is used in a simulation exercise where ‘shape’ differences have been eliminated by randomization. For any dataset and any proximity measure, a quantification is achieved of the proportion of ‘size’ variance and ‘shape’ variance that the measure is capturing, as well as the proportion of variance that confounds ‘size’ and ‘shape’ together. The results consistently show that the Bray–Curtis coefficient incorporates both ‘size’ and ‘shape’ differences, to varying degrees. These two components are thus always confounded by this proximity measure in the determination of ordinations, clusters, group comparisons and relations to environmental variables. There are several implications of these results, the main one being that researchers should be aware of this issue when they choose a proximity measure. They should compute the ‘size’ and ‘shape’ components for their particular datasets, as this can radically affect the interpretation of their results. It is recommended to separate these components: analysing total abundances or other measures of ‘size’ by univariate methods, and using multivariate analysis on the relative abundances where size has been specifically excluded.
Empirical Research on the Impact of Free Cash Flow on Operating Performance of Listed Companies

Free cash flow can not only assess the past now ability, enterprise can also be built into the evaluation system of the future development of ability, relative profits and cash flow indicators, reflect the business performance of the free cash flow is more comprehensive and effective. Therefore, it is of great significance and value for all stakeholders to study the effect of free cash flow on business performance. In 2794 listed companies in China in 2016 financial data as sample, using multivariate regression method for the empirical analysis, finally draw the conclusion: free cash flow and enterprise management performance has significant positive correlation; The expansion of enterprise scale has a positive effect on business performance, but debt will reduce business performance. The increase of the shareholding ratio of the largest shareholder can improve the corporate performance, while the independent directors cannot effectively play their functions. Therefore, operators should appropriately hold free cash flow, appropriately expand the operation scale, and improve and give play to the independent director system can effectively improve the operation performance of enterprises.
Prevalence and Correlates of TB and HIV Co-infection Among People Living with HIV/AIDs at the DLHM Hospital, Calabar

TB is the most common opportunity infection and cause of death among people living with HIV. With dwindling prevalence figures from several national studies and dwindling funding, CD4 monitoring makes management easy, accessible and affordable. Objectives to determine prevalence and correlates of TB and HIV Co-infection among People Living with HIV/AIDs at the DLHM Hospital, Calabar. The study is retrospective descriptive study of 274 TB-HIV co-infected clients form October, 2009 to June, 2011 was carried out by examining their hospital records. Research instruments were a designed checklist used to collect socio demographic data, information on HIV diagnosis and ARV use, CD4 count and TB-HIV co-infection. Data was analyzed using the excel software. The result shows age group 21-30 years and 31-40 years constitute the largest (39.0% and 31.0%) of co-infected clients respectively. The percentage of infected females was 160/274 = 58.6% and the rest were male. Only 28 (10.2%) had their CD4 count above 350 cells counts/ul. ConclusiCo-infections of TB and HIV are common. CD4 count is a reliable tool in monitoring progression. Every HIV positive client should be considered having the potential of contracting TB, and this underscores the need for proper screening and monitoring.
Central Control of Fluid and Electrolyte Homeostasis A comparison of physiological and transcriptome responses to water deprivation and salt loading in the rat supraoptic nucleus

Michael P. Greenwood, Andre S. Mecawi, See Ziau Hoe, Mohd Rais Mustafa, Kory R. Johnson, Ghada A. Al-Mahmoud, Lucila L. K. Elias, Julian F. R. Paton, Jose Antunes-Rodrigues, Harold Gainer, David Murphy,* and X Charles C. T. Hindmarch* School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropedica, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Clinical Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Al Tarfa, Doha, Qatar; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil; School of Physiology and Pharmacology, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom; and Laboratory of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Critical Analysis of Ethics in Human Resource Management and Employee Performance

Current corporate dynamics have led to the growing interest in business ethics, both in academia and in the professional practice. However, moral lapses continue to happen in human resource management activities, leading HR academics and professionals to rethink what to do to reinvent new strategies to successfully manage ethics in HRM functions. The broad objective of this critical literature review therefore is to establish the role ethics can play in human resource management to improve organizational performance. The methodology used was critical review of relevant literature with the scope of the study encompassing qualitative research of theories and comparative nature of ethics in HRM. The study attempted to answer the question: does the application of ethics in HRM functions improve employee performance? The critical concern is that ethics in the management of human resource still lags behind compared to business ethics today. The role of ethics in human resource management appeared to be relagated to compliance with business principles perspective. The finding from the critical literature review was that ethics in HRM is significant in improving employee performance. All HR practices need to be fair in their approach and application and the call for strong appreciation of ethics in HRM should be headed. Studies strongly suggested a need for the application of ethical principles in HRM which will be seen to be fair, acceptable across the board and can be considered as a basis for a minimum standard to evaluate ethics in HR practices.
Enzymatic breakage and joining of deoxyribonucleic acid. VI. Further purification and properties of polynucleotide ligase from Escherichia coli infected with bacteriophage T4.

Abstract Polynucleotide ligase has been purified 1000-fold from extracts of Escherichia coli infected with bacteriophage T4. The enzyme catalyzes (a) the repair of phosphodiester bond scissions introduced into the strands of bihelical DNA by pancreatic DNase and (b) the conversion of hydrogen-bonded circular duplexes or concatemers of λ bacteriophage DNA to covalently bonded circular molecules or concatemers, respectively. The DNA products of these reactions have been characterized by sedimentation and end group analysis. The ligase does not catalyze the end to end joining of T7 bacteriophage DNA. The standard assay for ligase activity measures the protection of a 32P-labeled 5'-phosphoryl group, located at a single strand break in DNA, from attack by bacterial alkaline phosphatase. The enzyme purification procedure has been redesigned to eliminate the necessity for enzyme assays during the early fractionation steps and to permit the use of a simple assay, based on ATP-PPi exchange, during the later stages of purification. The ligase reaction has a specific requirement for a bihelical DNA substrate and for ATP, and it results in the formation of phosphodiester bonds, AMP, and pyrophosphate. The Km for DNA containing single strand breaks is 1.5 x 10-9 m expressed as the concentration of internal phosphomonoesters. The Km for ATP is 1.4 x 10-5 m, and dATP is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme (Ki of 3.5 x 10-5 m).
Genome of an avian papillomavirus

A papillomavirus which we designate FPV was isolated from chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs). A physical map of the FPV genome was constructed, and selected regions of this genome were studied by nucleotide sequence analysis. The results make it possible to align the FPV genome with the genome of bovine papillomavirus type 1 and to show, moreover, that avian and mammalian papillomaviruses have a similar genome organization.
Realtime face object extraction algorithm for video phone

This paper devises a real-time face object extraction algorithm for moving pictures. Considering that most of the existing object extraction algorithms are of too intensive computational complexity to enable the real-time execution to be applied to mobile video phone run on an embedded processor, this algorithm intends not only to reduce the computational complexity by employing modified snakes but also to improve the precision of extracting pixels by an efficient estimation mechanism of the skin color portion within a face object. Simulation results demonstrate that by this algorithm QCIIF 15fps can be processed on a StrongARM processor in real-time.
Health effects of particulate air pollution: A review of epidemiological evidence

Health effects of air pollution Everyone is exposed to ambient air pollution every day, some to a more and some to a lesser extent. When the first scientist examined the effect of air pollution on health after the Meuse Valley fog in 1930 (Firket, 1936) or the London smog in 1952 (Ministry of health, 1954), no one could have known what an extended field of research they started. Today, a lot of research is done on various aspects of air pollution. As shown in Figure 1, human health can be affected in all stages of life—from conception to old age. This review seeks to give an overview on the variety of health risks air pollution poses with a focus on epidemiological studies. Due to the vastness of the field, this review cannot go into too much detail in each section. However, it will give the reader a comprehensive impression on the large number of health effects of air pollution. Where available, the authors refer to existing reviews that might offer more depth in a certain field for the interested reader. The first six sections deal with different health outcomes in respect to ambient air pollution. Section 7 explains potential mechanisms that may lead from the inhalation of particles to adverse health outcomes. The last section finally gives an overview on research gaps that exist in the field and possible directions that research might take.
Comparison of Formulae for Heart Rate Correction of QT Interval in Exercise Electrocardiograms

The study investigated the differences in five different formulae for heart rate correction of the QT interval in serial electrocardiograms recorded in healthy subjects subjected to graded exercise. Twenty‐one healthy subjects (aged 37 ± 10 years, 15 male) were subjected to graded physical exercise on a braked bicycle ergometer until the heart rate reached 120 beats/min. Digital electrocardiograms (ECG) were recorded on baseline and every 30 seconds during the exercise. In each ECG, heart rate and QT interval were measured automatically (QT Guard package, Marquette Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI, USA). Bazett, Fridericia, Hodges, Framingham, and nomogram formulae were used to obtain QTc interval values for each ECG. For each formula, the slope of the regression line between RR and QTc values was obtained in each subject. The mean values of the slopes were tested by a one‐sample t‐test and the comparison of the baseline and peak exercise QTc values was performed using paired t‐test. Bazett, Hodges, and nomogram formulae led to significant prolongation of QTc intervals with exercise, while the Framingham formula led to significant shortening of QTc intervals with exercise. The differences obtained with the Fridericia formula were not statistically significant. The study shows that the practical meaning of QTc interval measurements depends on the correction formula used. In studies investigating repolarization changes (e.g., due to a new drug), the use of an ad‐hoc selected heart rate correction formula is highly inappropriate because it may bias the results in either direction.