Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A study on the effect of employment flexibility on the business performance in the computer programming, system consultancy and related service industry

This study investigates what effects employment flexibility have on the business performance in the computer programming, system consultancy and related services. An analysis of the effects of employment flexibility on outcomes of human resource management revealed that companies which had a higher proportion of temporary agency workers and adjusted employment more frequently had higher turnover rates. The study also showed that the higher the proportion of non-regular workers, outsourcing and the easier it was to adjust working hours, the higher the absence rate. Meanwhile, companies that made employment adjustments more often showed higher defect rates and lower customer satisfaction. It was also found that in companies with a higher proportion of outsourcing and higher possibility of employment adjustments, workers were less interested in new technologies.
Changes in standards for milk quality and how they will affect your clients.

Since 1995, the US limit for somatic cells in milk has been 750,000 cells/ml for Grade A milk. Stricter requirements for milk at plants that produce manufactured products for export to the European Union, proposed changes to the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, and demand for enhanced milk quality by individual bottlers will drive down the effective somatic cell count limits. New limits will not be difficult for most farms during most months but may be very challenging for some farms during some months. Dairy farmers must be prepared in the event that milk handlers and cooperatives adjust levels at which quality premiums are paid. Dairy farmers must face the challenge of more stringent somatic cell count limits by utilizing known prevention, monitoring, management, treatment, and culling strategies with renewed emphasis.
Using respiratory resistance values in diagnosis of paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion

Many adolescent athletes experience difficulty in breathing during sustained heavy exercise to the extent that they cannot continue exercising and often collapse. The condition which its symptoms include breathing difficulty and stridor during exercise is known as Exercise Induced Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion (EI-PVFM) and is frequently misdiagnosed for asthma and treated with asthmatic medication. The current “gold standard” for diagnosing EI-PVFM is the extensive and invasive laryngoscopy. We have developed a simple device, the Airflow Perturbation Device (APD) that can diagnose EI-PVFM rapidly and noninvasively. Twenty young subjects (11 to 18 years) who experienced severe breathing difficulties during exercise were entered the study. We have shown that the APD can noninvasively diagnose EI-PVFM as effectively the invasive laryngoscopy can.
Automation of 3D scan data capturing and processing

In this paper a fully automated 3D shape measurement and processing method is presented. It assumes that positioning of measurement head in relation to measured object can be realized by specialized computer-controlled manipulator. On the base of existing 3D scans, the proposed method calculates "next best view" position for measurement head. All 3D data processing (filtering, ICP based fitting and final views integration) is performed automatically. Final 3D model is created on the base of user specified parameters like accuracy of surface representation or density of surface sampling. Exemplary system that implements all mentioned functionalities will be presented. The goal of this system is to automatically (without any user attention) and rapidly (from days and weeks to hours) measure whole object with some limitations to its properties: maximum measurement volume is described as a cylinder with 2,5m height and 1m radius, maximum object's weight is 2 tons. Measurement head is automatically calibrated by the system and its possible working volume starts from 120mm x 80mm x 60mm and ends up to 1,2m x 0,8m x 0,6m. Exemplary measurement result is presented.
Case 2 - Sino-Danish Center - og den dansk-kinesiske nytteværdi

Introduktion til en ambitiøs dansk idé Ideen til SDC opstod på dansk side i 2007 og udsprang fra en erkendelse af Kinas voksende betydning i »videns-økonomien«. SDC skulle dels levere højtuddannet arbejdskraft med tværkulturelle kompetencer til danske virksomheder i Kina; dels styrke de videnskabelige og kommercielle relationer mellem Danmark og Kina. Den danske interesse stemte godt overens med Kinas forskningsog uddannelsespolitiske satsninger, der bl.a. fokuserede på internationalisering som et centralt element i udviklingen af kinesiske universiteter.
Epidemiology of the Metabolic Syndrome 2

Insulin resistance—an essential component of the metabolic syndrome—has been known for nearly 70 years. Himsworth [1] suggested the existence of two different types of diabetes: one characterised by high levels of insulin sensitivity (what we now know as type 1 diabetes, characterised by beta-cell destruction) and another characterised by insulin insensitivity (what we now know as type 2 diabetes, characterised by insulin resistance). Detailed, explanatory studies in this field were impossible until the introduction of the radioimmunoassay for insulin in 1960 [2]. This technology opened the door for larger studies of the role of insulin resistance in relation to diabetes as well as to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Throughout the following 25 years the association between hypertension, dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinaemia was established through first smaller case–control studies and subsequently through large, population-based studies [3–6]. In 1988 Reaven reviewed the existing knowledge around the association between insulin resistance and a variety of metabolic risk factors for diabetes and CVD in his paper “Role of insulin resistance in human disease” [7]. Reaven had a background in physiology, and he concludes his review by elegantly proposing a hypothesis offering the suggestion that insulin resistance could be the common denominator underlying a syndromic clustering of metabolic risk factors explaining the clustering of CVD risk factors in selected groups. By doing so, he offered a pathophysiological model that could be tested, confirmed or rejected. The scientific community rather uncritically accepted his suggestion of a new “syndrome”, and rather than designing studies that could test his hypothesis, a plethora of studies confirming the basic associations or proposing new markers that were also
Use of the Objective Grading System of the American Board of Orthodontics to evaluate treatment at the Orthodontic Graduate Program Clinic, University of Puerto Rico, 2007-2008.

OBJECTIVE The Objective Grading System (OGS) was introduced in 1999 by the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) as an instrument to reduce subjectivity when evaluating cases submitted to the ABO for examination. The objectives of this study were (1) to employ the OGS to determine the percentage of treated and completed cases from the University of Puerto Rico's (UPR) Orthodontic Graduate Program Clinic that would have earned a passing OGS score (according to the ABO standards) and (2) to assess the contribution of various patient characteristics and factors to this score. METHODS A total of 64 cases completed during 2007 and 2008 met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated by a calibrated examiner using the OGS. Logistic regression and multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the association between the explanatory variables and the overall OGS score. RESULTS Of the cases evaluated, 18.8% received a passing OGS score of <20, 34.4% received a borderline score of 20-30, and 46.9% received a failing score of >30. The mean OGS score was 32.17 +/- 13.03 points, similar to the mean OGS score of 34.36 +/- 10.39 reported in 2004 by a similar study. CONCLUSION This study demonstrate that 53% of the completed cases at the university clinic obtained a potential passing score as per the ABO (OGS <30 points). Multiple and logistic regression analyses could neither explain the relationship between the explanatory variables and the OGS scores nor predict the probability of a particular case's passing when all variables were considered.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a common inherited cardiomyopathy, occurring in about 1 in 500 individuals. [1][1] The first gene mutation for this condition was identified in a large French Canadian family cohort in 1989. [2][2] Clinical presentation typically includes left ventricular hypertrophy in
Differential Mitotic Phosphorylation of Proteins of the Nuclear Pore Complex (*)

During each cell cycle, the nucleus of higher eukaryotes undergoes a dramatic assembly and disassembly. These events can be faithfully reproduced in vitro using cell-free extracts derived from Xenopus eggs. Such extracts contain three major N-acetylglucosaminylated proteins, p200, p97, and p60. All three become assembled into reconstituted nuclear pores. Here we show that p200, p97, and p60 exist in eggs in soluble high molecular mass complexes of 1000, 450, and 600 kDA, respectively. The bulk of p60 is stably associated with proteins of 58 and 54 kDa, while p200 is associated with a fraction of p60 in a separate complex lacking p58 and p54. Upon examining the behavior of these proteins in the cell cycle, we find that p200 and p97 are highly phosphorylated at mitosis, both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, in extracts that cycle between interphase and mitosis, p200 and p97 are specifically phosphorylated at mitosis. Corresponding with their mitotic phosphorylation, both p200 and p97 are specific substrates for purified mitotic Cdc2 kinase, whereas nucleoporin p60 is not. Analysis indicates that the size of the complexes containing the pore N-acetylglucosamine glycoproteins does not change during mitosis, suggesting that such complexes represent stable multicomponent modules into which the nucleus disassembles at mitosis.
PET-enhanced liver segmentation for CT images from combined PET-CT scanners

The use of functional (PET) information from PET-CT scanners to assist liver segmentation in CT data has yet to be addressed. In this work we implement PET data enhanced liver segmentation with CT. We utilize the difference in FDG uptake between the liver and adjacent organs to separate the liver from these structures, which have similar intensities in low-contrast CT. The relatively high normal FDG uptake, and hence high SUV of liver metabolism, allows an accurate estimation for liver segmentation in CT images. By deformable registration, the PET ROIs are mapped onto the CT images for the initial liver segmentation in CT. To overcome the different intensity values of CT images from different patients or over multiple temporal imaging sessions, the initial liver region in CT images is used to establish the accurate threshold criteria for CT liver segmentation. To prevent the deformable model from leaking into the adjacent tissues and structures, the feature images are computed to exclude and disconnect neighboring organs and tissues from liver. Our experimental results in 12 clinical PET-CT studies suggest that our algorithm is robust when dealing with livers of different shapes and sizes and from a range of different patients.
NRD convertase: a putative processing endoprotease associated with the axoneme and the manchette in late spermatids.

N-arginine dibasic convertase is a novel metalloendopeptidase which selectively cleaves at the N terminus of arginine residues in paired basic amino acids. Although present in brain and several other tissues, NRD convertase is particularly abundant in testis, where its expression appeared to be restricted to germ cells. Low levels of both mRNA and its corresponding protein were detected early in spermatogenesis. However, a marked accumulation of the protein was observed during late steps (14 to 19) of spermiogenesis. By electron microscopy, the NRD convertase immunoreactivity was localized in the cytoplasm of elongating and elongated spermatids, with a noticeable concentration at the level of two microtubular structures, i.e. the manchette and the axoneme. These observations strongly support the hypothesis that NRD convertase is involved in processing events potentially associated with the morphological transformations occurring during spermiogenesis.
What Have We Learnt About the International Transmission of Monetary Policy in Recent Years? Perspectives from Hong Kong SAR

This paper discusses how the unconventional monetary policies in advanced economies have impacted Hong Kong SAR through the financial channel. Following the 2008–09 global financial crisis, the monetary expansion in advanced economies has led to extremely loose liquidity conditions on a global scale and caused significant spillovers to Hong Kong SAR through the channels of interest rate diffusion and capital flows. Credit and household indebtedness have grown at a fast pace as a result, while home prices have risen to highly stretched levels. These developments have increased the risk of a build-up of macrofinancial vulnerability in Hong Kong SAR. To guard against and mitigate these spillovers, the Hong Kong SAR authorities have introduced various types of macroprudential measures targeting credit growth and the property market. Evidence from the available research suggests that these measures have helped safeguard financial stability and have influenced loan growth, interest costs, property market transactions and speculative activity.Full publication: The Transmission of Unconventional Monetary Policy to the Emerging Markets
Merger and Acquisition Stress

Abstract In recent years merger and acquisition activity has increased significantly in the United States. Such activity can be stressful for all employees, particularly those at mid-career. This article examines the stress potential of mergers and acquisitions, with a particular focus on the mid-career employee. It provides a framework for examining merger and acquisition stress and discusses four approaches for stress prevention and management: realistic merger and acquisition previews, individual counseling, merger and acquisition stress management training, and outplacement services.
A THEORETICAL APPROACH TO THE JOB SATISFACTION

The article deals with current knowledge of social media with the focus on social networks. Social media offer great opportunities for businesses. However, in order to use these new business channels in the most effective way, businesses need relevant information. The main purpose of this article is to evaluate the state of utilization of social networks by businesses as well as home and foreign customers. The aim is also to point out on the importance of networking as a tool for acquiring an important competitive advantage in times of constant changes.
Which School Systems Sort Weaker Students into Smaller Classes ?

We examine whether the sorting of differently achieving students into differently sized classes results in a regressive or compensatory pattern of class sizes for a sample of national school systems. Sorting effects are identified by subtracting the causal effect of class size on performance from their total correlation. Our empirical results indicate substantial compensatory sorting within and especially between schools in many countries. Only the United States, a country with decentralized education finance and considerable residential mobility, exhibits regressive between-school sorting. Between-school sorting is more compensatory in systems with ability tracking. Within-school sorting is more compensatory when administrators rather than teachers assign students to classrooms.
Assistive social robots in elderly care: a review

Assistive social robots, a particular type of assistive robotics designed for social interaction with humans, could play an important role with respect to the health and psychological well-being of the elderly. Objectives Assistive social robots are believed to be useful in eldercare for two reasons, a functional one and an affective one. Such robots are developed to function as an interface for the elderly with digital technology, and to help increase the quality of life of the elderly by providing companionship, respectively. There is a growing attention for these devices in the literature. However, no comprehensive review has yet been performed to investigate the effectiveness of such robots in the care of the elderly. Therefore, we systematically reviewed and analyzed existing literature on the effects of assistive social robots in health care for the elderly. We focused in particular on the companion function. Data Sources A systematic search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library databases, IEEE, ACM libraries and finally Google Scholar was performed for records through December 2007 to identify articles of all studies with actual subjects aimed to assess the effects of assistive social robots on the elderly. This search was completed with information derived from personal expertise, contacts and reports. Study Selection and Data Extraction Since no randomized controlled trials (RCT)’s have been found within this field of research, all studies reporting effects of assistive robotics in elderly populations were included. Information on study design, interventions, controls, and findings were extracted for each article. In medical journals only a few articles were found, whereas about 50 publications were found in literature on ICT and robotics. Data Synthesis The identified studies were all published after 2000 indicating the novelty of this area of research. Most of these publications contain the results of studies that report positive effects of assistive social robots on health and psychological well-being of elders. Solid evidence indicating that these effects can indeed be attributed to the actual assistive social robot, its behavior and its functionality is scarce. Conclusions There is some qualitative evidence as well as limited quantitative evidence of the positive effects of assistive social robots with respect to the elderly. The research designs, however, are not robust enough to establish this. Confounding variables often cannot be excluded. This is partly due to the chosen research designs, but also because it is unclear what research methodology is adequate to investigate such effects. Therefore, more work on methods is needed as well as robust, large-scale studies to establish the effects of these devices.
A head-of-line approximation to delay-dependent scheduling in integrated packet-switched networks

The chief cause of packet loss is the variability of end-to-end delay due to queuing at intermediate nodes. The queuing discipline used within the network directly affects this delay variance. In an integrated environment, scheduling must provide adequate performance for all classes. Simulation was used to compare the performance of several queuing disciplines for trunk scheduling at a packet switch with only voice traffic. A delay-dependent priority scheme, the budgeted residual-life-dependent discipline (BURD), resulted in the lowest packet loss rate at the node. BURD and a head-of-line discipline were then used to construct scheduling policies for networks with integrated traffic. It was found possible to approximate the performance of the delay-dependent priority schemes using more easily implemented head-of-line schemes and still provide adequate service for data traffic. <<ETX>>
PTPN22 Polymorphism Presumably Plays a Role in the Genetic Background of Chronic Spontaneous Autoreactive Urticaria

Background: The association of chronic urticaria (CU) with autoimmune disorders is relatively well proved. Protein tyrosine phosphatase-22 (PTPN22) is considered to be one of the strongest genetic factors for human autoimmunity. We decided to evaluate whether additional, non 1858C>T, PTPN22 variants are independent contributors to the risk of CU occurrence in the Polish population. Methods: A total of 91 CU patients with a positive result of autologous serum skin test and 100 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. The Urticaria Activity Score was used in disease intensity assessment. In all subjects rs3811021, rs1310182 and rs2488457 polymorphisms were genotyped. Results: We found a higher prevalence of –1123 C allele among CU patients. No differences in the allele and genotype distribution were found in the other analyzed polymorphisms. Haplotype construction of the three SNPs revealed statistically significant CU association of rs2488457C, rs1310182T and rs3811021T. Conclusions: Contrary to previous findings, the contribution of PTPN22 to disease susceptibility is suggested. We can speculate that CU is a genetically complex disease and that its occurrence needs multiple genetic and environmental risk factors.
Alzheimer research forum live discussion: Making a biomark on Alzheimer disease

John Trojanowski: Okay, Tom. Briefly, we will focus here on chemical analyte biomarkers in various bodily fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), urine, blood, etc., and while genetics may come up, too, we will save imaging biomarkers for another time. Concerning apolipoprotein E (ApoE): It does seem to be critical to consider this for cohort assignment as demonstrated in the recent NEJM paper from R. Peterson [1] on mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and we will do this as well in the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study.
Thirty-year Changes in Mineral Soil C in a Cumberland Plateau Forest as Influenced by Inorganic-N, Soil Texture, and Topography

Increases in atmospheric C have resulted in concerns about global warming and interest in finding means to sequester atmospheric C through land management strategies. The purpose of this study was to (i) compare changes in mineral soil C after a 30-year interval and (ii) examine the role of inorganic-N, soil texture, and topography in these changes. Soil samples were collected at permanently identified points on the Camp Branch Watershed, a second growth oak forest on the Cumberland Plateau in central Tennessee, in July of 1976 and archived. These points were re-sampled in July of 2006 and both archived and new samples of the 0 to 10 cm increment of the mineral soil were analyzed for C and N using the same procedures. Paired comparisons revealed changes in C and N were distinct to each of the 8 soil series. Comparison of 2006 samples to 1976 samples indicated changes in C concentration ranged from -13.1% to +12.0%. Changes in C mass ranged from -11.3% to +8.3%. Increases in C were most closely associated with increases in the C/total-N ratio. C was positively correlated to exchangeable inorganic-N in 1976 (r 2 = 0.387) and 2006 (r 2 = 0.107). Regression analysis revealed C increased with increasing azimuth and decreasing elevation in 1976 (r 2 = 0.140). C was predicted only by clay content in 2006 (r 2 = 0.079) and exhibited a negative relationship. Since topography was no longer a predictor of mineral soil C in 2006, we speculate that changes in forest cover also influenced changes in mineral soil C.