Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Core IS Capabilities for Exploiting Information Technology

To achieve lasting competitiveness through IT, according to the authors, companies face three enduring challenges: focusing IS efforts to support business strategies and using IT innovations to develop new, superior strategies; devising and managing effective strategies for the delivery of low-cost, high-quality IS services; and choosing the technical platform on which to mount IS services. Three strands of research ? on the CIO's role and experience, the CIO's capabilities, and IS/IT outsourcing ? demonstrate that businesses need nine core IS capabilities to address these challenges: 1. Leadership. Integrating IS/IT effort with business purpose and activity. 2. Business systems thinking. Envisioning the business process that technology makes possible. 3. Relationship building. Getting the business constructively engaged in IS/IT issues. 4. Architecture planning. Creating the blueprint for a technical platform that responds to current and future business needs. 5. Making technology work. Rapidly achieving technical progress ? by one means or another. 6. Informed buying. Managing the IS/IT sourcing strategy that meets the interests of the business. 7. Contract facilitation. Ensuring the success of existing contracts for IS/IT services. 8. Contract monitoring. Protecting the business's contractual position, current and future. 9. Vendor development. Identifying the potential added value of IS/IT service suppliers. IS professionals and managers need to demonstrate a changing mix of technical, business, and interpersonal skills. The authors trace the role these skills play in achieving the core IS capabilities and discuss the challenges of adapting core IS capabilities to particular organizational contexts. Their core IS capability model implies migration to a relatively small IS function, staffed by highly able people. To sustain their ability to exploit IT, the authors conclude, organizations must make the design of flexible IS arrangements a high-priority task and take an anticipatory rather than a reactive approach to that task.
A 320mV-to-1.2V on-die fine-grained reconfigurable fabric for DSP/media accelerators in 32nm CMOS

Computationally intensive DSP/media processing applications require specialized hardware accelerators to enable higher energy-efficiency on microprocessor platforms. On-die reconfigurable arrays enable flexible accelerators with dynamic on-the-fly programmability while amortizing die area and time-to-market costs across a wide range of workloads. An ultra-low-voltage fine-grained reconfigurable fabric consisting of a hybrid configurable logic block (CLB) array with process/voltage/temperature (PVT) variation-tolerant register file (Fig. 18.2.1), targeted for on-die acceleration of DSP/media algorithms on power-constrained mobile microprocessors, is fabricated in 32nm high-k/metal-gate CMOS [1]. The CLB combines self-decoded look-up tables (LUTs) for random logic with reconfigurable arithmetic building blocks, hybrid 3∶2 compressors with integrated partial product generation, configurable adder/multiplier carry propagation and optimized CLB input/output multiplexers to achieve peak energy-efficiency of 2.6TOPS/W measured at 340mV, 50°C. The register file includes programmable stacked shared keepers and interruptible operation of both write memory cells and set-dominant latches (SDLs), improving Vcc-min by 300mV across PVT variations with a wide dynamic operating range of 320mV–1.2V, enabling simultaneous dynamic supply/frequency optimization across target workloads and power budgets. These features also achieve: (i) nominal CLB performance of 2.4GHz, 5.3mW measured at 1.0V, (ii) robust CLB functionality measured at 260mV, 27MHz (sub-threshold) consuming 12µW, (iii) scalable register file performance up to 8.2GHz, 125mW measured at 1.2V, 50°C with low-voltage near-threshold operation at 320mV, 252MHz consuming 430µW, (iv) 4-tap FIR filter, radix-2 FFT butterfly and 16b string-match algorithms with peak throughput of 2.1GSamples/s, 2.4GSamples/s and 100Gbps respectively, and (v) application-dependent dual-supply power savings up to 34%.
Integrated Review of Cytokines in Maternal, Cord, and Newborn Blood: Part II— Associations With Early Infection and Increased Risk of Neurologic Damage in Preterm Infants

A growing body of literature supports the relationship of maternal inflammation with preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcomes, including infection and central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction. Mediators of inflammation, most notably proinflammatory cytokines, have been implicated as having an association with and perhaps playing a causal role in the pathogenesis, leading to adverse neonatal outcomes. Even though the association of cytokines with early adverse neonatal outcomes has been actively pursued as a line of research, there has been little integration of diverse findings across studies. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to appraise and classify empirical evidence from human studies for the association of cytokine levels in blood (serum, plasma, or cells; maternal, cord, or neonatal) with two adverse early outcomes in preterm infants: early infection and increased risk of neurologic damage. The review revealed that the proinflammatory cytokines most frequently linked with sepsis are in the interleukin (IL) 1 family as well as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-6. The proinflammatory cytokines most frequently linked to neurologic insult in the reviewed studies were IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8. In all cases where IL-1β was studied, the levels were increased when there was neurologic insult. A better understanding of the relationship of these inflammatory substances with these adverse conditions is needed for the future development of maternal and neonatal biobehavioral nursing research.
EXCAVATION OF AN OBSIDIAN CRAFT WORKSHOP AT TEOTIHUACAN, MEXICO

Abstract The original research by the Teotihuacan Mapping Project (TMP) identified a large number of obsidian workshops within Teotihuacan based on surface concentrations of production debris. Clark (1986b) questioned the validity of these identifications and called for subsurface excavation to confirm the presence of in situ workshop locales. This article summarizes the results from the excavation of one of the obsidian workshops identified in the Tlajinga district of Teotihuacan at Compound 17:S3E1 (Compound 17). We describe the excavations, discuss the lithic technology, and examine the subsurface contexts in terms of what they tell us about in situ obsidian craft activity. Excavations confirm that Compound 17 was a locus of large-scale obsidian craft production during the Classic period. While only a single test case, these results suggest that surface remains at Teotihuacan can be a useful guide in identifying craft production areas when they are confirmed through subsurface testing.
Italian Public REITs' Governance Structure and NAV Discount

Italian Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are closed-end legal entities structured in the form of investment funds with finite life, externally managed by a management company. Retail REITs are subject to prudential and tax regulation aimed, respectively, to protect and favour retail investors. Market evidence shows that public REITs typically trade at (deep) discount on NAV figures. The intermediation model has severe agency implications and conflicts of interest issues. In particular, retail investors seem to have little control over managers due to the externally management mechanism. In order to improve investorsi governance capability, mandatory provision of a shareholdersi meeting in the article of association of newly established REITs has recently been introduced by regulation. This rule aims to limit managersi opportunistic behaviour and to insure higher performance discipline. The research objective of the paper is to investigate the effects of the (Italian) REITs governance and intermediation structure on market prices discount relative to NAV figures. It first investigates the effects of the new REITsi governance provisions by analyzing the correlation between investorsi control over managers and sharesi market price discount relative to NAV. The hypothesis is that (potential) higher control (i.e. the shareholdersi meeting provision) reduces agency costs having a positive price impact. This also due to market discipline in terms of potential takeovers of poorly managed REITs. This incentive does not affect traditional REITs not having shareholdersi control mechanisms. At the second stage, the NAV discount may be influenced by other legal and economic features of REITs, like leverage and finite life of the closed-end investment vehicle as well as mandatory listing. The analysis controls for these characteristics in order to investigate how the institutional framework affects market pricesi path.
EMPLOYMENT POLICY AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE An Empirical Analysis on the Stakeholder Model in Japan

Japan's employee-based corporate governance is in a far-reaching transition, and has a larger presence of outside directors as board members in the 1990s. We examine how board composition affects measures for employment downsizing by constructing a unique firm-level measurement of excess employment with composition of board members in Japanese listed companies in 2001. Our findings confirm that outsiders are more motivated to commit to wage cuts and layoffs, or to increase voluntary (early) retirements, while insiders are more inclined to commit to decreases in new hiring. This implies that outsiders contribute to employment downsizing and insiders are more inclined to protect incumbent employees. Those findings are consistent with the stakeholder view on firms, rather than a profit-maximizing firms, as the neoclassical microeconomic theory assumes.
Descriptive Epidemiology of the Multicenter ACL Revision Study (MARS) Cohort

Background Revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has worse outcomes than primary reconstructions. Predictors for these worse outcomes are not known. The Multicenter ACL Revision Study (MARS) Group was developed to perform a multisurgeon, multicenter prospective longitudinal study to obtain sufficient subjects to allow multivariable analysis to determine predictors of clinical outcome. Purpose To describe the formation of MARS and provide descriptive analysis of patient demographics and clinical features for the initial 460 enrolled patients to date in this prospective cohort. Study Design Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods After training and institutional review board approval, surgeons began enrolling patients undergoing revision ACL reconstruction, recording patient demographics, previous ACL reconstruction methods, intra-articular injuries, and current revision techniques. Enrolled subjects completed a questionnaire consisting of validated patient-based outcome measures. Results As of April 1, 2009, 87 surgeons have enrolled a total of 460 patients (57% men; median age, 26 years). For 89%, the reconstruction was the first revision. Mode of failure as deemed by the revising surgeon was traumatic (32%), technical (24%), biologic (7%), combination (37%), infection (<1%), and no response (<1%). Previous graft present at the time of injury was 70% autograft, 27% allograft, 2% combination, and 1% unknown. Sixty-two percent were more than 2 years removed from their last reconstruction. Graft choice for revision ACL reconstruction was 45% autograft, 54% allograft, and more than 1% both allograft and autograft. Meniscus and/or chondral damage was found in 90% of patients. Conclusion The MARS Group has been able to quickly accumulate the largest revision ACL reconstruction cohort reported to date. Traumatic reinjury is deemed by surgeons to be the most common single mode of failure, but a combination of factors represents the most common mode of failure. Allograft graft choice is more common in the revision setting than autograft. Concomitant knee injury is extremely common in this population.
Segmentation of the Visiting Friends and Relatives Travel Market

The visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel market is a significant segment of the tourism industry, accounting for 76% of all trips to Illinois in 1991. This study determined the demographic, geographic, and psychographic characteristics and the benefits sought by those visiting friends and relatives in a Central Illinois Community. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to a systematic random sample of 660 inquirers to the local Convention and Visitors Bureau. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the following: (a) mode of transportation; (b) number of trips and length of stay; (c) demographic profile; (d) economic impact; and (e) impact of local university. The results of the study defined three VFR travel market segments, two of which closely resembled market segments profiled by Plog.
The NSA Phone Call Database: The Problematic Acquisition and Mining of Call Records in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia

The U.S. government historically has had broad authority to conduct foreign surveillance without a warrant to obtain information to protect against national security threats. However, the recent September 11, 2001 attacks have forced the government to recognize that threats to national security can and do occur from within the United States. Thus, on occasion, the President has sanctioned domestic surveillance.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY OF THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND LOCALIZATION OF LOMA SALMONAE IN THE GILLS OF EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED RAINBOW TROUT

The early ultrastructural stages of Loma salmonae were studied in the gills of experimentally infected rainbow trout. No parasitic stages were identified during the first 2 wk of the infection. By week 3 postexposure (PE), uninucleate and binucleate meronts were recognized within host cells (no xenomas) associated with the capillary channels of secondary lamellae and lamellar arteries. An inflammatory reaction was absent. In secondary lamellae, infected cells were isolated from the capillary lumen, and some were recognized as pillar cells. In lamellar arteries, infected cells were localized beneath the endothelium and not in the lumen. Inflammatory reaction and destruction of parasites inside blood cells in the lumen of secondary lamellae were observed by week 4 PE. Three hypotheses, i.e., isolation, internalization, and evasion, are proposed to explain the localization of the infected cells in the gills. It is concluded that meronts are the earliest parasitic stage observed by week 3 PE, pillar cells are secondarily infected by phagocytosis of infected cells in the blood, endothelial cells of gills are not infected, and inflammatory response to the parasite starts by week 4 PE.
Inflammatory responses after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction or stable angina pectoris

Objective. To investigate the profile of circulating inflammatory markers after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with AMI or stable angina pectoris (AP). Material and methods. Twenty patients with AMI and 10 with stable AP were treated with PCI of a central coronary artery. Blood samples were drawn immediately before PCI, in the AP group and after 3 and 12 h, days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 in both groups. Results. Interleukin 6 increased in both groups to time‐point 12 h and day 1 (peak), being significantly higher in the AMI group compared to the AP group at 3 and 12 h, and also at days 1 and 3. A similar profile was demonstrated for CRP with significantly higher levels in the AMI group at days 1, 3 and 5 compared to the AP group. A slightly different pattern was shown for Interleukin 10 (IL‐10) with significantly higher levels in the AMI group at 3 and 12 h, days 1 and 14 compared to the AP group. Conclusion. AMI patients treated with PCI experienced a marked short‐term increase in pro‐inflammatory mediators as well as IL‐10 compared to patients with stable angina pectoris treated with PCI.
aIR-Jumper: Covert Air-Gap Exfiltration/Infiltration via Security Cameras & Infrared (IR)

Infrared (IR) light is invisible to humans, but cameras are optically sensitive to this type of light. In this paper, we show how attackers can use surveillance cameras and infrared light to establish bi-directional covert communication between the internal networks of organizations and remote attackers. We present two scenarios: exfiltration (leaking data out of the network) and infiltration (sending data into the network). Exfiltration. Surveillance and security cameras are equipped with IR LEDs, which are used for night vision. In the exfiltration scenario, malware within the organization access the surveillance cameras across the local network and controls the IR illumination. Sensitive data such as PIN codes, passwords, and encryption keys are then modulated, encoded, and transmitted over the IR signals. Infiltration. In an infiltration scenario, an attacker standing in a public area (e.g., in the street) uses IR LEDs to transmit hidden signals to the surveillance camera(s). Binary data such as command and control (C&C) and beacon messages are encoded on top of the IR signals. The exfiltration and infiltration can be combined to establish bidirectional, 'air-gap' communication between the compromised network and the attacker. We discuss related work and provide scientific background about this optical channel. We implement a malware prototype and present data modulation schemas and a basic transmission protocol. Our evaluation of the covert channel shows that data can be covertly exfiltrated from an organization at a rate of 20 bit/sec per surveillance camera to a distance of tens of meters away. Data can be covertly infiltrated into an organization at a rate of over 100 bit/sec per surveillance camera from a distance of hundreds of meters to kilometers away.
Trade Credit and International Return Comovement

We examine trade credit links between firms as a channel of international return comovement. We model firms in different countries connected by trade credit links in segmented stock markets with asymmetrically informed investors. The model predicts that the cross-serial correlation of country stock returns increases as trade credit increases. Using data from 42 countries from 1993 to 2009, we find evidence consistent with the model. Stock returns of high trade credit firms in exporting countries are predicted by the returns of the countries that consume this output. A model-implied cross-country long-short portfolio strategy yields 12-15 percent annualized, after risk adjustment.
IT Procurement within Maintenance: Survey Results

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the IT procurement process within maintenance. The study was performed as a web-based questionnaire survey addressing maintenance managers in Swedish industry. The results showed that the decision to purchase IT to high extent is an internal matter within the maintenance organization. The procurement often involves several working areas. Most common is to involve people from maintenance and IT. The purchase is often run in project form and the most common support for the decision making is a systematic evaluation methodology or purchaser’s own experience. A requirements investigation precedes the purchase in most cases, and the involvement of future users is frequent. Maintenance IT investments are seen as connected to real needs and beneficial for the maintenance by the respondents. Some areas of improvement and further research were found: Systematic methods for procurement of IT is used to low extent, which implies a need for practical and easy tools within the area. Furthermore, the decision is in 35% of the cases not made by maintenance, and about 15% of the procurement projects did not involve maintenance at all. This could lead to misfit of IT systems to the business needs.
Comparative Alternative Dispute Resolution for Individual Labor Disputes in Japan, China, and The United States: Lessons From Asia?

Resolving individual labor rights disputes in East Asia and the United States in recent years has taken on new significance and prominence for both domestic and multinational corporations. ' New laws and approaches have been put into place in Japan, China, and the United States that deal with individual rights under either individual and/or collective contract or statutory labor disputes. In 2004, Japan passed the judicial labor tribunal system,2 and in 2007, China implemented a new mediation and arbitration law,3 each with heralded success. In 2009, the United States Supreme Court completed its approval of the use of private arbitration under individual and collective contracts to resolve both contractual and statutory labor disputes.4
Frequent occurrence of polyovular follicles in ovaries of mice exposed neonatally to diethylstilbestrol.

The occurrence of polyovular follicles (PF) was examined at 10-34 days of age in the ovaries of BALB/cCrgl female mice given five daily injections of 0.1 microgram diethylstilbestrol (DES), 2 micrograms DES, 100 micrograms progesterone (P), 137 micrograms 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (HPC), 20 micrograms testosterone (T), 20 micrograms 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-DHT), or oil vehicle alone starting on the day of birth, and of C57BL/Tw females given five neonatal injections of 1 microgram DES, 20 micrograms 17 beta-estradiol (E2), 50 micrograms 5 alpha-DHT, 50 micrograms 5 beta-DHT, or the vehicle alone. Ovaries of 30-day-old C57BL mice given five daily injections of 1 microgram DES starting at 3-25 days of age were also examined. PF incidence (% of PF per ovary) and PF frequency (% of mice with PF) were significantly greater in BALB/c mice receiving injections of DES, P, HPC, and T than in the controls. In DES-treated mice at 34 days, PF incidence (2-13 oocytes/follicle) was 120-340 times higher than in the controls. BALB/c mice treated with T, P, and HPC showed PF incidence (two to four oocytes/follicle) three- to six-fold higher than in the controls. In 30-day-old C57BL mice treated with T, E2, and DES, PF incidence also increased by two- to 50-fold. 5 alpha-DHT and 5 beta-DHT failed to increase PF incidence. PF incidence was significantly increased only when neonatal DES treatment was begun on days 0 to 3, but was reduced when started at days 10-25. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Risk Management in Rural and Community Banks: The Ghanaian Experience

Despite the significance of effective risk management practices in deepening prudent financial management in Ghana's Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) there appear to be a paucity of empirical studies highlighting the various kinds of risks faced by RCBs. Such studies will enhance RCBs understanding of the extent to which Ghana's RCBs operations are affected by ineffective risk management practices. The purpose of this paper therefore is to examine the extent to which Ghanaian Rural and Community Banks deploy risk management practices in addressing the types of risk affecting their operations using data through a survey involving respondents from Rural and Community Banks and Bank of Ghana/ARB Apex bank. The study uses primary data collected through survey questionnaire from respondents sampled from the RCBs and the Bank of Ghana/ARB/Apex Bank. The research also uses secondary data collected from the ARB/Apex Bank quarterly reports on Rural and Community Banks operations in Ghana. Our empirical findings indicate that credit risk, liquidity risk, operational risk and legal /regulatory risk are the major forms of risk affecting rural and community banks in Ghana. The paper recommends the enforcement of risk management regulations by the ARB Apex Bank and the Bank of Ghana. On the other hand, Rural and community banks should create risk management department and recruit qualified and experience personnel to ensure effective and efficient risk management practices. The research focused on Rural and Community Banks in Ghana and as such the results may not necessarily represent RCBs in other countries.