Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategic Trade Policy is not Good Strategy

The focus of this paper is the process by which strategic trade policy is implemented. Due to an institutional structure under which democratic government is responsive to pressure groups, strategic trade policy may include strong protectionist elements. While the objective of strategic trade policy is to promote new frm-specific advantages for chosen industries, in practice a type of corporate "shelter" results. In terms of the strategic management literature we find that there is a type of "administrative heritage" in government policy making that hinders the implementation of effective strategic trade policy. From the viewpoint of both corporate strategy and public policy, we find that the result is neither efficient nor effective.
The Role of Small RNA-Based Epigenetic Silencing for Purifying Selection on Transposable Elements in Capsella grandiflora

Abstract To avoid negative effects of transposable element (TE) proliferation, plants epigenetically silence TEs using a number of mechanisms, including RNA-directed DNA methylation. These epigenetic modifications can extend outside the boundaries of TE insertions and lead to silencing of nearby genes, resulting in a trade-off between TE silencing and interference with nearby gene regulation. Therefore, purifying selection is expected to remove silenced TE insertions near genes more efficiently and prevent their accumulation within a population. To explore how effects of TE silencing on gene regulation shapes purifying selection on TEs, we analyzed whole genome sequencing data from 166 individuals of a large population of the outcrossing species Capsella grandiflora. We found that most TEs are rare, and in chromosome arms, silenced TEs are exposed to stronger purifying selection than those that are not silenced by 24-nucleotide small RNAs, especially with increasing proximity to genes. An age-of-allele test of neutrality on a subset of TEs supports our inference of purifying selection on silenced TEs, suggesting that our results are robust to varying transposition rates. Our results provide new insights into the processes affecting the accumulation of TEs in an outcrossing species and support the view that epigenetic silencing of TEs results in a trade-off between preventing TE proliferation and interference with nearby gene regulation. We also suggest that in the centromeric and pericentromeric regions, the negative aspects of epigenetic TE silencing are missing.
Decisions about entry modes for telecom companies into digital music business: An empirical case study

The digital music market offers an opportunity for telecom companies to furnish value-added services. However, little effort has been made to study empirically how to make a decision about entry modes for telecom companies into digital music business. This study therefore investigates various strategies that telecom companies may implement to enter the digital music industry. The results of a series of expert surveys reveal that the preference ranking of entry modes is acquisition, joint venture, and contractual agreement, respectively. Moreover, the leading key factors in selecting entry modes are complementary capabilities, hostility of environment, relational risk between firms as partners, commitment of resources, and availability of expertise. Furthermore, an importance-performance analysis was conducted to understand the different aspects that are of different performances and importance in each entry mode. The implications of the findings are also discussed.
Cost-Containment Policies in Public Pharmaceutical Spending in the EU

This paper presents and evaluates pharmaceutical policies in the EU aimed at the rational use of medicines and at keeping pharmaceutical spending under control. Policy makers are growing more aware that by regulating pharmaceutical markets correctly, considerable savings can be achieved without compromising the quality of care. Specifically, the paper makes the case that, by following numerous best-practices in pharmaceutical sector regulations, the value for money of pharmaceutical consumption could be substantially increased. Appropriate regulations can be relevant for pricing, reimbursement, market entry and expenditure control, as well as specific policies targeted at the distribution chain, physicians and patients.
The Anthropology of File Sharing: Consuming Napster As a Gift

This research seeks to inform our understanding of the consumption meanings and communal activities surrounding file-sharing systems. In the present netnographic analysis of Napster consumption meanings, we develop a theoretical framework that conceptualizes file-sharing systems as gifting communities. Within this framework we discuss the gifting structure, describing the mode of exchange and the ways in which it constructs community. We then employ four predominant metaphors to conceptualize gifting motivation as realization, purification, participation and renovation. This netnography is based on cyber-interviews, emails, homepages and entries on message boards.
Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose their strength and density. Bones become fragile, weak and brittle and can cause fracture easily. Osteoporosis affects women after menopause and in their later years. The drop in estrogen after menopause is associated with increased loss of bone density for few years. Osteoporosis prevalent among older postmenopausal women increases the risk of fractures. Hip and spine fractures are associated with high morbidity and mortality among this population. Bone loss can be detected by measuring bone mineral density by densitometry. The primary goal of treatment of osteoporosis is to prevent a fracture which is accomplished by slowing /stopping bone loss, maintaining bone strength and minimizing that may contribute to fractures. This is achieved by change in lifestyle and diet and by pharmacological therapy.
Crohn disease of the small bowel: preliminary comparison among CT enterography, capsule endoscopy, small-bowel follow-through, and ileoscopy.

PURPOSE To prospectively compare four diagnostic small-bowel imaging techniques for depiction of abnormal findings in the same patients known to have or suspected of having Crohn disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. Patients known to have or suspected of having nonobstructive Crohn disease were recruited. Each patient underwent capsule endoscopy, computed tomographic (CT) enterography, colonoscopy with ileoscopy, and small-bowel follow-through (SBFT). Findings consistent with Crohn disease were tabulated for each imaging examination (diagnostic yield). The proportions of patients with positive findings at each examination were compared, and any significant differences between the tests were calculated by using the exact McNemar test. RESULTS Seventeen patients (nine women, eight men; mean age, 49 years; range, 18-78 years) completed the study out of 20 patients enrolled. Crohn disease was depicted by capsule endoscopy in 12 patients (71%), ileoscopy in 11 (65%), CT enterography in nine (53%), and SBFT in four (24%). Ileoscopy was incomplete in four patients, and capsule endoscopy was incomplete in two patients. Capsule endoscopy had the highest diagnostic yield for Crohn disease, and SBFT had the lowest, but these differences were not statistically significant (P = .02). SBFT failed to depict a stricture in one patient, which resulted in surgical removal of the capsule. CT enterography and SBFT depicted extraintestinal findings (eg, mesenteric adenopathy in two patients, perianal and enterocolic fistulas in one patient) not detected endoscopically. CONCLUSION This preliminary study demonstrates capsule endoscopy and CT enterography may depict nonobstructive Crohn disease when techniques such as ileoscopy and SBFT have negative or inconclusive findings.
Numerical analysis of the influence of nucleus pulposus removal on the biomechanical behavior of a lumbar motion segment

Nucleus replacement was deemed to have therapeutic potential for patients with intervertebral disc herniation. However, whether a patient would benefit from nucleus replacement is technically unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of nucleus pulposus (NP) removal on the biomechanical behavior of a lumbar motion segment and to further explore a computational method of biomechanical characteristics of NP removal, which can evaluate the mechanical stability of pulposus replacement. We, respectively, reconstructed three types of models for a mildly herniated disc and three types of models for a severely herniated disc based on a L4–L5 segment finite element model with computed tomography image data from a healthy adult. First, the NP was removed from the herniated disc models, and the biomechanical behavior of NP removal was simulated. Second, the NP cavities were filled with an experimental material (Poisson's ratio = 0.3; elastic modulus = 3 MPa), and the biomechanical behavior of pulposus replacement was simulated. The simulations were carried out under the five loadings of axial compression, flexion, lateral bending, extension, and axial rotation. The changes of the four biomechanical characteristics, i.e. the rotation degree, the maximum stress in the annulus fibrosus (AF), joint facet contact forces, and the maximum disc deformation, were computed for all models. Experimental results showed that the rotation range, the maximum AF stress, and joint facet contact forces increased, and the maximum disc deformation decreased after NP removal, while they changed in the opposite way after the nucleus cavities were filled with the experimental material.
Payments Innovation and the Use of Cash

Pundits have been predicting the death of cash for as long as the plastic card has been in existence – more than 60 years. This perception has been intensified of late by the rapid acceleration in payments innovation, driven in large part by the mobile phone, in both developed and developing markets. The authors assert that the existing ways of measuring cash are inadequate for measuring cash usage and have devised a new methodology and framework for measuring how much cash is used by consumers to pay for things at merchants. This paper provides an overview of this methodology by applying it to 10 countries: France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK, and US. The authors conclude that although payments innovation will impact the consumers’ use of cash, significant impacts will take at least a decade to be felt.
Logistics improvement programs: The dynamics between people and performance

Looks at the impact of performance improvement initiatives on logistics people, as well as performance. Two of the most popular programs – EDI and outsourcing – have profound impact on people in logistics. Both outsourcing and EDI require cooperative relations to reach their full potential. However, based on a mail survey of Canadian logisticians, there is not necessarily a link between use of these programs and cooperative relations between shippers and carriers. Thus, there is a pressing need in logistics to better understand (and manage) the impact of outsourcing and EDI on people.
In defense of Piaget's theory: A reply to 10 common criticisms.

The developmental theory of Jean Piaget has been criticized on the grounds that it is conceptually limited, empirically false, or philosophically and epistemologically untenable. This study attempts to rebut these criticisms by showing that most of them (a) derive from widespread misinterpretations of the work of Piaget; (b) fail to appreciate the 2 central issues of his thinking—how new forms of thinking emerge during ontogenesis and how they become psychologically necessary; (c) incorrectly assume that many controversies concerning his theory can be settled empirically or methodologically before they are clarified conceptually; (d) ignore various modifications of Piagetian theory, particularly those advanced after 1970; and (e) forget the dialectical, constructivist, and developmental nature of Piaget's unique approach to human development. Although the authors do not claim there is a "true" Piaget to be discovered, or that the problems with his theory vanish when it is better understood, they do claim that important aspects of Piaget's work have not been assimilated by developmental psychologists.
Promoter demethylation and chromatin remodeling by green tea polyphenols leads to re‐expression of GSTP1 in human prostate cancer cells

Epigenetic silencing of gluthathione‐S‐transferase pi (GSTP1) is recognized as being a molecular hallmark of human prostate cancer. We investigated the effects of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) on GSTP1 re‐expression and further elucidated its mechanism of action and long‐term safety, compared with nucleoside‐analog inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT), 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycitidine. Exposure of human prostate cancer LNCaP cells to 1–10 μg/ml of GTP for 1–7 days caused a concentration‐ and time‐dependent re‐expression of GSTP1, which correlated with DNMT1 inhibition. Methyl‐specific‐PCR and sequencing revealed extensive demethylation in the proximal GSTP1 promoter and regions distal to the transcription factor binding sites. GTP exposure in a time‐dependent fashion diminished the mRNA and protein levels of MBD1, MBD4 and MeCP2; HDAC 1–3 and increased the levels of acetylated histone H3 (LysH9/18) and H4. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that cells treated with GTP have reduced MBD2 association with accessible Sp1 binding sites leading to increased binding and transcriptional activation of the GSTP1 gene. Exposure of cells to GTP did not result in global hypomethylation, as demonstrated by methyl‐specific PCR for LINE‐1 promoter; rather GTP promotes maintenance of genomic integrity. Furthermore, exposure of cells to GTP did not cause activation of the prometaststic gene S100P, a reverse response noted after exposure of cells to 5‐aza‐2′deoxycitidine. Our results, for the first time, demonstrate that GTP has dual potential to alter DNA methylation and chromatin modeling, the 2 global epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation and their lack of toxicity makes them excellent candidates for the chemoprevention of prostate cancer.
기업의 사회책임 활동이 기업 평판에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

본 논문은 한국과 중국의 공중 인식을 중심으로 CSR 활동이 기업평판에 미치는 영향을 비교 분석해 보았다. 구체적으로 양국에서 CSR 활동이 기업평판에 미치는 영향에 어떠한 차이가 있는지, CSR 활동을 집행하는 기업의 국적(자국/다국적)이 CSR 활동이 기업의 평판에 미치는 영향을 조절하는지 살펴보았다. 이를 위해 한국과 중국에서 각각 100여 명의 학생들이 참가하는 설문조사를 실시하였다. 연구 결과, 한국과 중국 모든 국가에서 적극적으로 CSR 활동을 하는 기업일수록 긍정적인 기업 평판을 구축할 수 있음이 밝혀졌다. 그러나, CSR 활동을 수행하는 기업의 국적이 CSR 활동이 기업평판에 미치는 영향을 조절하지는 않는 것으로 나타났다.
An Agent-Based Adaptation of Friendship Games : Observations on Network Topologies

A friendship game in game theory is a network game in which a player's immediate neighbors on the network are considered friends. Two friendship-based game models are examined: strategic complements and strategic substitutes. Strategic complements represent decisions for which it is preferable to do what one's friends are doing, such as adopting a common software product. Strategic substitutes represent decisions for which it is preferable to let one friend act alone, such as the private provision of a public good. The game theory models predict the rate of change of preferences and speci c equilibrium outcomes over speci c time scales for each model. This paper employs an agent-based model (ABM) implementation of friendship games to examine the sensitivity of equilibrium states to network topology. In future work, the ABM model can provide a means to examine the motivations for behaviors of speci c individuals in these models beyond closed-form payo functions.
Sociodemographic characteristics and quality-of-life of greek menopausal women treated with hormone therapy

Background: Menopause, a significant and unavoidable change of the normal female biological process, has attracted science’s attention since ancient times. In recent decades, women claim the right to social production and better quality of their remaining life. The aim of this descriptive, comparative and prospective study was to investigate the demographic characteristics and the quality-of-life of Greek postmenopausal women who were taking Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) compared with those not taking. Method and Material: The sample consisted of 216 postmenopausal women aged 40 to 60 years old who were divided into two groups and evaluated at the beginning of the research, as well as six months later, in a period of 19 months. The MHT group consisted of 100 women who were taking MHT and the non-MHT group consisted of 116 women who were not. A questionnaire for demographic data was used, as well the Greene Climacteric Scale (GC) and the Menopause-Specific Quality-of-life Questionnaire (MENQOL). Results: 46.3% of women were taking MHT, while the 53.7% were not. By comparing the two groups, it became apparent that the MHT group of women were more likely to have grown up in an urban area (p = 0.04), to have higher education (p
Medications Do Not Necessarily Normalize Cognition in ADHD Patients

Objective: Although ADHD medications are effective for the behavioral components of the disorder, little information exists concerning their effects on cognition, especially in community samples. Method: A cross-sectional study of ADHD patients treated with three different ADHD drugs was conducted. Patients' performance on a computerized neurocognitive screening battery was compared to untreated ADHD patients and normal controls (NML). A total of 177 ADHD patients aged 10 to 18, achieved a favorable response to one of the following medications: Adderall XR (AMP), atomoxetine (ATMX), and Concerta (MPH-OROS) compared to 95 untreated ADHD patients and 101 NML. Results: Significant differences were detected between normals and untreated ADHD patients. Treated patients performed better than untreated patients but remained significantly impaired compared to normal subjects. Conclusion: Even with optimal treatment, based on parents' and teachers' opinions, subtle and not-so-subtle neurocognitive impairments persisted in the ADHD patients. Some ADHD patients may require additional educational assistance, even in the face of successful medication treatment. (J. of Att. Dis. 2008; 11(4) 459-469)
The archaeal cofactor F0 is a light-harvesting antenna chromophore in eukaryotes

Archae possess unique biochemical systems quite distinct from the pathways present in eukaryotes and eubacteria. 7,8-Dimethyl-8-hydroxy-5deazaflavin (F0) and F420 are unique deazaflavin-containing coenzyme and methanogenic signature molecules, essential for a variety of biochemical transformations associated with methane biosynthesis and light-dependent DNA repair. The deazaflavin cofactor system functions during methane biosynthesis as a low-potential hydrid shuttle F420/F420H2. In DNA photolyase repair proteins, the deazaflavin cofactor is in the deprotonated state active as a light-collecting energy transfer pigment. As such, it converts blue sunlight into energy used by the proteins to drive an essential repair process. Analysis of a eukaryotic (6-4) DNA photolyase from Drosophila melanogaster revealed a binding pocket, which tightly binds F0. Residues in the pocket activate the cofactor by deprotonation so that light absorption and energy transfer are switched on. The crystal structure of F0 in complex with the D. melanogaster protein shows the atomic details of F0 binding and activation, allowing characterization of the residues involved in F0 activation. The results show that the F0/F420 coenzyme system, so far believed to be strictly limited to the archael kingdom of life, is far more widespread than anticipated. Analysis of a D. melanogaster extract and of a DNA photolyase from the primitive eukaryote Ostreococcus tauri provided direct proof for the presence of the F0 cofactor also in higher eukaryotes.
Quadratic stabilization control for a class of switched linear systems with state and input time-delays

A class of switched systems with Time-varying state and input delay is studied in this paper through connect the free-weighting matrix approach, Newton-Leibniz formula. By using the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functiong and multiple-Lyapunov function, a sufficient condition of the existence of controller with delay-dependent stability is given. Adjusting the corresponding parameters in the free-weighting matrix, a controller optimization algorithm is derived. As a special case, the results on delay-dependent/delay -derivative-independent stability and the existence of controller is obtained.
Implementation of Neural-Network-Based Inverse-Model Control Strategies on an Exothermic Reactor

In recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of control system techniques that are based on nonlinear concepts. One such method is the nonlinear inverse-model based control strategy. This method is however highly dependent on the availability of the inverse of the system model under control, which are normally difficult to obtain analytically for nonlinear systems. Since neural networks have the ability to model many nonlinear systems including their inverses, their use in this control scheme is highly promising. In this work, we investigate the use of these neural-network-based inverse model control strategy to control an exothermic reactor. The use of the specialised method of training the inverse neural network model is demonstrated. The utilization of two different inverse-model schemes namely the direct inverse control and the internal-model control methods are shown for both set point and disturbance rejection cases. The overall results for set point tracking are good in both control strategies but the direct inverse control method had limitations when dealing with disturbances. Other important aspects relating to the use of neural networks for identification and controls are also discussed in this paper.
Accelerated POP hashing for fast palmprint identification on large-scale databases

A typical palmprint identification system identifies a query palmprint by matching it with the templates in the database and comparing the result with the pre-defined similarity threshold. When applied on large-scale databases, it is often necessary to speed up this process. Previous study shows that POP hashing is very effective for fast and accurate palmprint identification. As state-of-the-art approach, its speedup is around 15 to 20 on databases with 10,000 to 100,000 templates. In this paper, we investigate the POP hashing algorithm in more depth, and propose to accelerate it by improved pre-processing approach, i.e. building the hash table using more consistent orientation features. Experimental results on several real and synthetic databases show that the proposed method can accelerate POP hashing up to 50%∼85%, with negligible accuracy loss. Meanwhile, the space requirement of the hash table is reduced by a factor of 2, making it more appealing for practical applications.
Prevalence of breastfeeding among a multiethnic population in Hawaii.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study, conducted in a multiethnic population in Hawaii, was to estimate the prevalence of breastfeeding at six months of age, exclusive and otherwise, as well as to identify positively and negatively associated factors. METHODS A content-valid survey was conducted among a random stratified sample, and a printed questionnaire was sent to mothers of infants aged 7-10 months. A response rate of 70% yielded 701 completed surveys. RESULTS At six months after birth, some breastfeeding was practiced by 54% of respondents. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding was approximately 16% at six months. Race and ethnicity assessment showed that Whites had the highest rates and Filipinos the lowest. Formula use in the hospital was most significantly associated with lower breastfeeding rates at six months. CONCLUSIONS Exclusive breastfeeding for six months, even in a state with extremely high initiation rates, is seldom achieved. Formula use in the maternity units should be reduced, and intensive targeted study and education of the Filipino community should be undertaken.