Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ein verteilt-parametrischer Zugang zur Regelung von Multi-Agentensystemen

Zusammenfassung Es wird eine 2-Freiheitsgraderegelung (2-FHG) für die Formationsregelung eines Multi-Agentensystems in gewünschte Profile entwickelt. Dabei wird ein Kontinuumsmodell in Form einer modifizierten viskosen Burgersgleichung herangezogen. Für diese Form der Agentendynamik kann eine flachheitsbasierte Vorsteuerung mit einer Backstepping-basierten Randwertregelung kombiniert werden, welche das Folgefehlersystem stabilisiert. Es wird gezeigt, dass die Einführung eines verteilt-parametrischen Exosystems die translatorische Verschiebung der Formation ermöglicht. Die Übertragung der Regelungsstrategie von einem unendlich-dimensionalen, kontinuierlichen zu einem endlich-dimensionalen, diskreten Multi-Agentensystem erfolgt durch geeignete Diskretisierung, welche die notwendige Kommunikationstopologie einprägt. Die Ergebnisse werden in Simulationen evaluiert.
Investigating the Antecedents of Green Brand Equity: A Sustainable Development Perspective

This study proposed five novel constructs – green satisfaction, green affect, green trust, green brand loyalty, and green brand equity – and explored the positive relationships between these constructs. Electronics products in South Korea were the focus of this research. This empirical study was carried out by the one-to-one interview method using a structured questionnaire. The results showed that green brand satisfaction has a positive effect on green trust, affect, and loyalty. In addition, the results revealed that green brand, trust, and affect have a significantly positive influence on green brand loyalty. Furthermore, we found that green brand loyalty has a strongly positive influence on green brand equity. This study suggests that in addition to the perceived green trust arising from eco-friendly attributes, green affect characterized by positive emotional consumption plays an important role in building green loyalty and green brand equity for sustainable development. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Microtubule-associated Protein-2 is a Sensitive Marker of Primary and Metastatic Neuroblastoma

Background Microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) is a protein expressed in high levels in cells derived from the neural crest. To the best of our knowledge, MAP-2 expression has not been thoroughly evaluated in tissues outside of the central nervous tissue. We examined the diagnostic utility of MAP-2 as a marker of neuroblastoma and attempted to characterize the expression of this protein in other tumors in the morphologic differential diagnosis of neuroblastoma. Results MAP-2 showed significant cytoplasmic reactivity in 95% of primary and 100% of metastatic neuroblastomas. Included within this set of tumors were 3 undifferentiated neuroblastomas, all of which showed strong staining. MAP-2 did not show significant staining in the majority of other small round blue cell tumors within the morphologic differential. Additionally, MAP-2 showed comparable sensitivity in staining primary neuroblastomas as compared with synaptophysin, chromogranin, CD56, and β-catenin. In contrast to other markers of neuroblastoma, MAP-2 did not show significant cross reactivity to native bone marrow precursors, thus eliminating a potential source of confusion. In normal tissues, MAP-2 staining was essentially restricted to organs derived from the neural crest (adrenal medulla, endocrine organs). Variant patterns of staining were seen in exocrine organs, monocyte/macrophages and solitary fibrous tumor/hemangiopericytoma family of tumors. Rarely, high-grade adult sarcomas exhibiting strong cytoplasmic MAP-2 staining were seen. Conclusions MAP-2 is a sensitive and specific marker of neuroblastoma, both in the primary tumor and bone marrow biopsy settings. We think that MAP-2, in conjunction with synaptophysin, is a very powerful immunohistochemical marker in differentiating neuroblastoma from its morphologic mimics.
Benefit Segmentation Using Service Quality Dimensions

Effective segmentation is a challenge for financial service managers. Investigates the use of service quality, convenience, and competitiveness as a basis for benefit segmentation. Identifies two segments, a performance driven segment that in the retail bank sector is primarily interested in having the bank “get it right the first time” and a convenience driven segment that wants location. An important benefit for both segments was competitive rates. Results indicate that the segments differ with respect to evaluation of their main financial institution and satisfaction levels.
Développement et performance d'une structure relationnelle: l'exemple de la logistique d'un groupe de distribution

Based on competition at market and suppliers levels, companies owned by a distribution group follow a cooperation strategy on the logistics operations. The concept of relational strategy is helpful to describe and analyze the coordination structure set up by the observed companies. The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the relational structure. It analyzes the performance of such a structure. We show that performance can be analyzed at an individual level and at a collective level. Whatever the level, this structure gives greater place to short term performance to the detriment of long-term performance.
A comparison of segmentation techniques for target extraction in ground penetrating radar data

In a typical GPR survey, a great amount of data is collected, and only a small percentage of this amount represent useful data (i.e. target data) whereas the majority of the data is considered non-useful. The first of the post-processing stages, which relies heavily on a skilled operator, involves pointing out the areas that may contain targets and suppressing others. Consequently, this process consumes considerable amounts of time and effort, apart from the fact that the existence of the human factor at this critical stage invariably introduces inconsistency and error into the interpretation. In this paper, three techniques for automatic GPR data segmentation are discussed and compared. The techniques rely on the computation of certain features from which a neural network can then arrive at a decision to classify the data segments in question as targets or otherwise. The first technique is based on extracting three statistical features from A-scan segments while the second technique computes statistical features from B-scan regions to produce the discrimination bases for the neural classifier to distinguish targets from non-targets. In the third technique, some regional properties of B-scan segments accompanied by the statistical features are used to achieve discrimination not only between targets and non- targets, rather between hyperbolic-shaped and non-hyperbolic-shaped targets as well. All three techniques were on different types of GPR data collected from a variety of sites, and they proved to be very efficient to form a robust automatic technique for data reduction and segmentation.
Maternal-fetal calcium and bone metabolism during pregnancy, puerperium, and lactation.

I. Introduction II. Maternal Physiology and Pathophysiology During Pregnancy A. Maternal adaptive goals during pregnancy B. Mineral ions and calcitropic hormones C. Intestinal absorption of calcium D. Renal handling of calcium E. Skeletal calcium metabolism F. Primary hyperparathyroidism G. Hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypopara- thyroidism H. Summary III. Fetal-Placental Physiology and Pathophysiology A. Fetal adaptive goals B. Mineral ions and calcitropic hormones C. Fetal-placental calcium transport D. Renal handling of calcium and the amniotic fluid E. Skeletal calcium metabolism F. Fetal response to maternal hyper- or hypoparathy-roidism G. Integrated fetal calcium homeostasis H. Summary IV. Maternal Physiology and Pathophysiology During Lactation A. Maternal adaptive goals during lactation B. Mineral ions and calcitropic hormones C. Intestinal absorption of calcium D. Renal handling of calcium E. Skeletal calcium metabolism F. Hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathy- roidism G. Summary V. Neonatal P.
Overexpression of cyclin D 1 and interaction between p 27 Kip 1 and tumour thickness predict lymph node metastases occurrence in lower lip squamous cell carcinoma

a Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy b Department of General Surgery, Emergency and Organ Transplants (GENURTO), University of Palermo, Via L. Giuffrè 5, 90127 Palermo, Italy c Department of Surgery and Oncology Disciplines, University of Palermo, Via L. Giuffrè 5, 90127 Palermo, Italy d Department of Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Predicting Purchase Timing, Brand Choice and Purchase Amount of Firm Adoption of Radically Innovative Information Technology: A Business to Business Empirical Analysis

In presenting this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the Library of the University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type. I agree that permission to quote from, to copy from, or publish this dissertation may be granted by the author or, in his/her absence, the professor under whose direction it was written or, in his absence, by the Dean of the Robinson College of Business. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for the scholarly purposes and does not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying from or publication of this dissertation which involves potential gain will not be allowed without written permission of the author. All dissertations deposited in the Georgia State University Library must be used only in accordance with the stipulations prescribed by the author in the preceding statement. 2012 ACCEPTANCE This dissertation was prepared under the direction of the TIMOTHY RICHARD BOHLING Dissertation Committee. It has been approved and accepted by all members of that committee, and it has been accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Executive Doctorate in Business in the J.
New Rules for Credit Default Swap Trading: Can We Now Follow the Risk?

Credit default swaps, a useful but complex financial innovation of the 1990s, were traded over the counter before the financial crisis. Because of this infrastructure, a very opaque market emerged, and from it, the severe risk imbalances that helped fuel the crisis. Reforms are now being worked out and put in place which will move the majority of credit default swaps transactions to more transparent exchanges. Market participants will be able to see pre-trade and post-trade pricing, and regulators will have access to information that will allow them to monitor risk concentrations as they develop and take actions before they become of systemic concern.
Exploring the driving factors behind the event strategy in Qatar

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the main driving factors behind the recent increase in the event market size in Qatar from a public policy perspective. It reports on a case study of the 2006 15th Asian Games that assisted in further examining both the underlying and implicit motives behind the phenomenon as well as its expected policy implications.Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory paper uses a case study approach in which two complementary types of data sources are employed. The qualitative data was mainly obtained from in‐depth semi‐structured interviews conducted with 26 key stakeholders ranging from middle to senior professionals, academicians, high‐ranking officials from the local tourism/sports authorities, and representatives from the private sector. The data was further enhanced by an extensive review and analysis of related documents available in the public domain. Data was analyzed using an iterative thematic content analysis whose findings served to illustrate the.
The sheep egg: enzymatic removal of the zona pellucida and culture of eggs in vitro.

A total of 429 eggs was used to investigate procedures both for the removal of the zona pellucida and for the culture of sheep eggs in vitro. The effect of pronase, papain, bromelain, trypsin and \g=a\-chymotrypsin, on the zonae pellucidae of fertilized and unfertilized eggs was studied in the first series of experiments. All the enzymes were effective in removing the zonae pellucidae from unfertilized eggs. Pronase was the only enzyme that had a significant lytic effect on the zonae of fertilized eggs denuding 34% of eggs in less than 5 min and almost all the other eggs within 90 min. Investigation of some of the factors involved in the successful culture of normal sheep eggs in vitro constituted the second part of the study. Eggs of both the eightto sixteen-cell and morula stages were cultured for 72 hr in either sheep serum, enriched tissue culture medium 199 or Brinster's medium. The development and viability of the eggs after culture was determined by transferring some eggs to recipient sheep and making accurate cell counts on the remainder. Eggs recovered at the eight-cell stage underwent only one or two cleavage divisions during the 72-hr culture period. These eggs did not develop into foetuses when transferred to the uteri of recipient sheep. On the other hand, the majority of morulae cultured for 72 hr in enriched M199 or sheep serum underwent cleavage and blastulation in vitro. That the cultured blastocysts were normal was demonstrated by their implantation and growth into foetuses when transferred to the uteri of suitable recipients.
Correlation between the resistive index by Doppler ultrasound and kidney function and histology.

BACKGROUND Although duplex Doppler ultrasonography has been used widely, it still is unknown whether resistive index could be related directly to vascular or tubulointerstitial changes in the kidney. METHODS Thirty-three patients who underwent renal biopsy were included in the present study. Clinical data, including sex; age; time from abnormal urinalysis result to biopsy; serum creatinine level; creatinine clearance; urinary excretion of protein, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, and urinary beta2-microglobulin; and presence of hypertension, were recorded at biopsy. Histopathologic data, including glomerular sclerosis, interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy, interstitial infiltration, and arteriolosclerosis, were evaluated separately by means of a quantitative or semiquantitative method. We examined whether resistive index at biopsy was related to these clinical and histopathologic parameters and, moreover, to renal outcome in patients followed up for more than 2 years. RESULTS Age, creatinine clearance, urinary beta2-microglobulin excretion, and all histopathologic parameters showed statistically significant correlations with resistive index. However, stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that only arteriolosclerosis was chosen as an independent risk factor for increased resistive index. During the follow-up period of 57.5 +/- 15.6 months in 29 patients, 8 patients (27.6%) had progression of renal impairment, defined as an increase in serum creatinine level greater than 50%. They had a significantly increased resistive index at biopsy compared with patients without progression. CONCLUSION We show a direct relationship between resistive index and arteriolosclerosis in damaged kidneys. Resistive index at renal biopsy may be useful as one of the prognostic markers for renal outcome.
Cutaneous Markers of Photo-Damage and Risk of Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin: A Meta-Analysis

Epidemiologic research has shown that cutaneous markers of photo-damage are associated with risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). However, there has been no previous attempt to calculate pooled risk estimates. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis after extracting relevant studies published up to January 2013 from five electronic databases. Eligible studies were those that permitted quantitative assessment of the association between histologically confirmed BCC and actinic keratoses, solar elastosis, solar lentigines, or telangiectasia. Seven eligible studies were identified and summary odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using both random and quality effects models. Having more than ten actinic keratoses was most strongly associated with BCC, conferring up to a fivefold increase in risk (OR: 4.97; 95% CI: 3.26–7.58). Other factors, including solar elastosis, solar lentigines, and telangiectasia had weaker but positive associations with BCC with ORs around 1.5. Markers of chronic photo-damage are positively associated with BCC. The presence of actinic keratoses was the most strongly associated with BCC of the markers examined. This work highlights the relatively modest association between markers of chronic ultraviolet exposure and BCC. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(9); 1483–9. ©2013 AACR.
Research on Dynamic Pricing and Ordering Policy of Fresh Agriculture Product Considering Consumers’ Perceived Quality

-In this article, we first formulated the demand function of price and quality. Then we analyzed the order quantity and the pricing decision under the single price markdown condition and the multiple price markdown condition respectively. We find that under the single price markdown condition and the multiple price markdown condition, the fresh agricultural products with different consumers’ perceived quality elasticity should make the different optimal ordering quantity and optimal pricing decision. Keywords-fresh agriculture product; consumers’ perceived quality; price discount; ordering quantity
Interaction with the surrounding water plays a key role in determining the aggregation propensity of proteins.

Understanding the molecular determinants of the relative propensities of proteins to aggregate in a cellular environment is a central issue for treating protein-aggregation diseases and developing peptide-based therapeutics. Despite the expectation that protein aggregation can largely be attributed to direct protein-protein interactions, a crucial role the surrounding water in determining the aggregation propensity of proteins both in vitro and in vivo was identified. The overall protein hydrophobicity, defined solely by the hydration free energy of a protein in its monomeric state sampling its equilibrium structures, was shown to be the predominant determinant of protein aggregation propensity in aqueous solution. Striking discrimination of positively and negatively charged residues by the surrounding water was also found. This effect depends on the protein net charge and plays a crucial role in regulating the solubility of the protein. These results pave the way for the design of aggregation-resistant proteins as biotherapeutics.
Competition in the Dutch Flower Markets

Disclaimer: This case was prepared as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of administrative and business situations. It frames the case in terms of a fictional meeting between the CIOs and the Board of the Dutch Flower Auctions for purposes of developing a decision problem and an educational case illustrating competitive strategy and the role of IT in auctions.
Ultrasonography-Based Classification and Reporting System for the Malignant Risk of Thyroid Nodules.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to test the predictive value of a Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) for malignant thyroid nodules. METHODS Ultrasonographic data was examined for 910 thyroid nodules with histopathologically confirmed diagnoses. Nodules were placed into incomplete (category 0) or complete final categories (1, 2, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4, or 5) based on the presence and number of ultrasonographic features of malignancy, and the predictive value for the malignancy of nodules in categories 2-4 was assessed. RESULTS The overall rate of malignancy among thyroid nodules included in the study was 59.34%. The rate of malignancy gradually increased according to TI-RADS categories as follows: category 2, 5.4%; category 3 (a-c), 36% to 92%; and category 4, 99.0%. When nodules of category 2 were counted as benign, the reliability of the TI-RADS classification for determining the risk of malignancy was as follows; sensitivity, 98.15%; specificity, 47.84%; positive predictive value, 73.31%; negative predictive value, 94.65%; and odds ratio, 48.61. CONCLUSIONS The TI-RADS classification used in this study is relatively simple and provides a reliable measure of the risk of malignancy of thyroid nodules.
The Valuation of Distressed Companies - A Conceptual Framework

A version of this paper appears in two parts in (2006) 3 International Corporate Rescue, Issues 2 and 3. It is often crucial to ascertain the value of a distressed company. Those interested in the company's undertaking require this information to determine what should be done with the company's business, and how the value in the company's estate should be distributed amongst them. This article, addressed primarily to the parties to corporate reorganisation proceedings in the UK and their advisers, provides a conceptual framework within which these questions might be answered. The first part of the article identifies the bases on which a company's business might be valued. Drawing upon economic theory, empirical evidence, and the principles evolved by US courts with long experience of dealing with such issues, it explains the circumstances in which one or other of these bases might appropriately be adopted. The onset of corporate distress creates unique additional problems in attempting business valuations, whether carried out in a court context or out of court. Focusing particularly on the incentives of those interested in the outcome of reorganisation proceedings, the article seeks to distinguish between the 'structural' and the 'strategic' factors giving rise to these problems, and explains how these might impact upon the valuation process. It then draws on the US jurisprudence on business valuation to outline three methods for putting a value on a 'going concern'. It is submitted that the principles developed by US courts will prove helpful and persuasive as UK courts grapple more and more frequently with valuation issues. The second part of the article consists of a detailed analysis of the recent judgment of the English High Court in In re MyTravel Group Plc, which is employed as a case study in the application of the conceptual framework laid down in the first part.
Informational Privacy v. The Commercial Speech Doctrine: Can the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Provide Adequate Privacy Protection?

For most Americans today, bank accounts, credit cards, and insurance policies are necessities. When an individual applies for one of these items, it is necessary to provide a great deal of information to these institutions.1 The information ranges from the individual's name, address, telephone number, and Social Security number to, in some circumstances, income and medical history.2 What that individual does not realize, if she did not read the financial institutions' privacy policy very closely, is that these institutions may share or sell that information to telemarketers and profiling companies. The individual who wishes to have a bank account may therefore be, in effect, required to trade her privacy in order to obtain the necessary services. 4 This paper examines the development of privacy and the new threats to informational privacy created by new technologies and computers that aid in the collection and dissemination of information. Part III examines the Financial Services Modernization Act and the privacy regulations established therein. This paper considers whether the Act is effective in protecting consumers' confidential financial information from misuse. The