Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing Impacts of Wood Utilisation Scenarios for a Lithuanian Bioeconomy: Impacts on Carbon in Forests and Harvested Wood Products and on the Socio-Economic Performance of the Forest-Based Sector

Climate change and transition towards a bioeconomy are seen as both challenges and opportunities for the forest-based sector in Europe. Transition towards a bioeconomy will in most cases rely on intensified use of renewable resources and/or advancement in technology. However, how can the intensified use of renewable resources be combined with climate change mitigation measures to increase carbon sinks in the forest-based sector? Additionally, what are the possible socio-economic and environmental impacts of intensified wood use? In this study, we examined the impacts of increased wood utilisation in Lithuania. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of increased domestic wood utilisation on: (i) employment; (ii) the economic performance of the sector; (iii) carbon in forest biomass and soil; and (iv) carbon in harvested wood products (HWP). The system boundaries were set in accordance with international greenhouse gas reporting to include only domestic wood flows. We assessed alternative wood utilisation scenarios using a forest resource model and a tool to assess sustainability impacts of (wood) value chains, using country specific data on wood (carbon) flows. Our results indicate that increased wood use could lead to trade-offs between six selected indicators. Opportunities for employment and the economic performance of the forest-based sector improved in all scenarios due to increased wood utilisation. However, when forest fellings increased, the carbon stored in forests decreased, the carbon stored in HWP increased, but overall the total carbon stored in forests and HWP decreased. When considering also additional substitution effects until the year 2100, the scenario with reduced wood exports generated larger total climate change mitigation effects than the baseline. Our results suggest that increased wood utilisation might support Lithuania’s bioeconomy through increased socio-economic benefits. National positive climate change mitigation effects could be gained only if additional actions to utilise more domestic wood for long-life HWP will be taken.
Proliferation and invasion factors in HIV-associated dysplastic and nondysplastic oral warts and in oral squamous cell carcinoma: an immunohistochemical and RT-PCR evaluation.

OBJECTIVE Oral warts arising in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection occasionally show marked epithelial dysplasia. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that they do not progress to oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Therefore, we evaluated lesions for expression of proteins (tenascin-C, beta6 integrin, and matrix metalloproteinase-1[MMP1]) that have been identified as important in the invasive phase of oral SCC. STUDY DESIGN Twenty-two oral dysplastic warts from 22 patients and 5 oral SCCs were stained for human papillomavirus (HPV) antigen, proliferation protein Ki-67, tenascin-C, beta6, and MMP1 by immunohistochemical methods. For comparison, 5 nondysplastic warts each from HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients and 5 normal mucosa specimens were included. Sections were semiquantitatively assessed, and results were compared. Because MMP1 was the lowest or least expressed interface protein, MMP1 mRNA was quantitatively assessed from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue in selected cases with quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Twenty of 22 dysplastic warts stained positive for human papillomavirus common antigen, and all warts showed high proliferative fractions similar to SCCs. Tenascin-C and beta6 were variably expressed by the dysplastic warts but were consistently expressed at high levels in the SCCs. MMP1 protein levels were negative or low in 20 of 22 in dysplastic warts, but were elevated in 4 of 5 SCCs. MMP1 mRNA analysis indicated that message was low in 4 dysplastic warts and also suggested that protein translation was incomplete in 3 of the warts. CONCLUSION We conclude that invasion-associated proteins are underexpressed in oral dysplastic warts in HIV-positive men. However, until these patients are followed for extended periods, the risk of development of SCC from oral dysplastic warts remains unknown.
Where do Hedge Fund Managers Come from? Past Employment Experience and Managerial Performance

Hedge funds are secretive products whose quality is difficult to ascertain in advance of investment. We examine two views of past work experience as predictors of hedge fund manager pedigree. In one, sector specific (hedge fund) work experience is positively related to performance. In the other, related industry (mutual funds, prime brokerages, custodian firms and securities brokerages) experience correlates with superior performance. Overall, aspects of specific and generally related industry experience appear important in signaling hedge fund quality. Funds whose management team possesses past hedge fund experience report superior performance. However, diversifying across experience types in a fund has no impact on returns. Hedge fund manager teams with prime brokerage and custodian experience along both proportional and diversity dimensions experience higher survival probabilities.
Reply to “Chloroquine, an Antifungal but Also a Fertility Drug”

We thank [Kock et al.][1] for highlighting their point to readers of our paper ([1][2]). Our paper does indeed include the suggestion that the results might have the potential for clinical application, including in malaria patients. The use of chloroquine (CQ) as an antifungal agent is not a new
Smoking habit profile and health-related quality of life.

BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated the relationship between smoking and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and the results are not consistent. The aim of this study is to explore the association between smoking and HRQOL. METHOD Cross-sectional study of 714 Spanish adults (44.7% never smokers and 55.3% smokers) without diagnosis of physical or mental disorder. Each participant provided information about different sociodemographic variables and data on HRQOL. Smokers also reported smoking-related information about smoking-related variables. RESULTS Nicotine dependence was not associated with the physical dimension of HRQOL, but in the mental component, nicotine dependent smokers showed worse HRQOL than never smokers (p = 0.004) and than non-nicotine dependent smokers (p = 0.014). There were no differences between no-nicotine dependent smokers and never smokers. Smoking status (non smokers vs. smokers), number of cigarettes smoked per day, stage of change, quit attempts in the past year or age of smoking onset were not related to HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS In subjects without physical or mental diseases, only nicotine dependent smokers showed a significant impairment in the mental component of HRQOL. Therefore, it is important to consider nicotine dependence in the relationship between smoking and HRQOL.
Evaluating, taxing and insuring agricultural enterprises

By analyzing the pros and cons of the US farms taxation methodologies, this paper aims to advise that best practice of taxing farms in transition economies would be consistent with a multiple of cash flow valuation approaches and suggests that a liquid market for agricultural insurance can be created in emerging economies as it provides a methodology for valuation of drought insurance contracts. As such recent drought and flood damages in such countries could have been reimbursed privately.
Excess triiodothyronine as a risk factor of coronary events.

BACKGROUND Abnormalities in cardiac function, eg, arrhythmias and congestive heart failure, often accompany thyrotoxicosis. A relationship between thyroid hormone excess and the cardiac complications of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction (MI) remains largely speculative. METHODS The results of thyroid function studies on blood samples drawn from a total of 1049 patients (aged 40 years or older) immediately on emergency medical admission were related to frequencies of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction as determined according to current diagnostic algorithms. After 3 years, those patients who had initially presented with angina pectoris or acute MI were observed for subsequent coronary events; of these (n=185), 98% of the subjects (n=181) could be reevaluated. RESULTS On hospital admission, the relative rate of angina pectoris and MI was markedly high (odds ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-5.2; P=.007) in patients with elevated serum free and total triiodothyronine (T(3)) levels. An initially elevated free T(3) level was a risk factor for subsequent coronary events during the 3-year follow-up (adjusted odds ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-17.4; P=.02). CONCLUSIONS An elevation of serum free T(3) levels at hospital admission is associated with a 2.6-fold greater likelihood of the presence of a coronary event. Moreover, an initially elevated T(3) level is associated with a 3-fold higher risk of developing a subsequent coronary event during the next 3 years. Excess T(3) seemed to be a factor associated with the development and progression of acute myocardial ischemia.
Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy in a Single Crystal Fe-Ni-Ga Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloy

In order to discuss the advent of the magnetic-field-induced strains for a single crystal Fe 22.0 Ni 51.5 Ga 265 shape memory alloy, the magnetic easy axis in the 14M martensite phase and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant K have been investigated. From the data on the spontaneous thermal expansion and the magnetization curves, the magnetic easy axis of the 14 M martensite phase was determined to be the [010] 14M . The value of K in the martensite phase was estimated to be 1.3 x 10 5 J/m 3 , implying to exhibit a large value of the magnetic-field-induced strain.
Influences of Implementing the Learning Organisation on Companies’ Financial and Non-Financial Performances

The learning organisation (LO) concept as one of the numerous management tools available has been significantly gaining in popularity around the globe. Yet few models have been implemented to assess the lo’s influences on companies’ non-financial and financial performances. Therefore, at the usp Institute a Learning Organisation Assessing Model (LOAM) was developed and implemented over a period of five years. The empirical research presented in this article reveals positive non-financial and financial effects on the performances of companies with a more developed LO concept according to the LOAM. Research findings reveal the critical success factors in the implementation of the LO and provide tangible advice to management in helping them to achieve the best results possible when applying the LO concept.
Behavioral attributes and performance in international strategic alliances

Purpose – The aim of this study is to provide a methodical, analytical, and focused review of international strategic alliance (ISA) studies examining empirically behavioral attributes' performance outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – This study centers on an integrative analysis of 41 studies investigating the performance relevance of behavioral attributes. After developing a conceptual framework, which included two categories of these attributes – relationship capital (i.e. trust and commitment) and exchange climate (i.e. cooperation, communication, and conflict reduction) – the methodologies of the studies were profiled and their empirical findings aggregated. The accumulated effect of each behavioral attribute on performance and extent to which this effect varies in relation to ISA geographic location and type and study operating period was examined.Findings – The review suggests that while there are direct links between behavioral aspects and alliance performance, the strength of these varies acros.
Connaissance, ressources, concurrence et les frontières de l'entreprise

This thesis, comprised of three research papers, provides insight into the outsourcing decision and for firm boundaries by elaborating theoretical arguments in favor of, and then validating three different factors: resources, knowledge and competition. The first two papers respectively propose and validate empirically the role of firm capabilities and of knowledge based transactions costs on firm boundaries. Resources, I demonstrate, serve as “shift parameters” that lead to a “shift” in the critical value of asset specificity at which outsourcing (market governance) gives way to in-sourcing (hierarchy). Knowledge based transaction costs are costs that are incurred when switching from in-sourcing to outsourcing. I show that knowledge based transaction costs affect the sourcing decision and the performance that follows. The final paper proposes and validates through simulation the role of competition for the firm boundary decision. I show that as a result of competitive interactions, “cascades of outsourcing” may be produced in an industry and that this affects the vertical structure of the industry
GreenHDFS : A Cyber-Physical , Data-Centric Cooling Energy Costs Reduction Approach for Big Data Analytics Cloud

Big Data explosion and surge in large-scale Big Data analytics cloud infrastructure have led to burgeoning energy costs and present a challenge to the existing run-time cooling energy management techniques. T ∗GreenHDFS, a thermalaware cloud file system, takes a novel, data-centric approach to reduce cooling energy costs. On the physicalside, T ∗GreenHDFS is cognizant of the uneven thermalprofile in the data centers due to complex airflow patterns, varying ability of the cooling system to cool different parts of the data center, and run-time load distribution. On the cyber-side, T ∗GreenHDFS is aware of the differences in the data-semantics of the data placed on the clusters. Based on this knowledge, and coupled with its predictive data models, T ∗GreenHDFS does proactive, thermal-aware data placement, which implicitly results in thermal-aware computation placement in the Big Data analytics cloud compute model. Evaluation results show up to 59% reduction in the cooling energy costs with T ∗GreenHDFS.
An architecture for user privacy in mobile networks

During the 1990's the use of electronic communications became a part of everyday life through the explosion of both mobile telephony and Internet use. The next decade promises further rapid development, with multimedia mobile networking and the convergence of existing networks. These developments have not been without impediment, concern over privacy being important amongst these. Privacy in a mobile environment involves the protection of message content, identification and location, as well as service use behaviour. In addition, a user requires this protection against not only parties outside the network but also from the parties operating the network itself. In this thesis we have addressed the security and privacy requirements within mobile networks. A survey of existing literature shows that these requirements are not currently satisfied. In response to this we present the development of an architecture, the Mobile Network Privacy Architecture (MNPA). The MNPA proposes two novel physical components and two new protocols to perform important network tasks, namely location update and secure billing for services. The two new physical components are the Privacy Routing Capability (PRC), and the Privacy Token Issuing Authority (PTIA). The PRC facilitates network anonymity by enabling untraceable message transport between any two hosts. The PTIA is a third party authority that facilitates privacy-enhanced protocols through the issuing of privacy tokens to the network of each user. Our analysis and evaluation of the architecture shows that the MNPA protocols and components meet the requirements for achieving privacy. The analysis focuses on potential attacks on the system, including those of collusion between parties. This leads us to examine the most pressing assumption, that of trust between the user and the various components, which must be satisfied in order to complement the technical measures in place. Prototyping experiments are discussed and it is shown how the above system can be implemented. Finally we present a series of proposals for further research work that have been raised by this work, such as user interfaces for privacy, data access for law enforcement and the prevention of denial of service attacks within the MNPA.
Mechanisms of immune system activation in glaucoma: oxidative stress-stimulated antigen presentation by the retina and optic nerve head glia.

PURPOSE Evidence supports the immune system activity accompanying glaucomatous neurodegeneration. This study aimed to determine the in vitro effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the phenotype and antigen-presenting function of the retina and optic nerve head glia. METHODS Cultures of rat retina and optic nerve head glia were treated with a mixture of ROS-generating compounds for 24 and 48 hours. Pretreated glial cells were then coincubated with syngeneic CD4(+) T cells for 48 hours. ROS generation and cell viability were assessed with the use of dihydroethidium and calcein assays, respectively. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry were used to determine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. In addition, functional experiments were performed to determine the proliferation and cytokine secretion of T cells using [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation and TNF-alpha assays, respectively. RESULTS MHC class II molecules were upregulated on glial cells exposed to ROS. Compared with the control glia, glial cells in ROS-generating systems were found to be more potent inducers of T-cell activation in a cell density- and time-dependent manner, as assessed by increased T-cell proliferation (approximately threefold) and TNF-alpha secretion (approximately sixfold; P < 0.01). When an ROS scavenging treatment was applied, MHC class II upregulation on glial cells persisted, but antigen-mediated T-cell activation was significantly decreased (P < 0.01), indicating an additional costimulatory function of ROS during antigen presentation. CONCLUSIONS These in vitro findings support that ROS regulate the immune response by stimulating the antigen-presenting ability of glial cells and functioning as costimulatory molecules for antigen presentation.
Validation study toward measuring the mechanical properties of blood clots using resonant acoustic spectroscopy with optical vibrometry

Clot elastic modulus (CEM) has recently been shown to correlate with various hemostatic and thrombotic disorders and may be an important diagnostic parameter in cardiovascular diseases. Current methods of CEM measurement lack repeatability and require large sample volume. We present a novel method named resonant acoustic spectroscopy with optical vibrometry (RASOV) that has the potential to assess CEM with higher accuracy and speed, and lower sample volume. To validate RASOV, we measured the acoustic spectrum of agarose gel with varied concentrations in openfaced rectangular wells. Results showed a linear relationship between the natural resonant frequency and agarose content within a concentration range of 4 to 12 mg/mL. Furthermore, we observed that the resonant frequencies decrease with increasing transducer mass. As a highly accurate, resonance-based method, RASOV has great potential for biomechanical properties measurement, especially for human blood.
BIOGAS UPGRADING PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NATURAL GAS SUBSTITUTE

Biogas from anaerobic digestion of biological wastes is a renewable energy resource. It has been used to provide heat, shaft power and electricity. Typical biogas contains 50-65% methane (CH4), 30-45% carbon dioxide (CO2), moisture and traces of hydrogen sulphide (H2S). Presence of CO2 and H2S in biogas affects engine performance adversely. Reducing CO2 and H2S content will significantly improve quality of biogas. In this work, a method for biogas scrubbing and CH4 enrichment is presented. Chemical adsorption of H2S and chemical absorption of CO2 by in a biomethane unit was experimentally investigated.
JENERİK REKABET STRATEJİLERİNİN FİRMALARIN İHRACAT PERFORMANSINA ETKİSİ / THE EFFECT OF GENERIC COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES ON FIRMS' EXPORT PERFORMANCE

Bu calismanin amaci, jenerik rekabet stratejilerinin (isletmelerin icinde bulunduklari sektorlerde rakiplerine gore durumlarini ve rekabet guclerini ifade eden rekabet stratejileri) maliyet liderligi ve farklilasma boyutlari ile ihracat performansi arasindaki iliskileri incelemektir. Jenerik rekabet stratejileri ve ihracat performansi arasindaki iliskiler ile ilgili olarak olusturulan hipotezler, Turkiye’de faaliyet gosteren otomotiv yan sanayi firmalarindaki 386 yoneticiden anket yoluyla elde edilen veriler kullanilarak test edilmistir. Yapilan analizler sonucunda, pazarlama farklilasmasi ve musteri hizmet farklilasmasinin ihracat performansi ile pozitif yonde iliskili oldugu gorulmustur. Ayrica rekabet yogunlugunun, pazarlama farklilasmasi ve musteri hizmet farklilasmasi ile ihracat performansi arasindaki iliski uzerinde ilimlastirici etkisi oldugu bulgusu elde edilmistir.
Genes Affecting the Cell Cycle, Growth, Maintenance, and Drug Sensitivity Are Preferentially Regulated by Anti-HER2 Antibody through Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-AKT Signaling*

The molecular mechanisms by which the anti-HER2 antibodies trastuzumab and its murine equivalent 4D5 inhibit tumor growth and potentiate chemotherapy are not fully understood. Inhibition of signaling through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT pathway may be particularly important. Treatment of breast cancer cells that overexpress HER2 with trastuzumab inhibited HER2-HER3 association, decreased PDK1 activity, reduced Thr-308 and Ser-473 phosphorylation of AKT, and reduced AKT enzymatic activity. To place the role of PI3K-AKT in perspective, gene expression was studied by using Affymetrix microarrays and real time reverse transcription-PCR. Sixteen genes were consistently down-regulated 2.0–4.9-fold in two antibody-treated breast cancer cell lines. Fourteen of the 16 genes were involved in three major functional areas as follows: 7 in cell cycle regulation, particularly of the G2-M; 5 in DNA repair/replication; and 2 in modifying chromatin structure. Of the 16 antibody-regulated genes, 64% had roles in cell growth/maintenance and 52% contributed to the cell cycle. Direct inhibition of PI3K with an inhibitor markedly reduced expression of 14 genes that were also affected by the antibody. Constitutive activation of AKT1 blocked the effect of the anti-HER2 antibody on cell cycle arrest and on eight differentially expressed genes. The antibody enhanced docetaxel-induced growth inhibition but did not increase the fraction of apoptotic cells induced with docetaxel alone. In contrast, the antibody plus docetaxel markedly down-regulated two genes, HEC and DEEPEST, required for passage through G2-M. Thus, anti-HER2 antibody preferentially affects genes contributing to cell cycle progression and cell growth/maintenance, in part through the PI3K-AKT signaling. Transcriptional regulation by anti-HER2 antibody through PI3K-AKT pathway may potentiate the growth inhibitory activity of docetaxel by affecting cell cycle progression.