Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
B.P.M. in transition economies: joint empirical experience of Slovenia and Serbia

Abstract Business process management (B.P.M.) is empirically linked to the performance of organisations. Different studies in the business process field have shown that an organisation can benefit from B.P.M. through better financial and nonfinancial performance, which can drive it to competitive advantage. B.P.M. is also a concept which leads to better organised systems and can help companies in transition economies to perform better. The purpose of this paper is to compare B.P.M. practice in Slovenia and Serbia in order to formulate recommendations for companies in transition economies. The survey was carried out in 115 representatives of Slovene companies and 91 Serbian companies in the year 2014. The conclusions and recommendation for B.P.M. implementation in transition economies were drawn upon similarities in B.P.M. practice between Serbian and Slovenian companies. In addition, the differences in B.P.M. practice were analysed in order to identify the ways one country can learn from the experience of the other. The results from Slovenia and Serbia from 2014 are interesting for both countries from the perspective of how B.P.M. practice could be further developed in Slovenia and Serbia. The findings have significant managerial implications, as they will help managers to better understand the key factors for successful B.P.M. implementation transitional countries companies.
Progress Towards the Development of Transgenic Disease Resistance in Citrus

Florida is the world's third largest producer of citrus, behind Brazil and China. This 9 billion dollar industry is now under siege by two important diseases - citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing (HLB), and citrus canker. Both these diseases are caused by gram negative bacteria. Canker is primarily affecting the grapefruit industry and poses problems with the establishment of new sweet orange groves. It can be managed by following a canker suppression program, whereas HLB affects all cultivated citrus varieties and cannot currently be controlled. Resistance to either HLB or canker is also not present in commercial orange and grapefruit cultivars. A major strategy is to develop resistant cultivars via genetic engineering by incorporating resistance genes not found in citrus. We have successfully cloned several natural and synthetic antibacterial genes and genes that have the potential to turn on SAR (Systemic Acquired Resistance) and made significant progress in introducing them into commercial sweet orange and grapefruit cultivars. We have regenerated hundreds of transgenic citrus plants, using both the standard Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system and the protoplast/GFP transformation system developed previously in our program. Genetic constructs containing promoters that target expression of the above gene(s) exclusively to the phloem tissue, where HLB resides, are also being utilized in efforts to minimize foreign gene expression in fruit or juice subsequently going to market. Progress towards the development and testing of such transgenic disease resistance in commercial citrus cultivars will be discussed.
Mobilizing Pasadena Democrats: Measuring The Effects of Partisan Campaign Contacts

This paper examines the effect of an entire campaign using a randomized field experiment where the treatment consists of campaign decisions made by a campaign manager. In contrast to the majority of the field experiments found in the contemporary get-out-the-vote literature, this paper studies the actual behavior of a campaign within a particular election as opposed to studying particular mobilization tactics. Thus, the campaign itself chooses the method used to contact each individual within the randomly assigned treatment group. Contacts are made via face-to-face canvassing, phone calls, e-mails, and door hangers and consist of experienced volunteers making partisan appeals. We observe a large treatment effect of campaign contact despite a small number of face-to-face contacts, suggesting that the targeting strategy of the campaign manager is particularly effective.
Pengaruh Dimensi Kualitas Pelayanan Terhadap Kepuasan Wajib Pajak

Tujuan dari penelitian adalah untuk menguji tentang dimensi kualitas layanan (Tangible, Reilability, Responsiveness, Assurance, dan Empathy) yang mana mempunyai efek penting terhadap Kepuasan Wajib Pajak di Kabupaten Lumajang. Berdasarkan kerangka konseptual dari kualitas layanan dan kepuasan pelanggan, ukuran yang sesuai telah diidentifikasi dan dikembangkan sesuai dengan konteks dalam studi. Dengan menggunakan probability sampling, survei telah dilakukan pada 60 wajib pajak di lingkup Dinas Pengelolaan Keuangan Aset Daerah Kabupaten Lumajang. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa hanya dua dari lima hubungan antar dimensi kualitas layanan terhadap kepuasan wajib pajak yang ditemukan signifikan. Dengan menggunakan analisis regresi linier berganda, temuan penting dalam penelitian ini adalah (1) Tangible, Reliability, dan Responsiveness tidak mempunyai dampak penting terhadap Kepuasan Wajib Pajak, (2) Assurance dan Empathy mempunyai dampak penting terhadap Kepuasan Wajib Pajak. Temuan juga mengungkap bahwa Assurance mempunyai efek dominan dalam mendorong Kepuasan Wajib Pajak.
Antecedents of Strategic Planning of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Malaysia: The Influence of Ownership Motivations and Environmental Uncertainty

The main purpose of this study is to empirically determine the major forces influencing the degree of strategic planning adopted by small and medium enterprises in Malaysia. In particular, the study critically examines the influences that ownership motivation and environmental uncertainty could be significant antecedents in determining strategic planning practice among the SME sector. After the extend literatures, this study developed a positivist paradigm using quantitative methods. Data were collected from the portal set up by Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (SMIDEC) which in turn is the secretariat to the National SME Development Council (NSDC) using multiple regressions to analyses. Both ownership motivation and environmental uncertainty are found to influence significantly the level of strategic planning exhibited within the SMEs surveyed. The policy maker and academics can make use of this study as a contribution to literature. Necessary recommendation and recommendation for future studies were discussed.
Proteus mirabilis urease: operon fusion and linker insertion analysis of ure gene organization, regulation, and function

Urease is an inducible virulence factor of uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis. Although eight contiguous genes necessary for urease activity have been cloned and sequenced, the transcriptional organization and regulation of specific genes within the Proteus gene cluster has not been investigated in detail. The first gene, ureR, is located 400 bp upstream and is oriented in the direction opposite the other seven genes, ureDABCEFG. The structural subunits of urease are encoded by ureABC. Previously, UreR was shown to contain a putative helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif 30 residues upstream of a consensus sequence which is a signature for the AraC family of positive regulators; this polypeptide is homologous to other DNA-binding regulatory proteins. Nested deletions of ureR linked to either ureD-lacZ or ureA-lacZ operon fusions demonstrated that an intact ureR is required for urea-induced synthesis of LacZ from either ureA or ureD and identified a urea-regulated promoter in the ureR-ureD intergenic region. However, lacZ operon fusions to fragments encompassing putative promoter regions upstream of ureA and ureF demonstrated that no urea-regulated promoters occur upstream of these open reading frames; regions upstream of ureR, ureE, and ureG were not tested. These data suggest that UreR acts as a positive regulator in the presence of urea, activating transcription of urease structural and accessory genes via sequences upstream of ureD. To address the role of the nonstructural regulatory and accessory genes, we constructed deletion, cassette, and linker insertion mutations throughout the ure gene cluster and determined the effect of these mutations on production and regulation of urease activity in Escherichia coli. Mutations were obtained, with locations determine by DNA sequencing, in all genes except ureA and ureE. In each case, the mutation resulted in a urease-negative phenotype.
Understanding External Technology Sourcing in New Product Development Projects: Bilateral vs. unilateral contracts

This paper provides empirical analyses to understand the management of external technology sourcing using a novel dataset of new product development (NPD) projects in Japanese firms and focusing on the difference between bilateral and unilateral contract-based alliances. External technology sourcing takes various forms that can be divided into two categories: bilateral alliances, such as joint research and development (R&D), and unilateral alliances, such as licensing and commissioned R&D. The former style involves the dynamic process of joint R&D with a partner, whereas the latter involves the straightforward process of technology acquisition from a partner. In the first analysis in this paper, the determinants of the sourcing strategy for each contract type are investigated, and we find that bilateral contracts are more often used for exploratory projects, whereas in-house development is more often used for exploitation projects. Unilateral contracts are more relevant for projects mitigating contractual hazards. The second analysis looks into the relationship between the type of technology sourcing and its performance. We find that bilateral contract-based technology sourcing is more likely to lead to novel innovation than in-house development, but this difference in performance disappears when controlling for the type of NPD project and the firm's managerial resources.
Phase I study of vorinostat in combination with temozolomide in patients with malignant gliomas.

2032 Background: Vorinostat (V) is an oral histone deacetylase inhibitor. In preclinical studies it inhibits growth of glioblastoma (GBM) lines and has additive activity when combined with temozolomide (TMZ) or radiotherapy (RT). METHODS The Adult Brain Tumor Consortium conducted a phase I study of V in combination with TMZ in patients with malignant gliomas (MG). Eligibility criteria were histologically proven GBM and anaplastic gliomas (AG) who had received RT and had not progressed on TMZ, > 18 yrs old, KPS 60 or greater, adequate marrow reserve and organ function. Patients received 150-200 mg/m2 of TMZ on days (d) 1-5 every 28 d. V was administered either on d 1-14, or on d 1-7 and 15-22, every 28 d. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLT), were defined as any grade 4 hematologic toxicity except for grade 3 thrombocytopenia, and any grade 3 non-hematologic toxicities. Escalation was performed in standard groups of 3. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was defined as the dose at which DLTs occurred in no more than 1/6 patients. An additional 10 patients was added to the MTD dose. RESULTS To date, 59 patients have been enrolled (39 GBM; 16 AG; 4 others). Median age 51 yrs (25-81); median KPS 90 (60-100). The MTD of vorinostat is 300 mg/d on d 1-14 every 28 d in combination with TMZ 150mg/m2 for 5 d every 28 d. No DLTs were seen in 16 patients receiving this dose of V. TMZ pharmacokinetic data (PKs): (n=16) Cmax 5.2 (+/- 1.55) mcg/ml; AUC 20.1 (+/-4.66) mcg x hr/ml; t1/2 2.0 (+/-0.32)/hr]. Vorinostat PKs (n=16) (300mg dose level): Cmax 267 (+/-174)ng/ml; AUC0-8 603 (+/-197) ng x hr/ml]. The t1/2 for vorinostat and its glucuronide metabolite were identical (1.6 hrs) vs. 5.6 hrs for the acid metabolite. Because the exposure of V was low on this schedule, an alternative schedule of V administered on days 1-7 and 15-22 with TMZ was examined. The MTD of V was 500mg/d with TMZ 150mg/m2 for 5 d every 28 d. The MTD of V was 400mg/d with TMZ 150mg/m2 for 5d in cycle 1 and 200mg m2/d for subsequent 5/28 d cycles. The most common DLTs were fatigue and thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSIONS Vorinostat is well tolerated in combination with TMZ. Updated PK, efficacy and toxicity data will be presented. These results led to an ABTC and NCCTG phase II trial of vorinostat with RT and TMZ in newly-diagnosed GBM.
‘McJobs’, ‘good jobs’ and skills: job‐seekers' attitudes to low‐skilled service work

This article focuses on unemployed job-seekers' attitudes towards entry-level jobs in three areas of the service sector – retail, hospitality and call-centre work. The article examines whether job-seekers are reluctant to pursue these opportunities, and provides an analysis of the motives of those ruling out service work. A range of potential barriers is discussed, including the extent to which job-seekers perceive the service economy as offering only so-called 'McJobs' – low-skilled, low-paid jobs with few opportunities for development. However, the article also focuses on perceived skills mismatches, with some job-seekers arguably over-qualified for entry-level service jobs, while others consider themselves to lack the necessary 'soft' skills. The analysis is based on interviews with 220 unemployed people in Glasgow. The article concludes that policy action may be required to encourage job seekers to consider a broader range of vacancies and to provide tailored training in partnership with service employers. On the demand side, service employers must address the need for entry-level positions that offer realistic salaries, decent work conditions and opportunities for progression and development.
Comparing the immunogenicity and safety of 3 Japanese encephalitis vaccines in Asia-Pacific area: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a leading cause of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in children and adults, is a major public health problem in Asian countries. This study reports a meta-analysis of the immunogenicity and safety of vaccines used to protect infants or children from JE. Three types of JE vaccine were examined, namely, Japanese encephalitis live-attenuated vaccine (JEV-L), Japanese encephalitis inactivated vaccine (Vero cell) (JEV-I(Vero)), and Japanese encephalitis inactivated vaccine (primary hamster kidney cell) (JEV-I(PHK)). These vaccines are used to induce fundamental immunity against JE; however, few studies have compared their immunogenicity and safety in infants and young children less than 2 years of age. Data were obtained by searching 5 databases: Web of Science, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the China Wanfang database, and the Cochrane database. Fifteen articles were identified and scored using the Jadad score for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Random effect models were used to calculate the pooled seroconversion rate and adverse reaction rate when tests for heterogeneity were significant. The results showed that the pooled seroconversion rate for JEV-I(PHK) (62.23%) was lower than that for JEV-I(Vero) (86.49%) and JEV-L (83.52%), and that the pooled adverse reaction rate for JEV-L (18.09%) was higher than that for JEV-I(PHK) (10.08%) and JEV-I(Vero) (12.49%). The pooled relative risk was then calculated to compare the seroconversion and adverse reaction rates. The results showed that JEV-I(Vero) and JEV-L were more suitable than JEV-I(PHK) for inducing fundamental immunity to JE in infants and children less than 2 years of age.
Image segmentation with color and texture using RBFNN minimizing the L-GEM

The Internet provides a huge source of images. Not all of them are professionally edited or well organized. This raises the need of image classification and indexing to enhance the efficiency of using those images. To improve the image classification accuracy, image segmentation is important to remove background and noisy parts in an image. In this paper, we propose an image segmentation method by Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) based on the Localized Generalization Error Model (L-GEM). Pixels are classified as target object and background by the RBFNN. Color, gradients and texture are used as features for a pixel. Car images are adopted and we target to separate the car from its background and overlapping objects. Comparison of different neighboring size is conducted. In this pilot study, 11×11 is found to be appropriate size for car segmentation
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Research and Development: the Challenge of Evidence-Based Practice

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) computer-based systems are used by individuals with severe disabilities who cannot speak. AAC technology is designed with the goal to optimize communication and improve quality of life. This paper presents principles of design based on evidence-based practice (EBP) and language activity monitoring (LAM). When applied to the research and development of AAC computer-based technology, these principles provide quantitative data for making decisions about product performance and achievable outcomes focusing on the benefit to the end-user. The evaluation of a Mandarin language software application provides an example of how the steps of EBP and LAM data were applied during the initial research tasks. The EBP model offers a unique innovation to product development by challenging computer processing designers and programmers to design systematic and scientific data collection and analysis procedures specific to EBP.
Intake of whole grain products and risk of breast cancer by hormone receptor status and histology among postmenopausal women

No clear relationship between whole grain products and risk of breast cancer has been established. In a large prospective cohort study, we investigated the association between intake of whole grain products and risk of breast cancer by tumour receptor status [oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR)] and tumour histology (ductal/lobular). It was further investigated whether the association differed by use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The study included 25,278 postmenopausal women participating in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort study (1993–1997). During a mean follow‐up time of 9.6 years, 978 breast cancer cases were diagnosed. Associations between intake of whole grain products and the breast cancer rate were analysed using Cox's regression model. A higher intake of whole grain products was not associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. Per an increment in intake of total whole grain products of 50 g per day the adjusted incidence rate ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.01 (0.96–1.07). Intake of rye bread, oatmeal and whole grain bread was not associated with breast cancer risk. No association was observed between the intake of total or specific whole grain products and the risk of developing ER+, ER−, PR+, PR−, combined ER/PR status, ductal or lobular breast cancer. Furthermore, there was no interaction between intake of whole grain products and use of HRT on risk of breast cancer. In conclusion, intake of whole grain products was not associated with risk of breast cancer in a cohort of Danish postmenopausal women. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of vitamin A on the antioxidant system of the chick during early postnatal development

1. The effect of increasing vitamin A doses on the concentrations of vitamins A, E, ascorbic acid and carotenoids in the liver and blood plasma of the neonatal chick were investigated. 2. In the 1st experiment 75 d-old chickens were divided into 3 equal groups and in the 2nd experiment 100 d-old chickens were divided into 5 groups. Retinyl acetate in corn oil (1·72; 4·30; 8·60 or 17·2 mg) was intubated directly into the crop daily during the first 5 d after hatch. 3. The intubation of vitamin A increased its accumulation in the liver, with a plateau at about 6,000 μg/g, and was associated with inhibition of vitamin E and carotenoid utilisation from the liver during postnatal development. 4. Moderate amounts of vitamin A intubation increased ascorbic acid concentration in the liver, kidney, brain and plasma. A further increase in vitamin A intubation had an adverse effect on ascorbic acid concentrations in the plasma and brain. 5. The 2 highest inputs of vitamin A decreased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the chicken liver and brain. 6. It is concluded that the effect of vitamin A on development of the antioxidant system in the neonatal chick is dose-dependent and an excess of vitamin A can compromise the antioxidant defence system.
AN INTEGRATED ANIMAL HUSBANDRY LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Agriculture is the main source of income in countryside areas. Animal such as cow, buffalo, sheep, goat play an important role in life of rural and source of income. A Lot of farmers are now tormenting from different diseases and increase breeding cost. In modern era, compact and simple device has made animal monitoring increasingly attractive. However animal heat detection is still a complicated and inconvenient method. A complete integrated information and Communication Technology is described to design and characterize wearable collar monitoring device for Animal monitoring system and also identify the animal health, heat stress and fertility for Artificial insemination during the livestock Monitoring. A wearable collar based device with sensors wear to a neck of the animal is designed in helping user to better manage the animal’s dynamic information retrieving and analysing over a wireless network. Farmer can monitor animal condition at distance via wireless communication and take timely actions in case of emergency. Cloud based frame work has been proposed for livestock Animal Husbandry which with be beneficial IoT healthcare solution.
Efficient Combination of MU-MIMO THP and User Scheduling to Achieve Both High System Capacity and Fairness

: This letter proposes an e ﬃ cient method for combining MU-MIMO Tomlinson Harashima precoding (THP) with user scheduling techniques to realize fairness among users as well as high system capacity. The concept of the proposed approach is to ﬁ rst adopt semiorthogonal user selection (SUS) for throughput maximization and then apply proportional fairness (PF) to the remaining users, which regains fairness lowered by using SUS for throughput maximization. Moreover, considering that THP adopted as a precoder for PF requires the calculation of ordering and precoding for each user combination, the proposed method adopts linear precoding (LP) instead of THP to relax the computational e ﬀ ort during operation of PF. This approach is inspired by the fact that LP achieves almost the same system capacity as THP with ordering when conducting PF. The e ﬀ ectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing it to MU-MIMO THP with SUS or PF in terms of system capacity and fairness among users, by means of computer simulations.
Risk Management For Banks: Evidence From Banks Of Kazakhistan

Still Kazakh financial institutions have to further develop their methods of risk management as it is still far behind from that of European risk management systems. We are going to make an assessment of risk management system of JSC “ATF Bank”. We use different financial statement analysis technics that help us to assess and understand the bank’s market position in the banking sector. Later, by analyzing financial statements of some other banks, there will be a comparison between them and finally suggested actions to further improve the risk management in local banks. ÖZET Kazakistan Finansal kurumları, hala batılı risk yönetim sistemlerine göre çok gerilerde bulunduğundan kendisini geliştirmek zorundadır. Bu çalışmamızda Kazakistan bankalarından ATF bankın risk yönetim sistemi, finansal tablolar analiz teknikleri kullanılarak ve diğer kazakistan bankaları ile karşılaştırarak değerlendirilmektedir. Buradan hareketle Kazakistan bankalarının risk yönetimlerini geliştirebilmeleri için gerekli faaliyetler hakkında tespitler yapılmaktadır. Risk Management, Financial Statement Analysis, Banks of Kazakhstan. Risk Yönetimi, Finansal Tablolar Analizi, Kazakistan Bankaları.