Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumer Ethnocentrism and Its Effects on Attitude and Behaviour of Chinese Consumers

Recently, China has attracted foreign investment at growing speed, and made many foreign corporations penetrate to domestic market. Even though the competition between domestic and foreign corporations becomes more and more intense, Chinese consumers are reluctant to buy foreign products rather than domestic products. Consumer ethnocentrism (CE) is one of the reasons that people choose domestic products than foreign products. It is necessary to investigate the causes of CE and its effects on attitude and behavior among Chinese consumers. In this study, conservatism has a positive effect on CE of young consumers even though they tend to be liberalized gradually, and collectivism shows relatively strong influence on their CE. In addition, CE has st rong effect on purchase intention to mobile phone and household appliances, but not to automobile. This empirical result means that CE has a different effect on purchase intention depending on product categories. This means that people cannot predict the positive effect of CE on purchase intention to all products.
Methods for testing familial aggregation of diseases in population‐based samples: application to hodgkin lymphoma in swedish registry data

We use data on lymphoma in families of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cases from the Swedish Family Cancer Database ( Hemminki et al. 2001 ) to illustrate survival methods for detecting familial aggregation in first degree relatives of case probands compared to first degree relatives of control probands, from registries that permit sampling of all cases. Because more than one case may occur in a given family, the first degree relatives of case probands are not necessarily independent, and we present procedures that allow for such dependence. A bootstrap procedure also accommodates matching of case and control probands by resampling the matching clusters, defined as the combined set of all first degree relatives of the matched case and control probands. Regarding families as independent sampling units leads to inferences based on “sandwich variance estimators” and accounts for dependencies from having more than one proband in a family, but not for matching. We compare these methods in analysis of familial aggregation of HL and also present simulations to compare survival analyses with analyses of binary outcome data.
NEURO-FUZZY BASED APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENT OF INNOVATIVE PROJECTS

A proposition of the Adaptive Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System ANFIS for the assessment of innovative projects is presented in the paper. The most important aspects of innovative project’s analysis are characterised and then (chosen) innovation criteria were used to assess innovation from the point of view of a risk. The example of neuro-fuzzy inference system is constructed with the empirical data for selected enterprises from Opole Province.
Effects of lactic acid bacteria and Saccharomyces cerevisae co-cultures used as starters on the nutritional contents and shelf life of cassava-wheat bread

Objective: To determine the effects of co-cultures of lactic acid bacteria and yeast as starters on the nutritional content, physical properties and shelf life of bread produced using mixture of wheat and cassava flour. Methodology and results: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from retted cassava were screened for the production of antimicrobial compounds against bread spoilage moulds. Starter cultures of LAB in combination with Saccharomyces cerevisae were selected for bread production. The quantity of lactic acid produced by LAB species ranged between 2.25 and 10.7 g/l. L. fermentum produced the highest (12.7 g/l) diacetyl while the highest amount of hydrogen peroxide (51 mg/l) was produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Composite flour of 10% cassava and 90% wheat compared favourably with pure wheat bread. Combined cultures of Saccharomyces cereviceae and Lactobacillus species produced the best bread in terms of sensory quality, nutritional contents and shelf life. Conclusion and applications of findings: Lactobacillus species in combination with Saccharomyces cerevisae can be used as starter culture to improve the nutritional contents, physical properties and extend the shelf life of cassava-wheat bread. The mixture of 90% wheat and 10% cassava flour blend will reduce the cost of production and make bread more affordable. The increased shelf life of bread will reduce wastage especially among rural dwellers who may not have storage facilities.
LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEMS: ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT

This contribution articulates a series of research issues concerning the definition, study and management of Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) and of the fisheries resources therein. The 57 biochemical provinces of Longhurst (1995, Progress in Oceanography 36) are suggested as standard for all global stratification of the world's oceans, because these "Longhurst areas", contrary to traditionally defined LMEs, permit direct comparisons of results from different disciplines. Examples of such comparisons, emphasizing the competition between fisheries and marine mammals, are given for the Pacific Ocean. The case is made that methods exist for rigorous descriptions of the trophic fluxes prevailing in such ecosystems, and based thereon, for dynamic modelling of at least the first-order impact~ of fisheries on LMEs. Also, emphasis is given on the need to reconstruct the earlier, unexploited states of ecosystems so as to obtain baselines for correctly evaluating fisheries impacts, and to evaluate the benefits foregone by present exploitation pattems. The need for fisheries scientists to reconceive their work from one principally devoted to optimizing shortand medium-term returns to the fishing industry to one serving a broader set of clients is emphasized. A recent initiative, the Marine Stewardship Council, serves as an example of the many new approaches that will be required if the public at large is to become an active stakeholder in conserving the biodiversity of LMEs. 487
MEMS Sensing in an In-Cylinder Combustion Environment

In this research, platinum thermoresistors are tested within a combusting 1000-Watt Chicago Generator engine modified with a sensor access port to provide direct sensor exposure. Two methods, a Ni based Cotronics high-temperature conductive adhesive and Al wire bonds, were used to electrically connect the thermoresistors to modified low-resistance sparkplugs. Thermoresistors were calibrated using an IR lamp and real time temperature response traces for the thermoresistors within the firing cylinder were measured. A temperature differential between the intake and exhaust strokes of 6°C was measured. Soot residue was found to form on the engine when running at a cold start however no residue was observed the engine was running with a warm start.
Neural network-based nonlinear dynamic inversion control of variable-span morphing aircraft

A nonlinear command and stability augmentation system is designed based on feedback linearization for a morphing aircraft in the presence of different variable-span configurations. A variable-span morphing aircraft model is obtained by modifying a conventional aircraft model. Feed-forward neural networks are trained to learn the inverse dynamics in various morphing configurations and flight conditions. An attitude orientation system is designed to stabilize the airframe and track the commanded angular rates. Finally, an online adaptive mechanism is employed to compensate for inversion error. Even when the aircraft is changing the morphing configuration while maneuvering, the proposed design satisfies the desired handling quality specifications. Consequentially, the proposed design provides another degree of freedom to manipulate the morphing configuration, and therefore agility or fuel efficiency can be improved. Numerical simulation is performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
DESIGN THINKING IN THE MANAGEMENT DISCOURSE : DEFINING THE ELEMENTS OF THE CONCEPT

Many authors suggest that design thinking can provide significant value to innovation and management. Furthermore, the concept of design thinking is gaining increasing attention among managers. Despite of the rising interest, no shared conceptualization or a clear-cut breakdown of the concept seems to exist. However, in order to evaluate these claims and further develop the understanding on design thinking, its use, application, benefits and limitations, a shared understanding and conceptualization of the concept is needed. Furthermore, as there are two differing discourses discussing design thinking, one in design and the other in management, in this paper the focus is on the management discourse on design thinking. Building on a literature review of the management discourse, this paper proposes an initial framework portraying the elements of design thinking. In the framework we conclude design thinking as consisting of three dimensions: practices, thinking styles, and mentality. Each dimension contains a set of elements of design thinking – methods, values, and concepts that repeatedly surfaced across the reviewed literature.
Paper on zone adaptive virtual coordinate selection approach for WSN optimization

There are different mediums of performing the communication over the network. Wireless networks give the concept of distributed architecture so that the sharing of information as well as resources can be done effectively. While performing the communication in such network there is the requirement of more effective information sharing techniques. The main application area for sensor network is in the military field or the battle field to provide the survivability. To survive in such critical conditions with war fighters, there is the requirement of some communication medium that is not fixed and does not required any extra infrastructure. This kind of conditions also needs to transmit different kind of data such as text, images, videos etc. A sensor network provides all these facilities and allows to perform the voice communication as well as to communicate effectively under such complicated situations. These kinds of network also provide the area tracking and action tracking so that the monitoring of the war equipment’s and the soldiers can be done effectively. This review paper contains the information about the sensor networks and the characteristics of the sensor network, different kind of ad-hoc networks, different sensor network architectures in different real time scenarios. It also includes the discussion about different network properties.
Race and sex differences in the distribution of cerebral atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of race, sex, and other risk factors on the location of atherosclerotic occlusive lesions in cerebral vessels. Previous angiographic studies of patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) suggest that extracranial atherosclerosis is more common in whites and intracranial disease is more common in blacks. Noninvasive techniques such as duplex ultrasound, transcranial Doppler (TCD), and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) allow vascular assessment of a more representative proportion of patients than does conventional angiography alone. METHODS Consecutive patients evaluated at a community hospital for stroke or TIA over a 2-year period were reviewed. Lesions were defined as a 50% or greater atherosclerotic stenosis by angiography, duplex ultrasound, or TCD, or a moderate stenosis by MRA. RESULTS Whites were more likely than blacks to have extracranial carotid artery lesions (33% versus 15%, P = .001), but the proportion of patients with intracranial lesions was similar (24% versus 22%). Men were more likely to have intracranial lesions than women (29% versus 14%, P = .03). When multivariate logistic regression analysis was used, white race was the only predictor for extracranial carotid artery lesions, and male sex was the only predictor for intracranial lesions. The cause of stroke/TIA was extracranial carotid artery disease in 8% and intracranial disease in 8% of all patients in the study. CONCLUSIONS The distribution of cerebral atherosclerosis is influenced by race and sex but not by other vascular risk factors. In our patient population, intracranial disease is as common a cause of cerebral ischemia as extracranial carotid disease.
Inflammatory Cytokines and the Development for the Prediabetic Phenotypes of Impaired Insulin Secreation and Sensitivity in High-Risk Children

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitlis (T2DM) among adolescents has increased 5-10 fold over the last decade and is now considered a “pediatric” disease, producing the same renal, neurological, and cardiovascular morbidities in children with T2DM as in Type 2 diabetic adults (I) The burden of pediatric diabetes falls disproportionately on African and Hispanic Americans, in whom between 25% and 50% of new-onset childhood diabetics are Type 2. (2) A better understanding of the clinical markers for pre-diabetic phenotypes will help in the identilication of those at high risk for T2DM and would significandly reduce morbidity through earlier therapeutic intervention. Recently, elevated circulating, concentrations of inflammatory markers [C-Reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)] have been shown to be associated with an incrceased risk of developing type 2 DM in adults over 4-5 year followup periods, even when adjusted for other risk factors such as obesity, smoking, exercise, alcohol, and hormone replacement therapy (3-5). No such prospective studies have been perforrmed in children, nor have there been studies of the associations of these inflammatory markers with pre-diabetic phenotypes in children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between infiarnmatory cytokines with the developrnent or the prediabetic phenotypes of impaired insulin secretion and sensitivity in high-risk children. Such Insights could help further establish the pathogenesis of T2DM in children as well as provide another means of risk stratification early intervention for the progression to T2DM.
Assessment of chemical quality of groundwater over some rock types in Ashanti Region, Ghana

Groundwater is an important source of water supply and plays a crucial development in any kind of development. However excessive amount of some inorganic constituents in groundwater could pose significant health risk to consumers. The quality and distribution of some inorganic constituents were assessed in major productive rocks in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. To do this, samples were obtained from 37 boreholes located over 17 districts in the region and appropriate international certified WHO standard protocols for water quality testing methods were used to analyse them. The level of concentration of sulphates, nitrites, nitrates, chlorides and fluorides determined were within the permissible WHO guideline values. However results indicate high levels for iron in some aquifers with values slightly above the WHO permissible level of 0.3mg/l. Contamination due to iron could therefore pose a major problem in the region as elevated levels could affect quality of water. As part of groundwater development schemes in Ashanti Region it is recommended that removal of iron be considered so as to conform to acceptable level for domestic supplies.
Dissociation and posttraumatic stress disorder in Vietnam combat veterans.

OBJECTIVE This study compared current dissociative symptoms and dissociation at the time of specific traumatic events in Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Vietnam combat veterans without PTSD. METHOD Vietnam combat veterans who sought treatment for PTSD (N = 53) were compared to Vietnam combat veterans without PTSD (N = 32) who sought treatment for medical problems. Dissociative symptoms were evaluated with the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Dissociation at the time of a combat-related traumatic event was evaluated retrospectively with the modified Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire. The Combat Exposure Scale was used to measure level of combat exposure. RESULTS There was a significantly higher level of dissociative symptoms, as measured by the Dissociative Experiences Scale, in patients with PTSD (mean = 27.0, SD = 18.0) than in patients without PTSD (mean = 13.7, SD = 16.0). This difference persisted when the difference in level of combat exposure was controlled with analysis of covariance. PTSD patients also reported more dissociative symptoms at the time of combat trauma, as measured retrospectively by the Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (mean = 11.5, SD = 1.6) than non-PTSD patients (mean = 1.8, SD = 2.1). CONCLUSIONS Dissociative symptoms are an important element of the long-term psychopathological response to trauma.
Association of Anticardiolipin Antibodies with Vascular Access Occlusion in Hemodialysis Patients: Cause or Effect?

Background: Uremic patients on hemodialysis (HD) often display occlusive disorders despite their uremic thromboasthenia. The role of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and the recently identified anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies (aβGPI) in these phenomena is unknown. Methods: The prevalence of IgG and IgM aCL and aβGPI was documented in 54 HD patients and 19 nondialyzed patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). The HD patients were further divided into arteriovenous (AV) access occluders and nonoccluders. Results: HD patients had a higher mean IgG aCL level than CRF patients (14.68 ± 3 vs. 2.96 ± 1 IU/ml, respectively, p < 0.0007). IgM aCL did not differ significantly. AV access occluders had a higher mean IgG and IgM aCL levels than nonoccluders (24.47 and 8.39 IU/ml in occluders vs. 8.45 and 3.59 IU/ml in nonoccluders, p < 0.0226 and p < 0.05, respectively). IgM and IgG aβGPI antibody levels were below the cutoff point and did not differ significantly between the various groups. Cardiovascular episodes were not correlated with the titer of aCL or aβGPI. Conclusion: These results indicate that HD, especially in patients with recurrent access occlusion episodes, is associated with elevated levels of IgG aCL, and that IgG aCL level may predict the occlusive status of HD patients.
Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Colon and Rectum A Clinicopathologic, Ultrastructural, and Immunohistochemical Study of 24 Cases

To further characterize the clinicopathologic spectrum of colorectal neuroendocrine neoplasia, 24 carcinomas with neuroendocrine differentiation were subtyped as either small cell neuroendocrine, oat cell variant (six cases), small cell neuroendocrine, intermediate variant (16 cases), or moderately differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (two cases). Five oat cell variants, 14 intermediate variants, and two moderately differentiated tumors were studied with antibodies to cytokeratin, vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), chromogranin (CRG), synaptophysin (SYN), neurofilament, S-100 protein, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and Leu-7. All tumors were immunoreactive for cytokeratin and the majority were also positive for EMA and NSE. Positivity for specific neuroendocrine markers was uncommon, with SYN reactivity noted in one oat cell variant and four intermediate variants, and CRG positivity observed in four intermediate variants and one moderately differentiated tumor. Ultrastructural analysis of four oat cell, eight intermediate, and one moderately differentiated tumor revealed neurosecretory-type, dense-core granules in all lesions, except two oat cell variants studied from paraffin-retrieved material. Hepatic and regional lymph node metastases were noted in five of six oat cell, eight of 16 intermediate, and two of two moderately differentiated tumors. Of 17 patients with follow-up (four oat cell, 11 intermediate, and two moderately differentiated tumors), only two individuals were alive after 1 year. There were no detectable differences in survival or response to treatment between morphologic subtypes. The prognosis of colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma appears worse than for adenocarcinoma of comparable stage. Their distinction is thus warranted, especially in regard to the intermediate variant and moderately differentiated tumors, which may be potentially misinterpreted as forms of adenocarcinoma.
Biotic Homogenisation

Biotic homogenisation is the process by which species invasions and extinctions increase the genetic, taxonomic or functional similarity of two or more locations over a specified time interval. Recent years have witnessed enhanced interest and research effort in the study of biotic homogenisation across taxonomic groups and geographic regions, with the first article published over 20 years ago. Despite sustained interest, past research efforts have been unevenly distributed with regard to taxonomic groups and ecosystems. Biotic homogenisation of vertebrate and plant communities have been studied the most, while invertebrates have received little attention. Concurrent with heightened quantification of biotic homogenisation, is continued clarification on the significant ecological, evolutionary and social consequences of this phenomenon. Biotic homogenisation is now considered one of the most prominent forms of biotic impoverishment worldwide, and it will likely continue to increase in response to anthropogenic forces associated with growing human populations.
Target direct position determination in 2D CW forward scatter radar

This paper proposes an algebraic solution for the position and velocity of a moving target in forward scatter radar based on a single step direct position determination method. Unlike the conventional two-step method, this direct technique does not require the joint estimation of the Doppler frequency and the angle of arrival, initialization step, convergence considerations and linearization approximations.
P o S ( N u F a c t 2 0 1 7 ) 0 4 2 Sterile Neutrino Search at the NEOS Experiment

In order to test the existence of the sterile neutrino, NEOS experiment was performed from August 2015 to May 2016. The prompt energy spectrum from the inverse beta decay of electron antineutrino from a 2.8 GWth reactor was measured at 24 m distance. The number of measured IBD candidates is about 2000 per day during reactor-on period and a ratio of signal to background is about 22. The result shows no strong evidence of active-to-sterile neutrino. An exclusion-limit curve for 3+1 hypothesis is found at 90% CL. via shape-only analysis.
CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR MANAGEMENT OF CANNABIS DEPENDENCE Or

The cannabis plant has been used by humans in China, India and the Middle East for approximately 8,000 years for its fiber and as a medicinal agent. Cannabis was introduced to Europeans in the 9th Century via Napoleon's troops returning from Egypt and to Britain for medical use by a surgeon who has served in India. There was some recreational use in Persian bohemian demimonde in the late 19th Century.