Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Life expectancy: managing the IT portfolio of a pension administrator

Cordares is a financial services firm specialized in managing assets and liabilities (the corresponding individual pension rights) for pension funds. Traditionally IT-oriented, Cordares depends on IT to ensure cost leadership in its business of pension administration and IT currently accounts for 40% of Cordarespsila total expenses. IT governance and IT portfolio management are therefore key issues, even more so considering the extreme length of necessary data consistency. The average life of an individual pension scheme starts at about 25 years of age and will probably end at around the age of 80. Portfolio management at Cordares is characterized by strict benchmarking of system development practice, simple and effective measurement of costs (both operational and software maintenance) and a relentless system of kill management, replacing systems that jeopardize the efficiency advantage. Of each instrument of governance, real-life examples are shown. We also relate our findings to mainstream scientific results.
Post-silicon patching for verification/debugging with high-level models and programmable logic

Due to continuous increase of design complexity in SoC development, the time required for post-silicon verification and debugging keeps increasing especially for electrical errors and very corner case bugs (which happen in extreme rare but actual situations), and it is now understood that some sort of programmability in silicon is essential to reduce the time for post-silicon verification and debugging. In this paper, we discuss partial use of in-field programmability in control parts of circuits for post-silicon debugging processes for electrical errors and corner case logical bugs. Our method deals with RTL designs in FSMD (Finite State Machine with Datapath) by adding partially in-field programmability, called “patch logic”, in their control parts. If designs are given in high level like C-based designs, by using our high level synthesis techniques, they are first synthesized to include such in-field programmability in the control parts of the synthesized RTL automatically. With patch logic we can dynamically change the behaviors of circuits in such a way that state transition sequences as well as values of internal values are traced based on user requests. Our patch logic can also check if there is an electrical errors or not periodically. Assuming that electrical errors occur very infrequently, an error can be detected by comparing the equivalence on the results of duplicated computations. Through experiments we discuss the area, timing, and power overhead due to the patch logic and also show results on electrical error detection with duplicated computations.
Strategic Communication in Crisis Management: Lessons from the Airline Industry

Introduction Context for Crisis: The Airline Industry Organizational Crisis and Communication Existing in a Perpetual Pre-Crisis Phase Preparing for the Worst: Contingency Planning Northwest Airlines Flight 255 American Airlines Flight 191 Disaster Strikes! Confronting Crisis Delta Airlines Flight 191 Trans World Airlines Flight 800 Post-Crisis Investigation: The National Transportation Safety Board Pan American World Airways Flight 103 USAir Flight 427 ValuJet Flight 592 Lessons from the Airline Industry Selected Bibliography Index
Binary Image Skeleton - Continuous Approach

In this paper we propose a building technique of a correct model of continuous skeleton for discrete binary image. Our approach is based on approximation of each connected object in an image by a polygonal figure. Figure boundary consists of closed paths of minimal perimeter which separate points of foreground and background. Figure skeleton is constructed as a locus of centers of maximal inscribed circles. In order to build a so-called skeletal base from figure skeleton, we cut unnecessary noise from it. It is shown, that the constructed continuous skeleton exists and is unique for each binary image. This continuous skeleton has the following advantages: it has a strict mathematical description, it is stable to noise, and it also has broad capabilities of form transformations and shape comparison of objects. The proposed approach gives a substantial advantage in the speed of skeleton construction in comparison with various discrete methods, including those in which parallel calculations are used. This advantage is demonstrated on real images of big size.
The design and analysis of genetic experiments to modify genotypes-environment interaction. I. Single pair matings and selection using one simple quantitative attribute measured in two environments.

Most breeding programs are aimed at producing quantitative changes in the genetic structure of the population in question. Available theory and designed experiments have failed to show how to modify the expression of genotype-environment interaction and assume that it is negligible or is not present. This paper considers the design of an experiment to test the feasibility of modifying this interaction and gives the necessary formulae to evaluate the results. It suggests that a number of genetic groups, say each with 2n full-sibs, should be equally divided into two random sub-groups and placed in different environments, e.g., two nutritional or climatic levels. One environment is where the parents and the first group of n randomly chosen offspring are reared continuously and the other environment is the one in which the second group of offspring is reared from birth. A criterion is then established for a selection program based on the performance differential of the same simple quantitative attribute measured in full-sibs reared in the two environments. This scheme can be employed for selecting for this criterion in three directions. Extensions of these theoretical considerations for the cases of more than one simple quantitative attribute, part-whole correlated attributes, indirect selection and more complicated designs will follow.
Trading Heterogeneity, Information Transparency and Market Efficiency

Market inefficiency provides an opportunity for rational arbitrage. Nonetheless, investors may not necessarily act on such information even if they are informed. Instead, they extrapolate what the others are doing and decide strategically whether to do rational arbitrage or irrational speculation. As the market becomes more inefficient, coordination on rational arbitrage generates a higher probability of moving the price towards its efficient equilibrium, which increases investors' incentive to do rational arbitrage. The collective actions of all investors feedback on the asset price and therefore the market efficiency, which then affects investors' subsequent actions. The dynamic interaction between heterogeneous trading and market efficiency contribute to asset price bubbles and depressions. Increasing information transparency magnifies bubbles and depressions.
Modulation by Cytochrome P450‐4A ω‐Hydroxylase Enzymes of Adrenergic Vasoconstriction and Response to Reduced PO2 in Mesenteric Resistance Arteries of Dahl Salt‐Sensitive Rats

Please cite this paper as: Raffai, Wang, Roman, Anjaiah, Weinberg, Falck and Lombard (2010). Modulation by Cytochrome P450‐4A ω‐Hydroxylase Enzymes of Adrenergic Vasoconstriction and Response to Reduced PO2 in Mesenteric Resistance Arteries of Dahl Salt‐Sensitive Rats. Microcirculation17(7), 525–535.
Aflatoxin Binding by Probiotics Experimental Studies on Intestinal Aflatoxin Transport , Metabolism and Toxicity

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a food contaminant with detrimental impact on human and animal health. Intervention approaches focus on preand post-harvest measures to reduce AFB1 levels in crops or on the individual level to modulate bioactivation and excretion of AFB1 or reduce its bioavailability. Probiotic bacteria have been identified as a potential means to reduce availability of AFB1 as well as other food contaminants. In this study we used both in vitro and in vivo approaches to study the interplay between probiotic bacteria and AFB1 in the intestinal environment. Initially, the binding ability of several probiotics was explored in vitro. Intestinal mucus was found to compete with AFB1 binding sites on the surface of bacteria. This should be taken into consideration when choosing a probiotic for AFB1 binding, as was also evident from our studies in the duodenal loop of chicks, where different probiotics with similar binding capacity in vitro, had different effects on AFB1 absorption from the intestine. As a subsequent step, rats were dosed orally with AFB1 and probiotics and fecal excretion of AFB1 was significantly but transiently increased by probiotic dosing, possibly reflecting a reduction in absorption of AFB1 from the intestinal lumen. Furthermore, AFB1 induced hepatotoxicity was slightly reduced and weight loss was alleviated in rats dosed with probiotics. To study whether the AFB1 binding by the probiotic bacteria has an effect on its transport and toxicity to the intestinal tissue, Caco-2 cells were incubated with AFB1 and direct toxic effects on epithelial integrity and genotoxic effects were observed in the presence and absence of the bacteria. When the probiotic bacteria were added, AFB1 toxicity could be reduced. In conclusion, these studies clearly show the protective effects of probiotic bacteria against AFB1 induced intestinal and systemic toxicity via binding AFB1 and reducing its transport in different test systems. National Library of Medicine Classification: QW 125.5. P7, QW 142.5. A8, QW 630, WI 402 Medical Subject Headings: Aflatoxin B1/metabolism; Aflatoxin B1/toxicity; Caco-2 Cells; Chickens; Duodenum; Feces; Intestinal Absorption; Intestines/metabolism; Lactobacillus; Mucus/microbiology; Propionibacterium; Probiotics; Rats; Urine
Immunoglobulin isotypes of anti-Trichomonas vaginalis antibodies in patients with vaginal trichomoniasis

Studies of anti-Trichomonas vaginalis antibodies in patients with vaginal trichomoniasis were undertaken in attempts to identify the predominant antibody isotype produced and to delineate clinically significant antigens. The total antibody content of serum samples from 23 patients was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that employed anti-human immunoglobulin and isotype-specific antisera. The immunochemical reactivity of these antibodies was examined by Western blot analysis. The anti-T. vaginalis titer of all but two of these serum samples was greater than 200 (range, greater than 200 to 12,800). By using an ELISA titer of at least 200 as a criterion, 21 of the serum samples contained antibodies of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) isotype, 17 contained IgM antibodies, and 6 contained IgA antibodies directed to the protozoan. Western blot analyses of these serum samples revealed approximately 29 antigenic trichomonad polypeptides, with apparent molecular sizes ranging from 14 to greater than 100 kilodaltons and with individual serum samples possessing different patterns of reactivity. These results add to the current understanding of the serological and secretory immune responses to T. vaginalis, as well as define potential antigens for use in immunodiagnostics.
Still visualization of object motion in compressed video

Visualizing motion of objects in a scene is important in video analytics, summarization, sports, entertainment, and security. In this paper, we propose an efficient framework for constructing a sprite-based visualization of the object's trajectory from compressed video. A background sprite is generated by using a limited amount of information from a compressed video stream - motion vectors from each frame, and pixel values from a select subset of frames. Global motion parameters are estimated using a combined motion vector-based and pixel-based approach, and then used to map decoded pixel values to the sprite. Meanwhile, the trajectory of a moving object is estimated using an efficient method based solely on decoded motion vectors and coding modes, and overlaid onto the sprite to indicate the path traversed by the object. Experimental results demonstrate both efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Transcription of the Epstein-Barr virus genome during latency in growth-transformed lymphocytes

Nuclear run-on assays revealed extensive transcription of the Epstein-Barr virus genome during latent infection in in vitro-infected human fetal lymphoblastoid cells (IB-4). The EBER genes were the most heavily transcribed viral genes in these cells. Their transcription was partially inhibited in the presence of 1 microgram of alpha-amanitin per ml and fully inhibited at 100 micrograms/ml, consistent with RNA polymerase III transcription. All other transcription was inhibited at 1 microgram of alpha-amanitin per ml, consistent with RNA polymerase II sensitivity to alpha-amanitin. Other than EBER transcription, almost no transcription occurred from the U1 region. Specifically, no transcription was detected from the U1 latent promoter. RNA polymerase II transcription was highest in IR1, extending rightward through U2 and IR2 into the U3 domain and gradually decreased, but was measurable throughout the rest of the genome. This is consistent with EBNA gene transcription initiation within IR1. The higher level of transcription of the IR1 and U2 domains, which encode EBNA-LP and EBNA-2, as opposed to the domains which encode EBNA-3A, EBNA-3B, or EBNA-3C or EBNA-1, correlated with a higher level of EBNA-LP/EBNA-2 mRNA. Transcription extended through U4 into U5, even though no known latent-gene mRNAs are expressed from U4 downstream of the EBNA-1 open reading frame. This may result from inefficient termination of EBNA gene transcription. Leftward transcription from the latent membrane protein promoter was lower than EBNA transcription, although the latent membrane protein mRNA was the most abundant of the latent-gene mRNAs, indicating that this mRNA is more efficiently processed or has a longer half-life. Although transcription was detected from the DL strong early promoters and to a lesser extent from other early promoters, early mRNAs were less abundant than EBNA mRNAs or undetectable, suggesting that there may be posttranscriptional as well as transcriptional control over early mRNA expression in these latently infected cells.
Building and Querying Large Collections of Data Mining Models

Model building is one of the most important objectives of data mining and data analysis. As many statistical and data mining applications, such as personalization, bioinformatics and some large enterprise-wide business applications, become increasingly complex and require a very large number of models, it is becoming progressively more difficult for data analysts to built and to manage a large number of models in these applications on their own. Therefore, development of software tools helping data analysts in these tasks is becoming a pressing issue. The paper presents a model management system supporting various types of data mining models. It describes how to build and populate large heterogeneous modelbases. It also presents a calculus and a query language for querying these modelbases and examines performance results for some of the queries.
Costs and Benefits from Repricing Employee Stock Options

A principal-agent model is used to analyze whether repricing stock option contracts can be beneficial for the contracting parties. A principal employs an agent and offers him an exogenously given contract that includes a fixed compensation payment as well as stock options. After the contract is signed, the agent performs two efforts that the principal cannot observe. As soon as the first effort is completed, both parties observe a signal that contains information about the final share price. At the end of the period the agent is paid according to his contract.The signal is assumed to reveal information about either an unobservable state of nature or the agent’s first effort. For both settings a commitment scenario and a renegotiation scenario are compared. The paper shows that if the signal contains information about the state of nature to occur the renegotiation setting might weakly dominate the commitment setting. However, if the signal is informative about the agent’s first effort, the renegotiation setting turns out to be weakly dominated by the commitment setting.
Exercise tolerance breathing a low density gas mixture, 35 per cent oxygen and air in patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis.

1. We have examined the effects of (a) reducing the density of the inspired gas and of (b) increasing inspired oxygen concentration on the exercise performance of eight men with chronic obstructive bronchitis (COB). 2. Each subject performed two types of exercise test breathing three different gas mixtures: air, 35% oxygen in nitrogen and 21% oxygen in helium. The exercise capacity, ventilation and heart rate were recorded. Indices of pulmonary mechanics were measured to determine where and how any change in ventilatory capacity might have been achieved. 3. (a) Effort tolerance at a constant load (70% capacity breathing air) was greater when the inspired gas mixture was 35% oxygen in nitrogen than when air or 21% oxygen in helium was breathed. (b) Peak expiratory flow (PEF) was greater when the helium mixture was breathed, but the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) and maximum expiratory flow at 50% vital capacity (MEF50%) were the same as when breathing air. Effort tolerance was the same breathing the helium mixture and air in both the progressive and constant load tests. (c) PEF, FEV and MEF50% were greater immediately after than before exercise on all gas mixtures. 4. It is concluded that a reduction in the density of the inspired gas does not improve effort tolerance in patients with COB. Possible reasons for this lack of benefit are discussed.
A cooperative target detection algorithm based on distributed sensor networks

In order to deal with the problem that the detection performance of sensor networks is easily subject to environmental influence, here proposed is a cooperative target detection algorithm of multi-sensor nodes based on adaptive iterative threshold which lies on Neyman-Pearson (N-P) Criterion: Each sensor node makes a preliminary decision, and processes an adaptive iterative threshold according to the environmental noise; and the decision result and credibility value of each node will be sent to the fusion center to obtain optimal system decision on the basis of N-P Criterion; gradually, an cooperative target detection algorithm of sensor networks, which is adaptive to the environment, can be formed. Simulation results show that: under certain environmental noise, for each sensor node, the false alarm probability averagely decreases by 33.7% while the detection probability decreases by only 12.7% with the proposed algorithm, and also for the detection system, the detection probability averagely increases 5%–15% under a constant false alarm probability.
Theoretical analysis on spectral efficiency of non orthogonal multiple access in Nakagami fading

In this paper, theoretical analysis on the downlink spectral efficiency of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) in Nakagami fading is introduced. Thanks to our accurate analytical technique, a closed-form expression of NOMA is proposed. With the closed form, the exact average of the spectral efficiency can be achieved at different user power allocations and channel conditions. Furthermore, the findings of this work can be extended to compute the spectral efficiency of orthogonal multiple access (OMA) such as orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) in Nakagami fading.
Direct Shareholder Control, Board Independence and Firm Value

This paper studies whether poorly informed shareholders of a firm should be able to overturn its managerial decision directly, when the firm's (informed) board of directors is subject to moral hazard. We argue that if the shareholders or the CEO of a firm can easily recruit a highly independent board, the value of the firm may be higher when the shareholders do not have power to change the CEO's decision directly. Specifically, we demonstrate that the lack of direct shareholder control works as a discipline device to the independent board, whose interests are largely but not perfectly aligned with the shareholders'. On the other hand, if the board is inevitably less independent due to informational or institutional reasons, the shareholders are better off with strong direct control. The CEO is induced to recruit a more independent board when the shareholders have weaker direct control because he needs to guarantee good governance through the board in order to keep or attract investment. Our analysis sheds light on the differences in the legal control rights of shareholders across countries and their link to board independence.
A comparative study of factors affecting customer satisfaction in private and public sector hospitals in Tehran

The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare factors affecting customer satisfaction in public and private sector hospitals. The study is based on a survey of 385 customers of Tehran city hospitals. The sampling approach is cluster sampling, which is taken from private and public sector hospitals. Primarily interviews were used to identify behavioral and organizational factors, which affect customer satisfaction. Then using a questionnaire in Likert scale type we gathered the data. The data were analyzed with SPSS software package. The effects of some customer-related factors on satisfaction of customers are tested in this study. These factors include good behavior with patients, qualified services, accountability of personnel and the patients’ attitudes. The results show a positive relationship between these factors and satisfaction of customers. Based on the satisfaction level of the patients, this study also shows that there is a significant difference between public sector and private sector hospitals. In fact, the satisfaction level of patients in the private sector is higher than that in the public sector. Normal 0 false false false RU X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Обычная таблица"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
Development of an Ecological Assessment Tool for a Workplace Physical Activity Program Standard

This project was undertaken to develop a Workplace Physical Activity Assessment Tool to evaluate workplace physical activity programs based on a standard of best practices indicated in the literature and by key stakeholders. The development of the Assessment Tool was structured on an ecological model for health and physical activity promotion and an occupational health and safety audit instrument. The project included a review and synthesis of pertinent literature, expert and stakeholder reviews, interrater reliability appraisals, and workplace consultations over three distinct study phases. The Assessment Tool was received positively by the expert reviewers (i.e., academics, policy makers, and practitioners) and revealed generally high interrater reliability. The Workplace Physical Activity Assessment Tool can be used to plan, implement, and evaluate physical activity programs in the workplace. Recommendations for future research are identified.