LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Semi-Markov Models of Composite Web Services for their Performance, Reliability and Bottlenecks

When combining several services into a composite service, it is non-trivial to determine, prior to service deployment, performance and reliability values of the composite service. Moreover, once the service is deployed, it is often the case that during operation it fails to meet its service-level agreement (SLA) and one needs to detect what has gone wrong (i.e., performance/reliability bottlenecks). To study these issues, we develop a Semi-Markov Process (SMP) formulation of composite services with failures and restarts. By explicitly including failure states into the SMP representation of a service, we can compute both its performance and reliability using a single SMP. We can also detect its performance and reliability bottlenecks by applying the formal sensitivity analysis technique. We demonstrate our approach by choosing a representative example that is validated using experiments on real web services.
A multinational examination of weight bias: predictors of anti-fat attitudes across four countries

Background/Objectives:As rates of obesity have increased throughout much of the world, so too have bias and prejudice toward people with higher body weight (that is, weight bias). Despite considerable evidence of weight bias in the United States, little work has examined its extent and antecedents across different nations. The present study conducted a multinational examination of weight bias in four Western countries with comparable prevalence rates of adult overweight and obesity.Methods:Using comprehensive self-report measures with 2866 individuals in Canada, the United States, Iceland and Australia, the authors assessed (1) levels of explicit weight bias (using the Fat Phobia Scale and the Universal Measure of Bias) and multiple sociodemographic predictors (for example, sex, age, race/ethnicity and educational attainment) of weight-biased attitudes and (2) the extent to which weight-related variables, including participants’ own body weight, personal experiences with weight bias and causal attributions of obesity, play a role in expressions of weight bias in different countries.Results:The extent of weight bias was consistent across countries, and in each nation attributions of behavioral causes of obesity predicted stronger weight bias, as did beliefs that obesity is attributable to lack of willpower and personal responsibility. In addition, across all countries the magnitude of weight bias was stronger among men and among individuals without family or friends who had experienced this form of bias.Conclusions:These findings offer new insights and important implications regarding sociocultural factors that may fuel weight bias across different cultural contexts, and for targets of stigma-reduction efforts in different countries.
Can workers with chronic back pain shift from pain elimination to function restore at work? Qualitative evaluation of an innovative work related multidisciplinary programme.

INTRODUCTION
Workers with chronic low back pain (LBP) mean a heavy human and social-economic burden. Their medical histories often include different treatments without attention to work-relatedness or communication with occupational health providers, leaving them passive and medicalized in (outpatient) health care. So we developed and implemented an innovative, patient-activating alternative: the multidisciplinary outpatient care (MOC) programme, including work(place) intervention and graded activity. It aims at function restore (instead of pain elimination), return to work (RTW) and coordinated communication.


OBJECTIVES
To qualitatively explore how patients and health care providers perceive the programme effectiveness and which factors influence its implementation.


METHODS
In-depth, semi structured interview with patients and focus groups of health care providers are used, all recorded, transformed into verbatim transcript and analysed.


RESULTS
This qualitative study shows that although patients' expectations were low at the start of the program, and despite long LBP histories, including many different therapies, (primarily) directed at pain reduction, the MOC programme was successful in changing patients' goal setting from pain oriented towards function restore and RTW. The programme was therefore perceived as applicable and effective. Patient compliance was influenced by barriers - despair, supervisory and subordinate resistance at work, waiting period, medicalisation in health care - and facilitators: disciplinary motivation, protocolled communication, information supply, tailor-made exercises. For some patients the barriers were too high. Several improvement suggestions were given.


CONCLUSIONS
This qualitative study shows that generally, patients and professionals perceived the multidisciplinary outpatient care programme as applicable and effective. After incorporating improvement suggestions this program seems promising for further, broader application and hypothesis testing. For those, negatively evaluating the programme, alternatives should be explored.
A Tutorial on H.264/SVC Scalable Video Coding and its Tradeoff between Quality, Coding Efficiency and Performance

The evolution of digital video technology and the continuous improvements in communication infrastructure is propelling a great number of interactive multimedia applications, such as real-time video conference, web video streaming and mobile TV, among others. The new possibilities on interactive video usage have created an exigent market of consumers, which demands the best video quality wherever they are and whatever their network support is (Schwarz et al., 2006). On this purpose, the transmitted video must match the receiver’s characteristics such as the required bit rate, resolution and frame rate, thus aiming to provide the best quality subject to receiver’s and network’s limitations. Besides, the same link is often used to transmit to either restricted devices such as small cell phones, or to high-performance equipments, e.g. HDTV workstations. In addition, the stream should adapt to wireless lossy networks (Ohm, 2005). Based on this reasoning, these heterogeneous and non-deterministic networks represent a great problem for traditional video encoders which do not allow for on-the-fly video streaming adaptation. To circumvent this drawback, the concept of scalability for video coding has been lately proposed as an emergent solution for supporting, in a given network, endpoints with distinct video processing capabilities. The principle of a scalable video encoder is to break the conventional single-stream video in a multi-stream flow, composed by distinct and complementary components, often referred to as layers (Huang et al., 2007). Figure 1 illustrates this concept by depicting a transmitter encoding the input video sequence into three complementary layers. Therefore, receivers can select and decode different number of layers – each corresponding to distinct video characteristics – in accordance with the processing constraints of both the network and the device itself. The layered structure of any scalable video content can be defined as the combination of a base layer and several additional enhancement layers. The base layer corresponds to the lowest supported video performance, whereas the enhancement layers allow for the refinement of A Tutorial on H.264/SVC Scalable Video Coding and its Tradeoff between Quality, Coding Efficiency and Performance 1
Comparison of outcomes and costs between laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and open resection at a single center

The cost implications of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) and a detailed breakdown of hospital expenditures has not been presented in the literature to date. This study aimed to compare hospital costs and short-term clinical outcomes between LDP and open distal pancreatectomy (ODP). The authors evaluated all the distal pancreatic resections performed at their center between January 2004 and March 2010. Parametric and nonparametric statistical analysis was used to compare hospital departmental and total hospital costs as well as oncologic and surgical outcomes. A total of 118 cases (42 laparoscopic resections, including 5 conversions, and 76 open resections) were analyzed. The demographic characteristics were similar between the groups except for a predominance of females in the laparoscopic group (P = 0.036). The indications for surgery differed by a paucity of malignant tumors being approached laparoscopically (P < 0.001). Intraoperatively, there were no differences in estimated blood loss, operating room time, or transfusion requirement. The pathologic outcomes did not differ significantly. The median hospital length of stay (LOS) was 5 days (range 3–31 days) for the LDP cohort and 7 days (range 4–19 days) for the ODP cohort (P < 0.001). Postoperative pancreatic fistula occurred for 22 patients, with a higher proportion observed in the LDP group (28.57%; n = 12) than in the open group (13.16%; n = 10; P = 0.05). However, the rates for grade B and higher grade fistula were higher in the ODP group (0 LDP and 4 ODP). The median preadmission and operative costs did not differ significantly. The ODP cohort had significantly higher costs in all other hospital departments, including the total cost. LDP is both a cost-effective and safe approach for distal pancreatic lesions. This series showed a shorter LOS and lower total hospital costs for LDP than for ODP, accompanied by equivalent postoperative outcomes.
Validation of a strategy for HCV antibody testing with two enzyme immunoassays in a routine clinical laboratory.

BACKGROUND
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines require confirmation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening-test-positive sera with a low signal/cut-off (S/CO) ratio by recombinant immunoblot or PCR. The UK Health Protection Agency has suggested that a second enzyme immunoassay (EIA) could be used as an alternative for confirmation in non-immunocompromised patients.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the UK HPA approach in 17,936 consecutive in-house sera submitted for HCV testing.


STUDY DESIGN
AxSYM-positive sera (S/CO> or =1.0) were tested with Monolisa Plus. AxSYM-positive sera of patients that were confirmed PCR-positive were considered HCV+. All other AxSYM-positive sera were confirmed with immunoblot according to CDC guidelines.


RESULTS
17,299 sera were negative with AxSYM. Of the 637 AxSYM-positive sera, 384 were from patients confirmed as PCR-positive. Of other 250 sera, 120 were negative with immunoblot, 103 were positive and 30 were indeterminate. All 30 immunoblot-indeterminate sera were PCR-negative. Two patients were Monolisa Plus+ and immunoblot- and PCR-. One patient was known as immunoblot-, while the other patient was diagnosed with non-A non-B hepatitis in 1980s. Nine sera from HCV-positive patients were Monolisa Plus-. Two PCR- sera were from immunocompetent patients who were PCR- for > or =8 years and six PCR- sera and one PCR+ serum were from immunocompromised patients. Sensitivity and specificity of confirmation with Monolisa Plus were 98.15% and 98.33% and the positive and negative predictive values were 99.58% and 92.91% in AxSYM-positive sera (excluding immunoblot-indeterminate/PCR-negative sera). If immunocompromised patients that were false-negative were excluded, sensitivity was 99.58%.


CONCLUSION
Monolisa Plus can be used as an alternative to immunoblot for the confirmation of AxSYM-positive sera.
A JAPANESE VERSION OF THE GENERALIZED SELF-EFFICACY SCALE : Scale utility from the life-span perspective

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a self -efficacy scale (SES : Sherer et al ., 1982) using a Japanese community sample. The SES comprised 23 items measuring generalized self-efficacy. The SES and other measures were administered to a total of 1524 males and females whose ages ranged from 13 to 92. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted separately for sex and age groups and the factor structures obtained from these were compared. The results revealed a clear one-factor solution for the sample as a whole. A similar one-factor structure was obtained across sex and age groups. The SES was found to have satisfactory test-retest reliability and internal consistency. The correlations of the scores on the SES with other measures, such as depression, self-esteem, masculinity, and perceived health, provided some supports of construct validity. Some evidences of the construct and factorial validity of the SES in the Japanese community sample were found.
Relationship between pre-service and practising teachers' confidence and beliefs about using ICT

ICT curriculum integration is the apparent goal of an extensive array of ICT initiatives in all Australian states and territories. However, the reported impact of ICT use by teachers on learning and teaching is by no means consistent. Explanations offered for this in the literature include the influence of teacher confidence and expertise, and teacher beliefs about the potential for ICT to make a difference to student learning, as well as issues around teacher professional development, school technological infrastructure and technical support along with the need for leadership. This paper re-analyses data sets from two previously unlinked studies to investigate the relationship between pre-service and practising teachers’ confidence in using ICT with students and beliefs about the extent to which computers can improve student learning outcomes. The results show that differences between male and female teachers in their confidence to use ICT with students are not a reflection of undergraduate teacher beliefs about computers. Gender differences would appear to emerge post-graduation. The results from this study warrant further investigation into why female teachers are less confident than their male colleagues and therefore why their students use ICT less frequently than students of more confident male teachers. Given that70% of the teaching workforce in Queensland state schools is female, this has major implications for student use of ICT.
Work environment factors other than staffing associated with nurses' ratings of patient care quality.

BACKGROUND
The impact of registered nurse (RN) staffing on patient care quality has been extensively studied. Identifying additional modifiable work environment factors linked to patient care quality is critical as the projected shortage of approximately 250,000 RNs over the next 15 years will limit institutions' ability to rely on RN staffing alone to ensure high-quality care.


PURPOSE
We examined the association between RNs' ratings of patient care quality and several novel work environment factors adjusting for the effects of two staffing variables: reported patient-to-RN ratios and ratings of staffing adequacy.


METHODOLOGY
We used a cross-sectional, correlational design and a mailed survey to collect data in 2009 from a national sample of RNs (n = 1,439) in the United States. A multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the data.


FINDINGS
Workgroup cohesion, nurse-physician relations, procedural justice, organizational constraints, and physical work environment were associated with RNs' ratings of quality, adjusting for staffing. Furthermore, employment in a Magnet hospital and job satisfaction were positively related to ratings of quality, whereas supervisory support was not.


PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
Our evidence demonstrates the importance of considering RN work environment factors other than staffing when planning improvements in patient care quality. Health care managers can use the results of our study to strategically allocate resources toward work environment factors that have the potential to improve quality of care.
Failed Abstraction – The Problem of Uno Kōzō’s Reading of Marx’s Theory of the Value Form

AbstractUno Kōzō (1897–1977) was Japan’s foremost Marxian economist. His critique of Marx’s method in Capital, especially regarding the ‘premature’ introduction of value-form analysis in Volume I, motivated him to rewrite all three volumes of Capital in his book The Principles of Political Economy (1950–2).Notwithstanding Uno’s increasing popularity in international Marx research, I will present a critical paper that looks at a fundamental misunderstanding in Uno’s reading of the value form. In what is one of the most significant discussions of the value form in postwar Japan, Uno argues that ‘value’ and money as its ‘bearer’ cannot be understood in abstraction from personal interaction and human wants in commodity exchange. By drawing on the Japanese documents and supporting the view of Uno’s rival Kuruma Samezō (1893–1982), I want to show that it can, and how Marx understood the ‘law of value’ as a non-personal law of social domination.
Applying and Interpreting Object Oriented Metrics

Object-oriented design and development is becoming very popular in today's software development environment. Object oriented development requires not only a different approach to design and implementation, it requires a different approach to software metrics. Since object oriented technology uses objects and not algorithms as its fundamental building blocks, the approach to software metrics for object oriented programs must be different from the standard metrics set. Some metrics, such as lines of code and cyclomatic complexity, have become accepted as "standard" for traditional functional/ procedural programs, but for objectoriented, there are many proposed object oriented metrics in the literature. The question is, "Which object oriented metrics should a project use, and can any of the traditional metrics be adapted to the object oriented environment?" In this paper, the Software Assurance Technology Center (SATC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center discusses its approach to choosing metrics for a project by first identifying the attributes associated with object oriented development. Within this framework, nine metrics for object oriented are selected. These metrics include three traditional metrics adapted for an object oriented environment, and six "new" metrics to evaluate the principle object oriented structures and concepts. The metrics are first defined, then using a very simplistic object oriented example, the metrics are applied. Interpretation guidelines are then discussed and data from NASA projects are used to demonstrate the application of the metrics. In the experience of the SATC, projects choose the data they collect by default if the tool they are using compiles it, the project collects it. The purpose of this paper is to help project managers choose a comprehensive set of metrics, not by default, but by using a set of metrics based on attributes and features of object oriented technology. Applying and Interpreting Object Oriented Metrics
Properties of the International Classification for Functioning, Disability and Health in assessing hand outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES
Variables from a study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis were linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the ICF Core Sets for rheumatoid arthritis for assessing the functional outcomes of the rheumatoid hand.


DESIGN
Prospective cohort.


SUBJECTS
A total of 142 subjects with rheumatoid arthritis.


METHODS
Patients who elected to have or not have arthroplasty were linked with the ICF Core Sets. Study variables were assigned into one of the Core Set blocks that compose the ICF model. The blocks were then entered into multiple regression models to determine the contribution of each block in explaining the variation in hand outcome at enrollment, as well as the change in hand outcome after one year.


RESULTS
Seventy percent of the reported hand outcome at enrollment was explained by the ICF Core Set blocks. For change in hand outcome at one year, the ICF Core Set blocks measured at enrollment explained 18% of the variance.


CONCLUSION
The components of the ICF Core Set for rheumatoid arthritis explained much of the variation in hand functioning for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but were not predictive of the change in hand functioning after one year.
Toward robotic cars

This article advocates self-driving, robotic technology for cars. Recent challenges organized by DARPA have induced a significant advance in technology for autopilots for cars; similar to those already used in aircraft and marine vessels. This article reviews this technology, and argues that enormous societal benefits can be reaped by deploying this emerging technology in the marketplace. It lays out a vision for deployment, and discusses some of the key remaining technology obstacles.
Purification and characterization of a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase that improves product selectivity in water-miscible organic solvents, from dimethylsulfoxide-tolerant Brachybacterium sp. strain LB25

A bacterium that secretes maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase in a medium containing 12.5% (vol/vol) dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was isolated and identified as Brachybacterium sp. strain LB25. The amylase of the strain was purified from the culture supernatant, and its molecular mass was 60 kDa. The enzyme was stable at pH 7.0–8.5 and active at pH 6.0–7.5. The optimum temperature at pH 7.0 was 35°C in the presence of 5 mM CaCl2. The enzyme hydrolyzed starch to produce maltotriose primarily. The enzyme was active in the presence of various organic solvents. Its yield and product selectivity of maltooligosaccharides in the presence of DMSO or ethanol were compared with those of the industrial maltotriose-forming amylase from Microbacterium imperiale. Both enzymes improved the production selectivity of maltotriose by the addition of DMSO or ethanol. However, the total maltooligosaccharide yield in the presence of the solvents was higher for LB25 amylase than for M. imperiale amylase.
Evaluation of catchment models

Catchment models are by definition simplified representations of the real world system. This aggregation takes place in space and time and has several important consequences. First, there are no generally applicable rules to perform this aggregation, and the resulting model structure is usually a function of the modeller’s hydrological understanding. Secondly, the model parameters cannot be measured directly in many cases, but have to be estimated. In this process, we usually assume that the parameters are constant in time and representative of inherent properties of the real system. This is particularly relevant when transferring parameters to ungauged catchments. The modeller’s task is to find a model, i.e. a combination of model structure and parameter set(s), suitable for the anticipated modelling purpose, data and catchment characteristics. Traditionally, the modeller defines an objective function, i.e. some aggregated measure of the distance between simulated and observed system response, and minimizes (or maximizes, depending on definition) its value, a procedure usually called calibration. The aim is to match simulated and observed system behaviour. This is often followed by an application of the identified model to another part of the time series not used during calibration, to show that it can be applied generally. This is usually called the validation step. Many studies have shown that this type of approach is insufficient to test adequately the suitability of a model and that the scientific conclusions that can be drawn from such a procedure are very limited. A commonly found result is that several, often very different, parameter sets and even model structures are equally acceptable system representations in this context (e.g. Beven and Freer, 2001). Therefore, we seek to apply approaches to model evaluation that are more discriminative. There are at least three dimensions in which this evaluation should be performed (Figure 1): (1) performance; (2) uncertainty; and (3) ‘realism’.