Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Key Drivers in User Loyalty Toward Mobile Data Services

Given the rapid growth and large investments in mobile data services (MDS), it has become important to examine how to enhance satisfaction with MDS (M-satisfaction) and how to build loyalty toward MDS (M-loyalty). This paper develops an integrated model to deeply understand the antecedents of M-loyalty through constructs prescribed by two established research streams on information system (IS) success, namely user satisfaction and information technology (IT) motivation. The research model was tested by using survey data collected from 747 users who have experience with MDS. Analysis results show that the proposed model provides a significant explanation of the variance of M-loyalty, indicating that the unified perspective it provides helps enhance our knowledge of how to build Mloyalty. This study should help MDS researchers and practitioners better understand user behavior in MDS.
Phylogenetic structure in tropical hummingbird communities

How biotic interactions, current and historical environment, and biogeographic barriers determine community structure is a fundamental question in ecology and evolution, especially in diverse tropical regions. To evaluate patterns of local and regional diversity, we quantified the phylogenetic composition of 189 hummingbird communities in Ecuador. We assessed how species and phylogenetic composition changed along environmental gradients and across biogeographic barriers. We show that humid, low-elevation communities are phylogenetically overdispersed (coexistence of distant relatives), a pattern that is consistent with the idea that competition influences the local composition of hummingbirds. At higher elevations communities are phylogenetically clustered (coexistence of close relatives), consistent with the expectation of environmental filtering, which may result from the challenge of sustaining an expensive means of locomotion at high elevations. We found that communities in the lowlands on opposite sides of the Andes tend to be phylogenetically similar despite their large differences in species composition, a pattern implicating the Andes as an important dispersal barrier. In contrast, along the steep environmental gradient between the lowlands and the Andes we found evidence that species turnover is comprised of relatively distantly related species. The integration of local and regional patterns of diversity across environmental gradients and biogeographic barriers provides insight into the potential underlying mechanisms that have shaped community composition and phylogenetic diversity in one of the most species-rich, complex regions of the world.
Spontaneous rhythmic field potentials of isolated mouse hippocampal–subicular–entorhinal cortices in vitro

The rodent hippocampal circuit is capable of exhibiting in vitro spontaneous rhythmic field potentials (SRFPs) of 1–4 Hz that originate from the CA3 area and spread to the CA1 area. These SRFPs are largely correlated with GABA‐A IPSPs in pyramidal neurons and repetitive discharges in inhibitory interneurons. As such, their generation is thought to result from cooperative network activities involving both pyramidal neurons and GABAergic interneurons. Considering that the hippocampus, subiculum and entorhinal cortex function as an integrated system crucial for memory and cognition, it is of interest to know whether similar SRFPs occur in hippocampal output structures (that is, the subiculum and entorhinal cortex), and if so, to understand the cellular basis of these subicular and entorhinal SRFPs as well as their temporal relation to hippocampal SRFPs. We explored these issues in the present study using thick hippocampal–subicular–entorhinal cortical slices prepared from adult mice. SRFPs were found to spread from the CA1 area to the subicular and entorhinal cortical areas. Subicular and entorhinal cortical SRFPs were correlated with mixed IPSPs/EPSPs in local pyramidal neurons, and their generation was dependent upon the activities of GABA‐A and AMPA glutamate receptors. In addition, the isolated subicular circuit could elicit SRFPs independent of CA3 inputs. We hypothesize that the SRFPs represent a basal oscillatory activity of the hippocampal–subicular–entorhinal cortices and that the subiculum functions as both a relay and an amplifier, spreading the SRFPs from the hippocampus to the entorhinal cortex.
Strong Sensitivity of Pine Island Ice-Shelf Melting to Climatic Variability

Cold Glacier Growth Pine Island Glacier in Antarctica has thinned significantly during the last two decades and has provided a measurable contribution to sea-level rise as a result. Both glacier dynamics and climate are thought to be responsible for thinning, but exactly how they influence the glacier are incompletely known. Dutrieux et al. (p. 174, published online 2 January) provide another layer of detail to our understanding of the process through observations of ocean temperatures in the surrounding waters. The thermocline adjacent in the sea adjacent to the glacier calving front (where ice is discharged) lowered by 250 meters in the austral summer of 2012. This change exposed the bottom of the ice shelf to colder surface waters rather than to the warmer, deeper layer, thereby reducing heat transfer from the ocean to the overlying ice and decreasing basal melting of the ice by more than 50% compared to 2010. Those 2012 ocean conditions were partly caused by a strong La Niña event, thus illustrating how important atmospheric variability is for regulating how the Antarctic Ice Sheet responds to climate change. Colder surface ocean waters decreased the rate of melting under the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf in 2012. Pine Island Glacier has thinned and accelerated over recent decades, significantly contributing to global sea-level rise. Increased oceanic melting of its ice shelf is thought to have triggered those changes. Observations and numerical modeling reveal large fluctuations in the ocean heat available in the adjacent bay and enhanced sensitivity of ice-shelf melting to water temperatures at intermediate depth, as a seabed ridge blocks the deepest and warmest waters from reaching the thickest ice. Oceanic melting decreased by 50% between January 2010 and 2012, with ocean conditions in 2012 partly attributable to atmospheric forcing associated with a strong La Niña event. Both atmospheric variability and local ice shelf and seabed geometry play fundamental roles in determining the response of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to climate.
The Effect of Teacher-Fronted and Group Work Techniques on Beginning Chinese as a Foreign Language Learners' Acquisition of Grammar in a Performed Culture Classroom

THE EFFECTS OF TEACHER-FRONTED AND GROUP WORK TECHNIQUES ON BEGINNING CHINESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ ACQUISITION OF GRAMMAR IN A PERFORMED CULTURE CLASSROOM Chieh-Ting Lin Center for Language Studies Master of Arts This study focuses on the effect of teacher-fronted and group work instruction on beginning Chinese as a Foreign Language learners’ understanding and ability to use grammar principles correctly in a Performed Culture class setting. Three sections of beginning Chinese classes at Brigham Young University were selected to participate in the study. Each section instructor was assigned one of the following teaching techniques: teacher-fronted, group work, or a combination of both teacher-fronted and group work. Quizzes focusing on grammar were given before and after instruction to all students as pre-tests and post-tests. The results showed that students being taught with the teacherfronted classroom instruction style outperformed the group work section on quizzes, while there was no significant statistical difference between sections on oral performances. Surveys given to students showed that students’ attitudes towards teaching styles did not correlate with their quiz scores.
Preservation of Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction during Sevoflurane and Desflurane Anesthesia Compared to the Conscious State in Chronically Instrumented Dogs

Background The authors' objective was to assess the extent to which sevoflurane and desflurane anesthesia alter the magnitude of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction compared with the response measured in the same animal in the conscious state. Methods Left pulmonary vascular pressure‐flow plots were generated in seven chronically instrumented dogs by continuously measuring the pulmonary vascular pressure gradient (pulmonary arterial pressure‐left atrial pressure) and left pulmonary blood flow during gradual ([tilde operator] 1 min) inflation of a hydraulic occluder implanted around the right main pulmonary artery. Pressure‐flow plots were generated during normoxia and hypoxia on separate days in the conscious state, during sevoflurane ([tilde operator] 3.5% end‐tidal), and during desflurane ([tilde operator] 10.5% end‐tidal) anesthesia. Values are mean +/− SEM. Results In the conscious state, administration of the hypoxic gas mixture by conical face mask decreased (P < 0.01) systemic arterial PO2 from 94 +/− 2 mmHg to 50 +/− 1 mmHg and caused a leftward shift (P < 0.01) in the pressure‐flow relationship, indicating pulmonary vasoconstriction. The magnitude of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in the conscious state was flow‐dependent (P < 0.01). Neither anesthetic had an effect on the baseline pressure‐flow relationship during normoxia. The magnitude of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction during sevoflurane and desflurane was also flow‐dependent (P < 0.01). Moreover, at any given value of flow the magnitude of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction was similar during sevoflurane and desflurane compared with the conscious state. Conclusion These results indicate that hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction is preserved during sevoflurane and desflurane anesthesia compared with the conscious state. Thus, inhibition of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction is not a general characteristic of inhalational anesthetics. The flow‐dependent nature of the response should be considered when assessing the effects of physiologic or pharmacologic interventions on the magnitude of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction.
COMPARISON OF STRONG-MOTION SPECTRA WITH TELESEISMIC SPECTRA FOR T H R E E MAGNITUDE 8 SUBDUCTION-ZONE EARTHQUAKES BY HEIDI HOUSTON AND HIROO KANAMORI

We studied strong-motion spectra observed for three Mw 7.8 to 8.0 earthquakes (the 1985 Michoacan, Mexico; 1985 Valparaiso, Chile; and 1983 Akita-Oki, Japan earthquakes). We determined the decay of spectral amplitude with distance from the station, considering different measures of distance from a finite fault. We compared strong-motion spectra (Fourier acceleration spectra) observed for these three earthquakes with those estimated from the source spectrum determined from teleseismic P waves. We scaled the teleseismic source spectra to produce reference strong-motion spectra at periods from 1 to 10 sec using a simple physical model of far-field S body waves from a point source recorded at the surface of a homogeneous half-space. For all three earthquakes the reference spectral amplitudes at periods of 1 to 5 sec are about half the observed ones at distances of about 50 km. The difference increases as the distance increases. At distances of 200 to 300 km, the reference spectrum is about 1/lo of the observed one. The difference between the reference and the observed spectrum is attributed to the contribution of phases other than direct S waves and to site response. We applied corrections for the finiteness (spatial extent) of the source using a simple model of rupture propagation on a dipping two-dimensional fault. Including the source finiteness did not improve the estimate substantially at periods from 1 to 20 sec, but it modeled significant changes in the signal duration as a function of azimuth for the 1985 Michoacan earthquake. Our results can be used to establish empirical relations between the observed spectra and the half-space responses, depending on the distance and the site condition. If such empirical relations can be established, source spectra determined from teleseismic records may be used to estimate strong motions.
Entropy-based bounds for online algorithms

We focus in this work on an aspect of online computation that is not addressed by standard competitive analysis, namely, identifying request sequences for which nontrivial online algorithms are useful versus request sequences for which all algorithms perform equally poorly. The motivations for this work are advanced system and architecture designs which allow the operating system to dynamically allocate resources to online protocols such as prefetching and caching. To utilize these features, the operating system needs to identify data streams that can benefit from more resources. Our approach in this work is based on the relation between entropy, compression, and gambling, extensively studied in information theory. It has been shown that in some settings, entropy can either fully or at least partially characterize the expected outcome of an iterative gambling game. Our goal is to study the extent to which the entropy of the input characterizes the expected performance of online algorithms for problems that arise in computer applications. We study bounds based on entropy for three classical online problems---list accessing, prefetching, and caching. Our bounds relate the performance of the best online algorithm to the entropy, a parameter intrinsic to characteristics of the request sequence. This is in contrast to the competitive ratio parameter of competitive analysis, which quantifies the performance of the online algorithm with respect to an optimal offline algorithm. For the prefetching problem, we give explicit upper and lower bounds for the performance of the best prefetching algorithm in terms of the entropy of the request sequence. In contrast, we show that the entropy of the request sequence alone does not fully capture the performance of online list accessing and caching algorithms.
Exploring the Zoonotic Potential of Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis through Comparative Genomics

A comparative genomics approach was utilised to compare the genomes of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) isolated from early onset paediatric Crohn's disease (CD) patients as well as Johne's diseased animals. Draft genome sequences were produced for MAP isolates derived from four CD patients, one ulcerative colitis (UC) patient, and two non-inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) control individuals using Illumina sequencing, complemented by comparative genome hybridisation (CGH). MAP isolates derived from two bovine and one ovine host were also subjected to whole genome sequencing and CGH. All seven human derived MAP isolates were highly genetically similar and clustered together with one bovine type isolate following phylogenetic analysis. Three other sequenced isolates (including the reference bovine derived isolate K10) were genetically distinct. The human isolates contained two large tandem duplications, the organisations of which were confirmed by PCR. Designated vGI-17 and vGI-18 these duplications spanned 63 and 109 open reading frames, respectively. PCR screening of over 30 additional MAP isolates (3 human derived, 27 animal derived and one environmental isolate) confirmed that vGI-17 and vGI-18 are common across many isolates. Quantitative real-time PCR of vGI-17 demonstrated that the proportion of cells containing the vGI-17 duplication varied between 0.01 to 15% amongst isolates with human isolates containing a higher proportion of vGI-17 compared to most animal isolates. These findings suggest these duplications are transient genomic rearrangements. We hypothesise that the over-representation of vGI-17 in human derived MAP strains may enhance their ability to infect or persist within a human host by increasing genome redundancy and conferring crude regulation of protein expression across biologically important regions.
New Horizons in Eastern Humanism: Buddhism, Confucianism and the Quest for Global Peace

China now attracts global attention in direct proportion to its increasing economic and geopolitical power. But for millennia, the philosophy which has shaped the soul of China is not modern Communism, or even new forms of capitalism, but rather Confucianism. And one of the most striking phenomena relating to China's ascendancy on the world stage is a burgeoning interest, throughout Asia and beyond, in the humanistic culture and values that underlie Chinese politics and finance: particularly the thought of Confucius passed on in the Analects. In this stimulating conversation, two leading thinkers from the Confucian and Buddhist traditions discuss the timely relevance of a rejuvenated Confucian ethics to some of the most urgent issues in the modern world: Sino/Japanese/US relations; the transformation of society through education and dialogue; and the role of world religions in promoting human flourishing. Exploring correspondences between the Confucian and Buddhist world-views, the interlocutors commit themselves to a view of spirituality and religion that, without blurring cultural difference, is focused above all on the 'universal heart': on harmony between people and nature that leads to peace and to a hopeful future for all humanity.
Load prediction using hybrid model for computational grid

Due to the dynamic nature of grid environments, schedule algorithms always need assistance of a long-time-ahead load prediction to make decisions on how to use grid resources efficiently. In this paper, we present and evaluate a new hybrid model, which predicts the n-step-ahead load status by using interval values. This model integrates autoregressive (AR) model with confidence interval estimations to forecast the future load of a system. Meanwhile, two filtering technologies from signal processing field are also introduced into this model to eliminate data noise and enhance prediction accuracy. The results of experiments conducted on a real grid environment demonstrate that this new model is more capable of predicting n-step-ahead load in a computational grid than previous works. The proposed hybrid model performs well on prediction advance time for up to 50 minutes, with significant less prediction errors than conventional AR model. It also achieves an interval length acceptable for task scheduler.
Attitude control without angular velocity measurement: a passivity approach

It is well known that the linear feedback of the quarternion of the attitude error and angular velocity globally stabilizes the attitude of a rigid body. In this note, we show that the angular velocity feedback can be replaced by a nonlinear filter of the quarternion, thus removing the need of direct angular velocity measurement. In contrast to other approaches, this design exploits the inherent passivity of the system; a dynamic observer reconstructing the velocity is not needed. An application of the proposed scheme is illustrated for the robot control problem. Simulation results are included to illustrate the theoretical results.
Leptin concentrations in the umbilical vein and artery. Relationship to maternal and neonatal anthropometry.

OBJECTIVE To determine the relationships between serum leptin levels in the umbilical vein (UV) and artery (UA) and the anthropometry of mothers and neonates. STUDY DESIGN Blood was taken from 61 pregnant women who were admitted for delivery and from the umbilical vein and artery just before delivery of the placenta. Leptin level was measured by immunoradiometric assay. Comparisons between serum leptin concentrations in UVs and both maternal and neonatal anthropometry were made according to neonatal sex. RESULTS Mean leptin UA and UV concentrations in female infants were significantly higher than those in male infants (both, P = .002). Leptin concentrations in UVs of the total infants were related to maternal body weight and body mass index preconceptionally as well as at birth, to neonatal birth weight, to gestational age, to Kaup index and to body fat content of the infants. CONCLUSION A sex difference was observed not only in serum leptin concentrations UA and UV but also in the degree of significance between the relationship of cord leptin and both maternal and neonatal anthropometry. Also, the UA leptin level had a closer relationship to neonatal anthropometry, but the UV leptin level was more closely related to maternal anthropometry.
Value of HDL Cholesterol, Apolipoprotein A-I, Lipoprotein A-I, and Lipoprotein A-I/A-II in Prediction of Coronary Heart Disease: The PRIME Study

Objective—We have examined the association between the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), and 2 HDL fractions, lipoprotein A-I and lipoprotein A-I:A-II. Methods and Results—These parameters were measured in subjects recruited in France and in Northern Ireland in the Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction (PRIME) Study, a prospective cohort study. Among the subjects free of CHD on entry, 176 in France and 113 in Northern Ireland suffered an ischemic attack (CHD patients) during the 5-year follow-up, whereas 6612 French and 2172 Northern Irish men showed no CHD symptoms (CHD-free subjects). All 4 HDL parameter levels were lower in CHD patients than in CHD-free subjects. After the cohort was divided into quintiles based on the distribution of HDL parameter levels, a significant (P <0.0001) linear increase in relative risk was observed for each HDL parameter level. However, regression logistic analyses showed that apoA-I was the strongest predictor (more powerful than HDL cholesterol) and that lipoprotein A-I and lipoprotein A-I:A-II did not supplement apoA-I in predicting CHD. Conclusions—Among the parameters related to HDL, apoA-I appears to be the strongest independent risk factor.
Increased nitric oxide elimination from the airways after smoking cessation.

Smokers have been found to have low exhaled nitric oxide (NO) levels. The aim of the present study was to investigate where in the respiratory system the decrease in NO occurs, and whether this decrease was affected by smoking cessation. Measurements of exhaled NO were carried out in smokers (n=20) and non-smoking control subjects (n=30). In nine of the smokers, exhaled NO was analysed 1, 2 and 4 weeks after smoking cessation. The level of exhaled NO at a flow rate of 0.1 litre/s was significantly lower in smokers (4+/-2 p.p.b.) than in non-smokers (7+/-5 p.p.b.; P=0.007). A calculation of the contributions from different areas of the lung showed that the NO flux from the airways was significantly lower (14+/-10 compared with 36+/-26 nl/min; P=0.0001) and the alveolar fraction was significantly higher (2.1+/-0.8 compared with 1.5+/-0.9 p.p.b.; P=0.006) in smokers than in non-smokers. Nine smoking subjects refrained from smoking for 4 weeks, and this resulted in increased NO flux from the airways of 28+/-17 nl/min, which was no longer significantly different from controls. In conclusion, endogenous production of NO in the airways is decreased in smokers, but can be restored to normal values by 4 weeks after cessation of smoking. Smokers have an increased alveolar fraction of NO, and this might be a diagnostic sign of lung damage. Thus NO monitoring can be used to indicate improvements when a smoker decides to stop smoking.