Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smart Cities Design using Event-driven Paradigm and Semantic Web

The concept of “smart city” has attracted considerable attention lately. Still, common definitions are hard to find, and there is a lack of formal models to guide their design. This paper introduces the architecture of Event-driven Smart City, the kind of city where digital artifacts enable the interoperability between Internet of Services, Internet of Things and Internet of People in order to empower inhabitants to quickly react to a larger variety of events, even remotely and using fewer resources than before. Configurability of actions to be carried out automatically when events happen is considered here as core requirement for a smart city. We also explore the usability of the latest advances in Eventdriven SOA and Semantic Web technologies to implement smart cities as systems based on the proposed architecture.
What Do We Know About the Shadow Economy

Estimates of the size of the shadow economy in 21 OECD countries are presented. The average size of the shadow economy (as a percentage of â€˜officialâ€™ GDP) over 1999/2000 in these countries is 16.7%. The author concludes that it is the increasing burden of taxation and social security contributions, combined with rising state regulatory activities, that are the driving forces for the recent growth in size of the shadow economy in the countries concerned.
Essays on Energy Efficiency and Pricing Behavior in the U.S. Automobile Market: Evidence from Hybrid Electric Vehicles

This dissertation consists of three essays on the energy efficiency and pricing behavior of firms in the U.S. automobile market with a focus on Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs). The first essay analyzes the market share of HEVs and evaluates consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for future fuel cost savings by purchasing fuel efficient HEVs. Estimates of consumers’ WTP for future fuel cost savings and the finding of an implicit discount rate of 8.35%∼14.35% suggest that consumers undervalue future fuel cost savings from purchasing HEVs, and that consumers want a return on their investment on fuel cost saving HEV technology in 7∼11 years. The second essay empirically investigates the existence of quality-based price discrimination in the U.S. automobile market. By estimating a structural model of demand and supply in the automobile market, I can recover marginal costs, markups and percentage markups for all vehicle models sold between 2000 and 2013. The extent of price discrimination is then examined by comparing markup and percentage markup differences between HEVs and gasoline vehicles. The results demonstrate that automobile manufactures charge both higher markups and higher percentage markups on their HEV models. On average, HEVs have higher markups by 11.1% compared to gasoline vehicles, and Toyota, a leader in the HEV market, charges higher markups on their HEV models compared to other manufacturers. The Toyota Prius, the top-selling hybrid car in the U.S. market, particularly enjoys a higher markup and percentage markup than other competitive vehicles.
Energy Consumption Optimisation for Duty-Cycled Schemes in Shadowed Environments

The focus of this study is the optimal configuration of a wireless low-power duty-cycled network with respect to the minimal energy consumption. Precisely, the energy consumption of a truncated-ARQ scheme in realistic shadowing environments is examined for the reference IEEE 802.15. 4e standard protocol and for its cooperative extension that is presented in the paper. We show how to choose between the direct or multihop forwarding and the cooperative version of the two. We determine the optimal forwarding strategy for both loose and strict reliability requirements. Low-power links are parametrised by the interdevice distance and the corresponding outage probability, for the fixed output transmission power. It is shown that significant amounts of energy can be saved when the most adequate scheme of the three is applied. All analytical results are validated in the network simulator ns-3.
Comparison of Analog and Digital Relay Methods with Network Coding for Wireless Multicast

We study wireless multicasting from two sources to two destinations with the assistance of a single half-duplex relay. The objective is to evaluate the throughput and error performance of different analog and digital relay schemes with linear network coding at the relay. The analog relay node forwards either a scaled version of the received signal to the destinations, or alternatively, first filters the received signals to generate a linear Minimum Mean Squared Error (MMSE) estimate, which is subsequently forwarded. The digital relay scheme first detects the source transmissions, combines the packets with a network code, and forwards the resulting symbols to the destinations. For all schemes the destinations recover the source and relay signals by first applying linear MMSE filters, followed by decoding of the source bits. The performance of the schemes are compared in terms of normalized throughput (bits per channel use accounting for the delay due to the relay) and uncoded error probability, given a normalized power constraint. Both narrowband and wide-band transmission schemes are considered. Our results show that the analog relay schemes outperform the digital network coding scheme with respect to both throughput and error probability because of error propagation through the relay. Numerical results are presented, which illustrate throughput-reliability trade-offs for all schemes considered.
THE AGGREGATION DILEMMA IN CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY EVALUATION

We show that a policy maker who ignores regional data and instead relies on aggregated integrated assessment models is likely underestimating the carbon price and thus the required climate policy. Based on a simple theoretical model, we give conditions under which the Aggregation Dilemma is expected to play a role in climate change cost-benefit analysis. We then study the importance of the Aggregation Dilemma with the integrated assessment model RICE [Nordhaus and Boyer, (2000) Warning the World: Economic Models of Global Warming. MA: MIT Press]. Aggregating all regions of the RICE-99 model into one region yields a 40% lower social cost of carbon than the RICE model itself predicts. Based on extrapolating the results, a country-level integrated assessment model would give a more than eight times higher social cost of carbon compared to a fully aggregated model. We suggest that these tentative results require researchers to rethink the aggregation level used in integrated assessment models and to develop models at much lower levels of aggregation than currently available.
NUDT9, a Member of the Nudix Hydrolase Family, Is an Evolutionarily Conserved Mitochondrial ADP-ribose Pyrophosphatase*

We have recently characterized the protein product of the human NUDT9 gene as a highly specific ADP-ribose (ADPR) pyrophosphatase (1). We now report an analysis of the human NUDT9 gene and its potential alternative transcripts along with detailed studies of the enzymatic properties and cell biological behavior of human NUDT9 protein. Our analysis of the human NUDT9 gene and twenty-two distinct cloned NUDT9 transcripts indicates that the full-length NUDT9α transcript is the dominant form, and suggests that an alternative NUDT9β transcript (2) occurs as the result of a potentially aberrant splice from a cryptic donor site within the first exon to the splice acceptor site of exon 2. Computer analysis of the predicted protein of the NUDT9α transcript identified an N-terminal signal peptide or subcellular targeting sequence. Using green fluorescence protein tagging, we demonstrate that the predicted human NUDT9α protein is targeted highly specifically to mitochondria, whereas the predicted protein of the NUDT9β transcript, which is missing this sequence, exhibits no clear subcellular localization. Investigation of the physical and enzymatic properties of NUDT9 indicates that it is functional as a monomer, optimally active at near neutral pH, and that it requires divalent metal ions and an intact Nudix motif for enzymatic activity. Furthermore, partial proteolysis of NUDT9 suggests that NUDT9 enzymes consist of two distinct domains: a proteolytically resistant C-terminal domain retaining essentially full specific ADPR pyrophosphatase activity and a proteolytically labile N-terminal portion that functions to enhance the affinity of the C-terminal domain for ADPR.
Increase in rapid defibrillation programmes after publication of guidelines.

OBJECTIVE . To monitor the implementation of in-hospital resuscitation strategies including (i) rapid defibrillation programmes, (ii) the use of amiodarone for prolonged ventricular fibrillation, and (iii) uniform data collection on resuscitation, all recommended by international guidelines published in 2000 and by Finnish national resuscitation guidelines published in 2002. DESIGN In 2004, a questionnaire was sent to the chief anaesthesiologists. The results were compared with those of a previous study performed using similar methods in 2000. SETTING All public hospitals that provide anaesthetic services in Finland. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Number of hospitals allowing nurses to perform defibrillation without the presence of physician and number of hospitals using amiodarone as primary antiarrhythmic drug in resuscitation and performing uniform data collection. RESULTS The response rate was 95% (52/55). The proportion of the hospitals with rapid defibrillation programmes on general wards had increased from 15% in 2000 to 67% in 2004, and most (79%) hospitals had obtained automated external defibrillators. Amiodarone was used in 88% of the hospitals. Data collection of resuscitation attempts using definitions provided in the Utstein guidelines was performed only in 22% of the hospitals. CONCLUSIONS Rapid defibrillation programmes have markedly increased, and the use of amiodarone has been established in Finnish hospitals since the publication of the international and the national resuscitation guidelines.
High-Fat Programming of Hyperglycemia, Hyperinsulinemia, Insulin Resistance, Hyperleptinemia, and Altered Islet Architecture in 3-Month-Old Wistar Rats

High-fat programming, by exposure to a high-saturated-fat diet in utero and/or during lactation, compromises beta-cell development and function in neonatal and weanling offspring. Therefore, high-fat programming effects were investigated on metabolism and islet architecture in young adult rats. Three-month-old male and female Wistar rat offspring were studied: HFG (maintained on a high-fat diet throughout fetal life), HFP (high-fat diet maintenance from birth to 3 months), and HFGP (high-fat diet maintenance throughout fetal and postnatal life). Control rats were maintained on a standard laboratory diet. Pancreata were double immunolabeled for insulin and glucagon to assess islet morphology and with Ki-67 to determine islet and acinar cell proliferation. HFP and HFGP males were heavier, hyperleptinemic, and hyperinsulinemic. Hyperglycemia presented in HFP males, HFP females, and HFGP males. HFGP males and HFP females were insulin resistant. HFP males displayed beta- and alpha-cell hyperplasia with alpha-cell hypertrophy evident in HFP females. Acinar cell proliferation rates were increased in HFP males. Postnatal high-fat programming induced the most diabetogenic phenotype with high-fat maintenance throughout fetal and postnatal life resulting in a severely obese phenotype. Fetal and postnatal nutrition shapes offspring health outcomes.
Excluded From School: Systemic Practice for Mental Health and Education Professionals

The Wider Social & Political Context. Ways of Understanding Complexity: Systems and Narrative Theory. Understanding the Children: attainments, self-esteem and locus of control. Understanding the Families: risk and resilience. Understanding the Schools: cooperative or coercive ethos? Four Case Studies of Excluded Pupils. The Child, Family and School: putting it all together.
Cottonseed, Protein, Oil Yields and Oil Properties as Affected by Nitrogen Fertilization and Foliar Application of Potassium and a Plant Growth Retardant

Field experiments were conducted in two successive seasons, at the Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt. The aim was to investigate the effect of N-fertilization rate (95.2 and 142.8 kg of N/ha, applied as ammonium nitrate containing 33.5% N in two equal doses at 6 and 8 weeks after sowing), together with foliar application of potassium (applied as potassium sulfate containing 48% K O at 0.0, 400, 800 or 1200 ppm K O, 22 applied twice: 70 and 95 days after sowing) and the plant growth retardant (PGR) Pix (applied twice: 75 days after sowing at 0.0 or 50 ppm and 90 days after sowing at 0.0 and 25 ppm) on seed, protein and oil yields and oil properties of Egyptian cotton cultivar "Giza 86 (Gossypium barbadense). The higher N-rate, as well as the application of potassium at different concentrations and plant growth retardant Pix resulted in an increase in cottonseed yield/ha, seed index, seed protein content, oil and protein yield/ha, seed oil refractive index, unsaponifiable matter and total unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic). Those treatments decreased, though oil acid value, saponification value and total saturated fatty acids. The seed oil content tended to decrease when the high N-rate was applied, but tended to increase with the application of potassium at different concentrations and Pix. There were some differences between potassium concentrations regarding their effects on the studied characters.
Public Sector Reform: An International Perspective

Preface Acknowledgements Notes on the Contributors Introduction PART I: OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM IN THE OECD Comparing Public Sector Reform in the OECD J.Halligan PART II: NATIONAL PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM Public Management and Reform in the United States C.A. Newland Australian Public Sector Reform V.L. Meek A Partnership Approach to Change: The Civil Service Reform Programme in the Republic of Ireland R.Boyle Administrative Reforms in Scandinavia: Testing the Cooperative Model P.Loegreid PART III: SECTORAL CASE STUDIES The Reform of State Education in Australia A.Barcan Ethics as a Change Strategy in Policing in the United Kingdom J.Gregory & B.Harding Reform of Higher Education in the United Kingdom G.Parry PART IV: ORGANIZATIONAL ADAPTATIONS TO PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM The Union's Response to Change in the Public Sector C.Brewer, M.Dempsey & A.Hegewisch Impact of the New Public Management on Higher Education Reform in Australia G.Harman Towards Electronic Service Delivery: Canadian, Australian and United Kingdom Government Initiatives N.Korac-Kakabadse, A.Korac-Kakabadse & A.Zouzmin CONCLUSION Themes and Future Directions of Public Sector Reform B.Nolan Bibliography Index
Compliance with World Bank Conditionality: Implications for the Selectivity Approach to Policy-Based Lending and the Design of Conditionality

Some recent empirical research suggests that the implementation of policy reforms is largely dependent on domestic political economy factors. This finding is taken to suggest that aid and adjustment lending should only be provided to those countries that, on the basis of certain characteristics, are more likely to implement policy reform. We put these issues to scrutiny by employing a different set of World Bank data to explain Sub-Saharan African programme countries' compliance record. Our empirical results highlight the role of a country's income status, economic performance and political stability during the programme, the external economic environment, the size of financial support for the reform programme, and initial macroeconomic conditions. These results, which have implications for the design of conditionality, contradict the evidence underpinning the selectivity approach to policy-based lending.
Modulatory effect of iron chelators on adenosine deaminase activity and gene expression in Trichomonas vaginalis

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellate protozoan that parasitises the urogenital human tract and causes trichomoniasis. During the infection, the acquisition of nutrients, such as iron and purine and pyrimidine nucleosides, is essential for the survival of the parasite. The enzymes for purinergic signalling, including adenosine deaminase (ADA), which degrades adenosine to inosine, have been characterised in T. vaginalis. In the evaluation of the ADA profile in different T. vaginalis isolates treated with different iron sources or with limited iron availability, a decrease in activity and an increase in ADA gene expression after iron limitation by 2,2-bipyridyl and ferrozine chelators were observed. This supported the hypothesis that iron can modulate the activity of the enzymes involved in purinergic signalling. Under bovine serum limitation conditions, no significant differences were observed. The results obtained in this study allow for the assessment of important aspects of ADA and contribute to a better understanding of the purinergic system in T. vaginalis and the role of iron in establishing infection and parasite survival.
Role of ABO Secretor Status in Mucosal Innate Immunity and H. pylori Infection

The fucosylated ABH antigens, which constitute the molecular basis for the ABO blood group system, are also expressed in salivary secretions and gastrointestinal epithelia in individuals of positive secretor status; however, the biological function of the ABO blood group system is unknown. Gastric mucosa biopsies of 41 Rhesus monkeys originating from Southern Asia were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. A majority of these animals were found to be of blood group B and weak-secretor phenotype (i.e., expressing both Lewis a and Lewis b antigens), which are also common in South Asian human populations. A selected group of ten monkeys was inoculated with Helicobacter pylori and studied for changes in gastric mucosal glycosylation during a 10-month period. We observed a loss in mucosal fucosylation and concurrent induction and time-dependent dynamics in gastric mucosal sialylation (carbohydrate marker of inflammation), which affect H. pylori adhesion targets and thus modulate host–bacterial interactions. Of particular relevance, gastric mucosal density of H. pylori, gastritis, and sialylation were all higher in secretor individuals compared to weak-secretors, the latter being apparently “protected. ” These results demonstrate that the secretor status plays an intrinsic role in resistance to H. pylori infection and suggest that the fucosylated secretor ABH antigens constitute interactive members of the human and primate mucosal innate immune system.
“Looking behind the veil”: Invisible corporate intangibles, stories, structure and the contextual information content of disclosure

Purpose - This paper aims to use a grounded theory approach to reveal that corporate private disclosure content has structure and this is critical in making “invisible” intangibles in corporate value creation visible to capital market participants. Design/methodology/approach - A grounded theory approach is used to develop novel empirical patterns concerning the nature of corporate disclosure content in the form of narrative. This is further developed using literature of value creation and of narrative. Findings - Structure to content is based on common underlying value creation and narrative structures, and the use of similar categories of corporate intangibles in corporate disclosure cases. It is also based on common change or response qualities of the value creation story as well as persistence in telling the core value creation story. The disclosure is a source of information Research limitations/implications - These insights into the structure of private disclosure content are different to the views of relevant information content implied in public disclosure means such as in financial reports or in the demands of stock exchanges for “material” or price sensitive information. They are also different to conventional academic concepts of (capital market) value relevance. Practical implications - This analysis further develops the grounded theory insights into disclosure content and could help improve new disclosure guidance by regulators. Originality/value - The insights create many new opportunities for developing theory and enhancing public disclosure content. The paper illustrates this potential by exploring new ways of measuring the value relevance of this novel form of contextual information and associated benchmarks. This connects value creation narrative to a conventional value relevance view and could stimulate new types of market event studies.
' Of babies and bath water : Is there any place for Austin and Grice in discursive pragmatics ?

What do we mean by a 'discursive' approach to language study? Some scholars may characterise it as placing emphasis on participant evaluations, others may foreground the analysis of contextualised and sequential texts, while still others consider it to include both of these. In general, though, discursive pragmatics often seems to involve a reaction to, and a contrast with, so-called Gricean intentionbased approaches. In this paper I argue that, far from discarding the insights of Grice, Austin and others, a discursive approach to pragmatics should embrace those aspects of non-discursive pragmatics that provide us with a 'tool-kit' and a vocabulary for examining talk-in-interaction. At the same time, I will argue that the shortcomings of the speaker-based, intentionfocused pragmatics can be compensated for, not by privileging hearer evaluations of meaning, but by taking an ethnomethodological approach to the analysis of naturally-occurring discourse data. By providing a critique of Locher and Watts' (2005) paradigmatic example of a discursive approach to politeness and then a sample analysis of interactional data, I demonstrate how a combination of insights from Gricean pragmatics and from ethnomethodology allows the analyst to comment on the construction and negotiation of meaning in discourse, without having recourse to notions of either intention or evaluation.
Propanil Exposure Induces Delayed but Sustained Abrogation of Cell-Mediated Immunity through Direct Interference with Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Effectors

The postemergent herbicide propanil (PRN; also known as 3,4-dichloropropionanilide) is used on rice and wheat crops and has well-known immunotoxic effects on various compartments of the immune system, including T-helper lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and macrophages. It is unclear, however, whether PRN also adversely affects cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), the primary (1°) effectors of cell-mediated immunity. In this study we examined both the direct and indirect effects of PRN exposure on CTL activation and effector cell function to gauge its likely impact on cell-mediated immunity. Initial experiments addressed whether PRN alters the class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) pathway for antigen processing and presentation by antigen-presenting cells (APCs), thereby indirectly affecting effector function. These experiments demonstrated that PRN does not impair the activation of CTLs by PRN-treated APCs. Subsequent experiments addressed whether PRN treatment of CTLs directly inhibits their activation and revealed that 1° alloreactive CTLs exposed to PRN are unimpaired in their proliferative response and only marginally inhibited in their lytic activity. Surprisingly, secondary stimulation of these alloreactive CTL effectors, however, even in the absence of further PRN exposure, resulted in complete abrogation of CTL lytic function and a delayed but significant long-term effect on CTL responsiveness. These findings may have important implications for the diagnosis and clinical management of anomalies of cell-mediated immunity resulting from environmental exposure to various herbicides and other pesticides.