Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Repetitive Group Sampling Plan Based on Truncated Tests for Weibull Models

This study proposes a new repetitive group sampling plan by attributes based on truncated life test under the Weibull distributions with known shape parameter. The constrained optimization problem is formulated as a nonlinear integer programming to determine the sample size and the acceptance criterion of the proposed plan. The objective function to be minimized is the average sample number, whereas the constraints are related to the lot acceptance probabilities at the acceptable and limiting quality levels. Tables containing the optimal design parameters are constructed for various values of the Weibull shape parameter and the results are explained with several examples. Minimum producer's and consumer's risks are also determined. The proposed sampling plan reduces significantly the average sample number as compared with the traditional single sampling plan. The effect of the mis-specification of shape parameters is also discussed.
Multi-digit maximum voluntary torque production on a circular object

Individual digit-tip forces and moments during torque production on a mechanically fixed circular object were studied. During the experiments, subjects positioned each digit on a 6-dimensional force/moment sensor attached to a circular handle and produced a maximum voluntary torque on the handle. The torque direction and the orientation of the torque axis were varied. From this study, it is concluded that: (1) the maximum torque in the closing (clockwise) direction was larger than in the opening (counter clockwise) direction; (2) the thumb and little finger had the largest and the smallest share of both total normal force and total moment, respectively; (3) the sharing of total moment between individual digits was not affected by the orientation of the torque axis or by the torque direction, while the sharing of total normal force between the individual digit varied with torque direction; (4) the normal force safety margins were largest and smallest in the thumb and little finger, respectively.
An Empirical Analysis of Price Setting Behavior in the Netherlands in the Period 1998-2003 Using Micro Data

In this paper we examine pricing behaviour of retail firms in the Netherlands during 1998-2003 using alarge database with monthly price quotes of 49 articles, representing different product types. We have conducted this study in order to gain in sight in the degree of nominal rigidity of consumer prices in the Dutch economy. We find that energy prices and prices of unprocessed food are most flexible, whereas prices of services are stickiest. Our sample contains not only ample evidence of upward but also of downward flexible prices. A multivariate analysis shows that firm size matters with prices being stickiest in small retail firms and most flexible in large retail firms and in the smallest retail firms consisting of the owners only. Furthermore, we investigate pass-through effects of VAT changes in product prices. We find that VAT increases are almost completely passed on to consumers. Finally, there is some evidence indicating that, after controlling for inflation, pricing behaviour of retail firms was different during the introduction of the euro than in the period directly preceding it.
Tailoring of black-box testing methods

Currently, black-box testing methods are effective yet incomplete. Consequently, test engineers may find it necessary to perform ad hoc customisation for each application under test. In this paper, we present procedures for customising black-box methods that model such "error guessing" in a reproducible and reusable way. As a preliminary evaluation, we customise a generalised representation of black-box methods and compare the effectiveness of the resulting test cases with those derived by two existing methods. Our procedures facilitate the development of both domain-specific and novel experimental black-box methods
Estimating the Risk of Chronic Pain: Development and Validation of a Prognostic Model (PICKUP) for Patients with Acute Low Back Pain

Background Low back pain (LBP) is a major health problem. Globally it is responsible for the most years lived with disability. The most problematic type of LBP is chronic LBP (pain lasting longer than 3 mo); it has a poor prognosis and is costly, and interventions are only moderately effective. Targeting interventions according to risk profile is a promising approach to prevent the onset of chronic LBP. Developing accurate prognostic models is the first step. No validated prognostic models are available to accurately predict the onset of chronic LBP. The primary aim of this study was to develop and validate a prognostic model to estimate the risk of chronic LBP. Methods and Findings We used the PROGRESS framework to specify a priori methods, which we published in a study protocol. Data from 2,758 patients with acute LBP attending primary care in Australia between 5 November 2003 and 15 July 2005 (development sample, n = 1,230) and between 10 November 2009 and 5 February 2013 (external validation sample, n = 1,528) were used to develop and externally validate the model. The primary outcome was chronic LBP (ongoing pain at 3 mo). In all, 30% of the development sample and 19% of the external validation sample developed chronic LBP. In the external validation sample, the primary model (PICKUP) discriminated between those who did and did not develop chronic LBP with acceptable performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.66 [95% CI 0.63 to 0.69]). Although model calibration was also acceptable in the external validation sample (intercept = −0.55, slope = 0.89), some miscalibration was observed for high-risk groups. The decision curve analysis estimated that, if decisions to recommend further intervention were based on risk scores, screening could lead to a net reduction of 40 unnecessary interventions for every 100 patients presenting to primary care compared to a “treat all” approach. Limitations of the method include the model being restricted to using prognostic factors measured in existing studies and using stepwise methods to specify the model. Limitations of the model include modest discrimination performance. The model also requires recalibration for local settings. Conclusions Based on its performance in these cohorts, this five-item prognostic model for patients with acute LBP may be a useful tool for estimating risk of chronic LBP. Further validation is required to determine whether screening with this model leads to a net reduction in unnecessary interventions provided to low-risk patients.
Trust as a Signal of a Social Norm and the Hidden Costs of Incentive Schemes

An explanation for motivation crowding-out phenomena is developed in a social preferences framework. Besides selfish and fair or altruistic types a third type of agents is introduced: These "conformists" have social preferences if they believe that sufficiently many of the others do too. When there is asymmetric information about the distribution of preferences (the "social norm"), the incentive scheme offered or autonomy granted can reveal a principal's beliefs about that norm. High-powered incentives may crowd out motivation as pessimism about the norm is conveyed. But by choosing fixed wages or granting autonomy the principal may signal trust in a favorable social norm.
Surveillance of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Diarrhea Cases from Children, Adults and Elderly at Northwest of Mexico

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) strains are a main cause of gastrointestinal disease in developing countries. In this study we report the epidemiologic surveillance in a 4-year period (January 2011 to December 2014) of DEC strains causing acute diarrhea throughout the Sinaloa State, Mexico. DEC strains were isolated from outpatients of all ages with acute diarrhea (N = 1,037). Specific DEC pathotypes were identified by PCR-amplification of genes encoding virulence factors. The adhesion phenotype and antibiotic resistance were also investigated. DEC strains were detected in 23.3% (242/1037) of cases. The most frequently DEC strain isolated was EAEC [(12.2%), 126/242] followed by EPEC [(5.1%), 53/242], ETEC [(4.3%), 43/242] DAEC [(1.4%), 15/242], STEC [(0.3%), 3/242], and EIEC [(0.2%), 2/242]. EHEC strains were not detected. Overall DEC strains were more prevalent in children ≤2 years of age with EPEC strains the most common of DEC pathotypes. While ∼65% of EAEC strains were classified as typical variant based on the aggregative adherence to in vitro cultures of HEp-2 cells, a high proportion of EPEC strains was classified as atypical strains. EAEC, EPEC, ETEC, and DAEC strains were distributed in the north, central and south regions of Sinaloa state. Among all DEC strains, >90% were resistant to at least one commonly prescribed antibiotic. Strains were commonly resistant to first-line antibiotics such as tetracycline, ampicillin, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Furthermore, more than 80% of DEC isolates were multi-drug resistant and EPEC and DAEC were the categories with major proportion of this feature. In conclusion, in nearly one out of four cases of acute diarrhea in Northwestern Mexico a multi-drug resistant DEC strain was isolated, in these cases EAEC was the most prevalent (52%) pathotype.
Measuring the Return on Government Spending on the Medicare Managed Care Program

Abstract I estimate the welfare provided to beneficiaries by the Medicare managed care program, and its net costs, for the years 1999-2002. I measure beneficiary welfare with a nested logit model of demand for Medicare HMO plans using detailed data on plan benefits. From this, I find that total beneficiary welfare provided by the program over the four-year period is about $61 billion (2000 $). I also use data on and estimates of the favorable selection enjoyed by Medicare HMOs from the research literature to estimate net costs of the program, which range from $21 billion to $31 billion (2000 $). Estimated net beneficiary welfare of the program therefore ranges from $30 billion to $40 billion and the estimated return on government spending ranges from 96 percent to 186 percent. Even though managed care plans are overpaid by Medicare, the program still enjoys a substantial return due to the popularity of its offerings.
Defects in ErbB-Dependent Establishment of Adult Melanocyte Stem Cells Reveal Independent Origins for Embryonic and Regeneration Melanocytes

Adult stem cells are responsible for maintaining and repairing tissues during the life of an organism. Tissue repair in humans, however, is limited compared to the regenerative capabilities of other vertebrates, such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio). An understanding of stem cell mechanisms, such as how they are established, their self-renewal properties, and their recruitment to produce new cells is therefore important for the application of regenerative medicine. We use larval melanocyte regeneration following treatment with the melanocytotoxic drug MoTP to investigate these mechanisms in Melanocyte Stem Cell (MSC) regulation. In this paper, we show that the receptor tyrosine kinase, erbb3b, is required for establishing the adult MSC responsible for regenerating the larval melanocyte population. Both the erbb3b mutant and wild-type fish treated with the ErbB inhibitor, AG1478, develop normal embryonic melanocytes but fail to regenerate melanocytes after MoTP-induced melanocyte ablation. By administering AG1478 at different time points, we show that ErbB signaling is only required for regeneration prior to MoTP treatment and before 48 hours of development, consistent with a role in establishing MSCs. We then show that overexpression of kitla, the Kit ligand, in transgenic larvae leads to recruitment of MSCs, resulting in overproliferation of melanocytes. Furthermore, kitla overexpression can rescue AG1478-blocked regeneration, suggesting that ErbB signaling is required to promote the progression and specification of the MSC from a pre–MSC state. This study provides evidence that ErbB signaling is required for the establishment of adult MSCs during embryonic development. That this requirement is not shared with the embryonic melanocytes suggests that embryonic melanocytes develop directly, without proceeding through the ErbB-dependent MSC. Moreover, the shared requirement of larval melanocyte regeneration and metamorphic melanocytes that develops at the larval-to-adult transition suggests that these post-embryonic melanocytes develop from the same adult MSC population. Lastly, that kitla overexpression can recruit the MSC to develop excess melanocytes raises the possibility that Kit signaling may be involved in MSC recruitment during regeneration.
Sharing the Greenhouse: Inducing Cooperation in a Global Common

Global warming is an example of a global tragedy of the commons. The atmosphere is a global common property resource. The global nature of this resource makes global warming a particularly difficult problem to solve. The reason for this is that there is no world government that can introduce and enforce the standard solutions for common property resource problems in this case. Any solution will need to be voluntary, in the sense that each country must choose to participate in it. This raises the important issue of just how such voluntary cooperation might be obtained. In this paper, we explore the potential for repeated interaction between countries to induce them to cooperate in combating global warming.
Behavioral Adjustments by a Small Neotropical Primate (Callithrix jacchus) in a Semiarid Caatinga Environment

We provide the first information on the behavior of a small primate (Callithrix jacchus) inhabiting a semiarid Caatinga environment in northeastern Brazil. We observed behavioral variations in response to temperature fluctuation throughout the day. Due to the high temperatures, low precipitation, and resource scarcity in the Caatinga, as well as the lack of physiological adaptations (e.g., a highly concentrated urine and a carotid rete to cool down the brain) of these primates, we expected that the common marmosets would exhibit behavioral adjustments, such as a prolonged resting period or the use of a large home range. During the six-month period, we collected 246 hours of behavioral data of two groups (10 individuals) of Callithrix jacchus. Most of the observed behavioral patterns were influenced by temperature fluctuation. Animals rested longer and reduced other activities, such as foraging, when temperatures were higher. Both study groups exploited home ranges of 2.21–3.26 ha, which is within the range described for common marmosets inhabiting the Atlantic Forest. Our findings confirm that common marmosets inhabiting the Caatinga adjust their behavioral patterns to cope with the high temperatures that characterize this environment and highlight their ability to survive across a wide range of different environmental conditions.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Five Competing Strategies for the Management of Multiple Recurrent Community-Onset Clostridium difficile Infection in France

Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is characterized by high rates of recurrence, resulting in substantial health care costs. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness of treatments for the management of second recurrence of community-onset CDI in France. Methods We developed a decision-analytic simulation model to compare 5 treatments for the management of second recurrence of community-onset CDI: pulsed-tapered vancomycin, fidaxomicin, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) via colonoscopy, FMT via duodenal infusion, and FMT via enema. The model outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), expressed as cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) among the 5 treatments. ICERs were interpreted using a willingness-to-pay threshold of €32,000/QALY. Uncertainty was evaluated through deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Results Three strategies were on the efficiency frontier: pulsed-tapered vancomycin, FMT via enema, and FMT via colonoscopy, in order of increasing effectiveness. FMT via duodenal infusion and fidaxomicin were dominated (i.e. less effective and costlier) by FMT via colonoscopy and FMT via enema. FMT via enema compared with pulsed-tapered vancomycin had an ICER of €18,092/QALY. The ICER for FMT via colonoscopy versus FMT via enema was €73,653/QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis with 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations showed that FMT via enema was the most cost-effective strategy in 58% of simulations and FMT via colonoscopy was favored in 19% at a willingness-to-pay threshold of €32,000/QALY. Conclusions FMT via enema is the most cost-effective initial strategy for the management of second recurrence of community-onset CDI at a willingness-to-pay threshold of €32,000/QALY.
A Natural Model of the Multiverse Axioms

If ZFC is consistent, then the collection of countable computably saturated models of ZFC satisfies all of the Multiverse Axioms of (Hama). The multiverse axioms that are the focus of this article arose in connection with a continuing debate in the philosophy of set theory between the Universe view, which holds that there is a unique absolute set-theoretical universe, serving as set- theoretic background for all mathematical activity, and the Multiverse view, which holds that there are many set-theoretical worlds, each instantiating its own concept of set. We refer the reader to (Hama) and to several other articles in the same special issue of the Review of Symbolic Logic for a fuller discussion of this philosophical exchange (see also (Hamb, Ham09)). The multiverse axioms express a certain degree of richness for the set-theoretic multiverse, flowing from a perspective that denies an absolute set-theoretic background. Meanwhile, the multiverse axioms admit a purely mathematical, non-philosophical treatment, on which we shall focus here. We shall internalize the study of multi- verses to set theory by treating them as mathematical objects within ZFC, allowing for a mathematized simulacrum inside V of the full philosophical multiverse (which would otherwise include universes outside V ). Specifically, in this article we define that a multiverse is simply a nonempty set or class of models of ZFC set theory. The multiverse axioms then correspond to the features listed in Definition 1, which such a collection may or may not exhibit. Definition 1 (Multiverse Axioms). Suppose that M is a multiverse, a nonempty collection of models of ZFC. (1) The Realizability axiom holds for M if whenever M is a universe in M and N is a definable class of M satisfying ZFC from the perspective of M, then N is in M. (2) The Forcing Extension axiom holds for M if whenever M is a universe in M and P is a forcing notion in M, then M has a forcing extension of M by P, a model of the form M(G), where G is an M-generic filter for P. (3) The Class Forcing Extension axiom holds for M if whenever M is a universe in M and P is a ZFC-preserving class forcing notion in M, then M has a forcing extension of M by P, a model of the form M(G), where G is an M-generic filter for P.
Analysis of arable crop farmers’ awareness to causes and effects of climate change in south western Nigeria

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the determinants of arable crop farmers’ awareness to causes and effects of climate change in south western Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – Using primary data, 150 arable crop farmers in Ogun State were selected through a multi stage sampling technique. Survey method was used to elicit information on farmers’ socioeconomic, production characteristics, and their level of awareness to causes and effects of climate change. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, environmental awareness index (EAI), and Tobit regression analysis. Findings – Most (81.08 percent) of the arable crop farmers were males with an average household size of eight persons, farming experience of 24 years and farm size of approximately 1 ha. The computed climate change EAI showed that only 47 percent of the respondents were aware of causes of climate change, while 68 percent were aware of its effects. Results further revealed that age, income from.
Habitat use by three rat species (Rattus spp.) on an island without other mammalian predators

Ship rats (Rattus rattus) were removed from sites on Pearl Island, southern Stewart Island, in 2004 and 2005, to test whether they excluded Pacific rats ( R. exulans) or Norway rats (R. norvegicus) or both from podocarp-broadleaf forest. As predators can influence habitat use in rodents, Pearl Island was selected because no mammalian predators of rodents are present. Rats were trapped in two other habitats to clarify rat distribution on the island and to obtain samples for stable isotope investigation of food partitioning within habitats. The experimental removal of ship rats failed, as Pacific rats were found to share forest and shrubland with ship rats. This result contrasted with the restricted distribution of Pacific rats on Stewart Island. Ship rats were ubiquitous, and appear to have been the dominant species in podocarp-broadleaf forest on Pearl Island. The largest species, the Norway rat, was trapped only on the foreshore of Pearl Island, but on Stewart Island it is more widespread. Ship rats and Norway rats were partitioning the coastal habitat by exploiting different food sources. Stable isotopic ratios (δ 15 N and δ 13 C) in muscle samples from Norway rats revealed a strong marine signature, suggesting intensive foraging in the intertidal zone. Ship rats trapped in the same habitat exhibited mixed terrestrial and marine sources in their diet. There was little obvious partitioning between ship rats and Pacific rats in forest, except a possible delay in breeding in Pacific rats relative to ship rats. Whether Norway rats select the intertidal zone to forage, or were excluded from forest by ship rats is unknown, but competitive exclusion is likely. Estimated densities of rats were low (2.1-5.1 rats ha -1 in forest, 1.42 rats ha -1 in shrubland) and similar to other New Zealand sites with low soil fertility. Further research will be required to elucidate the roles of food quality, habitat structure and predation in facilitating habitat selection in these species.