Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrating trust and risk perceptions in business-to-consumer electronic commerce with the technology acceptance model

This paper develops and validates a theoretical extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The extended model aims to predict and explain consumers’ intentions to transact with an Internet-based business-to-consumer electronic commerce (B2C EC) system by integrating trust and risk perceptions with TAM. Trust is the foundation of commerce. Its influence on business relationships is even greater in the online environment, where there are no face-to-face interactions between the transacting parties. Under these conditions, consumers' uncertainty on the transaction outcome would increase, and trust plays an important role in their decision to transact online. In this study, perceived risk is proposed to be a direct antecedent of intention to transact, and the various dimensions of trust are proposed to have a positive influence on perceived risk. Besides testing the model, the relative importance of the trust dimensions is also examined. The model was validated using data collected from 133 subjects. The results provided substantial support for most of the proposed hypotheses and showed the significance of the extended constructs. Several new insights on trust in B2C EC were found and their theoretical implications are discussed.
Fe K emission in the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220

Prominent Fe Kα line emission is detected in the XMM‐Newton spectrum of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220. The centroid of the line is found at an energy of 6.7 keV and the equivalent width of the line is EW ∼ 1.9 keV (at 3.5σ significance). A few other spectral features are found at various degrees of significance in the lower energy range on a hard 2.5‐ 10 keV continuum (� ∼ 1). The large EW of the Fe K line poses a problem with interpreting the hard X-ray emission as integrated X-ray binary emission. A thermal emission spectrum with a temperature of kT ∼ 7k eV modified by absorption of N H � 3 × 10 22 cm −2 , can describe the 2.5‐10 keV continuum shape and the Fe K emission. A hot bubble that is shocked internally in a starburst region would have a similar temperature and gives a good explanation for the observed X-ray properties with a high star formation rate. An ensemble of radio supernovae in a dense environment, as suggested from VLBI imaging, could be another possibility, if such powerful supernovae are produced continuously at a high rate. However, the apparent lack of emission from X-ray binaries is incompatible with the high supernova rate (∼2 SNe yr −1 ) required by both interpretations. Highly photoionized, low-density gas illuminated by a hidden Compton-thick active galactic nucleus is a possible alternative for the hard X-ray emission, which can be tested by examining whether radiative recombination continua from highly ionized Ca and Fe are present in better quality data from a forthcoming observation. Ke yw ords: galaxies: individual: Arp 220 ‐ X-rays: galaxies.
On the relationship between auroral and nebular oxygen line intensities in spectra of H II regions

We investigate relationships between observed auroral and nebular oxygen line fluxes in spectra of H ii regions. We find a relation that is metallicity-dependent at low metallicities, but becomes independent of metallicity (within the uncertainties of the available data) above 12+logO/H ~ 8.25, i.e. there is one-to-one correspondence (the ff-relation) between auroral and nebular oxygen line fluxes in spectra of high-metallicity H ii regions. The ff-relation allows one to estimate the flux in the auroral line from strong oxygen line measurements only. This solves the problem of the electron temperature (and, consequently, abundance) determination in high-metallicity H ii regions. The ff-relation confirms the basic idea of the “empirical” method, proposed by Pagel et al. (1979, MNRAS, 189, 95) a quarter of a century ago, that the oxygen abundance in H ii region can be esimated from the strong oxygen lines measurements only.
Linear matrix inequality representation of sets

This article concerns the question, Which subsets of ℝm can be represented with linear matrix inequalities (LMIs)? This gives some perspective on the scope and limitations of one of the most powerful techniques commonly used in control theory. Also, before having much hope of representing engineering problems as LMIs by automatic methods, one needs a good idea of which problems can and cannot be represented by LMIs. Little is currently known about such problems. In this article we give a necessary condition that we call “rigid convexity,” which must hold for a set 𝒞 ⊆ ℝm in order for 𝒞 to have an LMI representation. Rigid convexity is proved to be necessary and sufficient when m = 2. This settles a question formally stated by Pablo Parrilo and Berndt Sturmfels in [15]. As shown by Lewis, Parillo, and Ramana [11], our main result also establishes (in the case of three variables) a 1958 conjecture by Peter Lax on hyperbolic polynomials. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Die Elastizität des zu versteuernden Einkommens in Deutschland – Eine empirische Untersuchung auf Basis des deutschen Taxpayer-Panels (The Elasticity of Taxable Income in Germany – An Empirical Study Based on the German Taxpayer-Panel)

In this paper the current literature’s standard approach is used to estimate the elasticity of taxable income with respect to the net-of-tax rate using tax return data from the German Taxpayer-Panel spanning the years 2001 to 2006. To our knowledge this is done the first time for Germany using more than one difference and therefore adequate income controls. The effect of a change in the individual`s marginal tax rate on the amount of taxable income is identified using a tax reform (Steuersenkungsgesetz) which was announced in the year 2000 and led to a stepwise reduction of marginal tax rates for all taxpayers in the following years. The estimates suggest an elasticity of taxable income between 0.3 and 0.4 and an elasticity of a broader income definition ranging from 0.2 to 0.4. These estimates are mainly driven by people in the upper half of the income distribution and joint assessment of married couples.
A supervised learning approach for fast object recognition from RGB-D data

Object recognition serves obvious purposes in assisted living environments, where robotic devices can be used as companions to assist humans in need. The recent introduction of vision based sensors, which are able to extract depth sensing information about the environment, in addition to the traditional RGB video, presents new opportunities and challenges for more accurate object recognition. The current work, presents an object recognition approach that uses RGB-D point cloud data and a novel feature extraction methodology, in combination with well-known supervised learning algorithms, to achieve accurate, real-time recognition of a large number of objects. In our experiments, we use a dataset of household objects organized into 51 categories, and evaluate the recognition accuracy and time efficiency of a set of different supervised learning methods.
Guided tree topology proposals for Bayesian phylogenetic inference.

Increasingly, large data sets pose a challenge for computationally intensive phylogenetic methods such as Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). Here, we investigate the performance of common MCMC proposal distributions in terms of median and variance of run time to convergence on 11 data sets. We introduce two new Metropolized Gibbs Samplers for moving through "tree space. " MCMC simulation using these new proposals shows faster average run time and dramatically improved predictability in performance, with a 20-fold reduction in the variance of the time to estimate the posterior distribution to a given accuracy. We also introduce conditional clade probabilities and demonstrate that they provide a superior means of approximating tree topology posterior probabilities from samples recorded during MCMC.
Thermal Resistances of Gaseous Gap for Conforming Rough Contacts

An approximate analytical model is developed for predicting the heat transfer of interstitial gases in the gap between conforming rough contacts. A simple relationship for the gap thermal resistance is derived by assuming that the contacting surfaces are of uniform temperature and that the gap heat transfer area and the apparent contact area are identical. The model covers the four regimes of gas heat conduction modes, i.e., continuum, temperature-jump or slip, transition, and free molecular. Effects of main input parameters on the gap and joint thermal resistances are investigated. The model is compared with the existing model of Yovanovich et al. and with more than 510 experimental data points collected by Hegazy and Song. Good agreement is shown over entire range of the comparison. Nomenclature A = area, m 2 a = radius of contact, m b L = specimens radius, m c 1 = Vickers microhardness coefficient, P a c 2 = Vickers microhardness coefficient d = mean contacting bodies distance, m F = external force, N h = contact conductance, W/m 2 K H mic = microhardness, P a H 0 = c 1 (1.62σ 0 /m) c 2 , P a Kn = Knudsen number k = thermal conductivity, W/mK m = mean absolute surface slope M = gas parameter, m n s = number of microcontacts P = pressure, P a Pr = Prandtl number Q = heat flow rate, W q = heat flux, W/m 2 R = thermal resistance, K/W r, z = cylindrical coordinates T = temperature, K TAC = thermal accomodation coefficient TCR = thermal contact resistance vac. Λ = mean free path, m λ = non-dimensional separation≡ Y/ √ 2σ σ = RMS surface roughness, m σ 0 = σ/σ 0 , σ 0 = 1 µm Subscripts 0 = reference value 1, 2 = solid 1, 2 a = apparent g = gas j = joint r = real s = solid, micro
Separability-based relevance feedback for content-based image retrieval

Relevance feedback is an interactive querying process of CBIR, which can help the retrieval system adapt to the dynamic user demand and achieve more accuracy for the representation of image similarity according to the user's view. In this paper, we bring up the concept of the separability of image data as the theoretical criterion to guide generating the best feature vector set to better classify images. We build an energy function for the training of the eigenvectors on the basis of separability, and then apply simulated annealing optimization algorithm to minimize energy function in order to accomplish the generation of the optimal feature vectors set in a particular database. The experiment result shows that this new algorithm for relevance feedback can effectively improve the retrieval accuracy.
Investigation of the Association between the Relative Reinforcing Value of Food in 3 Year-Old Children With Body Weight and Composition: The Choice and Motivation in Preschooler Snacking (CHAMPS) Study

INVESTIGATION OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE RELATIVE REINFORCING VALUE OF FOOD IN 3 YEAR-OLD CHILDREN WITH BODY WEIGHT AD COMPOSITION: THE CHOICE AND MOTIVATION IN PRESCHOOLER SNACKING (CHAMPS) STUDY Samantha Wong Advisor: Dr. Jess Haines University of Guelph, 2018 The relative reinforcing value of food (RRVF; how hard a child is willing to work for a food versus non-food reinforcer) and weight are strongly associated across many life stages, but few studies exist among preschool age children. Linear regression was used to investigate the association between the RRVF (measured as the food reinforcing ratio (FRR)) and body mass index (BMI) z-score and percent fat mass (%FM) among thirty-three 3 year old children. Food parenting practices were investigated as potential moderators. The food (cookie) versus non-food (audiobook) reinforcer design was delivered using a sequential progressive fixed ratio reward schedule. FRR was positively associated with BMI z-scores. No significant associations were found between FRR and %FM. Restriction for Health moderated the association between FRR and BMI z-scores. There was no evidence for moderation by the other food parenting practices explored.
Evaluation of Wave Barriers on Ground Vibration Reduction through Numerical Modeling in Abaqus

This paper aims to investigate the train-induced ground vibration and appropriate countermeasures using numerical modeling by Abaqus. First, the effect of appropriate boundary modeling in wave propagation studies is addressed by illustrating the application of nonreflecting boundaries in Abaqus using infinite elements. Second, the propagation of waves in the ground was investigated by applying an impact-type loading. Then, the attenuation of maximum acceleration on the surface ground was compared to the data from geotechnical centrifuge tests conducted at Tokyo Institute of Technology and the theoretical solutions. These comparisons confirmed the reliability of the numerical modeling by Abaqus in this study. Next, the effect of barriers in reduction of ground vibration was investigated by modeling a wave barrier at the transmission path. Three different types of barriers were evaluated considering their stiffness: Concrete wall, improved soil, and EPS. A benchmark model was also analyzed without any mitigation measure to evaluate the effectiveness of the wave barriers. Furthermore, the effects of both geometry (depth and width) and material of barriers on the vibration reduction were examined through a parametric study and the results were verified using the geotechnical centrifuge tests.
Investigating the Rejuvenation of the Children's Section of Public Libraries to Enhance the Attraction of Users: A Structural Equation Analysis

Purpose: This paper tries to investigate the rejuvenation of the children's section of public libraries in Kermanshah province (Iran) to increase the attraction of the users. Design/methodology/approach: The present study is a survey and has been conducted using cause and effect approach. A structured questionnaire was selected which validity and reliability were confirmed. The population included 3557 who were in the range of 6 to 13 years in the library of the studied area. The sample was 347 and using simple random method. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics including frequency, frequency percent, mean, variance, skewness, elongation and inferential statistics including simple linear regression. Findings: With regard to the descriptive findings of the study, the mean scores of "attracting users", "feeling of safe" and security", "environmental trim", "environmental factors" and "service sector" variables of the studied libraries are medium and upward, which means that the score of most respondents to the questionnaire is higher than the average. Moreover, the average of the living space of the surveyed libraries is moderate and it showed that the score of most respondents to the questionnaires is less than the mean. Results: The results of this study showed that there is a direct and significant relationship between feeling of security, library trimming, environmental factors and living and services spaces by attracting users of the library. The results of the study also indicated that the studied libraries are in a moderate situation and are far from the ideal rejuvenation library.
A study on the effects of the cognitive workload on the driver's blood pulse wave

Distracted driving has emerged as a factor of road accidents. Hence, the detection increase of drivers' cognitive workload has been a vital issue for establishing safety support systems. Studies on the estimation of driver's mental workload have been performed using various devices. However, an applicable and a sensitive device is still vague. One of the promising devices available is using blood pulse wave. The purpose of this study is to develop a driver's distraction detection method through blood pulse wave analysis. This paper focus on how to determine the threshold of drivers' distraction. Based on the experiments that were conducted on driving simulator, we did some suggestions regarding the effects of cognitive workload that been imposed to drivers to driver's blood pulse wave
FTIR Spectroscopy Revealing Light-Dependent Refolding of the Conserved Tongue Region of Bacteriophytochrome

Bacteriophytochromes (BphPs) constitute a class of photosensory proteins that toggle between Pr and Pfr functional states through absorption of red and far-red light. The photosensory core of BphPs is composed of PAS, GAF, and PHY domains. Here, we apply FTIR spectroscopy to investigate changes in the secondary structure of Rhodopseudomonas palustris BphP2 (RpBphP2) upon Pr to Pfr photoconversion. Our results indicate conversion from a β-sheet to an α-helical element in the so-called tongue region of the PHY domain, consistent with recent X-ray structures of Deinococcus radiodurans DrBphP in dark and light states (TakalaH.; et al. Nature2014, 509, 245−24824776794). A conserved Asp in the GAF domain that noncovalently connects with the PHY domain and a conserved Pro in the tongue region of the PHY domain are essential for the β-sheet-to-α-helix conversion.
A call to action: women and peripheral artery disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

Lower extremity atherosclerotic peripheral artery disease (PAD) has a very high prevalence in most nations and in the United States.1–8 Lower extremity PAD is now known to be associated with equal morbidity and mortality and comparable (or higher) health economic costs as coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke.9,10 Yet where surveyed, the public and clinicians (as well as health payers and government agencies) do not yet fully recognize the risks associated with PAD.11 For decades, clinicians did not recognize the impact of coronary disease in women.12 As such, women were not informed of their CHD risk. For any common disease, whether infectious, oncological, or traumatic, when more than half of the population at risk is not aware of this risk, and when this risk is not managed, preventable morbid and mortal events are inevitable. Certain health facts are now evident: Women suffer the consequences of PAD at rates at least as high as those observed in men. But major knowledge gaps exist. Clinical research to evaluate gender-based differences that might underlie the delayed, postmenopausal presentation of PAD in women has not been conducted. Whether subtle but important gender-based distinctions in clinical presentations exist is unknown. The relative sensitivity and specificity of PAD diagnostic tests and pathways by gender are unclear. Although there is suggestive evidence that treatment benefits and harms are different in women and men, this cannot yet be confirmed from current clinical trial data because of the limited inclusion of women in past investigations. Other facts provide encouragement. Women with or at risk for CHD now better understand this risk. Thus, collation of accurate PAD-specific health information for women is likely to improve their own health and that of society at large. The American Heart Association, in collaboration with …
Transcriptional Control of the Sulfur-RegulatedcysH Operon, Containing Genes Involved inl-Cysteine Biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT The molecular mechanisms of regulation of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of cysteine are poorly characterized in Bacillus subtilis and other gram-positive bacteria. In this study we describe the expression pattern of the B. subtilis cysHoperon in response to sulfur starvation. A 6.1-kb polycistronic transcript which includes the cysH, cysP,ylnB, ylnC, ylnD, ylnE, and ylnF genes was identified. Its synthesis was induced by sulfur limitation and strongly repressed by cysteine. ThecysH operon contains a 5′ leader portion homologous to that of the S box family of genes involved in sulfur metabolism, which are regulated by a transcription termination control system. Here we show that induction of B. subtilis cysH operon expression is dependent on the promoter and independent of the leader region terminator, indicating that the operon is regulated at the level of transcription initiation rather than controlled at the level of premature termination of transcription. Deletion of a 46-bp region adjacent to the −35 region of the cysH promoter led to high-level expression of the operon, even in the presence of cysteine. We also found that O-acetyl-l-serine (OAS), a direct precursor of cysteine, renders cysH transcription independent of sulfur starvation and insensitive to cysteine repression. We propose that transcription of the cysHoperon is negatively regulated by a transcriptional repressor whose activity is controlled by the intracellular levels of OAS. Cysteine is predicted to repress transcription by inhibiting the synthesis of OAS, which would act as an inducer of cysH expression. These novel results provide the first direct evidence that cysteine biosynthesis is controlled at a transcriptional level by both negative and positive effectors in a gram-positive organism.
Polymorphisms of ADPRT Val 762 Ala and XRCC 1 Arg 399 Glu and risk of breast cancer in Chinese women : A case control analysis

Adenosine diphosphate ribosyl transferase (ADPRT) and X-ray repair cross-complementing 1 (XRCC1) are two major base excision repair (BER) proteins and act cooperatively in the BER processes. Polymorphisms of ADPRT Val762Ala and XRCC1 Arg399Gln may alter their protein functions and BER activity, and were therefore hypothesized to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility. We examined the contributions of these two polymorphisms to breast cancer susceptibility in a case-control study of 302 breast cancer cases, 221 patients with benign breast disease (BBD) and 639 cancer-free controls in a Chinese population. We found that the variant genotypes of both ADPRT Val762Ala and XRCC1 Arg399Gln were not significantly associated with the risk of breast cancer (adjusted OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.19 for ADPRT Val/Ala + Ala/Ala; adjusted OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.61 to1.11 for XRCC1 Arg/Gln + Gln/Gln; and adjusted OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.10 for these two combined variant genotypes. Similarly, we did not find any significant associations of these two genotypes with BBD risk. These findings suggest that the ADPRT Val762Ala and XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphisms may not play a role in the etiology of breast cancer.
Macroeconomics of Self-fulfilling Prophecies - 2nd Edition

For many years it was fashionable to treat macroeconomics and microeconomics as separate subjects without looking too deeply at the relationship between the two. But in the 1970s there occurred an episode of high inflation and high unemployment, which was inconsistent with orthodox theory. As a result, macroeconomists began to pay much greater attention to the microfoundations of their subject. In this book Roger E. A. Farmer takes a somewhat controversial point of view, arguing for the future of macroeconomics as a branch of applied general equilibrium theory. His main theme is that macroeconomics is best viewed as the study of equilibrium environments in which the welfare theorems break down. This approach makes it possible to discuss the role of government policies in a context in which policy may serve some purpose. Since the publication of the first edition in 1993, self-fulfilling prophecies has become a major competitor to the real business-cycle view of economic fluctuations. The second edition has been updated in three ways: (1) problems are included at the end of every chapter, and a study guide containing sample answers to all of the problems is available; (2) a new chapter discusses research from the past five years on business fluctuations in multisector models; and (3) the chapter on representative agent growth models now includes an appendix that explains the transversality condition.