Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inventory Models for Substitutable Products: Optimal Policies and Heuristics

In this paper, we examine the nature of optimal inventory policies in a system where a retailer manages substitutable products. We first consider a system with two products 1 and 2 whose total demand is D and individual demands are negatively correlated. A fixed proportion of the unsatisfied customers for an item will purchase the other item if it is available in inventory. For the single-period case, we show that the optimal inventory levels of the two items can be computed easily and follow what we refer to as “partially decoupled” policies, i.e., base stock policies that are not state dependent, in certain critical regions of interest both when D is known and random. Furthermore, we show that such a partially decoupled base-stock policy is optimal even in a multiperiod version of the problem for known D for a wide range of parameter values and in an N-product single-period model under some restrictive conditions. Using a numerical study, we show that heuristics based on the decoupled inventory policy perform well in conditions more general than the ones assumed to obtain the analytical results. The analytical and numerical results suggest that the approach presented here is most valuable in retail settings for product categories where the level of substitution between items in a category is not high, demand variation at the aggregate level is not high, and service levels or newsvendor ratios are high.
Establishing a positive emotional climate to create 21st-century organizational change

Looking back on the 20th century, the vision of business has often been depicted by a self-interested, mechanistic manufacturing operation. Organizations that support this effort were designed to achieve efficient and effective production by people who were viewed merely as resources. Pictures from this period reflect factory smokestacks puffing away with dirty and dreary hues of grey shadows looming over the inhabiting workers. Today’s vision and design of the organization has moved away from this picture, revealing an awareness of the human elements present in daily organizational life. Recognizing that people’s emotions influence performance has created a demonstrable shift in organizational behavior, as theories used to describe and explain performance are moving to incorporate features that address this affective component. Researchers have been steadily making the move to show how employee decisions and actions are inextricably linked to emotions at the personal, interpersonal, and organizational levels (e.g., Dehler & Welsch, 1994; Elfenbein, 2007; Hochschild, 1983). Although early American aphorisms, such as Benjamin Franklin’s “time is money” (1748) still ring true in the minds of many, most managers today would also acknowledge that a good deal of their time is spent dealing with the emotional aspects of workplace enterprise. With so much of life spent working with others, it is no surprise that the workplace becomes the foundation for a variety of experiences and social interactions that spur a multitude of emotional responses. One could think of the joy one feels when a project has been successfully completed, the gratitude one experiences when a mentor takes the time to guide and support him or her, the pride in being part of a productive team, or the enthusiasm experienced when starting a challenging and interesting new task. In recent years, positive psychologists and positive organizational scholars have been intrigued by the potential benefits that positive emotions have to offer employees. Their research has demonstrated how experiences that foster emotions such as interest, joy, pride, and appreciation
Direct Detection of Thrombin Binding to 8-Bromodeoxyguanosine-Modified Aptamer: Effects of Modification on Affinity and Kinetics

The affinity of an 8-bromodeoxyguanosine- (8-BrdG-) substituted thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA-Br), which has the 1st and 10th guanosine residues replaced with 8-BrdG, was estimated using reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS). When comparing TBA-Br with unmodified TBA (TBA-H), it was demonstrated that the modification effectively improved the affinity of TBA; dissociation constants (KD) of TBA-H and TBA-Br were 45.4 nM and 1.99 nM, respectively. These values, which were obtained by direct observation of thrombin binding using RIfS, have the same order of magnitude as those obtained in our previous study utilizing conformational changes in TBA to detect thrombin binding, thus confirming the validity of the obtained KD values. RIfS measurements also revealed that the 8-BrdG modification resulted in a lower dissociation rate constant (kd), which suggests that the enhancement of affinity can be attributed to the stabilization of the G-quadruplex structure on introduction of 8-BrdG.
The donor figuration: A progenitor, father or friend? How young people in planned lesbian families negotiate with their donor

This article discusses how seven young people born to lesbian mothers and conceived using donor insemination negotiate positions with their donor figuration. ‘Negotiation’ here refers to processes in which the donor figure, his offspring or both are in motion, and in which the motion physically and relationally positions them in relation to each other. The article illuminates the differences in negotiations between the donor being an anonymous figuration and a ‘negotiated absence’ (Donovan, 2000), or a known and physical present figure. However, the analyses show that the positions between the donor figure and his offspring are constantly in motion, irrespective of the donors’ anonymity or not. This indicates that the anonymous/known dichotomy is not entirely useful in explaining the different ways in which donors are configured in planned lesbian families.
Regulation of matrix remodelling phenotype in gingival fibroblasts by substratum topography

Gingival connective tissue often has a composition resembling that of scar surrounding dental implant abutments. Increased cell adhesion, α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) expression and increased extracellular matrix deposition are a hallmark of fibrotic cells, but how topographic features influence gingival fibroblast adhesion and adoption of the α‐SMA positive myofibroblast phenotype associated with scarring is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate whether implant topographies that limit adhesion formation would reduce myofibroblast differentiation and extracellular matrix deposition. Human gingival fibroblasts were cultured on PT (smooth) and SLA (roughened) titanium discs for varying time‐points. At 1 and 2 weeks after seeding, incorporation of α‐SMA into stress‐fibre bundles and fibronectin deposition was significantly higher on PT than SLA surfaces indicating differentiation of the cells towards a myofibroblast phenotype. Analysis of adhesion formation demonstrated that cells formed larger adhesions and more stable adhesions on PT, with more nascent adhesions observed on SLA. Gene expression analysis identified up‐regulation of 15 genes at 24 hrs on SLA versus PT associated with matrix remodelling. Pharmacological inhibition of Src/FAK signalling in gingival fibroblasts on PT reduced fibronectin deposition and CCN2 expression. We conclude that topographical features that reduce focal adhesion stability could be applied to inhibit myofibroblast differentiation in gingival fibroblasts.
Tropospheric O3 moderates responses of temperate hardwood forests to elevated CO2: a synthesis of molecular to ecosystem results from the Aspen FACE project

Summary 1. The impacts of elevated atmospheric CO 2 and/or O 3 have been examined over 4 years using an open-air exposure system in an aggrading northern temperate forest containing two different functional groups (the indeterminate, pioneer, O 3 -sensitive species Trembling Aspen, Populus tremuloides and Paper Birch, Betula papyrifera , and the determinate, late successional, O 3 -tolerant species Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum ). 2. The responses to these interacting greenhouse gases have been remarkably consistent in pure Aspen stands and in mixed Aspen/Birch and Aspen/Maple stands, from leaf to ecosystem level, for O 3 -tolerant as well as O 3 -sensitive genotypes and across various trophic levels. These two gases act in opposing ways, and even at low concentrations (1·5 × ambient, with ambient averaging 34‐36 nL L − 1 during the summer daylight hours), O 3 offsets or moderates the responses induced by elevated CO 2 . 3. After 3 years of exposure to 560 µ mol mol − 1 CO 2 , the above-ground volume of Aspen stands was 40% above those grown at ambient CO 2 , and there was no indication of a diminishing growth trend. In contrast, O 3 at 1·5 × ambient completely offset the growth enhancement by CO 2 , both for O 3 -sensitive and O 3 -tolerant clones. Implications of this finding for carbon sequestration, plantations to reduce excess CO 2 , and global models of forest productivity and climate change are presented.
CR3 (CD11b/CD18) expresses one binding site for Arg-Gly-Asp-containing peptides and a second site for bacterial lipopolysaccharide

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) from three patients deficient in the CD18 family of receptors (LFA-1, CR3, and p150,95) exhibited an inability to bind erythrocytes coated with C3bi or bacterial LPS. These observations confirm that the CD18 family, and CR3 in particular, can bind the structurally dissimilar molecules C3bi and LPS. Further studies showed that LPS and C3bi bind to CR3 at distinct sites. mAb OKM10 against CR3 blocked binding of C3bi to PMN but did not block the binding of LPS. In contrast, mAb 904, directed against a different epitope on CR3, blocked binding of LPS to PMN but not binding of C3bi, thus suggesting that different regions of CR3 were involved in binding these two ligands. In addition, synthetic peptides based on the sequence in C3bi recognized by CR3 competitively blocked the binding of C3bi to CR3 but did not block the binding of LPS. Rather, occupation of the peptide binding site on CR3 by the synthetic peptides enhanced binding of LPS. These results indicate that CR3 has two distinct binding sites, one that recognizes ligands composed of protein and a second that recognizes LPS.
The spectacle of politics: Wendy Davis, abortion, and pink shoes in the Texas ‘fillybuster’

Abstract Despite important inroads, women’s marginalization in the public sphere is still very real. From a feminist theoretical perspective, and informed by Guy Debord’s conceptualization of the society of spectacle, this study examines local and national newspaper coverage of Wendy Davis’s filibuster to block an abortion-restricting bill in the Texas State legislature in 2013. Qualitative and quantitative assessments show that gender was particularly encoded and marked in the mediated discourse, with reports focusing on Davis’ personal life and giving her celebrity status. The filibuster became a political spectacle that reified dominant gender values and norms.
Formal specifications better than function points for code sizing

Size and effort estimation is a significant challenge for the management of large-scale formal verification projects. We report on an initial study of relationships between the sizes of artefacts from the development of seL4, a formally-verified embedded systems microkernel. For each API function we first determined its COSMIC Function Point (CFP) count (based on the seL4 user manual), then sliced the formal specifications and source code, and performed a normalised line count on these artefact slices. We found strong and significant relationships between the sizes of the artefact slices, but no significant relationships between them and the CFP counts. Our finding that CFP is poorly correlated with lines of code is based on just one system, but is largely consistent with prior literature. We find CFP is also poorly correlated with the size of formal specifications. Nonetheless, lines of formal specification correlate with lines of source code, and this may provide a basis for size prediction in future formal verification projects. In future work we will investigate proof sizing.
Credit Shocks and Aggregate Fluctuations in an Economy with Production Heterogeneity

We study the cyclical implications of credit market imperfections in a quantitative dynamic, stochastic general equilibrium model wherein firms face persistent shocks to aggregate and individual productivity. In our model economy, optimal capital reallocation is distorted by two frictions: collateralized borrowing and partial investment irreversibility. We find that a negative shock to borrowing conditions can, on its own, generate a large and persistent recession through disruptions to the distribution of capital. This recession, and the subsequent recovery, is distinguished both quantitatively and qualitatively from that driven by an exogenous shock to total factor productivity.
Introgression Threatens the Genetic Diversity of Quercus austrocochinchinensis (Fagaceae), an Endangered Oak: A Case Inferred by Molecular Markers

Natural introgression can cause negative effects where rare species experience genetic assimilation and invade by their abundant congeners. Quercus austrocochinchinensis and Q. kerrii (subgenus Cyclobalanopsis) are a pair of closely related species in the Indo-China area. Morphological intermediates of the two species have been reported in this region. In this study, we used AFLP, SSR and two key leaf morphological diagnostic traits to study the two Q. austrocochinchinensis populations, two pure Q. kerrii and two putative hybrid populations in China. Rates of individual admixture were examined using the Bayesian clustering programs STRUCTURE and NewHybrids, with no a priori species assignment. In total, we obtained 151 SSR alleles and 781 polymorphic loci of AFLP markers. Population differentiation inferred by SSR and AFLP was incoherent with recognized species boundaries. Bayesian admixture analyses and principal coordinate analysis identified more hybrids and backcrossed individuals than morphological intermediates in the populations. SSR inferred a wide genetic assimilation in Q. austrocochinchinensis, except for subpopulation D2 in the core area of Xi-Shuang-Ban-Na Nature Reserve (XSBN). However, AFLP recognized more Q. austrocochinchinensis purebreds than SSR. Analysis using NewHybrids on AFLP data indicated that these hybridized individuals were few F2 and predominantly backcrosses with both parental species. All these evidences indicate the formation of a hybrid swarm at XSBN where the two species co-exist. Both AFLP and SSR recognized that the core protected area of XSBN (D2) has a high percentage of Q. austrocochinchinensis purebreds and a unique germplasm. The Hainan population and the other subpopulations of XSBN of the species might have lost their genetic integrity. Our results revealed a clear genetic differentiation in the populations and subpopulations of Q. austrocochinchinensis and ongoing introgression between Q. austrocochinchinensis and Q. kerrii at the disturbed contact areas. Combining the results from genetic and morphological analyses, the conservation of subpopulation D2 should be prioritized. Conservation and restoration of the integrity of tropical ravine rainforest is an important long-term goal for the successful conservation of Q. austrocochinchinensis. The fine-scale landscape might play an essential role in shaping the spatial patterns of hybridization. Further studies are needed to evaluate these patterns and dynamics.
The Effects of Qigong on Anxiety, Depression, and Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction. The effect of Qigong on psychological well-being is relatively unknown. This study systematically reviewed the effects of Qigong on anxiety, depression, and psychological well-being. Methods. Using fifteen studies published between 2001 and 2011, a systematic review was carried out and meta-analyses were performed on studies with appropriate homogeneity. The quality of the outcome measures was also assessed. Results. We categorized these studies into three groups based on the type of subjects involved as follows: (1) healthy subjects, (2) subjects with chronic illnesses, and (3) subjects with depression. Based on the heterogeneity assessment of available studies, meta-analyses were conducted in three studies of patients with type II diabetes in the second group, which suggested that Qigong was effective in reducing depression (ES = −0.29; 95% CI, −0.58–0.00) and anxiety (ES = −0.37; 95% CI, −0.66–0.08), as measured by Symptom Checklist 90, and in improving psychological well-being (ES = −0.58; 95% CI, −0.91–0.25) as measured by Diabetes Specific Quality of Life Scale. Overall, the quality of research methodology of existing studies was poor. Conclusions. Preliminary evidence suggests that Gigong may have positive effects on psychological well-being among patients with chronic illnesses. However the published studies generally had significant methodological limitations. More high-quality studies are needed.
Radio‐loud flares from microquasars and radio‐loudness of quasars

The low-frequency power spectra of the X-ray and radio emission from four microquasars suggest that two distinct modes of energy output are at work: (i) the ‘coupled’ mode in which the X-ray and radio luminosities are closely coupled and vary only weakly, and (ii) the ‘flaring’ mode, which dramatically boosts the radio luminosity but makes no impact on the X-ray luminosity. The systems are in the flaring mode only a few per cent of the time. However, flares completely dominate the power spectrum of radio emission, with the consequence that sources in which the flaring mode occurs, such as GRS 1915+105 and Cyg X-3, have radio power spectra that lie more than an order of magnitude above the corresponding X-ray power spectra. Of the four microquasars for which we have examined data, in only one, Cyg X-1, is the flaring mode seemingly inactive. While Cyg X-1 is a black hole candidate, one of the three flaring sources, Sco X-1, is a neutron star. Consequently, it is likely that both modes are driven by the accretion disc rather than black hole spin. Radio imaging strongly suggests that the flaring mode involves relativistic jets. A typical microquasar is in the flaring mode a few per cent of the time, which is similar to the fraction of quasars that are radio-loud. Thus there may be no essential difference between radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars; radio-loudness may simply be a function of the epoch at which the source is observed.
Supersonic Cloud Collision-II

In this second paper of the sequel of two papers, we further investigate the problem of molecular cloud (MC) collision. Anathpindika (2009) (hereafter paper I) considered highly supersonic cloud collisions and examined the effect of bending and shearing instabilities on the shocked gas slab. We now consider moderately supersonic cloud collisions (precollision cloud velocities of order 1.2 km s$^{-1}$ to 2.4 km s$^{-1}$). In the current paper, we present five SPH simulations of fast head-on and/or off-centre cloud collisions to study the evolution of ram pressure confined gas slabs. The relevant thermodynamics in the problem is simplified by adopting a simple barytropic equation of state. We explore the parameter space by varying the pre-collision velocity and the temperature of the post collision gas slab. The temperature in a pressure compressed gas slab is crucial to its dynamical evolution. The pressure confined gas slabs become Jeans unstable if the average sound crossing time, $t_{cr}$, of putative clumps condensing out of them, is much larger than their free fall time, $t_{ff}$. Self gravitating clumps may spawn multiple/larger $N$-body star clusters. Warmer gas slabs are unlikely to fragment and may end up as diffuse gas clouds.
Pedestrian Safety and Transit Corridors

This research examines the relationship between pedestrian accident locations on state-owned facilities (highways and urban arterials) and the presence of rider boardings and alightings from bus transit. Many state facilities are important metropolitan transit corridors with large numbers of bus stops users, so that these facilities expose higher numbers of pedestrians to traffic and an increased number of collisions. The research also examines the association between pedestrian collisions and other pedestrian travel generators, such as concentrations of retail activity and housing, as well as environmental conditions such as wide roadways, high traffic volumes, and high speed limits. On the basis of a retrospective sampling approach and logistic regression models, the study shows that bus stop usage is strongly associated with pedestrian collisions along state facilities. Less strong but significant associations are shown to exist between retail location and size, traffic volume and number of traffic lanes, and locations with high levels of pedestrian-vehicle collisions. The findings suggest that facilities with high numbers of bus riders need to accommodate people walking safely along and across the roadway. They support the development of state department of transportation (DOT) programs for multi-modal facilities that integrate travel modes in major regional facilities within local suburban communities and pay specific attention to the role of transit in shaping the demand for non-motorized travel on the facilities. Also, state DOT, local jurisdiction, and transit staff must work together to identify facilities and locations where bus riders are at risk and take appropriate steps to ensure pedestrian safety.
The Impact of Rail Transport on Real Estate Prices

A hedonic pricing model is estimated based on sales data from three metropolitan areas in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Enschede) to analyse the effect of railway accessibility on house prices. Railway accessibility is measured by both the distance to a railway station and an index of quality of railway services provided at the station. Two railway station considerations were taken: the nearest railway station and the most frequently chosen railway station. Correcting for a wide range of other determinants, the model based on the most frequently chosen station outperforms the model based on the nearest railway station in estimating the effect of railway accessibility. The dissimilarity between the results of the two models increases with the increase in the urbanisation level of the metropolitan area.
Contribution of urease to acid tolerance in Yersinia enterocolitica

The stomach serves as a barrier to enteric infection because of the antibacterial effect of the hydrochloric acid in gastric juice. In this study, we tested the ability of the enteric pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica to tolerate a pH range of 2.0 to 6.0 and found that under the conditions of a normal human fasting stomach (pH < 3 and a gastric emptying time of 2 h), Y. enterocolitica is highly acid resistant, showing approximately 85% survival. The resistance of Y. enterocolitica to acid in vitro depended on the bacterial growth phase and the concentration of urea in the medium, being maximal during stationary phase in the presence of at least 0.3 mM urea. Urease-negative mutants of Y. enterocolitica were constructed by disrupting the urease gene complex of a virulent strain of serogroup O9. Compared with the wild type, these mutants showed an approximately 1,000-fold decrease in the ability to tolerate acid in vitro (< 0.08% survival) and a 10-fold reduction in viability after passage through the stomachs of mice. Complementation of the disrupted urease genes in trans restored the ability of urease-negative mutants to tolerate low pH in vitro and gastric acidity to approximately wild-type levels. These findings indicate that urease is responsible for acid resistance in Y. enterocolitica and suggest that urease contributes to the virulence of Y. enterocolitica by enhancing the likelihood of bacterial survival during passage through the stomach.