Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When Information Dominates Comparison. Learning from Russian Subjective Panel Data

We propose a micro-econometric investigation into the relation between subjective life satisfaction and income distribution, using a balanced panel survey of the Russian population (RLMS), running from 1994 to 2000, including 4096 individuals. We show that in the context of the Russian very volatile environment, Hirschman's (1973) "tunnel effect" conjecture seems to be validated: Variables reflecting income distribution do not influence satisfaction through social comparisons; individuals rather seem to use their informational content in order to form their expectations. The reference group's income exerts a positive influence on individual satisfaction, which contrasts with other studies on the subject. Inequality indices do not affect individual welfare.
“It’s a terrible way to go to work:” what 70 million readers’ comments on the Guardian revealed about hostility to women and minorities online

Abstract In 2006, the Guardian opened many of its articles to readers’ comments to encourage a “conversation” between journalists and their readers. Readers responded enthusiastically, and by 2016 they had posted 70 million comments on the site. However, from the outset many journalists complained about the quality and tone of comments. Female and BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) journalists in particular complained that they were subject to more abuse than their male, white counterparts. This study finds prima facie evidence to support the journalists’ claims. Using comments that had been blocked by moderators as a proxy for abuse and dismissive trolling, it was found that articles written by women did attract a higher percentage of blocked comments than those written by men, regardless of the subject of the article; this effect was heightened when the articles ran in a particularly male-dominated section of the site. There was also evidence that articles written by BAME writers attracted disproportionate levels of blocked comments, even though the research was not designed to reveal this. Preliminary research findings were published in the Guardian and readers were invited to comment on them. Guardian journalists’ experiences of comments were also surveyed. Both sets of responses are analysed here, in order to explore the contested nature of online abuse in an online news media environment, and to evaluate the potential of comments to “democratise” journalism.
Geometric Surface and Brain Warping via Geodesic Minimizing Lipschitz Extensions ?

Based on the notion of Minimizing Lipschitz Extensions and its connection with the infinity Laplacian, a theoretical and computational framework for geometric nonrigid surface warping, and in particular the nonlinear registration of brain imaging data, is presented in this paper. The basic concept is to compute a map between surfaces that minimizes a distortion measure based on geodesic distances while respecting the provided boundary conditions. In particular, the global Lipschitz constant of the map is minimized. This framework allows generic boundary conditions to be applied and direct surfaceto-surface warping. It avoids the need for intermediate maps that flatten the surface onto the plane or sphere, as is commonly done in the literature on surface-based non-rigid registration. The presentation of the framework is complemented with examples on synthetic geometric phantoms and cortical surfaces extracted from human brain MRI scans.
Recent extension driven by mantle upwelling beneath the Admiralty Mountains (East Antarctica)

Northern Victoria Land is located at the boundary between an extended, presumably hot, region (West Antarctic Rift System) and the thick, possibly cold, East Antarctic craton. The style and timing of Tertiary deformation along with relationships with the magmatic activity are still unclear, and contrasting models have been proposed. We performed structural and morphotectonic analyses at the NE termination of northern Victoria Land in the Admiralty Mountains area, where the relationship between topography, tectonics, and magmatism is expected to be well pronounced. We found evidence of two subsequent episodes of faulting, occurring concurrently with the Neogene McMurdo volcanism. The first episode is associated with dextral transtension, and it is overprinted by extensional tectonics during the emplacement of large shield alkaline volcanoes. Upper mantle seismic tomography shows that the extensional regime is limited to regions overlying a low‐velocity anomaly. We interpret this anomaly to be of thermal origin, and have tested the role of large‐scale upwelling on lithosphere deformation in the area. The results of this integrated analysis suggest that the morphotectonic setting of the region and the magmatism is likely the result of upwelling flow at the boundary between the cold cratonic and the hot stretched province (WARS), at work until recent time in this portion of the northern Victoria Land.
The open superstring 5-point amplitude revisited

We derive the complete five-gluon scattering amplitude at tree level, within the context of open superstring theory. We find the general expression in terms of kinematic factors, and also find its complete expansion up to (α'3) terms. We use our scattering amplitude to test three non-equivalent (α'3) effective lagrangians that have recently been matter of some controversy.
Explorer Widespread duplications in the genomes of laboratory stocks of Dictyostelium discoideum

Background: Duplications of stretches of the genome are an important source of individual genetic variation, but their unrecognized presence in laboratory organisms would be a confounding variable for genetic analysis. Results: We report here that duplications of 15 kb or more are common in the genome of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Most stocks of the axenic 'workhorse' strains Ax2 and Ax3/ 4 obtained from different laboratories can be expected to carry different duplications. The auxotrophic strains DH1 and JH10 also bear previously unreported duplications. Strain Ax3/4 is known to carry a large duplication on chromosome 2 and this structure shows evidence of continuing instability; we find a further variable duplication on chromosome 5. These duplications are lacking in Ax2, which has instead a small duplication on chromosome 1. Stocks of the type isolate NC4 are similarly variable, though we have identified some approximating the assumed ancestral genotype. More recent wild-type isolates are almost without large duplications, but we can identify small deletions or regions of high divergence, possibly reflecting responses to local selective pressures. Duplications are scattered through most of the genome, and can be stable enough to reconstruct genealogies spanning decades of the history of the NC4 lineage. The expression level of many duplicated genes is increased with dosage, but for others it appears that some form of dosage compensation occurs. Conclusion: The genetic variation described here must underlie some of the phenotypic variation observed between strains from different laboratories. We suggest courses of action to alleviate the problem. Background Genetic variation within a given species can extend from simple polymorphisms at single nucleotides to translocations, inversions and duplications affecting many genes. Recent work shows that such large-scale structural variation may be much more important than previously thought: for instance, the genomes of healthy human individuals may differ in copy number at hundreds of loci, that is, have distinct Published: 22 April 2008 Genome Biology 2008, 9:R75 (doi:10.1186/gb-2008-9-4-r75) Received: 19 December 2007 Revised: 19 March 2008 Accepted: 22 April 2008 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at http://genomebiology.com/2008/9/4/R75
Application Performance Management in Virtualized Server Environments

As businesses have grown, so has the need to deploy I/T applications rapidly to support the expanding business processes. Often, this growth was achieved in an unplanned way: each time a new application was needed a new server along with the application software was deployed and new storage elements were purchased. In many cases this has led to what is often referred to as "server sprawl", resulting in low server utilization and high system management costs. An architectural approach that is becoming increasingly popular to address this problem is known as server virtualization. In this paper we introduce the concept of server consolidation using virtualization and point out associated issues that arise in the area of application performance. We show how some of these problems can be solved by monitoring key performance metrics and using the data to trigger migration of virtual machines within physical servers. The algorithms we present attempt to minimize the cost of migration and maintain acceptable application performance levels
Explaining Software Piracy

We show that with the presence of network effects in the market for software products , some degree of software piracy can actually be beneficial to a monopoly software company. On the other hand, monopolistic competition can put an in-optimal downward pressure on the level of copy protection the firm can set. Collusion on higher levels of protection does not seem to be a credible option. We also argue that free riding and lack of property rights enforcement are important factors in explaining the extent of software piracy.
Generalized Wiener indices in hexagonal chains

The Wiener index, or the Wiener number, also known as the “sum of distances” of a connected graph, is one of the quantities associated with a molecular graph that correlates nicely to physical and chemical properties, and has been studied in depth. An index proposed by Schultz is shown to be related to the Wiener index for trees, and Ivan Gutman proposed a modification of the Schultz index with similar properties. We deduce a similar relationship between these three indices for catacondensed benzenoid hydrocarbons (graphs formed of concatenated hexagons, or hexagonal chains, or sometimes acenes). Indeed, we may define three families of generalized Wiener indices, which include the Schultz and Modified Schultz indices as special cases, such that similar explicit formulae for all generalized Wiener indices hold on hexagonal chains. We accomplish this by first giving a more refined proof of the formula for the standard Wiener index of a hexagonal chain, then extending it to the generalized Wiener indices via the notion of partial Wiener indices. Finally, we discuss possible extensions of the result. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006
Contact Binaries of the Galactic Disk: Comparison of the Baade's Window and Open Cluster Samples

The paper attempts to integrate the available data for contact binaries of the disk population in a deep Galactic field and in old open clusters. The two basic data sets consist of 98 systems in the volume-limited 3 kpc subsample of contact binaries detected by the OGLE microlensing project toward Baade's window (BW3) and of 63 members of 11 old open clusters (CL). Supplementary data on the intrinsically bright, but spatially rare, long-period binaries are provided by 238 systems in the BW sample to the distance of 5 kpc (BW5). The basic BW3 sample and the CL sample are remarkably similar in the period, color, luminosity, and variability-amplitude distributions, in spite of very different selections, for BW3—as a volume-limited subsample of all contact systems discovered by the OGLE project, and for CL—as a collection of contact systems discovered in open clusters that had been subject to searches differing in limiting magnitudes, cluster area coverage, and photometric errors. The contact systems are found in the color interval 0.3 < (B-V)0 < 1.2, where the turn-off points (TOP) of the considered clusters are located; however, they are not concentrated at the respective TOP locations, but, once the TOP happens to fall in the above color interval, they can appear anywhere within it. The luminosity function for the BW sample appears to be very similar in shape to that for the solar neighborhood main-sequence (MS) stars when corrections for the Galactic disk structure are applied, which implies a flat apparent frequency-of-occurrence distribution. In the accessible interval 2.5 < MV < 7.5, the frequency of contact binaries relative to MS stars equals about 1/130 for the exponential disk length scale hR = 2.5 kpc and about 1/100 for hR = 3.5 kpc. The high frequency cannot continue for MV < 2.5 as the predicted numbers of bright systems would then become inconsistent with the numbers of known systems to Vlim = 7.5 in the sky sample. The previous estimate of the frequency from the BW sample of 1/250–1/300 did not correctly relate the numbers of the contact binaries to the numbers of MS stars. The magnitude limit of the OGLE survey limits the accuracy of the current luminosity function determination for MV > 5.5, but the available data are consistent with a continuation of the high apparent frequency beyond MV = 7.5, i.e., past the current short-period, low-luminosity end, delineated by the shortest period field system CC Com at MV = 6.7. The current data indicate that the sky-field sample of contact binaries starts showing discovery-selection effects at a level as high as V ≃ 10–11.
Manipulation of redox signaling in mammalian cells enabled by controlled photogeneration of reactive oxygen species

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) comprise a group of noxious byproducts of oxidative processes which participate in the induction of many common diseases. However, understanding their role in the regulation of normal physiological redox signaling is currently evolving. Detailed study of the dynamic functions of ROS within the biological milieu is difficult because of their high chemical reactivity, short lifetime, minute concentrations and cytotoxicity at high concentrations. In this study, we show that increasing intracellular ROS levels, set off by controlled in situ photogeneration of a nontoxic bacteriochlorophyll-based sensitizer initiate responses in cultured melanoma cells. Using hydroethidine as detector, we determined light-dependent generation of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in cell-free and cell culture models. Monitoring the ROS-induced responses revealed individual and differential behavior of protein kinases [p38, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and Akt] as well as effects on the subcellular distribution of phosphorylated p38. Furthermore, alterations in morphology and motility and effects on cell viability as a function of time and photosensitizer doses were observed. Following mild ROS challenge, enzymatic and cellular changes were observed in the majority of the cells, without inducing extensive cell death. However, upon vigorous ROS challenge, a similar profile of the overall responses was observed, terminating in cell death. This study shows that precisely controlled photogeneration of ROS can provide simple, fine-tuned, noninvasive manipulation of ROS-sensitive cellular responses ranging from individual enzymes to gross behavior of target cells. The observations made with this tool enable a dynamic and causal correlation, presenting a new alternative for studying the role of ROS in cellular redox signaling.
The Unenlarged Lymph Nodes of HIV-1–infected, Asymptomatic Patients with High CD4 T Cell Counts Are Sites for Virus Replication and CD4 T Cell Proliferation. The Impact of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

The efficacy of triple drug therapy for HIV-1 infection encourages its early use to prevent damage to the immune system. We monitored the effects of such therapy on 12 patients with 14–75-mo histories of minimal disease, i.e., CD4+ counts constantly >500/μl and little or no lymph node enlargement. In this way, we could first determine the extent of viral replication and immunoarchitectural changes in unenlarged nodes early in disease, and second follow the response to triple therapy in plasma and lymphoid tissue in tandem. As is known for lymph nodes with more advanced disease, the germinal centers showed productively infected T cells, i.e., CD4+CD1a−CD68− cells labeling intensely for HIV-1 RNA after in situ hybridization. The unenlarged nodes also showed extensive HIV-1 RNA retention on a well-preserved, follicular dendritic cell (FDC) network, and the follicles were abnormal. There were numerous CD8+ cells, many expressing TIA-1 granule antigen. Also, in contrast to normal follicles, CD4+ T cell proliferation was active, with marked increases in the number of cycling, Ki-67+CD4+CD45R0+ cells. After 28 d and 3 mo of therapy, productively infected T cells decreased dramatically and often were not apparent. The labeling of the FDC network for viral RNA also decreased, but not for gag protein. We conclude that HIV-1 replicates and accumulates in lymphoid organs before damage of the immune system, that at this stage of disease de novo production of T cells occurs in the lymphoid tissue, and that the infection is sensitive to triple drug therapy in both plasma and lymph nodes.
A high-speed CMOS comparator with 8-b resolution

A comparator consisting of a differential input stage, two regenerative flip-flops, and an S-R latch is presented. No offset cancellation is exploited, which reduces the power consumption as well as the die area and increases the comparison speed. An experimental version of the comparator has been integrated in a standard double-poly double-metal 1.5- mu m n-well process with a die area of only 140*100 mu m/sup 2/. This circuit, operating under a +2.5/-2.5-V power supply, performs comparison to a precision of 8 b with a symmetrical input dynamic range of 2.5 V (therefore +or-0.5 LSB resolution is equal to +or-4.9 mV). >
TPAD: Hardware Trojan Prevention and Detection for Trusted Integrated Circuits

There are increasing concerns about possible malicious modifications of integrated circuits (ICs) used in critical applications. Such attacks are often referred to as hardware Trojans. While many techniques focus on hardware Trojan detection during IC testing, it is still possible for attacks to go undetected. Using a combination of new design techniques and new memory technologies, we present a new approach that detects a wide variety of hardware Trojans during IC testing and also during system operation in the field. Our approach can also prevent a wide variety of attacks during synthesis, place-and-route, and fabrication of ICs. It can be applied to any digital system, and can be tuned for both traditional and split-manufacturing methods. We demonstrate its applicability for both application-specified integrated circuits and field-programmable gate arrays. Using fabricated test chips with Trojan emulation capabilities and also using simulations, we demonstrate: 1) the area and power costs of our approach can range between 7.4%-165% and 7%-60%, respectively, depending on the design and the attacks targeted; 2) the speed impact can be minimal (close to 0%); 3) our approach can detect 99.998% of Trojans (emulated using test chips) that do not require detailed knowledge of the design being attacked; 4) our approach can prevent 99.98% of specific attacks (simulated) that utilize detailed knowledge of the design being attacked (e.g., through reverse engineering); and 5) our approach never produces any false positives, i.e., it does not report attacks when the IC operates correctly.
The Valuation of Corporate Liabilities: Theory and Tests

We develop a structural bond pricing approach and implement it on a large panel of US industrial bonds using an efficient maximum likelihood methodology. We evaluate the model's ability to predict yield spread levels and changes out-of-sample. Errors are smaller and distinctly less variable than those found in previous implementations of structural as well as reduced form models. Furthermore, our analysis provide evidence that bond yield spreads incorporate a substantial liquidity component on top of the default spread structural models are designed to capture.
Acute Pain Therapy in Postanesthesia Care Unit Directed by Skin Conductance: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background After surgery, effective and well-directed acute pain therapy is a necessary and integral part of the overall treatment plan. Generally, the assessment of pain intensity depends on a patient’s self-evaluation using scoring systems such as numeric rating scales (NRS, 0 to 10). Recently, a “Pain Monitor” was commercially provided which is based on measurements of fluctuations of skin conductance (NFSC). In this randomized, controlled, single-blind trial, possible benefits of this certain device were studied. Methods Postoperative patients (n = 44) were randomly assigned to a test or a control group during their stay in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). All patients were treated and monitored according to internal hospital standards. Whereas all patients systematically evaluated their pain each 15 min, test group patients were additionally addressed when NFSC exceeded a predefined level. In cases of NRS≥5 during a routine elevation or in between, pain relief was achieved by standard procedures irrespective of group allocation. Results During their stay in PACU, both test and control groups experienced a significant decrease in NRS as a consequence of pain therapy. No significant differences in mean NRS or in NFSC values were found between the test and control groups. No correlation was observed between NRS and NFSC. Conclusion Postoperative patients experience diverse stressors, such as anxiety, disorientation, shivering, sickness and pain. Although the application of continuous pain monitoring would be meaningful in this clinical setting, the tested device failed to distinguish pain from other stressors in postoperative adult patients. Trial Registration German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00000755.
Measurement of Electron Mobility in ${\hbox{Alq}}_{3}$  From Optical Modulation Measurements in Multilayer Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

The dynamic characteristics of multilayer organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) determine the refresh rate in display applications, and are of great importance for practical organic displays. They also serve as an important tool in studying the transport mechanisms in organic conductors. Here, the modulation characteristics of several conventional small-molecule OLED structures [consisting of ITO/PEDOT:PSS(50 nm)/TPD(50 nm)/Alq3(various)/LiF(1 nm)/Al(90 nm)] are measured and analyzed in terms of mobility in and thickness of the Alq 3 layer. Their optical response was shown to be limited by electron transport across the Alq3. Extracted electron mobilities were about 2-4times10-6 cm2/Vmiddots (consistent with that reported in the literature) and near-identical values for mobility were obtained from devices of different thicknesses, suggesting that this method measures mobility independent of interface trap charging. This novel technique is a complement to large signal time of flight or delay time measurements (which can include interface and trap charging during the measurement) and can serve as a flexible method to study transport in actual devices
Using core-shell metamaterial engineering to triple the critical temperature of a superconductor

Recent experiments have shown the viability of the metamaterial approach to dielectric response engineering for moderately enhancing the transition temperature, Tc, of a superconductor. In this report, we demonstrate the use of Al2O3-coated aluminium nanoparticles to form the recently proposed epsilon near zero (ENZ) core-shell metamaterial superconductor with a Tc that is three times that of pure aluminium. IR reflectivity measurements confirm the predicted metamaterial modification of the dielectric function thus demonstrating the efficacy of the ENZ metamaterial approach to Tc engineering. These results provide an explanation for the long known, but not understood, enhancement of the Tc of granular aluminum films.