Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fatal attraction: carnivorous plants roll out the red carpet to lure insects

We provide the first experimental test of the hypothesis that the coloration of carnivorous plants can act as a signal to lure insects and thus enhance capture rates. An experimental approach was needed to separate effects of the visual appearance of plants from those of traits that may correlate with appearance and also affect capture rates. We compared insect capture rates of pitcher plants with artificially coloured red and green pitchers in a paired design, and found that plants with red pitchers captured significantly more flying insects. Thus, we present the first experimental evidence of visual signalling in carnivorous plants. Further, it has previously been suggested that carnivorous plants use contrasting stripes or UV marks on their pitchers to lure insects; our results emphasize that insect traps do not need to sport contrasting colours to be attractive; it might be sufficient to be different from the background.
Welcoming the Middlemen: Restricting Competition in Auctions by Excluding the Consumers

We study an auction with two distinct type of potential bidders: consumers who wish to purchase the item for their own consumption and middlemen who wish to purchase the item for the purpose of reselling it to the final consumers. Typically, the behavior of the former is studied under the private values paradigm, while the behavior of the latter is studied under the common values paradigm. We consider the possibility that both types of bidders compete in the same auction. We show that, if the middlemen have access to a larger market of consumers than the auctioneer, then the auctioneer may prefer to prevent the consumers from participating in the auction. The intuition for this result is that the presence of consumers in the auction creates a "winner's curse" effect for the middlemen: In equilibrium, the latter win when part of their customer base has relatively low valuations. This effect makes the middlemen more conservative in their bidding when they compete with consumers. In the model we consider, middlemen can access a market of N consumers by spending a marketing cost c. In the auction that the auctioneer arranges, apart from the middlemen, only one randomly chosen consumer shows up. We show that as long as c>0, the auctioneer prefers the restricted auction, under which the consumer is prevented from participating.
Quantitative Ex-Vivo Micro-Computed Tomographic Imaging of Blood Vessels and Necrotic Regions within Tumors

Techniques for visualizing and quantifying the microvasculature of tumors are essential not only for studying angiogenic processes but also for monitoring the effects of anti-angiogenic treatments. Given the relatively limited information that can be gleaned from conventional 2-D histological analyses, there has been considerable interest in methods that enable the 3-D assessment of the vasculature. To this end, we employed a polymerizing intravascular contrast medium (Microfil) and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) in combination with a maximal spheres direct 3-D analysis method to visualize and quantify ex-vivo vessel structural features, and to define regions of hypoperfusion within tumors that would be indicative of necrosis. Employing these techniques we quantified the effects of a vascular disrupting agent on the tumor vasculature. The methods described herein for quantifying whole tumor vascularity represent a significant advance in the 3-D study of tumor angiogenesis and evaluation of novel therapeutics, and will also find potential application in other fields where quantification of blood vessel structure and necrosis are important outcome parameters.
Bushmeat in the tri-frontier region of Brazil, Peru and Colombia: demise or persistence?

Bushmeat use in urban areas of the Amazon has received very little attention by NGOs, and environmental and research institutions, either because it is assumed that urban consumption is negligible and bound to disappear, or because of the illegality of the trade, which makes it difficult to assess. Our study shows animal protein consumption moves along a rural-to-urban gradient, with a decrease of fish and bushmeat consumption and an increase in consumption of industrial chicken and canned meats as we move to more urban areas. The nutritional transition that occurs alongside urbanization is also characterized by a decrease in both dietary diversity and the nutritional value of the food consumed. Despite the fact that bushmeat is not frequently consumed in urban areas as compared with rural settings, it is still consumed by urban households, particularly for cultural reasons. In fact, the assumed demise of urban bushmeat consumption has not taken place. Bushmeat is provided to urban consumers either through a well-organized and lucrative trade chain from the hunter to markets and restaurants, or through a ruralurban non-monetary flow of exchange, particularly among indigenous householders who have relatives living in forest areas. Our results call for more attention to be paid to the role that forests continue to play in providing food and income in urban areas of the Amazon. We also call for the need to invest in preservation and sustainable use strategies in the Amazon, to ensure biodiversity conservation while maintaining the diversity of roles that wildlife plays among rural and urban households in the Amazon.
Further Results on Finite Timeand Practical Stability of Linear Continuous Time Delay Systems

In this paper, finite-time stability and practical stability problems for a class of linear continuous time-delay systems are studied. Based on the Lyapunov-like functions, that do not have to be positive definite in the whole state space and not need to have negative definite derivatives along the system trajectories, the new sufficient finite-time stability conditions are obtained. To obtain the conditions for attractive practical stability, the mentioned approach is combined with classical Lyapunov technique to guarantee attractivity properties of system behavior, and new delay dependent sufficient condition has been derived. The described approach was compared with some previous methods and it has been showed that the results derived are commonly adequate but easier for numerical treatment.
The Influence of Interaction Technology on the Learning of Assembly Tasks Using Virtual Reality

Rhaptic, and two configurations of the Markerless Motion Capture (Mmocap) system (with 2D or 3D tracking of hands). The fifth group was trained with a video tutorial. A post-training test carried out the day after evaluated performance in the real task. The experiment studies the efficiency and effectiveness of each interaction technology for learning the task, taking in consideration both quantitative measures (such as training time, real task performance, evolution from the virtual task to real one), and qualitative data (user feedback from a questionnaire). Results show that there were no significant differences in the final performance among the five groups. However, users trained under mouse and 2D-tracking Mmocap systems took significantly less training time than the rest of the virtual modalities. This brings out two main outcomes: (1) the perception of collisions using haptics does not increase the learning transfer of procedural tasks demanding low motor skills and (2) Mmocap-based interactions can be valid for training this kind of tasks. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4028588]
Preferences and beliefs in ingroup favoritism

Ingroup favoritism—the tendency to favor members of one’s own group over those in other groups—is well documented, but the mechanisms driving this behavior are not well understood. In particular, it is unclear to what extent ingroup favoritism is driven by preferences concerning the welfare of ingroup over outgroup members, vs. beliefs about the behavior of ingroup and outgroup members. In this review we analyze research on ingroup favoritism in economic games, identifying key gaps in the literature and providing suggestions on how future work can incorporate these insights to shed further light on when, why, and how ingroup favoritism occurs. In doing so, we demonstrate how social psychological theory and research can be integrated with findings from behavioral economics, providing new theoretical and methodological directions for future research.
Diagnosis of Neonatal Transient Tachypnea and Its Differentiation From Respiratory Distress Syndrome Using Lung Ultrasound

AbstractTransient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) is one of the most common causes of perinatal dyspnea and is traditionally diagnosed by chest x-ray. This study aimed to explore the diagnostic value of lung ultrasonography (LUS) for TTN as well as differentiate it from respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) by using LUS.From January 2013 to February 2014, 60 infants who were diagnosed with TTN based on medical history, clinical manifestations, arterial blood gas analysis, and chest radiography were recruited to the study group. During the same period, 40 hospitalized neonates with nonlung diseases and 20 patients with RDS were recruited to the control group. In a quiet state, infants were placed in the supine, lateral, or prone position for the examination. Each lung of every infant was divided into 3 regions: the anterior, lateral, and posterior regions as bordered by the anterior axillary and posterior axillary lines. The probe was placed perpendicular to the ribs. Each region of both the lungs was carefully scanned.The common ultrasonographic manifestations of TTN were double-lung point (DLP), interstitial syndromes or white lungs, pleural line abnormalities, and A-line disappearance. A small number of infants (20%) with TTN exhibited pleural effusions, whereas the main ultrasonographic manifestation of RDS was lung consolidation with air bronchograms, which does not occur in TTN. The sensitivity and specificity of DLP for the diagnosis of TTN were 76.7% and 100%, respectively.LUS can accurately and reliably diagnose TTN. The DLP and lung consolidation possess great value in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of TTN with RDS. Thus, we believe that LUS can be widely used in neonatal intensive care units.
Heterozygous Polg mutation causes motor dysfunction due to mtDNA deletions

Mutations in nuclear‐encoded mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymerase (POLG) are known to cause autosomal dominant chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (adCPEO) with accumulation of multiple mtDNA deletions in muscles. However, no animal model with a heterozygous Polg mutation representing mtDNA impairment and symptoms of CPEO has been established. To understand the pathogenic mechanism of CPEO, it is important to determine the age dependency and tissue specificity of mtDNA impairment resulting from a heterozygous mutation in the Polg gene in an animal model.
The influence of business strategy on the decision to outsource human resource activities

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine whether the decision to outsource human resource (HR) activities and the performance of the HR department are influenced by the particular business strategy espoused by the organisation. Four distinct strategies are considered: quality‐based, proactive, breadth, and reactive.Design/methodology/approach – The data for the study were obtained from survey responses from 232 organisations, of which 113 were engaged in HR outsourcing.Findings – The findings suggest that there is a significant relationship between organisations with proactive strategies and the decision to outsource both traditional and transactional HR functions. Breadth strategies demonstrate a negative significant relationship with outsourcing of traditional functions. Outsourcing of both functions has a significant relationship with HR performance – traditional with a positive impact and transactional with a negative impact.Research limitations/implications – The paper focuses on the perceptions, knowle.
Late-Time Observations of the Afterglow and Environment of GRB 030329

We present very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations 217 days after the γ-ray burst (GRB) of 2003 March 29. These observations provide further measurements of the size and position of GRB 030329 that are used to constrain the expansion rate and proper motion of this nearby GRB. The expansion rate appears to be slowing down with time, favoring expansion into a constant density interstellar medium, rather than a circumstellar wind with an r-2 density profile. We also present late-time Arecibo observations of the redshifted H I and OH absorption spectra toward GRB 030329. No absorption (or emission) is seen, allowing us to place limits on the atomic neutral hydrogen of NH < 8.5 × 1020 cm-2 and on molecular hydrogen of N < 1.4 × 1022 cm-2. Finally, we present VLA limits on the radio polarization from the afterglow of <2% at late times.
2 Business Risk Auditing and the Auditing Profession : Status , Identity and Fragmentation

Pre-Enron, there was much anticipation that developments in risk-based audit methodologies were in the process of better systemising the knowledge base of auditing and enhancing its operational effectiveness. Post-Enron, those claims have been contested, with the accounting profession having to defend itself from allegations made by business and regulators that audit practice is flawed. This paper examines Business Risk Audit (henceforth BRA) as an institutional event (Burchell et al., 1985) through which to analyse and comment upon the audit industry and the accountancy profession in the UK. We examine BRA technique as a social and institutional practice that auditors have to establish and negotiate with their environment (Hopwood & Miller, 1994). In order to embed BRA technique, audit firms have to establish legitimacy and enrol allies in the institutional environment (Latour, 1987). This in turn involves defining or redefining a claim or claims to knowledge upon which the profession stakes its professional status and jurisdiction (Abbott, 1988). The paper’s title signals three interrelated dimensions of this technical-professional interface: status, identity and fragmentation. The paper seeks to explore some of these key issues through documentary analysis and material derived from a series of interviews held with audit partners from a number of large, mid-tier and small audit firms with offices in Manchester and/or London, England and a limited number of formeraudit staff now working in business consulting and private equity.
From WER and RIL to MER and WIL: improved evaluation measures for connected speech recognition

The word error rate (WER), commonly used in ASR assessment, measures the cost of restoring the output word sequence to the original input sequence. However, for most CSR applications apart from dictation machines a more meaningful performance measure would be given by the proportion of information communicated. In this article we introduce two new absolute CSR performance measures: MER (match error rate) and WIL (word information lost). MER is the proportion of I/O word matches which are errors. WIL is a simple approximation to the proportion of word information lost which overcomes the problems associated with the RIL (relative information lost) measure that was proposed half a century ago. Issues relating to ideal performance measurement are discussed and the commonly used Viterbi input/output alignment procedure, with zero weight for hits and equal weight for substitutions, deletions and insertions, is shown to be optimal.
Subspace-Based Blind Channel Identification for Orthogonal Modulation

We consider blind channel estimation for orthogonal modulation and its variants - which include pulse position modulation (PPM) and frequency shift keying (FSK). While equalization of this modulation format has been given some attention by the research community, little attention has been paid to techniques for (blind) channel estimation in systems employing orthogonal modulation. We extend classical subspace-based blind techniques in a way that is suitable for use with orthogonal modulation. Unlike classical subspace-based blind channel estimators, however, our scheme does not require oversampling and/or multiple sensors. After introducing the system model, we present the proposed method of channel estimation, and include conditions under which the scheme is valid. We conclude with several simulations.
Angular‐diameter distance estimates from the Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect in hydrodynamical cluster simulations

The angular-diameter distance D A of a galaxy cluster can be measured by combining its X-ray emission with the cosmic microwave background fluctuation due to the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect. The application of this distance indicator usually assumes that the cluster is spherically symmetric, the gas is distributed according to the isothermal β-model, and the X-ray temperature is an unbiased measure of the electron temperature. We test these assumptions with galaxy clusters extracted from an extended set of cosmological N-body/hydrodynamical simulations of a A cold dark matter concordance cosmology, which include the effect of radiative cooling, star formation and energy feedback from supernovae. We find that, due to the temperature gradients which are present in the central regions of simulated clusters, the assumption of isothermal gas leads to a significant underestimate of D A . This bias is efficiently corrected by using the polytropic version of the β-model to account for the presence of temperature gradients. In this case, once irregular clusters are removed, the correct value of D A is recovered with a ∼5 per cent accuracy on average, with a ∼20 per cent intrinsic scatter due to cluster asphericity. This result is valid when using either the electron temperature or a spectroscopic-like temperature. Instead When using the emission-weighted definition for the temperature of the simulated clusters, D A is biased low by ∼20 per cent. We discuss the implications of our results for an accurate determination of the Hubble constant H 0 and of the density parameter Ω m . We find that, at least in the case of ideal (i.e. noiseless) X-ray and SZ observations extended out to r 500 , H 0 can be potentially recovered with exquisite precision, while the resulting estimate of Ω m , which is unbiased, has typical errors ΔΩ m ≃ 0.05.
Belief Dispersion Among Household Investors and Stock Trading Volume

We study the effects of belief dispersion on stock trading volume. Unlike most of the existing work on the subject, our paper focuses on how household investors' disagreements on macroeconomic variables influence market-wide trading volume. We show that greater belief dispersion among household investors is associated with significantly higher trading volume, even after controlling for the disagreements among professional forecasters. Further, we find that the belief dispersion among household investors who are more likely to own stocks has more pronounced effects on trading volume, suggesting a causal relationship. Finally, we show that greater "belief jumbling," or the dispersion of belief changes over a given period, is also related to more active trading during the same period.
Using natural language processing (NLP) for designing socially intelligent robots

The design of natural interaction with social robots is highly complex process, given the huge design space of robots in terms of appearance and behavior and the challenges arising when using face detection and speech recognition in the wild. More natural and highly autonomous interaction is necessary to foster trust and engagement and hence establishing a long-term social relationship between users and robots. In this abstract, an adaptive and interactive dialogue system is designed to exchange a chat with a user using personal information stored in his/her user profile. NLP is used to extract user's basic information, hobbies and interests for building a rich user profile. The information from the user profile is used to customize and adapt subsequent dialogues in a way to build trust and initiate comfort between users themselves and the robot. The user profile is continuously updated whenever new information is extracted in subsequent dialogues. Face detection (FD) is used to identify the user. An artificial neural network (ANN) based FD system is used to increase the system's predictability. Failure to recognize a user's face leads to creating a new user profile for the new unidentified user. NLP failure leads to storing the whole sentence and manual fixing thereafter.
Large-Scale Structure of the Molecular Gas in Taurus Revealed by High Linear Dynamic Range Spectral Line Mapping

We report the results of a 100 deg2 survey of the Taurus molecular cloud region in 12CO and 13CO J = 1→ 0. The image of the cloud in each velocity channel includes ≃3 × 106 Nyquist-sampled pixels on a 20″ grid. The high sensitivity and large spatial dynamic range of the maps reveal a very complex, highly structured cloud morphology, including filaments, cavities, and rings. The axes of the striations seen in the 12CO emission from relatively diffuse gas are aligned with the direction of the magnetic field. We have developed a statistical method for analyzing the pixels in which 12CO but not 13CO is detected, which allows us to determine the CO column in the diffuse portion of the cloud, as well as in the denser regions in which we detect both isotopologues. Using a column-density-dependent model for the CO fractional abundance, we derive the mass of the region mapped to be 2.4 × 104 M☉, more than twice as large as would be obtained using a canonical fixed fractional abundance of 13CO, and a factor of 3 greater than would be obtained considering only the high column density regions. We determine that half the mass of the cloud is in regions having column density below 2.1 × 1021 cm−2. The distribution of young stars in the region covered is highly nonuniform, with the probability of finding a star in a pixel with a specified column density rising sharply for N(H2) = 6 × 1021 cm−2. We determine a relatively low star formation efficiency (mass of young stars/mass of molecular gas), between 0.3% and 1.2%, and an average star formation rate during the past 3 Myr of 8 × 10−5 stars yr−1.
'It's great to have someone to talk to': Ethics and politics of interviewing women.

Janet Finch's chapter explores some of the ethical problems involved in interviewing women. Drawing on her own work in which she interviewed clergy wives, and mothers involved in playgroups, she looks at the development of trust in the interview situation, and the exploitative potential of this. As she points out, if you are a woman sociologist, reasonably skilled m the arts of qualitative research and semi-structured interviewing, it is the easiest thing in the world to get women to talk to you. While traditional methods textbooks encourage the development of rapport (while deploring any 'overrapport'), there is little discussion, as Oakley (1981) and McRobbie (1982) have indicated, of the difficulties that can arise from this. Daniels (1967) in an illuminating discussion of the low-caste stranger in social research discusses one set of problems which can arise from the social relationships we have with those we interview. Janet Finch, in a rather different situation, discusses another. In the case of clergy wives, she was interviewing her peers; in the case of the playgroup mothers, women more powerless than she an ambiguous situation as she rightly recognises. The mechanisms that relatively powerful individuals may be able to use when being researched discussed in Scot t's chapter were not open