Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Web Service Selection Algorithm Using Vickrey Auction

The technology for web services has facilitated composition of a new service by combining existing services. The resulting composite service is required to guarantee Quality of Service (QoS), such as price, in addition to the demanded function. Each composite service faces computationally-expensive service selection by exploring enormous service combinations for optimization of a utility function and satisfaction of global constraints. In addition, each concrete service has difficulties in determining QoS that is profitable while attractive for customers, or composite services. Specifically, information on rival services is generally secret and changeable, which is required for the optimal decision. In response to these problems, this paper proposes an algorithm for service selection using Vickrey auction. In the first phase of the proposed algorithm, the composite service selects some best concrete services through the reverse Vickrey auction, only considering the utility function. In the second phase, the global constraints are satisfied through adjustments based on the Vickrey auction. The proposed algorithm avoids full exploration of services combinations for efficient computation, while encouraging providers to declare their best QoS without caring about extra profit.
Dynamic modeling of a rotating beam having a tip mass

This paper presents a dynamic model of a flexible hub-beam system with a tip mass. With the consideration of the second-order term of the coupling deformation field, dynamic equations of the flexible hub-beam system are developed by using assumed mode method (AMM) and Lagrangian principle. The corresponding dynamics model of the tip mass is developed in a consistent manner. Numerical simulations and Theoretical analysis show that the second-order term has a significant effect on the dynamic characteristics of the system and the dynamic stiffening is accounted for. The effect of tip mass on dynamic behavior of the multibody system is also discussed.
Uncovering the Nexus Between Attitudes, Preferences, and Behavior in Sociological Applications of Stated Choice Experiments

Multifactorial survey experiments such as stated choice experiments are used more and more frequently in social science research. In this article, based on an experimental study on ethical and political consumption, we explore the potential of hybrid choice models to explicitly model latent psychological factors such as attitudes, overcoming a possible endogeneity bias and misrepresentation of causality. To this end, we employ a hybrid latent class choice model (HLCCM) in which the latent class structure allocates individuals to classes according to underlying latent attitudes that also influence the answers to attitudinal questions. This allows, in line with sociological action theories, a theory-guided testing of preference segmentation and modification caused by attitudes. We compare the complex HLCCM with less complex models that do not take the latent variable nature of attitudes into account and discuss in which cases less complex models might be more appropriate. However, the HLCCM always has the advantage of providing structure for theory testing and is therefore a useful tool to uncover preference heterogeneity, preference modification, and decision-making processes in sociological and other social science research.
Cerebrovascular Disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Increase Risk of Complications with Robotic Partial Nephrectomy.

OBJECTIVE To identify specific comorbidities within the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) that are associated with increased complication rates after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). PATIENTS AND METHODS After institutional review board approval, a consecutive series of 641 patients undergoing RAPN were retrospectively identified. Perioperative complications were defined and classified using the Clavien grading system. Fisher's exact test or chi-square test was performed to evaluate the association of individual comorbidities with perioperative complications. Logistic regression was used for multivariable analysis to adjust for other non-CCI comorbidities and tumor-specific and patient-specific characteristics. RESULTS Of the 641 patients undergoing RAPN, complications occurred in 67 patients (10.5%), including 10 (14.9%), 28 (41.8%), 20 (29.9%), 5 (7.5%), and 4 (6.0%) patients with Clavien grade 1, 2, 3a, 3b, and 4 complications, respectively. Cerebrovascular disease [odds ratio 3.01 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10, 8.26) p = 0.03] and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD; 3.12 (1.24, 7.89) p = 0.02] predicted complications in multivariable analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics, including all CCI and non-CCI comorbidities. In additional modeling with only CCI comorbidities, similar results were observed, with cerebrovascular disease [2.93 (1.04, 7.56) p = 0.04] and COPD [2.69 (1.04, 6.28) p = 0.04] as the only two significant variables. No other variables reached statistical significance in either model, including nephrometry score or estimated blood loss (p > .50 for both). COPD predicted major complications (Clavien grade 3 or 4) in multivariable analysis [3.19 (1.07, 9.48) p = 0.04]. CONCLUSIONS Cerebrovascular disease and COPD predict perioperative RAPN complications after RAPN. Identification of patients with these comorbidities preoperatively may afford improved counseling and risk stratification.
Multivariable algebraic loops with complementarity constraints enforcing some KKT conditions

In this paper, we address the wellposedness and online resolution of algebraic loop arising from the feedback interconnection of a linear time invariant system and a static nonlinearity whose input-output characteristics enforce some KKT optimality conditions. We establish sufficient conditions for the wellposedness of such algebraic loops using the theory of linear complementarity problems. In particular, we show that wellposedness is equivalent to the existence and uniqueness of solution of a convex optimization problem for which efficient solution algorithms are well established. The application of the results to constrained control problem is illustrated using a multivariable antiwindup design.
An overview of mobile banking adoption among the urban community

Technological advances have changed the way in which financial services are transacted, with mobile banking being the latest development in this domain. This paper focuses on the adoption of mobile banking services by consumers. Rogers' diffusion of innovation model was adopted to study the consumers' behaviour and motivation towards this innovation. The personal characteristics of mobile banking users were found to be important determinants of their adoption decisions. This finding provides the financial services industry with a better understanding of customer perceptions of mobile banking services and helps them plan their marketing strategies and promotion approaches for mobile banking services in the future.
Talking Up Liquidity: Insider Trading and Investor Relations

Managements (“insiders”) of many corporations, especially small or newly-public firms, invest considerable resources in investor relations. We develop a model to explore the incentives of insiders to undertake such costly investments. We point out that insiders may undertake such investments not necessarily to improve the share price, but to enhance the liquidity of their block of shares. This leads to a divergence of interest between insiders and dispersed outside shareholders regarding investor relations. Our model predicts that the demographics of insiders (e.g. liquidity needs, size of equity stakes) are important determinants of the extent of investor relations across firms.
Learning Verb Subcategorization from Corpora: Counting Frame Subsets

We present some novel machine learning techniques for the identification of subcategorization information for verbs in Czech. We compare three different statistical techniques applied to this problem. We show how the learning algorithm can be used to discover previously unknown subcategorization frames from the Czech Prague Dependency Treebank. The algorithm can then be used to label dependents of a verb in the Czech treebank as either arguments or adjuncts. Using our techniques, we are able to achieve 88 % accuracy on unseen parsed text.
Psychedelic N,N-Dimethyltryptamine and 5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine Modulate Innate and Adaptive Inflammatory Responses through the Sigma-1 Receptor of Human Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells

The orphan receptor sigma-1 (sigmar-1) is a transmembrane chaperone protein expressed in both the central nervous system and in immune cells. It has been shown to regulate neuronal differentiation and cell survival, and mediates anti-inflammatory responses and immunosuppression in murine in vivo models. Since the details of these findings have not been elucidated so far, we studied the effects of the endogenous sigmar-1 ligands N,N-dimethyltryptamine (NN-DMT), its derivative 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and the synthetic high affinity sigmar-1 agonist PRE-084 hydrochloride on human primary monocyte-derived dendritic cell (moDCs) activation provoked by LPS, polyI:C or pathogen-derived stimuli to induce inflammatory responses. Co-treatment of moDC with these activators and sigma-1 receptor ligands inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα and the chemokine IL-8, while increased the secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. The T-cell activating capacity of moDCs was also inhibited, and dimethyltryptamines used in combination with E. coli or influenza virus as stimulators decreased the differentiation of moDC-induced Th1 and Th17 inflammatory effector T-cells in a sigmar-1 specific manner as confirmed by gene silencing. Here we demonstrate for the first time the immunomodulatory potential of NN-DMT and 5-MeO-DMT on human moDC functions via sigmar-1 that could be harnessed for the pharmacological treatment of autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory conditions of the CNS or peripheral tissues. Our findings also point out a new biological role for dimethyltryptamines, which may act as systemic endogenous regulators of inflammation and immune homeostasis through the sigma-1 receptor.
A scalable cluster distributed BGP architecture for next generation routers

In classical monolithic router architecture, the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) engine is implemented as a multiprocess centralized function within the controller entity. This architecture does not scale well and its performance decreases when the load increases, forcing multiple processes to compete for the same controller processor. In addition only a limited number of peer connections can be handled. In this paper, we propose a novel scalable distributed architecture for the BGP engine without modifying the core of the BGP protocol as defined in RFC 4271. The proposed architecture is designed according to the “Master-Slave” task separation along with the replication of the Routing Information Base (RIB) on multiple controller cards. In addition, we design a new consistency algorithm for the RIB replication. Simulations show an acceptable trade-off between the scalability to a large number of peer sessions and the overhead caused by the communication latency. Furthermore, simulations show that the proposed architecture handily outperforms the actual BGP processing capacity. Accordingly, we conclude that our approach increases considerably both scalability and reliability thanks to the replication of the RIB.
Quantum polar codes for arbitrary channels

We construct a new entanglement-assisted quantum polar coding scheme which achieves the symmetric coherent information rate by synthesizing “amplitude” and “phase” channels from a given, arbitrary quantum channel. We first demonstrate the coding scheme for arbitrary quantum channels with qubit inputs, and we show that quantum data can be reliably decoded by O(N) rounds of coherent quantum successive cancellation, followed by N controlled-NOT gates (where N is the number of channel uses). We also find that the entanglement consumption rate of the code vanishes for degradable quantum channels. Finally, we extend the coding scheme to channels with multiple qubit inputs. This gives a near-explicit method for realizing one of the most striking phenomena in quantum information theory: the superactivation effect, whereby two quantum channels which individually have zero quantum capacity can have a non-zero quantum capacity when used together.
From intention to entrepreneurial action

PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to the explanatory debate of the entrepreneurial intention-action gap that results from the interposition of normative-regulatory, sociocultural and economic-financial barriers facing potential and intending entrepreneurs.Design/methodology/approachGrounded on post-positivist position, the authors propose a quantitative approach, surveying 569 potential and intending entrepreneurs from a longitudinal and stratified sample of 22 years.FindingsThe economic-financial barrier is the most important, followed by the sociocultural except in the period in which access to banking financial support is facilitated, where the order is reversed. The impact of the normative-regulatory barrier is statistically relevant, but irrelevant on the magnitude. The results also allow us to conclude that a lower development of the project accentuates the entrepreneurial intention-action gap and, finally, support the existence of a medium/long-term temporal relation between entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial action.Research limitations/implicationsFrom an empirical standpoint, the sample was limited to potential and pretending entrepreneurs from one national institution and one country. This limits the scope of generalization. Further studies in multiple contexts should be undertaken.Practical implicationsThe study points to contradictory results with the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor – Portuguese Reports, which, if confirmed, require the reformulation of Portuguese national policies in the promotion and development of entrepreneurial activities.Originality/valueThe study is novel by providing new insights about entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial intention-action gap.
The Authors Richard Kneller is a Research Fellow in the Leverhulme Centre for Research on Globalisation and Economic Policy

In this paper we consider whether the effects of trade liberalisation on GDP growth are offset by changes in other policy variables, namely changes in fiscal policy. Governments increase welfare spending as a response to greater exposure to international trade. We find for a sample of developing countries that this is not the case. Countries that liberalise their trade regimes do increase their spending on welfare, but once we control for fiscal policy trade liberalisation still has no effect on the rate of growth. Fiscal policy itself has the expected effect on GDP growth. The paper uses a difference-in-difference approach for a matched sample of non-liberalising countries. JEL codes: F43, H5, O40, O57 Outline
Brane worlds: the gravity of escaping matter

Within the framework of a five-dimensional model with one 3-brane and an infinite extra dimension, we discuss a process in which matter escapes from the brane and propagates into the bulk to arbitrarily large distances. An example is a decay of a particle of mass 2m residing on the brane into two particles of mass m that leave the brane and accelerate away. We calculate, in the linearized theory, the metric induced by these particles on the brane. This metric does not obey the four-dimensional Einstein equations and corresponds to a spherical gravity wave propagating along the four-dimensional future lightcone. The four-dimensional spacetime left behind the spherical wave is flat, so the gravitational field induced in the brane world by matter escaping from the brane disappears in a causal way.
Issues in multinational ERP implementation

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have been credited with providing competitive advantage in multinational business operations, to include supply chains. Multinational implementations of ERP involve added complexity. This paper uses case studies and other reports of multinational ERP implementation to identify implementation factors of importance. Four technical factors were identified (business process reengineering, federalism and customisation, supply chain features and outsourcing). Additionally, more general issues were compared (culture/language, management style, political factors and labour skills). Multinational ERP implementations radically change organisational information systems. Careful planning of how to implement ERP systems is needed in multinational environments in order to identify the best ERP design and the best redesign of business processes.
Tolerance for ATP-Insensitive KATP Channels in Transgenic Mice

To examine the role of sarcolemmal KATP channels in cardiac function, we generated transgenic mice expressing GFP-tagged Kir6.2 subunits with reduced ATP sensitivity under control of the cardiac &agr;-myosin heavy chain promoter. Four founder mice were isolated, and both founders and progeny were all apparently normal and fertile. Electrocardiograms from conscious animals also appeared normal, although mean 24-hour heart rate was approximately 10% lower in transgenic animals compared with littermate controls. In excised membrane patches, KATP channels were very insensitive to inhibitory ATP: mean K1/2 ([ATP] causing half-maximal inhibition) was 2.7 mmol/L in high-expressing line 4 myocytes, compared with 51 &mgr;mol/L in littermate control myocytes. Counterintuitively, KATP channel density was ≈4-fold lower in transgenic membrane patches than in control. This reduction of total KATP conductance was confirmed in whole-cell voltage-clamp conditions, in which KATP was activated by metabolic inhibition. KATP conductance was not obvious after break-in of either control or transgenic myocytes, and there was no action potential shortening in transgenic myocytes. In marked contrast to the effects of expression of similar transgenes in pancreatic &bgr;-cells, these experiments demonstrate a profound tolerance for reduced ATP sensitivity of cardiac KATP channels and highlight differential effects of channel activity in the electrical activity of the 2 tissues.
Transparency among Peers and Incentives ∗

The paper studies the effect of transparency among peers on the principal’s cost of providing incentives. Using directed graphs to represent peer information we show that under complementarity the cost of providing incentives is decreasing with the level of transparency within the organization. We also investigate the role of the architecture of the information in boosting incentives. In arguing that substitution impedes the benefits of transparency we will compare function-based teams with process-based teams showing that the latter are more effective in providing incentives.
Consequences of Exposure to Light at Night on the Pancreatic Islet Circadian Clock and Function in Rats

There is a correlation between circadian disruption, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and islet failure. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are largely unknown. Pancreatic islets express self-sustained circadian clocks essential for proper β-cell function and survival. We hypothesized that exposure to environmental conditions associated with disruption of circadian rhythms and susceptibility to T2DM in humans disrupts islet clock and β-cell function. To address this hypothesis, we validated the use of Per-1:LUC transgenic rats for continuous longitudinal assessment of islet circadian clock function ex vivo. Using this methodology, we subsequently examined effects of the continuous exposure to light at night (LL) on islet circadian clock and insulin secretion in vitro in rat islets. Our data show that changes in the light–dark cycle in vivo entrain the phase of islet clock transcriptional oscillations, whereas prolonged exposure (10 weeks) to LL disrupts islet circadian clock function through impairment in the amplitude, phase, and interislet synchrony of clock transcriptional oscillations. We also report that exposure to LL leads to diminished glucose-stimulated insulin secretion due to a decrease in insulin secretory pulse mass. Our studies identify potential mechanisms by which disturbances in circadian rhythms common to modern life can predispose to islet failure in T2DM.
Search for dark matter from the Galactic halo with the IceCube Neutrino Telescope

Self-annihilating or decaying dark matter in the Galactic halo might produce high energy neutrinos detectable with neutrino telescopes. We have conducted a search for such a signal using 276 days of data from the IceCube 22-string configuration detector acquired during 2007 and 2008. The effect of halo model choice in the extracted limit is reduced by performing a search that considers the outer halo region and not the Galactic Center. We constrain any large-scale neutrino anisotropy and are able to set a limit on the dark matter self-annihilation cross section of h similar or equal to 10(-22) cm(3) s(-1) for weakly interacting massive particle masses above 1 TeV, assuming a monochromatic neutrino line spectrum.
Amplification by PCR Artificially Reduces the Proportion of the Rare Biosphere in Microbial Communities

The microbial world has been shown to hold an unimaginable diversity. The use of rRNA genes and PCR amplification to assess microbial community structure and diversity present biases that need to be analyzed in order to understand the risks involved in those estimates. Herein, we show that PCR amplification of specific sequence targets within a community depends on the fractions that those sequences represent to the total DNA template. Using quantitative, real-time, multiplex PCR and specific Taqman probes, the amplification of 16S rRNA genes from four bacterial species within a laboratory community were monitored. Results indicate that the relative amplification efficiency for each bacterial species is a nonlinear function of the fraction that each of those taxa represent within a community or multispecies DNA template. Consequently, the low-proportion taxa in a community are under-represented during PCR-based surveys and a large number of sequences might need to be processed to detect some of the bacterial taxa within the ‘rare biosphere’. The structure of microbial communities from PCR-based surveys is clearly biased against low abundant taxa which are required to decipher the complete extent of microbial diversity in nature.
Shameful interest in educational research

ABSTRACT This article considers ontological conceptualizations of shame-interest as experienced in educational research. Shame has frequently been reported in research as a property of the autonomous individual: the shame of the participant to share with the researcher, and the shame of the researcher to reflexively eliminate. Shame-interest is re-theorized here as a generative research event, as intra-action, as one simultaneous movement in the ongoing present. We attempt an ethical shift from a reflexive stance to fluxing movements of response-ability and co-consequence in order to encourage socially responsive educational research, informed through the conceptual resources of psychologist Silvan Tomkins, and feminist philosopher and physicist Karen Barad. Theory is threaded through a series of personal research vignettes to illustrate our thinking through ways shame-interest materialized within research events. Shame is re/conceptualized as a contestable composite feeling entangled with interest that allows an alternate non-reductive and ethical approach to educational research. We amplify our researcher responsibility, and our shame, by placing ourselves as entangled with the research ‘problem’ under investigation.