Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Topological Approach to Quitting Games

This paper presents a question of topological dynamics and demonstrates that its affirmation would establish the existence of approximate equilibria in all quitting games with only normal players. A quitting game is an undiscounted stochastic game with finitely many players where every player has only two moves, to end the game with certainty or to allow the game to continue. If nobody ever acts to end the game, all players receive payoffs of 0. A player is normal if and only if by quitting alone she receives at least her min-max payoff. This proof is based on a version of the Kohlberg–Mertens [Kohlberg, E. , J.-F. Mertens. 1986. On the strategic stability of equilibria. Econometrica 54(5) 1003–1037] structure theorem designed specifically for quitting games.
The Robustness of Identified VAR Conclusions About Money

This paper presents a new way to assess robustness of claims from identified VAR work. All possible identifications are checked for the one that is worst for the claim, subject to the restriction that the VAR produce reasonable impulse responses to shocks. The statistic on which the claim is based need not be identified; thus, one can assess claims in large models using minimal restrictions. The technique reveals only weak support for the claim that monetary policy shocks contribute a small portion of the forecast error variance of postwar U.S. output in standard 6-variable and 13-variable models.
Accretion and Nuclear Activity of Quiescent Supermassive Black Holes. I. X-Ray Study

We have studied the nuclear activity in a sample of six quiescent early-type galaxies, with new Chandra data and archival HST optical images. Their nuclear sources have X-ray luminosities ~1038-1039 ergs s-1 (LX/LEdd ~ 10-8 to 10-7) and colors or spectra consistent with accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs), except for the nucleus of NGC 4486B, which is softer than typical AGN spectra. In a few cases, the X-ray morphology of the nuclear sources shows hints of marginally extended structures, in addition to the surrounding diffuse thermal emission from hot gas, which is detectable on scales ≳1 kpc. In one case (NGC 5845), a dusty disk may partially obstruct our direct view of the SMBH. We have estimated the temperature and density of the hot interstellar medium, which is one major source of fuel for the accreting SMBH; typical central densities are ne ≈ (0.02 ± 0.01) cm-3. Assuming that the hot gas is captured by the SMBH at the Bondi rate, we show that the observed X-ray luminosities are too faint to be consistent with standard disk accretion, but brighter than predicted by radiatively inefficient solutions (e.g., advection-dominated accretion flows [ADAFs]). In total, there are ≈20 galaxies for which SMBH mass, hot gas density, and nuclear X-ray luminosity are simultaneously known. In some cases, the nuclear sources are brighter than predicted by the ADAF model; in other cases, they are consistent or fainter. We discuss the apparent lack of correlations between Bondi rate and X-ray luminosity and suggest that, in order to understand the observed distribution, we need to know two additional parameters: the amount of gas supplied by the stellar population inside the accretion radius, and the fraction (possibly ≪1) of the total gas available that is accreted by the SMBH. We leave a detailed study of these issues to a subsequent paper.
Turning Astrocytes from the Rostral Migratory Stream into Neurons: A Role for the Olfactory Sensory Organ

Neurogenesis persists within a few restricted areas of the adult mammalian brain, giving rise to neurons that functionally integrate into preexisting circuits. One of these areas, the subventricular zone (SVZ), was believed, until recently, to be the unique source providing the adult olfactory bulb (OB) with newborn neurons. Because of the fact that neuroblasts derived in the SVZ migrate through the rostral migratory stream (RMS) en route to the OB, the existence of candidate neural stem cells within the RMS was long overlooked. Here, we confirm and considerably extend recent evidence for the existence of adult neural stem cells within the RMS, and go on to investigate their proliferative regulation. Specifically targeting RMS-astrocytes with lentiviral vectors encoding GFP, we demonstrate that glial cells in the RMS differentiate into both OB granule and periglomerular interneurons. In addition, ultrastructural analysis unambiguously reveals the astrocytic nature of stem cells in the adult RMS, and patch-clamp recordings demonstrate the functional integration of RMS-derived interneurons into OB circuitry. Proliferative regulation was investigated via two contrasting manipulations: exposure to an odor-enriched environment that enhances candidate stem cell proliferation in both the RMS and SVZ, and chemical lesion of the main olfactory epithelium that increases cell proliferation in the RMS only. New neurons in the adult OB can therefore arise from different neurogenic areas that can be separately regulated.
ON THE DUCTILE ENLARGEMENT OF VOIDS IN TRIAXIAL STRESS FIET , DS

THE FRACTURE of ductile solids has frequently been observed to result from the large growth and coalescence of microscopic voids, a process enhanced by the superposition of hydrostatic tensile stresses on a plastic deformation field. The ductile growth of voids is treated here as a problem in continuum plasticity. First, a variational principle is established to characterize the flow field in an elastically rigid and incompressible plastic material containing an ioternal void or voids, sod subjected to a remotely uniform stress and strain rate field. Then an approximate Rayleigh-Ritz procedure is developed and applied to the enlargement of an isolated spherical void in a nonhardening material. Growth is studied in some detail for the ease of a remote tensile estensioo field with superposed hydrostatic stresses. The volume changing contribution to void growth is found to overwhelm the shape changing part when the mean remote normal stress is large, so that growth is essentially spherical. Further, it is found that for any remote strain rate field, the void enlargement rate is amplified over the remote strain rate by a factor rising exponentially with the ratio of mean normal stress to yield stress. Some related results are discussed, including the long cylindrical void considered by F. A. MCCLINTOCK (1968, J. uppl. Mech. 35, 363), and an approsimate relation is given to describe growth of a spherical void in a general remote field. The results suggest a rapidly decreasing fracture ductility with increasing hydrostatic tension.
SUPERNOVA FALLBACK ONTO MAGNETARS AND PROPELLER-POWERED SUPERNOVAE

We explore fallback accretion onto newly born magnetars during the supernova of massive stars. Strong magnetic fields (∼1015 G) and short spin periods (∼1–10 ms) have an important influence on how the magnetar interacts with the infalling material. At long spin periods, weak magnetic fields, and high accretion rates, sufficient material is accreted to form a black hole, as is commonly found for massive progenitor stars. When B ≲ 5 × 1014 G, accretion causes the magnetar to spin sufficiently rapidly to deform triaxially and produces gravitational waves, but only for ≈50–200 s until it collapses to a black hole. Conversely, at short spin periods, strong magnetic fields, and low accretion rates, the magnetar is in the “propeller regime” and avoids becoming a black hole by expelling incoming material. This process spins down the magnetar, so that gravitational waves are only expected if the initial protoneutron star is spinning rapidly. Even when the magnetar survives, it accretes at least ≈0.3 M☉, so we expect magnetars born within these types of environments to be more massive than the 1.4 M☉ typically associated with neutron stars. The propeller mechanism converts the ∼1052 erg of spin energy in the magnetar into the kinetic energy of an outflow, which shock heats the outgoing supernova ejecta during the first ∼10–30 s. For a small ∼5 M☉ hydrogen-poor envelope, this energy creates a brighter, faster evolving supernova with high ejecta velocities ∼(1–3) × 104 km s−1 and may appear as a broad-lined Type Ib/c supernova. For a large ≳ 10 M☉ hydrogen-rich envelope, the result is a bright Type IIP supernova with a plateau luminosity of ≳ 1043 erg s−1 lasting for a timescale of ∼60–80 days.
Manyfold actors: extending the C++ actor framework to heterogeneous many-core machines using OpenCL

The processing power of modern many core hardware such as graphics processing units (GPUs) or coprocessors is increasingly available for general-purpose computation. The seamless way of actor systems to addresses concurrent and distributed programming makes it an attractive approach to integrate these novel architectures. In this work, we introduce OpenCL-enabled actors to the C++ Actor Framework (CAF). This offers a high level interface for accessing any OpenCL device without leaving the actor paradigm. The new type of actor is integrated into the runtime environment of CAF and gives rise to transparent message passing in distributed systems on heterogeneous hardware. New actors are instantiated by the function spawn_cl, while the runtime environment handles the discovery and setup of OpenCL devices in the background. Our evaluations on a commodity GPU, an Nvidia TESLA, and an Intel PHI reveal the expected linear scaling behavior when offloading larger work items. For sub-second duties, the efficiency of offloading was found to largely differ between devices. Moreover, our findings indicate a negligible overhead over programming the native OpenCL API.
Who Is at Risk for Problematic Video Gaming? Risk Factors in Problematic Video Gaming in Clinically Referred Canadian Children and Adolescents

Both Internet and offline video gaming have become a normal aspect of child development, with estimates of children playing video games ranging from 90% to 97%. Research on problematic video gaming (PVG) has grown substantially in the last decade. Much of that research has focused on community samples, while research on clinically referred children and youth is lacking. The present study includes 5820 clinically referred children and youth across 44 mental health agencies, assessed using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Assessment. Logistic regression analyses revealed that older age, male sex, extreme shyness, internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and poor relational strengths are all significant predictors of problematic video gaming (PVG). Further analyses suggested that, out of the internalizing symptoms, anhedonia was predictive of PVG in both males and females, but depressive symptoms and anxiety were not predictive of PVG when controlling for other variables in the model. Moreover, proactive aggression and extreme shyness were predictive of PVG in males, but not in females. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Therapeutic Modulation of Gut Microbiota in Functional Bowel Disorders

Functional bowel disorders (FBDs) are functional gastrointestinal disorders with symptoms attributable to the middle or lower gastrointestinal tract. These include irritable bowel syndrome, functional bloating, functional constipation, functional diarrhea, and unspecified FBD. Increasing evidence has emerged of late that intestinal microbiota is involved in the pathogenesis of FBDs. In this review, the therapeutic benefits and future perspectives of the currently available strategies for modifying the gut microbiota in FBDs are described, focusing primarily on irritable bowel syndrome and functional constipation.
Strengthening the Team Performance through Personality and Emotional Intelligence: Smart PLS Approach

Abstract The aim of the current study is to analyze the relationships of Emotional Intelligence (EI) dimension and Personality (P) traits of individual towards Team Performance (TP). The current study analyses the effect of Emotional Intelligence (Goleman, 1995) and personality (Big Five personality; Gosling et al., 2003) traits for Air India employees’ Team Performance. This study has used a simple random sampling method with a sample size of one hundred and twenty five employees from Air India. The Current study uses Smart PLS based Structural Equation Modeling approach and the results shows that Personality and Emotional Intelligence affects the team performance by 72.080% which is a considerable effect and this concludes that EI is a vital factor and it is considered as work place glue of individual personality and team performance of the contemporary organization.
Africa and the International System: The Politics of State Survival

Acknowledgements List of acronyms and abbreviations Part I. African States and Global Politics: 1. Fragile states and the international system 2. The creation of an African international order 3. Domestic statehood and foreign policy Part II. Patterns of Alliance: 4. The foreign policies of post-colonialism 5. The politics of solidarity 6. The resort to the superpowers Part III. Struggling with Decay: 7. The international politics of economic failure 8. The externalisation of political accountability 9. The international politics of insurgency 10. The privatisation of diplomacy 11. Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index.
Analysis of pooled DNA samples on high density arrays without prior knowledge of differential hybridization rates

Array based DNA pooling techniques facilitate genome-wide scale genotyping of large samples. We describe a structured analysis method for pooled data using internal replication information in large scale genotyping sets. The method takes advantage of information from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) typed in parallel on a high density array to construct a test statistic with desirable statistical properties. We utilize a general linear model to appropriately account for the structured multiple measurements available with array data. The method does not require the use of additional arrays for the estimation of unequal hybridization rates and hence scales readily to accommodate arrays with several hundred thousand SNPs. Tests for differences between cases and controls can be conducted with very few arrays. We demonstrate the method on 384 endometriosis cases and controls, typed using Affymetrix Genechip© HindIII 50 K arrays. For a subset of this data there were accurate measures of hybridization rates available. Assuming equal hybridization rates is shown to have a negligible effect upon the results. With a total of only six arrays, the method extracted one-third of the information (in terms of equivalent sample size) available with individual genotyping (requiring 768 arrays). With 20 arrays (10 for cases, 10 for controls), over half of the information could be extracted from this sample.
Who to follow and why: link prediction with explanations

User recommender systems are a key component in any on-line social networking platform: they help the users growing their network faster, thus driving engagement and loyalty. In this paper we study link prediction with explanations for user recommendation in social networks. For this problem we propose WTFW ("Who to Follow and Why"), a stochastic topic model for link prediction over directed and nodes-attributed graphs. Our model not only predicts links, but for each predicted link it decides whether it is a "topical" or a "social" link, and depending on this decision it produces a different type of explanation. A topical link is recommended between a user interested in a topic and a user authoritative in that topic: the explanation in this case is a set of binary features describing the topic responsible of the link creation. A social link is recommended between users which share a large social neighborhood: in this case the explanation is the set of neighbors which are more likely to be responsible for the link creation. Our experimental assessment on real-world data confirms the accuracy of WTFW in the link prediction and the quality of the associated explanations.
International Outsourcing and Factor Prices with Multistage Production

We develop a dual representation of the technology of international fragmentation for an industry using 2 factors in a continuum of stages. We then derive a generalised factor price frontier which incorporates an endogenous adjustment of the margin of fragmentation. Using this frontier in a 2 × 2 general equilibrium model, we investigate the role of outsourcing in the adjustment to a decline in the final output price of the multistage industry, and the attendant factor price effects. We also explore the implications of an improved technology of international fragmentation on the margin of fragmentation and on domestic factor prices. Copyright 2004 Royal Economic Society.
Retroviral transformation in vitro of chicken T cells expressing either alpha/beta or gamma/delta T cell receptors by reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T

Exposure of normal juvenile chicken bone marrow cells to the replication defective avian reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (REV- T) (chicken syncytial virus [CSV]) in vitro resulted in the generation of transformed cell lines containing T cells. The transformed T cells derived from bone marrow included cells expressing either alpha/beta or gamma/delta T cell receptors (TCRs) in proportions roughly equivalent to the proportions of TCR-alpha/beta and TCR-gamma/delta T cells found in the normal bone marrow in vivo. Essentially all TCR-alpha/beta- expressing transformed bone marrow-derived T cells expressed CD8, whereas few, if any, expressed CD4. In contrast, among TCR-gamma/delta T cells, both CD8+ and CD8- cells were derived, all of which were CD4-. Exposure of ex vivo spleen cells to REV-T(CSV) yielded transformed polyclonal cell lines containing > 99% B cells. However, REV-T(CSV) infection of mitogen-activated spleen cells in vitro resulted in transformed populations containing predominantly T cells. This may be explained at least in part by in vitro activation resulting in dramatically increased levels of T cell REV-T(CSV) receptor expression. In contrast to REV-T(CSV)-transformed lines derived from normal bone marrow, transformed lines derived from activated spleen cells contained substantial numbers of CD4+ cells, all of which expressed TCR- alpha/beta. While transformed T cells derived from bone marrow were stable for extended periods of in vitro culture and were cloned from single cells, transformed T cells from activated spleen were not stable and could not be cloned. We have therefore dissociated the initial transformation of T cells with REV-T(CSV) from the requirements for long-term growth. These results provide the first demonstration of efficient in vitro transformation of chicken T lineage cells by REV- T(CSV). Since productive infection with REV-T(CSV) is not sufficient to promote long-term growth of transformed cells, these results further suggest that immortalization depends not only upon expression of the v- rel oncogene but also on intracellular factor(s) whose expression varies according to the state of T cell physiology and/or activation.
Objectives Structured Clinical Examination(OSCE): An Exploring the Undergraduate

Background: Objective Structured Clinical Examination offers an attractive option for assessment of practitioner competency and evaluates in a comprehensive, consistent and structured manner, with close attention to the objectivity of the process and in more recent years have been increasingly utilized to assess nursing students. The aim of this study was to explore the undergraduate nursing students' perception and feedback about OSCE at the Maternity and Pediatric Nursing departments in the Faculty of Nursing, as an assessment tool for the clinical skills. Subject and Methods: Design: A descriptive exploratory study design was utilized. Setting: The study was conducted in the Faculty of Nursing, Port- Said University. Sample: A purposeful sample of 93 male and female nursing students on third year, who completed their maternity nursing as well as pediatric nursing OSCE examinations, was recruited for the study. Tool for data collection: A self-administered structured questionnaire was utilized to test the perception and feedback of the students. Results: The present study finding represents that the highest total mean score of OSCE was for evaluation subscale (25.6 ± 5.4), followed by a total mean score of quality of OSCE,(21.5 ±4.8) however, the lowest mean score (9.4± 2.3) was for the quality of student performance. Less than two third of the students (60.2% & 61.3%) agreed that OSCE covered a wide range of clinical skills, and the instructions of exam are clear and enough as information respectively. The OSCE provided opportunities to learn real life scenarios were seen by 61.3% of students. Conclusion and recommendations: Nursing students provided positive feedback about the OSCE and agreed that it was a realistic assessment for the practical courses. A broader research is necessary for assessment of factors affecting their perception regarding OSCE. Results will be applied to better understanding of this perception that can improve strategies for better OSCE.
Investigation of Proximity Losses in a High Speed Brushless Permanent Magnet Motor

This paper presents a finite element investigation into the proximity losses in brushless AC permanent magnet motors used in hybrid/electric vehicle applications. The proximity effect in winding conductors is as a result of eddy-currents caused by magnetic fields generated by nearby conductors. This paper considers the influence of the conductor shape and disposition on the losses for a given stator lamination. Several structures of the winding are analysed and compared in respect to the loss and AC resistance. The analysis shows that the proximity losses can be significantly reduced through an appropriate choice of conductor shape and winding technique. The calculated results have been validated experimentally on the machine prototype for three different winding arrangements
Experimental Study on Fast and Energy-Efficient Direct Driven Hydraulic Actuator Unit

In this experimental study, a Direct Driven Hydraulics (DDH) system of the closed circuit type was utilized for cyclic vertical actuation in heavy load material handling. The actuator was controlled by a speed-controlled fixed displacement pump. The high energy saving potential of this system has been demonstrated in previous studies by the authors, but the dynamic characteristics of the ramped and P-controlled base system were considered unsatisfactory. Therefore, the system was implemented with an open-loop S-curve control that utilized a pre-calculated RPM (revolutions per minute) profile for the electric motor in order to realize a smooth actuator and load transition as a function of time. The results indicate that S-curve control is exceptionally well suited for producing a controlled lifting–lowering rapid motion with a heavy load, while still keeping the actuator chamber pressures within acceptable limits. In comparison, the motion produced by P-control was characterized by large unwanted pressure peaks together with velocity fluctuations and vibrations at the end of the stroke. Using a combination of S-curve control and hydraulic load compensation, a mass of 1325 kg could be moved 0.26 m in less than 0.5 s. The load compensation reduced the energy consumption by 64%, which would allow downsizing the electric motor and enable cost-efficient DDH implementation.