Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal Capacity Expansion in the Presence of Capacity Options

This paper studies optimal long-term capacity strategies when there exist markets for capacity options. The essential ingredients of the problem derive from the strategic interaction of contract markets with spot markets. This interaction provides the foundation for the short-term pricing and contracting strategies for market participants. Sellers in this market can sign long-term (e.g., forward) contracts with Buyers, where such long-term contracts take the form of capacity options that may or may not be executed by Buyers at some pre-speci ed maturation date. Capacity not o ered in the options market, or for which options by Buyers are not executed, can then be o ered in the spot market. As in our earlier work, Wu et al. (2001a,b,c), we assume that there is some residual risk that such capacity may not nd last-minute buyers. This risk of not being able to sell in the spot market, together with the bene ts of long-term contracting, lead to an equilibrium in the pricing and demand for capacity options. The details of this equilibrium have been fully worked out in Wu et al. (2001c). However, this equilibrium is a short-term equilibrium and assumes that capacity of each Seller in the market is xed. The purpose of this paper is to derive the optimal capacities for Sellers, given full knowledge of the short-term equilibria that would result from any set of capacity decisions they might take. We determine the best response strategies for each Seller in the game derived from the short-term outcome resulting from capacity decisions. We then characterize the long-run equilibrium, when it exists. This allows us also important insights into the nature of technologies that can survive in the long run. As we show, the factors determining such survival depend on the characteristics of both the costs of the technologies as well as the structure and volatility of the markets in which they operate. Numerical examples show that computing long-run equilibrium capacities (and associated short-run market equilibrium) are straightforward using algorithms developed in this paper. We thank helpful discussions and comments from Dimitris Bertsimas, Tim Mount, and Shmuel Oren. Financial support by a mini-Summer research grant, a research fellowship by the Safeguard Scienti cs Center for Electronic Commerce Management, LeBow College of Business at Drexel University as well by Project ADVENTURES and the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) are gratefully acknowledged. Corresponding author is Dr. D.J. Wu, 101 North 33rd Street, 324 Academic Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Tel. : +1-215-8952121; fax: +1-215-8952891. Email address:wudj@drexel.edu (D.J. Wu).
Codi ability, Relationship-Speci c IT Investment, and Optimal Contracting

The last few years have seen on one hand an explosion in the number of emarketplaces, including a variety of electronic exchanges in the B2B arena, and on the other hand the closing of or near collapse of several prominent exchanges (e.g., Chemdex/Ventro). The question addressed in this paper is what are the underlying factors that a ect which transactions are likely to be supportable by e-exchanges. In particular, we identify and study three factors, supplier management, idiosyncratic investments in information systems, and codi ability (i.e., digitalizability) of product and order-ful llment speci cations underlying transactions. We show that transaction codi ability plays a fundamental role in in uencing the nature of sustainable contracting and IT investments in e-markets. In addition, the framework we developed integrates several perspectives, often in tension, concerning the nature of forward and options contracts as mutually supporting elements of an optimal portfolio of long-term sourcing in B2B markets with less than perfect codi ability. (Codi ability; B2B Sourcing; Supplier Management; Relationship-Speci c IT Investment)
IgA coating of vaginal bacteria is reduced in the setting of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and preferentially targets BV-associated species

ABSTRACT Immunoglobulin (Ig) bacterial coating has been described in the gastrointestinal tract and linked to inflammatory bowel disease; however, little is known about Ig coating of vaginal bacteria and whether it plays a role in vaginal health including bacterial vaginosis (BV). We examined Ig coating in 18 women with symptomatic BV followed longitudinally before, 1 week, and 1 month after oral metronidazole treatment. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and/or immunoglobulin G (IgG) coating of vaginal bacteria was assessed by flow cytometry, and Ig coated and uncoated bacteria were sorted and characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing. Despite higher levels of IgG compared to IgA in cervicovaginal fluid, the predominant Ig coating the bacteria was IgA. The majority of bacteria were uncoated at all visits, but IgA coating significantly increased after treatment for BV. Despite similar amounts of uncoated and IgA coated majority taxa ( >1% total) across all visits, there was preferential IgA coating of minority taxa (0.2%–1% total) associated with BV including Sneathia, several Prevotella species, and others. At the time of BV, we identified a principal component (PC) driven by proinflammatory mediators that correlated positively with an uncoated BV-associated bacterial community and negatively with an IgA coated protective Lactobacillus bacterial community. The preferential coating of BV-associated species, increase in coating following metronidazole treatment, and positive correlation between uncoated BV-associated species and inflammation suggest that coating may represent a host mechanism designed to limit bacterial diversity and reduce inflammatory responses. Elucidating the role of Ig coating in vaginal mucosal immunity may promote new strategies to prevent recurrent BV.
Upper-level inter-disciplinary microbiology CUREs increase student’s scientific self-efficacy, scientific identity, and self-assessed skills

ABSTRACT Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in authentic research and generally increase the participation rate of students in research. Students’ participation in research has a positive impact on their science identity and self-efficacy, both of which can predict integration of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), especially for underrepresented students. The main goal of this study was to investigate instructor-initiated CUREs implemented as upper-level elective courses in the Biomedical Sciences major. We hypothesized that these CUREs would (i) have a positive impact on students’ scientific identity and self-efficacy and (ii) result in gains in students’ self-assessed skills in laboratory science, research, and science communication. We used Likert-type surveys developed by Estrada et al. (14) under the Tripartite Integration Model of Social Influence to measure scientific identity, self-efficacy, and scientific value orientation. When data from all CUREs were combined, our results indicate that students’ self-efficacy and science identity significantly increased after completion. Students’ self-assessment of research and lab-related skills was significantly higher after completion of the CUREs. We also observed that prior to participation in the CUREs, students’ self-assessment of molecular and bioinformatic skills was low, when compared with microbiological skills. This may indicate strengths and gaps in our curriculum that could be explored further.
Food insecurity is associated with chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain in the USA

Abstract Objective: This study evaluated whether food insecurity (US Adult Food Security Survey) was associated with chronic pain (≥ 3 months) and high-impact chronic pain (i.e. pain that limits work and life) among US adults. Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting: Nationally representative sample of non-institutionalised adults in the USA. Participants: 79 686 adults from the National Health Interview Survey (2019–2021). Results: Marginal, low and very low food security were associated with increased prevalence odds of chronic pain (OR: 1·58 (95 % CI 1·44, 1·72), 2·28 (95 % CI 2·06, 2·52) and 3·37 (95 % CI 3·01, 3·78), respectively) and high-impact chronic pain (OR: 1·28 (95 % CI 1·14, 1·42), 1·55 (95 % CI 1·37, 1·75) and 1·90 (95 % CI 1·65, 2·18), respectively) in a dose–response fashion (P-trend < 0·0001 for both), adjusted for sociodemographic, socio-economic and clinically relevant factors. Participation in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and age modified the association between food insecurity and chronic pain. Conclusions: These findings illustrate the impact of socio-economic factors on chronic pain and suggest that food insecurity may be a social determinant of chronic pain. Further research is needed to better understand the complex relationship between food insecurity and chronic pain and to identify targets for interventions. Moreover, the consideration of food insecurity in the clinical assessment of pain and pain-related conditions among socio-economically disadvantaged adults may be warranted.
Audit Quality, Institutional Ownership, Profitability and XBRL on Financial Restatement

Corrections of errors resulting from the disobedience of GAAP are financial restatement. Financial statements can increase the integrity of financial information. If the financial statements are restated, they do not meet the fundamental quality, specifically those that can be trusted. The research was conducted to determine the effect of audit quality, institutional ownership, profitability, and XBRL on the restatement of financial statements in manufacturing companies for 2017-2021. Hypothesis testing used multivariate analysis using logistic regression. The results showed that partially profitability has negative effect on the financial restatement. In contrast, the audit quality, institutional ownership, and XBRL do not affect financial restatement for 2017-2021.
Evaluation of the effects of COVID-19 on semen parameters and male infertility

The new coronavirus pandemic resulted in millions of deaths in Brazil and around the world, and presented substantial challenges to society. The shortand long-term clinical manifestations tied to COVID-19 are still poorly understood, and may involve several organs and systems, including the male genital tract, which may lead to impaired fertility. The present study aimed to analyze, through an integrative literature review of articles available in databases, the effects of COVID-19 on parameters related to human semen quality. The analyzed studies reported significant decreases in sperm motility and morphology related to COVID-19. Reductions in concentration and volume were also observed. Inflammatory response is one of the leading mechanisms that may potentially explain the observed changes, although others may also be involved. More studies are needed to better understand the effects, modes of action, as well as other aspects involved in this complex phenomenon.
The micromorphic rhynchonelloidean brachiopod Lambdarina from the type Dinantian

The cardiarinide brachiopod Lambdarina glaphyra n. sp. from the upper Tournaisian (lower Carboniferous) rocks of Belgium is only the fourth described species in the genus. Ontogeny involves growth from a non-lobate, triangular, brephic stage of shell outline to distinct bilobation through neanic and adult stages, with maturity attained at a length of < 2 mm. Known occurrences of the new species are from within low-energy, mud-dominated proximal peri-reefal facies adjacent to Waulsortian buildups.
Data‐independent acquisition proteomics of cerebrospinal fluid implicates endoplasmic reticulum and inflammatory mechanisms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract While unbiased proteomics of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been used successfully to identify biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), high‐abundance proteins mask the presence of lower abundance proteins that may have diagnostic and prognostic value. However, developments in mass spectrometry (MS) proteomic data acquisition methods offer improved protein depth. In this study, MS with library‐free data‐independent acquisition (DIA) was used to compare the CSF proteome of people with ALS (n = 40), healthy (n = 15) and disease (n = 8) controls. Quantified protein groups were subsequently correlated with clinical variables. Univariate analysis identified 7 proteins, all significantly upregulated in ALS versus healthy controls, and 9 with altered abundance in ALS versus disease controls (FDR < 0.1). Elevated chitotriosidase‐1 (CHIT1) was common to both comparisons and was proportional to ALS disability progression rate (Pearson r = 0.41, FDR‐adjusted p = 0.035) but not overall survival. Ubiquitin carboxyl‐terminal hydrolase isozyme L1 (UCHL1; upregulated in ALS versus healthy controls) was proportional to disability progression rate (Pearson r = 0.53, FDR‐adjusted p = 0.003) and survival (Kaplan Meier log‐rank p = 0.013) but not independently in multivariate proportional hazards models. Weighted correlation network analysis was used to identify functionally relevant modules of proteins. One module, enriched for inflammatory functions, was associated with age at symptom onset (Pearson r = 0.58, FDR‐adjusted p = 0.005) and survival (Hazard Ratio = 1.78, FDR = 0.065), and a second module, enriched for endoplasmic reticulum proteins, was negatively correlated with disability progression rate (r = −0.42, FDR‐adjusted p = 0.109). DIA acquisition methodology therefore strengthened the biomarker candidacy of CHIT1 and UCHL1 in ALS, while additionally highlighted inflammatory and endoplasmic reticulum proteins as novel sources of prognostic biomarkers.
An empirical study on intention of e-CNY from users' perspectives under background of mobile commerce

Most central banks around the world explore issuing retail central bank of digital currencies (CBDCs), China is one of the few countries that have made substantial progress. Compared to highly popular mobile payment, e-CNY is not widely used in pilot cities. An empirical study was carried out from the perspective of users, incorporating individual differences and e-CNY system characteristics into an expanded technology acceptance model. The results show that innovation has a significant effect on perceived ease of use, security and reachability have a significant effect on perceived usefulness, Meanwhile, there are no significant differences in model fit between early adopters and late adopters, and users perceive e-CNY payment attributes rather than cash value. Our study helps financial institutions to promote that CBDC should select the innovation-aware population and develop the financial value of e-CNY. Moreover, our study points to future research directions.
A Systematic Review of Fairness, Accountability, Transparency and Ethics in Information Retrieval

We live in an information society that strongly relies on information retrieval systems, such as search engines and conversational assistants. Consequently, the trustworthiness of these systems is of critical importance, and has attracted a significant research attention in recent years. In this work, we perform a systematic literature review of the field of fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics in information retrieval. In particular, we investigate the definitions, approaches, and evaluation methodologies proposed to build trustworthy information retrieval systems. This review reveals the lack of standard definitions, arguably due to the multi-dimensional nature of the different notions. In terms of approaches, most of the work focuses on building either a fair or a transparent information retrieval system. As for evaluation, fairness is often assessed by means of automatic evaluation, while accountability and transparency are most commonly evaluated using audits and user studies. Based on the surveyed literature, we develop taxonomies of requirements for the different notions, and further use these taxonomies to propose practical definitions to quantify the degree to which an information retrieval system satisfies a given notion. Finally, we discuss challenges that have yet to be solved for information retrieval systems to be trustworthy.
Provenance, age constraints and metamorphism of Ediacaran metasedimentary rocks from the El Triunfo Complex (SE Chiapas, México): evidence for Rodinia breakup and Iapetus active margin

ABSTRACT Metasedimentary rocks from the El Triunfo Complex (Jocote Unit) in the southern Chiapas Massif (SE México) are constituted mainly by sillimanite-rich micaschist, locally intercalated with marble and calc-silicate rocks. Mafic rocks (now amphibolite) intruded the sequence prior to deformation and folding. Peak metamorphic conditions are estimated by geothermobaromerty at ~6.0 kbar and ~650ºC. The timing of the metamorphic event is dated by LA-MC-ICPMS analysis on zircon rims at 438+23/–12 Ma. Furthermore, detrital zircon grains yield mainly Stenian–Tonian and minor early Mesoproterozoic ages, indicating provenance from Grenville-type orogens (such as Oaxaquia) and some older cratonic sources. The 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.70775–0.70777 and the δ13C values from +1.9‰ to +2.7‰ in associated calcite marble define the time of deposition between 600 and 580 Ma. Geochemical markers from metapelite samples (such as La/Th > 3.94, La/Sc > 3.72, Th/U > 8.19, Th/Co > 0.42 and CIA = 74 to 83), as well as Sm–Nd isotope data (εNdi = −8.1 to −4.0, TDM(Nd) = 1.65–1.32 Ga) suggest weathering of Mesoproterozoic felsic rocks during temperate to warm climate. Furthermore, Zr/Sc values (9.1–21.0), chondrite-normalized REE patterns [La/Yb]N = 10.3–23.3, Eu/Eu* < 0.64), and ΔHf values (1.98–10.02) are indicative of pelagic and zircon-depleted sediments of a passive margin. The results suggest that the Jocote Unit was deposited during the opening of the Eastern Iapetus Ocean in the Ediacaran Period. This is the first evidence for Rodinia breakup in southern México. Besides that, the Ordovician tectonothermal event is probably related to compression during subduction and accretion along the western margin of Gondwana.
The impact of waiting time and delayed treatment on the outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most diagnosed cancer worldwide. Healthcare resource constraints may predispose treatment delays. We aim to review existing literature on whether delayed treatment results in worse outcomes in HCC. PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Scopus were systematically searched from inception till December 2022. Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary outcomes included post-treatment mortality, readmission rates, and complications. Fourteen studies with a total of 135,389 patients (delayed n = 25,516, no delay n = 109,873) were included. Age, incidence of male patients, Child–Pugh B cirrhosis, and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage 0/A HCC were comparable between delayed and no delay groups. Tumor size was significantly smaller in delayed versus no delay group (mean difference, –0.70 cm; 95% confidence interval [CI]: –1.14, 0.26; p = 0.002). More patients received radiofrequency ablation in delayed versus no delay group (OR, 1.22; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.27; p < 0.0001). OS was comparable between delayed and no delay in HCC treatment (hazard ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.29; p = 0.07). Comparable DFS between delayed and no delay groups (HR, 0.99; 95% CI: 0.75, 1.30; p = 0.95) was observed. Subgroup analysis of studies that defined treatment delay as > 90 days showed comparable OS in the delayed group (HR, 1.04; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.16; p = 0.51). OS and DFS for delayed treatment were non-inferior compared to no delay, but might be due to better tumor biology/smaller tumor size in the delayed group.
Comparison of Eastern and Western Europe spatial development of cities based on Remote sensing data

Urbanization is one of the most dynamic processes in the context of global change. In this study the challenge is to find similarities and differences in spatial urban growth and its settlement patterns of cities located in Eastern and Western parts of Europe. The hypothesis of the research study is that the spatial dynamics and its respective settlement patterns show significant differences in cities having undergone the transformation process from a socialistic to a capitalistic phase in comparison to purely capitalistic ones. For this study nine different cities are chosen (four cities for each zone, West and East, plus one city including both parts according to the special historical situation – Berlin). Landsat satellite imagery enables a spatiotemporal analysis in four time steps for the years 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2010 with the corresponding time interval of about 10 years. Urban footprints as a crucial part of research are derived by object oriented classification techniques. Based on the classified urban patterns the dimensions of spatial growth are analyzed and compared in order to derive long-term trends and characteristics of cities under consideration. Beyond this, landscape metrics (e.g. Patch size) are applied for a quantitative analysis of the complex and various settlement patterns. Provided outcomes will be decisive while answering the following question: Is there any significant difference in the development of spatial patterns between Western and Eastern European cities? The study shows the diverse patterns of spatial urban development in Eastern and Western parts of Europe, as well as different magnitude of spatial growth of cities, especially due to the influence of socialistic and capitalistic systems.
COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN OF SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR AND ITS MEASUREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Water being the principal potential source of enlivening the plants on earth and without it, it is the end for the life of living beings on earth. Though about two third of the world is of water but there is a scarcity of water for drinking for living beings as well as for plant watering. Inefficient watering of plants making water table fall and in many zones world wide becoming drought prone resulting in famine, mal-nutrition and suicides. Farmers being largely unscientific and unskilled mostly in developing countries using water inappropriately thereby agricultural yield is below its optimum level as well as land becoming saline due to washing of excess pesticides, fertilizers and water logging and becoming unfit for further farming. Hence it is proposed in this paper a novel approach to determine the efficient water requirement of agricultural fields for farming in a most scientific and cost effective manner and to design a ultra low cost moisture sensor using computer and thereby to manage the water resources more appropriately in agricultural farms for the plants irrigation and its results are presented.
A naturalistic effectiveness study of maintenance therapies for the bipolar disorders

Treatment decision‐making for individuals with bipolar disorder can be difficult. Recommendations from clinical practice guidelines can be affected by multiple methodological limitations, while pharmaco‐epidemiological data suggest great variety in prescription practices across regions. Given these inconsistencies, this study aimed to provide an alternative perspective on the effectiveness of common bipolar disorder maintenance treatments through considering naturalistic data.