Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Development of Commercial Expert Systems

We use our experience with the Dipmeter Advisor system for well-log interpretation as a case study to examine the development of commercial expert system. We discuss the nature of these systems as we see them in the coming decade, characteristics of the evolution process, development methods, and skills required in the development team. We argue that the tools and ideas of rapid prototyping and successive refinement accelerate the development process. We note that different types of people are required at different stages of expert system development: Those who are primarily knowledgeable in the domain, but who can use the framework to expand the domain knowledge; and those who can actually design and build expert systems. Finally, we discuss the problem of technology transfer and compare our experience with some of the traditional wisdom of expert system development.
The Effect of Download Time on Consumer Attitude Toward the Retailer in eCommerce

Download time has been recognized as one of the most important technological impediments to electronic commerce (EC). Unfortunately, the exact consequences of this impediment are currently ill-defined. The goal of this study is to extend the work of Rose and Straub (1999) to identify how this technology impacts the success or failure of EC initiatives. Using marketing and systems response time theories, three hypotheses are proposed. First, that download time in a retailer's Web application has a negative impact on consumer attitude toward that Web retailer. Second, that those effects increase in intensity as consumers attribute more of the cause for delay to the Web application. And third, that attitudes formed about a retailer predict consumer patronage intentions. A laboratory experiment is being undertaken to test these hypotheses.
Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) mediates chemotaxis in neutrophils

Neutrophil migration to inflamed sites is crucial for both the initiation of inflammation and resolution of infection, yet these cells are involved in perpetuation of different chronic inflammatory diseases. Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) is a neuropeptide that acts through G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) involved in signal transmission in both central and peripheral nervous systems. Its receptor, gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), is expressed by various cell types, and it is overexpressed in cancer cells. RC-3095 is a selective GRPR antagonist, recently found to have antiinflammatory properties in arthritis and sepsis models. Here we demonstrate that i.p. injection of GRP attracts neutrophils in 4 h, and attraction is blocked by RC-3095. Macrophage depletion or neutralization of TNF abrogates GRP-induced neutrophil recruitment to the peritoneum. In vitro, GRP-induced neutrophil migration was dependent on PLC-β2, PI3K, ERK, p38 and independent of Gαi protein, and neutrophil migration toward synovial fluid of arthritis patients was inhibited by treatment with RC-3095. We propose that GRPR is an alternative chemotactic receptor that may play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders.
Genetic Factors and in Vitro Manipulations Influence Seed Dormancy in Cucumber

Seed lots with the genetic background of 'Baroda' and 'Marketer' cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) containing all possible combinations (DF Df, Dfdf, dfdf) of df (which increases dormancy) and Df (wild type) were used. Dormancy was not solely due to the genotype dfdf and clear effects of genetic background were apparent. The df allele in the homozygous state induced a strong dormancy in 'Baroda', but the Df gene could not restore normal germination. However, Df did reduce the dormancy period to 85 days. In 'Marketer', df did not delay germination. Any treatment (punc- turing, removal, cutting) that damaged the inner integument allowed 'Baroda' dfdf to germinate, indicating an intact integument was essential for maintaining dormancy in this cultivar. All 'Baroda' dfdf embryonic axes without the cotyledons germinated in 5 days. 'Baroda' dfdf seeds with intact integuments imbibed adequate water to germinate but remained dormant, suggesting that the effect of the integument on dormancy was not related to imbibition. Cucumber seeds normally germinate a few days after being extracted from freshly har- vested mature fruits. However, Shifriss and George (1965) reported seed dormancy in an Indian cultivar known in the United States as 'Baroda'. Seeds remained dormant for 6 to 12 months, but dormancy could be over- come by exposing the seeds to 50C and 90% relative humidity for 6 days. Whereas most cucumber cultivars are day neutral, Shifriss and George (1965) also ob- served that flowering in 'Baroda' was af- fected by photoperiod. They showed that the df allele caused delayed flowering in 'Bar- oda' and was recessive to the Df allele for normal flowering found in other cucumber cultivars. Seed dormancy and flowering be- havior in 'Baroda' were not independent characteristics. They suggested that the Df locus was either linked with a gene (or sev- eral) affecting seed dormancy or the Df gene interacted with other genes to affect germi- nation. This study was designed to determine 1) how the delayed flowering (df) gene affects seed dormancy; 2) if seed dormancy could be overcome by manipulations of the seed in vitro; and 3) whether seed dormancy is as- sociated with specific seed tissues. In the 1960s (Shifriss and George, 1965) the df gene was identified in 'Baroda' (BA) and transferred to the normal-flowering 'Marketer' (MK). Through backcrossing, the Df gene from 'Marketer' was also put into 'Baroda' (W.L.G., unpublished). The plants were self-pollinated over many generations
The Use of a Retail Store Database for Brand Choice Analysis

Retailers who wish to make decisions for a single store and have access to the scanner data of all purchases and to the scanner data of customer card-holders may worry about erroneous inferences when using one of the two databases and when using the same models to estimate the effects of their main marketing variables. The questions are: “do the transactions reflected by the customer cards necessarily reflect the usual purchase behavior of all customers? ”; and “do the same customer response models apply equally to regular customers and for the rest of individuals shopping at the store? ”. To answer these questions, a brand choice multinomial logit model choice is applied for the product category chosen (ground coffee). The major findings are that regular price elasticity of all brands in the customer segment is twice what was estimated when studying the total purchases. The effects on brand and type of coffee are greater in the customer card-holders segment than in the total purchases.
Sex Differences in Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Levels of IRF5 Drive Higher IFN-α Production in Women

Increased IFN-α production contributes to the pathogenesis of infectious and autoimmune diseases. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) from females produce more IFN-α upon TLR7 stimulation than pDCs from males, yet the mechanisms underlying this difference remain unclear. In this article, we show that basal levels of IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 5 in pDCs were significantly higher in females compared with males and positively correlated with the percentage of IFN-α–secreting pDCs. Delivery of recombinant IRF5 protein into human primary pDCs increased TLR7-mediated IFN-α secretion. In mice, genetic ablation of the estrogen receptor 1 (Esr1) gene in the hematopoietic compartment or DC lineage reduced Irf5 mRNA expression in pDCs and IFN-α production. IRF5 mRNA levels furthermore correlated with ESR1 mRNA levels in human pDCs, consistent with IRF5 regulation at the transcriptional level by ESR1. Taken together, these data demonstrate a critical mechanism by which sex differences in basal pDC IRF5 expression lead to higher IFN-α production upon TLR7 stimulation in females and provide novel targets for the modulation of immune responses and inflammation.
Psychopathology of adolescence. Spatiotemporal parameters.

Various theoretical assessments of the problem of adolesence and the pathological processes which may be awakened by it have considered the phenomenon of "time diffusion," or time coming to a stop. References are also made to the difficulty that most disturbed adolescents have in differentiating or separating from the maternal object, because of problems of fixation upon and identification with a depriving figure. The thesis of this paper is that evidence can be found in the clinical and psychological observation of these adolescents which points to their extraordinary preoccupation with achieving alternate fusion with, and differentiation from the mother or maternal surrogates, as a function of spatial rather than temporal parameters. Spatial is used in the sense of the perception of adjacency, contiguity, simultaneity, and immediacy of objects rather than of the sequence, ordering, or becoming, of temporal perception. Thus A. Freud writes of the need
The measurement of corporate portfolio strategy: analysis of the content validity of related diversification indexes

Measures developed for the analysis of corporate diversification have become fundamental to a broad range of strategy research. This paper examines the content validity of the two most widely used continuous measures of related diversification—the related component of the entropy index and the concentric index—and raises fundamental questions about their validity as indicators of portfolio relatedness. These questions are not driven by the use of SIC data for estimation of the indexes; they involve validity problems intrinsic to the construction of the measures. The related component of entropy and the concentric index are sensitive to features of corporate portfolio composition that may not be directly linked to portfolio relatedness. These sensitivities can create important ambiguities in strategy research. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Somatic embryogenesis in cell suspension cultures of Acacia sinuata (Lour.) Merr.

SummarySuspension cultures initiated from calluses derived from seedling leaf explants of Acacia sinuata (Lour.) Merr. produced somatic embryos. Embryogenic callus was induced on semisolid MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) medium supplemented with 4.52 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2.22 μM 6-benzylaminopurine. A high frequency of somatic embryos was induced in MS liquid medium supplemented with 4.52 μM 2,4-D and 10% coconut water. Further studies on ontogeny of somatic embryos showed that the cells destined to become somatic embryos divided into spherical proembryos. Subsequent development led to the formation of globular, heart, torpedo-shaped and cotyledonary-stage embryos. The conversion of somatic embryos occurred on auxin-free MS medium. Effects of various auxins, cytokinins, carbohydrates and amino acids in enhancing productin, of somatic embryos were studied. MS medium supplemented with 87.64 mM sucrose and 342.46 μM glutamine promoted higher somatic embryo production whereas cytokinin had no effect and led to recallusing of embryos. About 8–10% of embryos converted into plants.
SEX DIFFERENCES AND SMALL-BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AMONG CANADIAN RETAILERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS

ABSTRACT This paper examines the extent to which there are sex differences in the experience, education, and motivation of small Canadian retailers and service providers. It explores the manner in which observed differences relate to business performance. The paper suggests that the explanatory power is not strong among those variables commonly considered to account for differences in the performance of men's vs. women's firms. It indicates that other factors must be sought to account for performance differentials.
Instructions for use Title Evolution of a New Chlorophyll Metabolic Pathway Driven by the Dynamic Changes in EnzymePromiscuous Activity Author ( s )

Title Evolution of a New Chlorophyll Metabolic Pathway Driven by the Dynamic Changes in Enzyme Promiscuous Activity Author(s) Ito, Hisashi; Tanaka, Ayumi Citation Plant and Cell Physiology, 55(3): 593-603 Issue Date 2014-03 Doc URL http://hdl.handle. net/2115/58225 Right This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Plant and Cell Physiology following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Plant Cell Physiol (2014) 55(3): 593-603 is available online at: http://pcp.oxfordjournals. org/content/55/3/593. Type article (author version) Additional Information There are other files related to this item in HUSCAP. Check the above URL. File Information PCP55-3 593-603.pdf
Temporal Relation of Calcium‐Calmodulin Binding and Neuronal Damage After Global Ischemia in Rats

Background and Purpose This study explores the temporal relation of the severity of ischemia and calcium-calmodulin binding in vulnerable and resistant brain regions in a commonly used model of global ischemia. Methods Immunohistochemical assay of free calmodulin unbound to calcium and light microscopic histological damage were measured in rats after 5, 10, or 20 minutes of global ischemia. Results After 24 hours of reperfusion, decreased calmodulin staining, representing increased calcium influx and calcium-calmodulin binding, correlated with increasing durations of ischemia across all brain regions. Based on a 4-point scale (4, extensive stain; 0, no staining), calmodulin staining after 5 minutes versus 10 minutes of ischemia was 3.2 versus 1.9, respectively (p<0.05) and after 10 minutes versus 20 minutes of ischemia was 1.9 versus 1.0, respectively (p<0.01). The CA1 region displayed the greatest sensitivity to ischemia. Similar but less dramatic results were seen after 2 hours of reperfusion. After 72 hours of reperfusion, histological damage closely correlated with calcium-calmodulin binding after variable durations of ischemia. A threshold of 10 minutes of ischemia was required to cause calciumcalmodulin binding and irreversible neuronal damage. Surviving neuronal populations showed recovery of calmodulin staining 7 days after ischemia, representing a return of free calmodulin and normal calcium homeostasis. Conclusions These correlations between calcium-calmodulin binding, histological damage, and duration of ischemia support the causal role of calcium influx in global ischemic injury and suggest the need for very rapid intervention after ischemia if calcium-mediated damage is to be prevented.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MACROECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS AND STOCK MARKET INDICES IN SELECTED CEE COUNTRIES

The aim of this paper is to test for the presence of informational ineffi ciencies on stock markets of selected CEE countries (Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia) analyzing the relationship between stock market indices and macroeconomic variables. In order to test for bilateral long run equilibrium relationships between stock market index and set of macroeconomic variables, including infl ation rate, broad money supply, money market interest rate and foreign currency reserves, we use Johansen cointegration method. To gain more information about market effi ciency Granger causality test is employed. Results point to established long run relationship between stock market indices and macroeconomic variables, especially in case of Poland and Czech Republic. The results of Granger (non) causality reveal that (a) there is no causal linkage between any macroeconomic variable and stock market index in Croatia, Hungary and Poland; (b) money supply and foreign exchange lead stock index in Czech Republic, while infl ation rate and money market interest rate lead Slovene stock index (c) none of stock market indices might be used as a leading indicator of infl ation rate (d) stock market index leads money market interest rate in Hungary and Czech Republic, foreign exchange reserves in Slovenia and money supply in Poland. Tajana Barbic* Iva Condic-Jurkic**
Biodegradable poly(vinyl alcohol)/polyoxalate electrospun nanofibers for hydrogen peroxide-triggered drug release

Release of drugs in a controlled and sustainable manner is of great interest for treating some inflammatory diseases, drug delivery, and cosmetics. In this work, we demonstrated the control release of a drug from composite nanofibers mediated by hydrogen peroxide. Composite nanofibers of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyoxalate (PVA/POX NFs) blended at various weight ratios were successfully prepared by electrospinning. Rhodamine B (RB) was used as a model of drug and was initially loaded into the POX portion. The morphology of NFs was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The functional groups presented in the NFs were characterized using IR spectroscopy. In vitro release behavior and cell toxicity of nanofibers were also investigated using the MTT assay. The results indicated that POX content had a significant effect on the size and release profiles of nanofibers. Microstructure analysis revealed that sizes of PVA/POX NFs increased with increasing POX content, ranging from 214 to 422 nm. Release profiles of RB at 37 °C were non-linear and showed different release mechanisms. The mechanism of drug release depended on the chemical composition of the NFs. RB release from the NFs with highest POX content was caused by the degradation of the nanofiber matrix, whereas the RB release in lower POX content NFs was caused by diffusion. The NFs with POX showed a loss of structural integrity in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as seen using SEM. The MTT assay showed that composite nanofibers had minimal cytotoxicity. We anticipate that nanofibrous PVA/POX can potentially be used to target numerous inflammatory diseases that overproduce hydrogen peroxide and may become a potential candidate for use as a local drug delivery vehicle.
A new measure of clustering effectiveness: Algorithms and experimental studies

We propose a new optimal clustering effectiveness measure, called CS1, based on a combination of clusters rather than selecting a single optimal cluster as in the traditional MK1 measure. For hierarchical clustering, we present an algorithm to compute CS1, defined by seeking the optimal combinations of disjoint clusters obtained by cutting the hierarchical structure at a certain similarity level. By reformulating the optimization to a 0-1 linear fractional programming problem, we demonstrate that an exact solution can be obtained by a linear time algorithm. We further discuss how our approach can be generalized to more general problems involving overlapping clusters, and we show how optimal estimates can be obtained by greedy algorithms. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Residents' Satisfaction with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust Housing in Ghana

Housing is one of the three basic needs of mankind. Its performance should meet technical expectations as well as the overall satisfaction of end users. The aim of this study was to assess the service quality performance of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) housing based on the perspectives of the occupants. The study employed questionnaire survey involving 747 flats in six administrative regions in Ghana selected using the quota and systematic sampling methods. The levels of satisfaction of the residents with the facilities, management of the SSNIT housing, social amenities and neighbourhood issues were examined, and data was analysed using descriptive statistics and the Relative Satisfaction Index (RSI). The findings showed that the level of satisfaction of residents are mixed. Residents are generally satisfied with the building features, social amenities and the neighbourhood, but dissatisfied with the management of SSNIT housing, especially in the areas of maintenance and accessibility to management. The need for SSNIT housing management staff to respond promptly to residents’ request for routine maintenance, to adopt courteous behaviour and to understand the residents’ specific requirements are recommended. The findings provide useful information for SSNIT housing management in Ghana as well as other real estate developers in Africa.
Do Normative Transgressions Affect Punitive Judgments? An Empirical Test of the Psychoanalytic Scapegoat Hypothesis

According to psychoanalytic theory, punitiveness is based on a projection of one’s own immoral desires and the moral conflict they cause (scapegoat hypothesis). This hypothesis implies that transgressors impose harsher punishment onto comparable wrongdoers. This effect should be amplified by strength of decision conflict. An alternative hypothesis based on blameavoidance motivation is derived. Participants (N = 291) were asked to indicate whether they would commit an unlawful act in a moral temptation situation and how conflicted they felt in making their decision. Later, they had to judge convicts in criminal cases that were similar to the previous temptation situations. Authoritarianism was assessed as covariate. In contrast to the scapegoat but consistent with the blame-avoidance interpretation, transgressors were more lenient than nontransgressors. Authoritarianism had main effects on punitiveness. Decision conflict was neither directly nor indirectly related to punitiveness. The findings challenge the validity of the scapegoat hypothesis.
‘Keep out’ signs: the role of deterrence in the competition for resources

To explain resource heterogeneity, past research focuses on how rivals' resources are hidden from firms and firms accordingly have difficulties accessing them. We argue that resource heterogeneity may also arise when firms are deterred from a technological space upon being shown what resources rivals already possess within that space. To illustrate this deterrence effect, we use patent reexamination certificates, which indicate strategic stakes within a technological space without materially disclosing additional details of the underlying technologies and hence avoid the confounding effect of attracting competition through disclosure. We demonstrate how rivals' reexamination certificates within a technological space induce a firm to subsequently allocate less inventive effort in that space, based on two mechanisms—indications of rivals' developmental speed and exclusionary ability. We further develop these two mechanisms by arguing that the deterrence effect is stronger when rivals' speed is enhanced by their downstream capabilities, or when rivals' exclusion is enhanced by their litigation experiences. Findings suggest that a firm's path of resource accumulation evolves through avoidance of rivals' paths, and deterrence may constitute a viable alternative theory of resource heterogeneity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modular diversification of the locomotor system in damselfishes (Pomacentridae)

As fish move and interact with their aquatic environment by swimming, small morphological variations of the locomotor system can have profound implications on fitness. Damselfishes (Pomacentridae) have inhabited coral reef ecosystems for more than 50 million years. As such, habitat preferences and behavior could significantly constrain the morphology and evolvability of the locomotor system. To test this hypothesis, we used phylogenetic comparative methods on morphometric, ecological and behavioral data. While body elongation represented the primary source of variation in the locomotor system of damselfishes, results also showed a diverse suite of morphological combinations between extreme morphologies. Results show clear associations between behavior, habitat preferences, and morphology, suggesting ecological constraints on shape diversification of the locomotor system. In addition, results indicate that the three modules of the locomotor system are weakly correlated, resulting in versatile and independent characters. These results suggest that Pomacentridae is shape may result from the interaction between (1) integrated parts of morphological variation that maintain overall swimming ability and (2) relatively independent parts of the morphology that facilitate adaptation and diversification. J. Morphol. 277:603–614, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.