Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is self-regulation “All in the family”? Testing environmental effects using within-family quasi-experiments

Most of the individual difference variance in the population is found within families, yet studying the processes causing this variation is difficult due to confounds between genetic and nongenetic influences. Quasi-experiments can be used to test hypotheses regarding environment exposure (e.g., timing, duration) while controlling for genetic confounds. To illustrate, two studies of cognitive self-regulation in childhood (i.e., working memory, effortful control, attention span/persistence) are presented. Study 1 utilized an identical twin differences design (N = 85-98 pairs) to control for genetic differences while using relative twin birth weight difference to predict relative twin difference in working memory and effortful control. Larger relative twin difference in working memory and effortful control was predicted by the combination of shorter gestation and larger relative birth weight difference. Study 2 utilized an adoptive sibling relative difference design (N = 123 same-sex pairs) to control for genetic similarity while using relative sibling difference in age at time of adoption to predict relative sibling difference in attention span/persistence. Larger relative sibling difference in attention span/persistence was predicted by the combination of larger relative difference in time in the adoptive home and age at adoption. Within-family quasi-experimental designs allow stronger inferences about hypothesized environmental influences than between-family designs permit.
Customer attribution of service failure and its impact in social commerce environment

As social commerce gains popularity, companies need to address service failure cases that cause expansive consumer damage. While existing literature has examined service failure in the traditional e–commerce market, the unique consumer relational characteristics of social commerce makes it difficult to directly extend current understanding to this business model. Founded on the attribution–affect–behaviour model, this study examines consumer–perceived source of service failure and its impact on negative emotions and post–purchase behaviours. A survey of 300 active social commerce users who have experienced at least one service failure shows that consumers blame failed incidents on social commerce companies and merchants. Regret and disappointment lead to dissatisfaction. Dissatisfied consumers spread negative e–WOM and have lower tendency to repurchase from the same social commerce sites. This study underscores the importance of close collaboration between social commerce companies and merchants in delivering satisfactory services to customers.
Designing and Researching Virtual Learning Communities

This article describes, with a basis in educational literature, some of the main characteristics of learning communities. In addition, a list of instructional strategies is proposed to create a virtual learning community within a traditional academic course. These strategies are then integrated into a proposed research design to study and evaluate this particular type of learning and know what questions to ask, what data to collect, and how to analyze them.
Bayesian modelling and quantification of Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy can be used to identify molecules such as DNA by the characteristic scattering of light from a laser. It is sensitive at very low concentrations and can accurately quantify the amount of a given molecule in a sample. The presence of a large, nonuniform background presents a major challenge to analysis of these spectra. To overcome this challenge, we introduce a sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) algorithm to separate each observed spectrum into a series of peaks plus a smoothly-varying baseline, corrupted by additive white noise. The peaks are modelled as Lorentzian, Gaussian, or pseudo-Voigt functions, while the baseline is estimated using a penalised cubic spline. This latent continuous representation accounts for differences in resolution between measurements. The posterior distribution can be incrementally updated as more data becomes available, resulting in a scalable algorithm that is robust to local maxima. By incorporating this representation in a Bayesian hierarchical regression model, we can quantify the relationship between molecular concentration and peak intensity, thereby providing an improved estimate of the limit of detection, which is of major importance to analytical chemistry.
Developmental regulation of p66Shc is altered by bronchopulmonary dysplasia in baboons and humans.

RATIONALE The p66(Shc) adapter protein antagonizes mitogen-activated protein, or MAP, kinase, mediates oxidative stress, and is developmentally regulated in fetal mouse lungs. OBJECTIVES To determine if p66(Shc) is similarly regulated in primates and in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), which results from oxidative injury to immature lungs. METHODS Normal and injured lungs from humans and baboons were evaluated by Western analysis and immunohistochemistry. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS In baboons, p66(Shc) decreased 80% between 125 and 175 days' gestation (p = 0.025), then doubled after term delivery at 185 days (p = 0.0013). In the hyperoxic 140-day fetal baboon BPD model, p66(Shc) expression persisted, and its localization shifted from the epithelium of gestational controls to the mesenchyme of diseased lungs, coincident with expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cleaved poly(adenyl ribose) polymerase, a marker of apoptosis. Treatment with the antibombesin antibody 2A11 attenuated BPD, reduced cell proliferation, increased p66(Shc) expression 10.5-fold, and preserved epithelial p66(Shc) localization. p66(Shc) also decreased during normal human lung development, falling 87% between 18 and 24 weeks' gestation (p = 0.02). p66(Shc) was expressed throughout 18-week human lungs, became restricted to scattered epithelial cells by 24 weeks, and localized to isolated mesenchymal cells after term delivery. In contrast, p66(Shc) remained prominent in the epithelium of lungs with acute injury or mild BPD, and in the mesenchyme of lungs with severe disease. p66(Shc) localized to tissues expressing proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cleaved poly(adenyl ribose) polymerase. CONCLUSIONS p66(Shc) expression, cell proliferation, and apoptosis are concomitantly altered during lung development and in BPD.
Feature Selection using a Novel Particle Swarm Optimization and It's Variants

Feature selection has been keen area of research in classification problem. Most of the researchers mainly concentrate on statistical measures to select the feature subset. These methods do not provide a suitable solution because the search space increases with the feature size. The FS is a very popular area for applications of population- based random techniques. This paper suggests swarm optimization technique, binary particle swarm optimization technique and its variants, to select the optimal feature subset. The main task of the BPSO is the selection of the features used by the SVM in the classification of spambase data set. The results of our experiments show a very strong relation between number of features and accuracy. Comparison of the optimized results and the un- optimized results showed that the BPSO-MS method could significantly reduce the computation cost while improving the classification accuracy.
Network Externalities, Software Business Models and the Market Structure of Operation System Markets: A Comparative Research of Windows and Linux

By establishing a Hotelling model based on network externalities and vertical differentiation, the authors of this paper compare Windows software business model with Linux software business model, study the determining factors and formative mechanism of the market structure of operating system markets.It is found that in operating system markets, software corporations compete by choosing different business models,which lead to different competitive advantages, thus two dominating market structure in operating system markets comes into being: Duopoly and monopoly.
Growth Intention and Its Impact on Business Growth amongst Smes in South Africa

Growth is generally perceived as a good goal for businesses because it is an important measure of business success and key driver to the creation of wealth, employment, and economic development in every country around the world. Nevertheless, studies depict that many SME owner are not interested in growth or deliberately refrain from pursuing growth and it is also unclear as to what happens to entrepreneur’s growth intentions subsequent to the launch of a venture. This study had as objectives to find out which factors determine the growth intention amongst existing business owners and the impact growth intention has on the actual growth of their SMEs. This study identified some factors (locus of control and self-efficacy, prior family business exposure, level of education, entrepreneurship education, need for achievement, tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty and procedural requirements for business registration) to significantly affect the growth intentions of entrepreneurs in South Africa. This study also established that growth intentions were significantly related to actual firm growth in terms of sales growth and asset growth. Thus policy measures should put in place support programs that will promote a culture of growth oriented thinking amongst SME owners as a means of fostering growth in the SME sector. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n20p172
Tetraamminelithium triamminelithium trisulfide, [Li(NH3)4][Li(NH3)3S3]

The title compound, [Li(NH3)4]+[Li(NH3)3S3]−, an ammoniate of the previously unknown lithium trisulfide, was obtained from the reaction of lithium and sulfur in liquid ammonia. The asymmetric unit consists of two crystallographically independent formula units. The [Li(NH3)4]+ cations are close to regular LiN4 tetrahedra. The anions contain LiSN3 tetrahedra; the S—S—S bond angles are 110.43 (5) and 109.53 (5)°. In the crystal, the components are linked by multiple N—H⋯S hydrogen bonds. A weak N—H⋯N hydrogen bond is also present.
Epistemological Relativity in Learning Disabilities

I t is not clear whether Swanson's paper will have an impact on the field of learning disabilities (LD). This observation has nothing to do with the paper itself but rather the topic of the paper. In fact, Swanson has provided a lucid and reasoned analysis of theory development and validation for the LD field, but it is uncertain whether the topic is viewed as important. Nevertheless, Swanson is to be congratulated for his insight into the role of theory and research with respect to understanding events, organizing information, and discerning complexity. Because I find myself in almost total agreement with Swanson's analysis, I would like to take this opportunity to elaborate upon the role of research and demonstrate how a modified view of the research process may serve to enhance Swanson's perspective.
Managing Innovation Networks in the Engineering Industry: Moderating Effects of Spatial Proximity

Our research aims at a further development of the interaction oriented network approach. Empirical evidence supports the positive effect of the innovation networks? balanced management, social interaction as well as network stability on network retention. It materializes for the proposed four management functions within innovation networks. Furthermore, we pay special attention to the moderating effect of spatial proximity. We specified the conceptual framework as a structural equation model. Based on a sample of 79 respondents we found diverging results between national and international innovation networks.
AIDA‐I, the adhesin involved in diffuse adherence of the diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli strain 2787 (O126:H27), is synthesized via a precursor molecule

The adherence mechanisms of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) to epithelial cells are still not understood. To study the molecular basis of the diffuse adherence (DA) phenotype exhibited by diarrhoeagenic E. coli expressing classical EPEC serotypes we investigated strain 2787 (O126:H27) isolated from a case of infantile diarrhoea. A 6.0 kb plasmid‐derrved DNA fragment mediates the DA phenotype and encodes the 100 kDa adhesin protein AIDA‐I (adhesin involved in diffuse adherence). Sequencing of the entire fragment revealed two open reading frames which encoded proteins of 45 kDa and 132 kDa, respectively. The 132 kDa protein has been identified as an AIDA‐I precursor protein. After cleavage of the signal sequence further processing at the C‐terminus of the 132 kDa precursor leads to the mature ∼100 kDa AIDA‐I. While the exact function of the cytopiasmic 45 kDa protein is not known, preliminary evidence indicates that it is necessary for the correct maturation of AIDA‐I. The AIDA‐l precursor exhibits significant homology with the virG(icsA) protein of Shigella flexneri which seems to be involved in the intercellular spread of invasive Shigella organisms.
Classifying DME vs normal SD-OCT volumes: A review

This article reviews the current state of automatic classification methodologies to identify Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) versus normal subjects based on Spectral Domain OCT (SD-OCT) data. Addressing this classification problem has valuable interest since early detection and treatment of DME play a major role to prevent eye adverse effects such as blindness. The main contribution of this article is to cover the lack of a public dataset and benchmark suited for classifying DME and normal SD-OCT volumes, providing our own implementation of the most relevant methodologies in the literature. Subsequently, 6 different methods were implemented and evaluated using this common benchmark and dataset to produce reliable comparison.
Achieving Successful Organizational Change: the Role of Human Resource Management Practices

Estonian Hansabank privatized the Lietuvos Taupomasis Bank. Hansabank set the ambitious goal of integrating LTB Bank into the Gro up in a single year. By this time the new Group member was expected to have become profitable. This paper explores possibilities of using human resource management practices in this cross-border acquisition process. Such activities of the Personnel Department as staffing new structure and top management team development were key success factors, which helped to improve the management of the Lithuanian bank and to achieve desired organization al culture.
Graph kernels in chemoinformatics

Graphs provide a generic data structure widely used in chemo and bioin- formatics to represent complex structures such as chemical compounds or complex interactions between proteins. However, the high flexibility of this data structure does not allow to readily combine it with usual machine learn- ing algorithms based on a vectorial representation of input data. Graph kernels are defined as similarity measures between graphs. Under mild conditions, graph kernels correspond to scalar products between possi- bly implicit graph embeddings into an Hilbert space. Thanks to this graph embedding, machine learning methods which may be rewritten so as to use only scalar products between input data, such as SVM, can be applied on graphs. Graph kernels thus provide a natural connection between graph space and machine learning.
BPCLC: An Efficient Write Buffer Management Scheme for Flash-Based Solid State Disks

Flash memory has been widely used for storage devices in various embedded systems and enterprise computing environment, due to its shock-resistance, low power consumption, non-volatile, and high I/O speed. However, its physical characteristics impose several limitations in the design of flash-based solid state disks (SSDs). For example, its write operation costs much more time than read operation, and data in flash memory can not be overwritten before being erased. In particular, random write operations in flash memory have a very poor performance. To overcome these limitations, we propose a page-clustered LRU write buffer management scheme for flash-based SSDs, which is named BPCLC (Block Padding Cold and Large Cluster first). BPCLC adopts a new block padding technique to improve the write performance of flash-based SSDs. We conduct a trace-driven experiment and use two types of workloads to compare the performance of BPCLC with three competitors including FAB, BPLRU, and CLC. The results show that in both types of workloads, BPCLC outperforms its competitors with respect to write count, erase count, merge count, and overall I/O overhead.
Integrating Prior Knowledge in Multiple Testing under Dependence with Applications to Detecting Differential DNA Methylation

Summary DNA methylation has emerged as an important hallmark of epigenetics. Numerous platforms including tiling arrays and next generation sequencing, and experimental protocols are available for profiling DNA methylation. Similar to other tiling array data, DNA methylation data shares the characteristics of inherent correlation structure among nearby probes. However, unlike gene expression or protein DNA binding data, the varying CpG density which gives rise to CpG island, shore and shelf definition provides exogenous information in detecting differential methylation. This article aims to introduce a robust testing and probe ranking procedure based on a nonhomogeneous hidden Markov model that incorporates the above‐mentioned features for detecting differential methylation. We revisit the seminal work of Sun and Cai (2009, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Statistical Methodology) 71, 393–424) and propose modeling the nonnull using a nonparametric symmetric distribution in two‐sided hypothesis testing. We show that this model improves probe ranking and is robust to model misspecification based on extensive simulation studies. We further illustrate that our proposed framework achieves good operating characteristics as compared to commonly used methods in real DNA methylation data that aims to detect differential methylation sites.
Consensus of discrete multi-agent systems under switching topologies

In this paper, we consider a multi-agent consensus problem with discrete-time high-dimensional linear coupling dynamics. The interaction topology among the agents is assumed to be switching and undirected. To achieve consensus, a neighbor-based feedback protocol is proposed for each agent. By using Schur orthogonal transformation, the multi-agent consensus problem is converted into stability problem of a switching subsystem with special structure. Based on graph theory and common Lyapunov function method, some sufficient consensus conditions are established for the considered multi-agent systems. Moreover, we provide Riccati and linear matrix inequality based approaches to obtain feedback matrix. Finally, a simulation example is given to illustrate our obtained theoretical result.
Improving Touchscreen Typing Using Back-of-Device Grip Interactions

Typing on touchscreen keyboards is inherently inaccurate as users tend to touch locations offset from their intended target. Offsets are user-specific and can further differ for a given user between postures (left-hand, right-hand, indexfinger or two-thumb typing). On the other hand, back-ofdevice interaction has been used to predict screen touches on randomised abstract targets. We propose a new approach where unique offset models are learned for each posture and back-of-device is used to predict posture. Offset models are learned using linear regression while classification is achieved through SVMs and GPs. The models lead to significant improvements in typing accuracy. We show that modelling thumbs within two-thumb typing as separate postures can further improve accuracy. Posture misclassifications, however, can introduce errors in the model. This can be alleviated by weighted averaging of offsets based on probabilities from a probabilistic classifier GP.
Laparoscopic Oviductal Artificial Insemination Improves Pregnancy Success in Exogenous Gonadotropin-Treated Domestic Cats as a Model for Endangered Felids1

ABSTRACT Artificial insemination (AI) in cats traditionally uses equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to induce follicular development and ovulation, with subsequent bilateral laparoscopic intrauterine insemination. However, long-acting hCG generates undesirable secondary ovulations in cats. Uterine AI also requires relatively high numbers of spermatozoa for fertilization (∼8 × 106 sperm), and unfortunately, sperm recovery from felids is frequently poor. Using short-acting porcine luteinizing hormone (pLH) instead of hCG, and using the oviduct as the site of sperm deposition, could improve fertilization success while requiring fewer spermatozoa. Our objectives were to compare pregnancy and fertilization success between 1) uterine and oviductal inseminations and 2) eCG/hCG and eCG/pLH regimens in domestic cats. Sixteen females received either eCG (100 IU)/hCG (75 IU) or eCG (100 IU)/pLH (1000 IU). All females ovulated and were inseminated in one uterine horn and the contralateral oviduct using fresh semen (1 × 106 motile sperm/site) from a different male for each site. Pregnant females (11/16; 69%) were spayed approximately 20 days post-AI, and fetal paternity was genetically determined. The number of corpora lutea (CL) at AI was similar between hormone regimens, but hCG increased the number of CL at 20 days post-AI. Numbers of pregnancies and normal fetuses were similar between regimens. Implantation abnormalities were observed in the hCG group only. Finally, oviductal AI produced more fetuses than uterine AI. In summary, laparoscopic oviductal AI with low sperm numbers in eCG/hCG- or eCG/pLH-treated females resulted in high pregnancy and fertilization percentages in domestic cats. Our subsequent successes with oviductal AI in eCG/pLH-treated nondomestic felids to produce healthy offspring supports cross-species applicability.
Generalizing the KYP lemma to the union of intervals

A recent generalization of the Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov (KYP) lemma establishes the equivalence between a semi-infinite inequality on a segment of a circle or straight line in the complex plane and a linear matrix inequality. In this paper we further generalize the KYP lemma to particular curves in the complex plane, which include the union of segments of a circle or line as a special case.
Assessment of Growth Enhancement Support Scheme among Rice Farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria

The study assessed growth enhancement support (GES) scheme in Anambra State, Nigeria. The population of the study included all rice farmers that participated in the scheme in Anambra State. Multistage sampling was used, and a combination of purposive and simple random sampling techniques was used in selecting a total sample size of 100 respondents. Primary and secondary sources of data were used. Data collected were through the use of an interview schedule and the scheme’s publications. Performance index, percentage and mean were used to analyze data. The result of the findings showed that the scheme had very low performance indices in redemption of inputs (4.7% and 32.4% in 2012 and 2013, respectively). The Scheme made great changes in food productivity (M = 2.70) and farmers’ access to farm inputs (M = 2.55). Farmers had high level of satisfaction on the scheme’s implementation processes in the areas of registration process and quantity of improved seed redeemed. Major challenges identified were poverty (M= 2.32), illiteracy (M= 2.45), poor awareness (M= 2.55), and poor mobile phone possession and usage (M= 2.76). It was recommended that more awareness and adequate training be given to farmers for them to participate actively and for other farmers to join the scheme. Also there is need for the scheme to be passed into law to become policy for continuity and sustainability. Keywords : Assessment of GES scheme, Anambra State