Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Video game rating systems in the US and Europe

Regulating children’s and adolescents’ access to video games appeared on the agenda of media lawmakers from the 1990s on. Approaches in western democracies have largely followed the approach of industry self-regulation, resulting in a diverse set of different types of self-regulation systems. This study applies a comparative perspective on the actual rating practices, asking how far regulation systems differ systematically and how far these differences might lead to different rating decisions. The study analyzes both the set-up of three major western regulation systems (the German USK, the pan-European PEGI and the US ESRB) and the actual rating decisions in each of the three systems relying on secondary data at the aggregate level, individual rating decisions for 182 top-selling titles and a list of favorite video games of 744 adolescents in the US and Germany. Findings illustrate that each system has a distinct focus, according to which it regulates different video game use more strongly than the other systems.
Biologically Inspired Feature Rank Codes for Hardware Friendly Gas Identification With the Array of Gas Sensors

In this paper, we propose a biologically inspired rank-order-based classifier to facilitate the development of a smart electronic olfaction system, because the state-of-the-art pattern recognition algorithms are not suitable for the said objective due to their computationally intensive nature. In order to mimic biological olfactory rank codes, the features of gas sensors in an electronic olfaction system are ranked to form rank codes in our classifier instead of treating them as multidimensional data points. This classifier relies on probability rank tables, which are built for all target gases, because one-to-one mapping between the rank codes and the target gases is not practically found with the existing gas sensor technology. The table for each target gas records the probability of each sensor ID at each rank, and hence also serves as a visual interpretation tool. Due to the limited diversity in electronic olfaction system rank codes compared with biological olfactory codes, gas pairs are considered in this classifier by transforming the original multi-gas identification problem into pairwise classification problems in order to evaluate the discriminatory power between the rank codes for each pair of target gases. This discriminatory power at each rank not only helps to determine the applicability of the classifier but also serves as a weight for that rank in order to improve the classification performance. In addition, insightful quantitative feedback is integrated into the classifier in order to avoid misclassifications, and as a result, we achieve a 100% classification performance at the cost of a 3.79% rejection of uncertain predictions with a data set of an array of FIS inc. and Figaro inc. gas sensors exposed to five target gases.
The role of involvement and variety‐seeking in eating out behaviors

Purpose – Eating out behaviors vary from one individual to another. However, there is no conceptually underpinned typology to explain this phenomenon effectively. This paper aims to develop a conceptually underpinned typology of eating out attitudes and to distinguish differences based on demographics and actual eating out behaviors.Design/methodology/approach – This study proposes a typology using a 2×2 matrix (high and low levels of involvement and variety seeking) and uses multinomial logistic regression to examine differences between the four groups.Findings – Age, education, the breadth of culinary exposure, and the extent of eating out are significant differentiators between the four eating out attitudes.Research limitations/implications – The typology can be investigated in cross‐cultural contexts to expand the understanding of eating out behaviors underpinned by involvement and variety seeking. Both restaurants and destination marketing organizations can use the typology to better understand their.
A Nonparametric Option Pricing Model Using Higher Moments

A nonparametric model that includes non-Gaussian characteristics of skewness and kurtosis is proposed based on the cubic market capital asset pricing model. It is an equilibrium pricing model but risk-neutral valuation can be introduced through return data transformation. The model complies with the put-call parity principle of option pricing theory. The properties of the model are studied through simulation methods and compared with the Black-Scholes model. Simulation scenarios include cases on nonnormality in skewness and kurtosis, nonconstant variance, moneyness, contract duration, and interest rate levels. The proposed model can have negative prices in cases of out-of-money options and in simulation cases that are different from real-market situations, but the frequency of negative prices is reduced when risk-neutral valuation is implemented. The model is more adaptive and more conservative in pricing options compared to the Black-Scholes model when nonnormalities exist in the returns data.
A high efficiency autonomous street lighting system based on solar energy and LEDs

This work presents an autonomous street lighting system based on solar energy as primary source, batteries as secondary source, and lighting emitting diodes (LEDs) as lighting source. This system is being presented as an alternative for remote localities, like roads and crossroads. Besides, it presents high efficiency, because all power stages are implemented in DC current. The design of LEDs fixture, in order to replace a 70 W high pressure sodium (HPS) lamp, is performed. This design takes into account the human eye response in scotopic conditions. LEDs driver and battery charger experimental results are presented. The battery charger presents three control modes: maximum power point tracker (MPPT) mode; constant current mode; and constant voltage mode. The control mode depends on the battery state (charged/discharged), and solar irradiance level.
A Taxonomy of the ‘Dark Side’ of Financial Innovation: The Cases of High Frequency Trading and Exchange Traded Funds

This paper develops a taxonomy of the 'dark side' of financial innovation and applies it to two recent high-profile financial innovations; exchange traded funds (ETFs) and high frequency trading (HFT). The first half of the paper develops the taxonomy by categorising the negative effects of financial innovation as: 1) predatory schemes; 2) abuse of financial innovation; 3) unintended consequences of financial innovation. The second half of the paper applies the taxonomy to ETFs and HFT, thus allowing for a better understanding of the risks posed by ETFs and HFT. We explore these risks with examples and in the context of current efforts to reform financial regulation following the 2007-2008 'credit crunch'. In the latter case, we draw on a G20 survey that explored the capabilities of regulators to mitigate the negative effects of financial innovation.
The Informedness Effect and Volume of Trade

Theoretical models of trade show that information-based trading is a consequence of four fundamental determinants: heterogeneous prior beliefs, differential interpretations, the consensus effect, and the informedness effect. Although the effects of these determinants on trading volume are clear theoretically, there is no prior empirical evidence on the relation between the informedness effect and the volume of trade, nor is there any empirical evidence on the incremental effect of each of the four determinants on the volume of trade. This study provides empirical evidence to fill this void. Consistent with theoretical predictions in Holthausen and Verrecchia, we find a significantly positive relation between the informedness effect and trading volume reactions to quarterly earnings announcements. We also find that the proxies for each of the four fundamental determinants of trading volume—prior belief heterogeneity, differential interpretation, the consensus effect, and the informedness effect of quarterly earnings signals—play a significant incremental role in explaining trading volume, thereby corroborating the theoretical results of financial economists. An important implication of our results is that empirical models of trade should consider controlling for each of these determinants.
The Importance of Modeling Temporal Dependence of Timing and Quantity in Direct Marketing

The analysis of customer value in direct marketing typically combines customer timing and quantity data into a single statistic that is used to compute lifetime values, rank-order customers for differential action, and identify prospects for cross-selling. However, current models assume that purchase timing and quantity decisions are independently realized (i.e., uncorrelated) over time given individual-level parameters. In this article, the authors show that customer value calculations can be severely biased in these models when timing and quantity are dependently related. The authors propose alternative models that lead to substantial gains in profitability in two direct-marketing data sets. The results indicate that the commonly held assumption of independence leads to an overvaluation of customer value.
Quantitative proteomics analysis of leaves from two Sedum alfredii (Crassulaceae) populations that differ in cadmium accumulation

Due to their extraordinary capacity to hypertolerate and hyperaccumulate heavy metals in above‐ground tissues, hyperaccumulator plant species have gained wide attention from researchers seeking biotechnologies to manage environmental heavy metal pollution. However, the molecular basis of hyperaccumulation is still far from being fully understood. Here, we used iTRAQ to perform a quantitative proteomics study of the leaves of Sedum alfredii (Crassulaceae) from hyperaccumulating population (HP) and non‐hyperaccumulating population (NHP). A total of 248 proteins had constitutively higher levels in HP leaves than in NHP leaves. Cadmium (Cd) treatment led to the induction of 13 proteins in HP leaves and 33 proteins in NHP leaves. Two proteins were induced by Cd in both HP leaves and NHP leaves. The annotations for many of the proteins that were higher in HP leaves and proteins that were induced by Cd treatments were associated with vacuolar sequestration, cell wall/membrane modification, and plant defense. In addition to establishing a global empirical foundation for the study of proteins in S. alfredii, our findings relating to the differential constitutive and inducible expression of proteins open potential new research avenues and bolster previously reported suppositions about Cd hyperaccumulation in hyperaccumulator plants.
Solving practical dynamic pricing problems with limited demand information

Title of dissertation: SOLVING PRACTICAL DYNAMIC PRICING PROBLEMS WITH LIMITED DEMAND INFORMATION Ming Chen, Doctor of Philosophy, 2011 Dissertation directed by: Professor Zhi-Long Chen Department of Decision, Operations and Information Technologies Dynamic pricing problems have received considerable attention in the operations management literature in the last two decades. Most of the work has focused on structural results and managerial insights using stylized models without considering business rules and issues commonly encountered in practice. While these models do provide general, high-level guidelines for managers in practice, they may not be able to generate satisfactory solutions to practical problems in which business norms and constraints have to be incorporated. In addition, most of the existing models assume full knowledge about the underlying demand distribution. However, demand information can be very limited for many products in practice, particularly, for products with short life-cycles (e.g., fashion products). In this dissertation, we focus on dynamic pricing models that involve selling a fixed amount of initial inventory over a fixed time horizon without inventory replenishment. This class of dynamic pricing models have a wide application in a variety of industries. Within this class, we study two specific dynamic pricing problems with commonly-encountered business rules and issues where there is limited demand information. Our objective is to develop satisfactory solution approaches for solving practically sized problems and derive managerial insights. This dissertation consists of three parts. We first present a survey of existing pricing models that involve one or multiple sellers selling one or multiple products, each with a given initial inventory, over a fixed time horizon without inventory replenishment. This particular class of dynamic pricing problems have received substantial attention in the operations management literature in recent years. We classify existing models into several different classes, present a detailed review on the problems in each class, and identify possible directions for future research. We then study a markdown pricing problem that involves a single product and multiple stores. Joint inventory allocation and pricing decisions have to be made over time subject to a set of business rules. We discretize the demand distribution and employ a scenario tree to model demand correlation across time periods and among the stores. The problem is formulated as a MIP and a Lagrangian relaxation approach is proposed to solve it. Extensive numerical experiments demonstrate that the solution approach is capable of generating close-to-optimal solutions in a short
Managing Brain Skills to Increase Productivity.

It is not a new idea that effective and efficient decision making requires input from both what today are termed "left brain" and "right brain" processes. For example, Chester I. Barnard stressed nearly 50 years ago in his classic work, The Functions of the Executive, that "purely logical, rational processes" should be complemented with intuitive ones. ' What is significant is how often organizations and individual managers alike have failed to establish internal mechanisms to help insure that input is openly received bothfrom the "left and the right, " and integrated into a policy or program that stands a good chance of being implemented productively (see Table 1). 2 This failure was recently summarized in a 1985 brochure from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs as follows:
Prescribing Pattern of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs at the Outpatient Pharmacy Department of a University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAID), are among the most widely used and misused of all drugs. Though they provide symptomatic relief from pain and swelling in chronic joint diseases, they may cause renal impairment, especially in combination with other nephrotoxic agents. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the prescription pattern of NSAID in the Out-patient Pharmacy Department of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Nigeria. DESIGN A total of 3800 prescriptions containing NSAIDs were analyzed for information on drug name, the number of NSAIDs per prescription, the presence of ACE inhibitors and diuretics alongside NSAIDs and NSAIDs prescribed in generic or brand names. RESULTS The results showed that Aspirin was the most frequently prescribed NSAID (62.2%) and 68.4% of the NSAIDs prescriptions studied were written in generic names. The total number of drugs per prescription was in most cases 3 or greater (84.6%). There were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) associations between the individual NSAID prescribed and whether they were prescribed in generics or brand names; individual NSAID prescribed and the frequency of co-prescription with an ACE inhibitor and a diuretic; types of NSAID prescribed and the cost in Naira. CONCLUSION Though most of the prescribers complied with WHO standard in their prescriptions vis a vis generic prescription, avoidance of polypharmacy and avoidance of drug interactions and contraindications, there is obvious need for interventional measures or strategies to improve rational prescribing for some of the prescribers tailored towards rational prescription and use of drugs.
Establishment and characterization of a novel VEGF‐producing HHV‐8‐unrelated PEL‐like lymphoma cell line, OGU1

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare B‐cell lymphoma subtype that is characterized by lymphomatous effusion without the presence of masses, and it typically occurs in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected individuals. Lymphoma cells are universally positive for human herpesvirus 8 (HHV‐8). Recently, a cavity‐based effusion lymphoma that is similar to PEL without HHV‐8 infection, called HHV‐8‐unrelated PEL‐like lymphoma, has been reported in non‐HIV‐infected individuals. However, the pathophysiology of this lymphoma is largely undefined. We established a novel B‐cell line OGU1 derived from a patient with HHV‐8‐unrelated PEL‐like lymphoma. Notably, OGU1 cells produced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and expressed VEGF receptor 1, whose inhibitors retarded cell growth. Because VEGF acts as a vascular permeability and growth factor, it could play a role, at least in part, in the pathogenesis of this unique lymphoma. Thus, the OGU1 cell line is useful for the investigation of HHV‐8‐unrelated PEL‐like lymphoma.
Technology management process assessment: a case study

The effective management of technology as a source of competitive advantage is of vital importance for many organisations. It is necessary to understand, communicate and integrate technology strategy with marketing, financial, operations and human resource strategies. This is of particular importance when one considers the increasing cost, pace and complexity of technology developments, combined with shortening product life cycles. A five‐process model provides a framework within which technology management activities can be understood: identification, selection, acquisition, exploitation and protection. Based on this model, a technology management assessment procedure has been developed, using an “action research” approach. This paper presents an industrial case study describing the first full application of the procedure within a high‐volume manufacturing business. The impact of applying the procedure is assessed in terms of benefits to the participating business, together with improvements to the assessment procedure itself, in the context of the action research framework.
Impact of Culture on Knowledge Management: A Meta-Analysis and Framework

Abstract Culture, both national and organizational, can have profound impacts on knowledge management. Yet the literature on exactly how culture impacts knowledge management is complex with no clear generalizable results. A meta-analysis was conducted on 52 articles from ten IS journals for the years 2000–2010 combining both quantitative and qualitative studies in a unique methodological approach. Key findings include a marked shift away from normative language towards more interpretive and critical discourse emphasizing the power issues inherent in the cultural context of knowledge management. Trust and openness are key organizational cultural dimensions that impact knowledge management processes, but these traits are achieved through effective business leadership, rather than a particular technological artifact. The most striking generalizable finding from the cross-case analysis is that organizational culture can overcome or mitigate differences in national culture. An overall framework is provided to illustrate the findings and to serve as an important guidepost for future research.
The association of biological and psychological attributions for depression with social support seeking intentions in individuals with depressive symptoms.

BACKGROUND Research suggests that biological and psychological attributions for depression are related to professional help-seeking, but the association of these attributions with informal support seeking in social relationships is unknown. As social support is linked with recovery from depression and a lower likelihood of experiencing future episodes of depression, it is important to understand factors that influence an individual's decision to seek social support. AIMS The present study examined depressed individuals' own attributions for their depressive symptoms (i.e. personal attributions), perceptions of a friend's attributions for these symptoms (i.e. perceived attributions), and the depressed individuals' willingness to seek social support from that friend. METHOD Eighty-six individuals experiencing at least mild depressive symptoms completed self-report measures of personal attributions, perceived attributions, and a social support seeking intentions scale. RESULTS Participants' own attributions for depressive symptoms were unrelated to their willingness to seek social support. In contrast, perceived biological attributions were related to greater help-seeking intentions, whereas perceived psychological attributions were associated with lower support seeking intentions. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that decisions to seek social support are more influenced by perceptions of others' beliefs about depression than one's own beliefs.
Characterization of 6.5 kV IGBTs for High-Power Medium-Frequency Soft-Switched Applications

Medium voltage high-power applications are usually realized using high voltage semiconductors (3.3 kV and above) operated in the hard switching mode with low switching frequencies (several hundreds of hertz). However, for high-power dc-dc converters employing a transformer for galvanic isolation, it is attractive to increase the switching frequency so that the transformer size can be reduced. An increase of the switching frequency implies an increase of the switching losses, and this has to be mitigated somehow, usually by choice of resonant topologies or soft switching techniques. Main focus of the paper is on the operation of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) within a high-power dc-dc LLC resonant converter, in order to explore interactions between semiconductor and circuit properties, which both must be simultaneously considered in order to achieve the best utilization of a high voltage power semiconductor operating at higher switching frequencies. For these purposes, switching properties of a standard 6.5 kV IGBT are compared with switching properties of two different optimized versions of a 6.5 kV IGBT. Experimental results are included to support theoretical considerations and findings.
New chromosomal regions with high‐level amplifications in squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx and pharynx, identified by comparative genomic hybridization

Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck generally exhibit complex karyotypes. To gain better knowledge of the changes in the subgroup of laryngeal and pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, chromosomal gains and losses were investigated in 42 predominantly late‐stage tumours, using comparative genomic hybridization. On average, 11.2 gains and 6.8 losses were found. Gains were detected in high frequencies at 1q, 3q, 5p, 7q, 8q, 11q13, 17q, and 18p, and losses at 3p, 4p, 5q, 11qter, and 18q. Neither the number nor the type of abnormalities, nor the occurrence of specific chromosome changes, was found to be related to DNA ploidy, tumour stage, or degree of differentiation. Apart from low‐level gains, many high‐level amplifications were identified, in particular 3q24‐qter (15 cases). Other regions recurrently involved were 11q13 (7 cases), 18p (5 cases), 18q11.2 (4 cases), and 8q23–24 and 11q14–22 (3 cases). Many of these amplified regions have not been reported before. Over half of all loci harbour genes coding for growth factors and growth factor receptors, suggesting an important role for such genes in squamous cell tumourigenesis and in the progression of late‐stage tumours. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.