Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Achieving Proportional Fairness for LTE-LAA and Wi-Fi Coexistence in Unlicensed Spectrum

LTE Licensed Assisted Access (LTE-LAA) is a promising solution for harmonious coexistence with WiFi in unlicensed spectrum. Although LTE-LAA employs a listen-before-talk approach similar to the distributed coordination function in IEEE 802.11, it uses different parameters and varying transmission durations. As a result, achieving fair coexistence between LTE-LAA and WiFi (by any definition) remains an open question, which in a pragmatic framework, devolves to: how LTE-LAA should select its parameters. To address this issue, a multi-group model is proposed for LTE-LAA and WiFi coexistence, as a function of respective initial backoff window sizes, sensing durations, maximum backoff stages, retry limits and transmission opportunities. The network steady-state point in saturated conditions is obtained, based on which the node airtime and total network airtime are derived as functions of system parameters of LTE-LAA and WiFi networks. The analysis shows that LTE-LAA can maintain proportional fairness with WiFi by either tuning its initial backoff window size or sensing duration. In particular, the optimal initial backoff window size and number of sensing slots of LTE-LAA are both derived and verified by simulation. The significance of our analysis is two-fold: a) it exposes the result that the current standard-proposed parameter settings will not generically achieve fairness and thereafter b) suggests optimal settings whereby LTE-LAA and WiFi nodes can achieve equal per-node airtime. It is further revealed that the initial backoff window size tuning of LTE-LAA could be a preferable option for achieving fairness between LTE-LAA and WiFi in practical scenarios as it requires less system information and achieves better precision.
Varieties of Urbanism: A Comparative View of Inequality and the Dual Dimensions of Metropolitan Fragmentation

A large literature on urban politics documents the connection between metropolitan fragmentation and inequality. This article situates the United States comparatively to explore the structural features of local governance that underpin this connection. Examining five metropolitan areas in North America and Europe, the article identifies two distinct dimensions of fragmentation: (a) fragmentation through jurisdictional proliferation (dividing regions into increasing numbers of governments) and (b) fragmentation through resource hoarding (via exclusion, municipal parochialism, and fiscal competition). This research reveals how distinctive the United States is in the ways it combines institutional arrangements that facilitate metropolitan fragmentation (through jurisdictional proliferation) and those that reward such fragmentation (through resource-hoarding opportunities). Non-US cases furnish examples of policies that reduce jurisdictional proliferation or remove resource-hoarding opportunities. Mitigating the inequality-inducing effects of fragmentation is possible, but policies must be designed with an identification of the specific aspects of local governance structures that fuel inequality in the first place.
A comparative study of how social workers’ voice and silence strategies relate to organisational resources, attitudes and well-being at work

Summary This study sets out to investigate the potential differences between social workers using voice- or silence strategies in their experience of organisational resources, attitudes and health, and whether social workers moving between strategies (voice or silence) over time have a different experience of the same outcomes than those who stay with the same strategy group. The participating social workers (n = 1356) responded to two web-based questionnaires over a one-year period. Findings The results show that voice strategies are related to the experience of more positive organisational resources, more positive attitudes (greater job satisfaction and organisational commitment, but lower intention to exit) and more positive health (greater recovery, but less emotional exhaustion and stress symptoms) than those using silence strategies. The results also show that moving from silence to voice is related to the experience of increased organisational resources, more positive attitudes and more positive health at T2, while those moving from voice to silence reported the opposite. Applications The longitudinal approach applied in this study adds empirical evidence of the relationship between voice/silence and work-related attitudes, as well as health and well-being. The close relationship between organisational resources, employee voice behaviour and related individual outcomes regarding attitudes and health imply that Human Resources (HR) management has a lot to gain by developing and securing a voice-friendly and considerate climate in their organisations.
Circuit and synaptic organization of forebrain-to-midbrain pathways that promote and suppress vocalization

Animals vocalize only in certain behavioral contexts, but the circuits and synapses through which forebrain neurons trigger or suppress vocalization remain unknown. Here we used transsynaptic tracing to identify two populations of inhibitory neurons that lie upstream of neurons in the periaqueductal gray that gate the production of ultrasonic vocalizations in mice (i.e., PAG-USV neurons). Activating PAG-projecting neurons in the preoptic hypothalamus (POAPAG neurons) elicited USV production in the absence of social cues. In contrast, activating PAG-projecting neurons in the central-medial boundary zone of the amygdala (AmgC/M-PAG neurons) transiently suppressed USV production without disrupting non-vocal social behavior. Optogenetics-assisted circuit mapping in brain slices revealed that POAPAG neurons directly inhibit PAG interneurons, which in turn inhibit PAG-USV neurons, whereas AmgC/M-PAG neurons directly inhibit PAG-USV neurons. These experiments identify two major forebrain inputs to the PAG that trigger and suppress vocalization, respectively, while also establishing the synaptic mechanisms through which these neurons exert opposing behavioral effects.
Sliding Mode Control in Backstepping Framework for a Class of Nonlinear Systems

Both backstepping control (BC) and sliding mode control (SMC) have been studied extensively over the past few decades, and many variations of controller designs based on them can be found in the literature. In this paper, sliding mode control in a backstepping framework (SBC) for a class of nonlinear systems is proposed and its connections to SMC studied. SMC is shown to be a special case of SBC. Without losing generality, the regulation control problem is studied, while tracking control is achieved by replacing the states with the difference between the states and their desired values. The SBCs are designed for nonlinear single-input-single-output (SISO) and multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems with the presence of bounded uncertainties from unmodeled dynamics, parametric variations, disturbances, and measurement noise, and the closed loop systems are proven to be asymptotically stable using the Lyapunov stability theory. The comparison of SBC to SMC from the design process, chattering effects, and chatter reduction are also discussed. SBC inherits the merits of backstepping control in choosing gains independently, while leveraging useful nonlinear dynamics for controller design simplification. Hence, it provides more flexibility in controller design in the sense of controlling coverage speed and making use of useful nonlinearities in the dynamics. To demonstrate the effectiveness of SBC, an application on cruise tracking control of an autonomous underwater vehicle was studied.
Seeking Competitive Advantage Through Platform-Enabled Resources: The Case of Food Delivery Platforms

As digital platforms become increasingly ubiquitous, firms in a wide array of industries face the decision of whether to join them and how to compete within them. The information systems field is in a unique position to theorize and investigate how platform participants can use broadly available digital platform resources in order to achieve, and possibly sustain, competitive advantage. We empirically investigate the theoretical proposition that restaurants joining the food delivery digital platform can compete by leveraging a specific emergent capability we call platform-fulfillment capability. Our results indicate that differentiation and competitive advantage are possible, even though all platform participants have access to the same digital platform resources. This result has important implications for the evaluation of digital platform strategies by organizations that are increasingly dependent on the use of digital technology.
Mechanical cough augmentation techniques in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease

© 2016 The Cochrane Collaboration.This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of mechanical insufflator/exsufflator (MI-E) and the breath-stacking technique for reducing morbidity and mortality and enhancing quality of life in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/motor neuron disease (MND).
Role of Boards of Management (BOM) in Monitoring and Evaluation of Constituency Development Funded (CDF) Projects in Secondary Schools

Boards of Management (BOM) have a paramount role in ensuring successful implementation of Constituency Development Funded (CDF) projects in secondary schools in Kenya. They not only have direct but also indirect role in; oversight, management, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of government funded projects in accordance with prescribed guidelines set by the Ministry of Education. Most of the Boards of Management don’t perform this role fully leading to poor performance of CDF projects in secondary schools in Kenya. In Teso South Sub County of Busia County in particular, the situation is worse to the extent that most Principals have overpowered and ignored Boards of Management, leading to failure of CDF projects to achieve their desired goals in secondary schools. Some CDF projects are never completed due to embezzlement of funds by Principals. Other factors contributing to this scenario are yet to be established. The purpose of the study was to establish the role of Boards of Management in monitoring and evaluation of Constituency Development Funded (CDF) projects in public secondary schools. It consisted of 221 BOM members and 26 Principals of Secondary schools. Saturated sampling technique was used to sample out 26 Principals while Simple random sampling was used to sample out 72 BOM members. Data was collected by questionnaire and interview schedule. The study concluded that: Boards of Management (BOM) don’t frequently inspect and evaluate financial records in schools. The study recommended that: Boards of Management (BOM) should be given full mandate of inspecting and evaluating all the school financial records to ensure that school funds are well utilized on the required projects.
Intensive home-based early intervention with autistic children.

Although several descriptions of educational programs for young autistic children exist in the literature, most have focused on one model of service delivery, the preschool classroom. Unfortunately, this model fails to meet the educational needs of some autistic children because of limitations in the amount of direct instruction it can provide, the lack of generalization of treatment effects, and the absence of comprehensive parent training. The current study developed and evaluated a home-based alternative to the preschool setting. Essential features of the model include: (a) systematic use of behavioral teaching techniques and treatment procedures; (b) intensive training conducted in each child's natural home; and (c) extensive parent training. Most of the 14 children who participated in the study demonstrated significant gains in their language, self-care, social, and academic development, as evidenced by the results of standardized assessments and individual treatment data. The results also indicated a change in the parents' ability to teach their handicapped children. These results are compared and contrasted to previous findings reported in the literature.
Jakość życia kobiet po mastektomii

Wstep. Rak piersi jest najczestszym nowotworem wystepującym u kobiet, ktory czesto wymaga amputacji piersi. Mastektomia jest wielkim przezyciem dla kobiet i niejednokrotnie prowadzi do obnizenia jakości zycia. Dązy sie, aby podejmowane interwencje medyczne nie tylko leczyly, ale takze poprawialy jakośc zycia pacjentek. Cel. Ocena jakości zycia kobiet po mastektomii. Material i metody. Badaniami objeto 70 kobiet zrzeszonych w Klubie Amazonek. Posluzono sie kwestionariuszem ankiety wlasnej konstrukcji oraz standaryzowanym kwestionariuszem WHOQOL-BREF. Analize wykonano za pomocą programu STATISTICA 7.1. Wyniki. Mastektomia wplywa negatywnie na stan ogolny i jakośc zycia kobiet. Najwyzej oceniana jest jakośc zycia w dziedzinie fizycznej, a najnizej w dziedzinie psychologicznej. Wiek oraz aktywnośc zawodowa mają istotny statystycznie wplyw na jakośc zycia. Operacja odtworcza oraz protezowanie poprawiają odczuwaną jakośc zycia kobiet po mastektomii. Wnioski. Jakośc zycia kobiet po mastektomii utrzymuje sie w badanej grupie w środkowym przedziale skali kwestionariusza WHOQOL-BREF. Problemy Pielegniarstwa 2013; 21 (1): 38–46
To Beep or not to Beep: On the Influence of some Interaction Design Variables onto Its Performance

During the construction and development of graphical interfaces, it is important to decide among a huge number of possible feed-backs (colors, sounds, etc.) with graphical variants (circular or rectangular shapes) and graphical behaviors (Close-and X-Button in title-bar e.g. to close a window). In this paper, the results of a long-term experiment comparing mouse-and touch-based interaction are presented. The aim of this work is to compare design variables of interaction in order to explore the inﬂuence of these variables on the interactions performance. The obtained results, for mouse interaction, reveal that only one studied design variable (clicking or not when reaching a target) is independent from target size. Color feedback showed to have negative inﬂuence for large objects and positive inﬂuence for small objects. For small targets circle-shaped targets and sound feedback proved to be negative, on the contrary to touch interaction. Here sound feedback saves for small objects 14.5% of interaction time. Finally the best results obtained are condensed to simple to apply design rules.
The 2014 Ebola outbreak: narratives from UK/USA and West Africa media

ABSTRACT This study explored how elite press in Britain and the United States framed the 2014 Ebola outbreak compared to how three West African countries covered the same epidemic. This comparison showed that the press in Britain and the USA emphasised the limitations of the African continent, resorting to ancient stereotypes about the continent to make sense of the situation. The media is West Africa, highlighted the broader implications of the outbreak on the African continent. The findings in this study have broader consequences that border on systemic approaches to coverage of health.
Mono-ADP-ribosylation by ARTD10 restricts Chikungunya virus replication by interfering with the proteolytic activity of nsP2

A subset of intracellular mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases diphtheria toxin-like (ARTDs, aka mono-PARPs) is induced by type I interferons. Some of these mono-ARTDs feature antiviral activity while certain RNA viruses, including Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), encode mono-ADP-ribosylhydrolases, suggesting a role for mono-ADP-ribosylation (MARylation) in host-virus conflicts. CHIKV expresses four non-structural proteins (nsP1-nsP4), with nsP3 containing a macrodomain that hydrolyzes and thereby reverses protein MARylation in vitro and in cells. This de-MARylation activity is essential as hydrolase inactivating mutations result in replication defective virus. However, the substrates of MARylation during CHIKV infection are unknown and thus it is unclear how the macrodomain contributes to virus replication and how mono-ARTD-dependent MARylation confers antiviral immunity. We identified ARTD10 and ARTD12 as restriction factors for CHIKV replication in a catalytic activity-dependent manner. CHIKV replication requires processing of the non-structural polyprotein nsP1-4 by the nsP2-encoded protease and the assembly of the four individual nsPs into a functional replication complex. Expression of ARTD10 and ARTD12 resulted in a reduction of processed nsPs. Similarly, MAR hydrolase inactive CHIKV replicon mutants revealed a decrease in processed nsPs, comparable to an nsP2 protease defective mutant. This suggested that the macrodomain contributes to nsP2 protease activity. In support, a hydrolase-deficient virus was complemented by a protease-deficient virus. We hypothesized that MARylation regulates the proteolytic function of nsP2. Indeed, we found that nsP2 is MARylated by ARTD10. This inhibited nsP2 protease activity, thereby preventing polyprotein processing and consequently virus replication. This inhibition was antagonized by the MAR hydrolase activity of nsP3. Together, our findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the need of the viral MAR hydrolase for efficient replication of CHIKV. Author Summary Infectious diseases still pose major health threats. Especially fast evolving viruses find ever new strategies to manipulate the immune response. With climate warming and increased human mobility vector-borne pathogens like Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) spread and cause world-wide epidemics. Beyond the acute phase, CHIKV patients regularly suffer from chronic rheumatism. This entails a decline in life quality and an economic burden. To date no drugs are approved and the mode of pathogenesis remains elusive. Here we describe a mechanistic function of the CHIKV nsP3 macrodomain. We found that the viral nsP2 is mono-ADP-ribosylated interfering with its auto-proteolytic function. The nsP3 macrodomain removes this modification and restores the protease activity that is essential for replication. Because macrodomains are highly conserved they might represent broad antiviral targets.
Study of the Psychometric Properties of the Diabetes Empowerment Scale Short Form (DES-SF)

Introduction: The control of diabetes mellitus type 2 implies that people are actively engaged in self-care behaviours and self-efficacy is one of the variables involved in this process. Based on the Model of Behavioural Change, the Diabetes Empowerment Scale assesses the psychosocial self-efficacy of people with this disease. The aim of this study is to analyse the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Diabetes Empowerment Scale (DES-SF), namely its reliability and validity. Method: A methodological nature study was conducted, with a convenience sample comprising 123 participants with diabetes mellitus type 2. In a primary health care context, the participants were asked to fill the DES-SF, the Diabetes Self-care Scale, and a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire. Four weeks later and in order to evaluate stability over time, the self-efficacy scale was administered to a sub-sample comprised of 23 of these participants. Results: The study showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.83) and stability over time (r = 0.532, p = 0.009) of the DES-SF. The adjustment indices of the confirmatory factor analysis suggested the unidimensional nature of the scale. A positive association was found between self-efficacy and schooling (r = 0.209, p = 0.020), and self-care behaviours, in particular dietary (r = 0.221, p = 0.023) and physical exercise (r = 0.296, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Reliability and validity of the DES-SF was confirmed, which demonstrates its usefulness in the context of clinical practice or in research studies involving the Portuguese population.
Digital Nudging: Numeric and Semantic Priming in E-Commerce

ABSTRACT Most research on e-commerce has focused on deliberate rational cognition, yet research in psychology and marketing suggests that buying decisions may also be influenced by priming (a form of what Information Systems researchers have called digital nudging). We conducted seven experiments to investigate the impact of two types of priming (numeric priming and semantic priming) delivered through what appeared to be advertisements on an e-commerce website. We found that numeric priming had a small but significant effect on consumers’ willingness to pay when the value of the product was unclear, but had no effect when products displayed a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) or a fixed selling price. Semantic priming had larger effects on willingness to pay and the effects were significant but smaller in the presence of an MSRP. Thus, the combination of numeric and semantic priming has a larger impact on consumers’ willingness to pay. Taken together, these experiments show that some of the research on numeric priming and semantic priming done in offline settings generalizes to e-commerce settings, but there are important boundary conditions to their effects in e-commerce that have not been noted in offline settings. In online auctions (e.g., eBay), sellers can influence customers to pay more for products whose value is unclear by displaying products with clearly labelled high prices alongside the products the consumer searched for. However, such tactics will have only minimal effects for auctions of products whose price is known (e.g., those with an MSRP) and no effects on products with clearly listed prices (e.g., Amazon).
Digital First!

KAN, the new Israeli public service broadcasting corporation, was established in 2015 to replace the declining, 40-year-old, PSB. This unique situation constitutes an intriguing case study for exploring several interrelated academic and professional contemporary interrelated discussions: transforming PSB organisations into public service media and adapting their public mission to the digital age; political pressure on PSM organisations and their struggle for independence; and PSM's legitimacy in a challenging media environment. This paper identifies the strategies employed by KAN to manufacture legitimacy and consolidate the organisation's existence solely via online outlets, and the relation of these strategies to core PSM values.
The G20 Hub of Decentralizing Global Governance Authority

This article examines how the Group of Twenty (G20) became a hub of decentralizing authority in global economic governance since the 2008-09 global financial crisis. It analyzes how this forum responded to the crisis by decentralizing authority away from the Group of Seven/Eight (G7/8) and integrating more diverse actors and networks in global governance. The G20 also became an important hub for diffusing new policy norms and practices. These global crisis effects are linked to international authority shifts since the Cold War. The analytical approach combines, especially, social constructivist tools from the field of International Relations and insights from the sociology of professions literature. This involves analysis of strategic, political, and cognitive dimensions of authority, and a focus on the influence of global governance networks in G20 policy processes and practices. The research includes participant observation, semi-structured interviews and personal discussions with members of such G20 governance networks. The article indicates how the G20’s role as a driver and conduit for shifts in global authority was augmented by the global financial crisis.