Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Online Community Membership and Social Impact Theory: How Does Distance Influence Persuasion, Cooperation, and Perception?

Social Impact Theory, developed in the 1980s by Bibb Latane, proposes, among other things, that the quality of relationships generally decreases over distance. Much past research regarding SIT has specifically tested behaviors and perceptions related to persuasion and cooperation. This research builds off of past research to test these behaviors and perceptions over two different distance conditions: a task partner located 50 miles away from a participant and a task partner located 5000 miles away from a participant. This research adds an additional condition: self-identification as a member of an online community. Participants originally responded to a survey asking about online community membership, and then went on to complete a series of online tasks with a task partner at one of the two distances. Half of the task participants (n = 32) were members of online communities, and most of the survey responders involved in online communities used Facebook as their primary platform for interactions. The other half (n = 32) of task participants were not members of online communities. It was hypothesized, based on the carryover effect, that online community members would be less likely to be affected by distance than participants who were not members of online communities. Most of the results were inconclusive, though trends indicate that distance did not seem to have played a very strong role. However, there were some conclusive results regarding the self-identification condition: online community members were likelier than non-online community members to be cooperative and to perceive their task partner as cooperative, regardless of distance. This may be explained in part by the carryover effect or perhaps Social Identity Theory processes. Recommendations are based on the trends visible in the results and the conclusive results: remote work-based employers ought to consider whether they facilitate development of an online community among their employees and whether their choice of platform is beneficial. Future research should continue along this vein, but with larger sample sizes. keywords: Social Impact Theory (SIT), online communities, cooperation, persuasion, perception, Actor-Network-Theory (ANT), carryover effect
Contraction Function of the Left Ventricle in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Comparison of Delayed Enhanced MR imaging and indine -123- metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) scintigram

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare delayed enhancement (DE) cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with the indine123-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) scintigram for measurement of left ventricular (LV) contraction function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Materials and methods: DCM patients (n=29: mean age,51.9years; seven women) were evaluated by both DE cardiac MR imaging and 123IMIBG scintigram. In all patients biopsy specimen showed disarray of the myocardium that was consistent with DCM. DE cardiac MR images were acquired using a two-dimensional segmented inversion-recovery prepared gradient-echo sequence (TI=250msec) 15minutes after intravenous administration of 0.1 mmol/kg gadolinium. The average CNR per slice (aCNR) for the LV myocardium was calculated. 123I-MIBG scintigram was acquired at 15minutes and 3 hours (delayed imaging) after intravenous administration of 123I-MIBG (111MBq). The heart-to-mediastinum radioactivity ratio (H/M ratio) and washout rate (WR) was calculated. We evaluated the relationships between aCNR, WR, delayed H/M ratio, and the contraction function of the LV. Results: In MR imaging, mean aCNR was significantly higher in the low LV ejection fraction (LVEF<25%) group (n=11, 6.6±3.6) than in the high LVEF ( 25%) group (n=18, 2.4±2.9). However, with the 123I-MIBG scintigram, delayed H/M and WR were not significantly different between high (delayed H/M ratio ; 1.7±0.3, WR; 37.6±14.5) and low (delayed H/M ratio; 1.7±0.2, WR; 38.2±14.2) LVEF groups. Conclusions: DE MR imaging reflects the contraction function of the LV in patients with DCM, which may be related with myocardial fibrosis. DE MR imaging may be more useful to evaluate the contraction function of LV than 123I-MIBG scintigram. ACTA MEDICA NAGASAKIENSIA 54: 1－7, 2009
HI observations of blue compact galaxies from the first and second Byurakan surveys

We present the results of a neutral hydrogen survey of 79 galaxies from a statistical sample of 88 Blue Compact Galaxies (BCGs) selected from the First and Second Byurakan objective prism surveys to have a HII region-like spectrum, an equivalent width of the (O III) 5007 line larger than 50 A, and a veloc- ity 6000 km s 1 . The detection rate for the statisti- cal sample is 74%. HI masses range between 4 10 7 M and 5 10 9 M with the HI mass distribution peaking at 31 0 8 M. The full width at half-maximum of the HI pro- le varies between 30 km s 1 and 160 km s 1 , with a mean of 92 km s 1 . These small widths are character- istic of dwarf galaxies. For comparison, we have also ob- served an additional 92 BCGs with weaker star formation and/or larger distances, and/or interesting astrophysical properties. These in general have larger widths and HI masses.
Implementation and Evaluation of VXLAN Gateway-based Data Center Network Virtualization

To achieve platform-independent network virtualization among multiple service infrastructures in service providers’ data centers, we propose hardware gateway-based data center network virtualization architecture where we place a gateway on each service infrastructure and inter-connect them using overlay network virtualization. By considering a type of VXLAN gateway for this architecture, integration method with server virtualization environment and management mechanism for virtual network among service infrastructures, we propose the implementation method of our proposed architecture. We evaluated and confirmed feasibility of the proposed architecture based on our prototype. We also confirmed that the proposed architecture does not have any performance issue on our network throughput measurement evaluation.
Composition of root exudates of Miscanthus × Giganteus Greef et Deu

HROMADKO, L. , VRANOVA, V. , TECHER, D. , LAVAL-GILLY, P., REJSEK, K. , FORMANEK, P., FALLA, J.: Composition of root exudates of Miscanthus × Giganteus Greef et Deu. Acta univ. agric. et silvic. Mendel. Brun. , 2010, LVIII, No. 1, pp. 71–76 Rate of root exudation and identifi cation of selected compounds in root exudates of Miscanthus × Giganteus in the autumnal period of growth was performed. Total organic carbon of root exudates was formed from 7.8 % by carbohydrates and from 1.5 % by proteins. Aspartic acid, arginine, alanine and glutamic acid were exuded with the highest rate of all amino acids. This work brings new basic knowled ge which can be used for phytoremediations. root exudates, Miscanthus × Giganteus, proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, carbon, phytoremediation
Document Design for Learning English Pronunciation The Swan-song of Gutenberg?

One of the difficulties in English teaching lies in the correct use of primary and secondary lexical accents. French learners of English encounter particular difficulties in perceiving the stressed syllables and more particularly in encoding information on stress which is rarely necessary in French. They consequently have difficulties in producing primary and secondary accents when they speak. As the source of the problem seems related to attention, the dual coding of information on the word using sound and visual annotations is a potential solution. SWANS is an authoring system which enables the semi-automatic generation of multimedia documents in which accents are marked visually and sound is synchronized. This article presents SWANS, the hypotheses that underlie its development and the empirical evaluation of a model.
Computer Simulation-Based Designs for Industrial Engineering Experiments

Computer simulations have been receiving a lot of attention in industrial engineering as the rapid growth in computer power and numerical techniques. In contrast to physical experiments which are usually carried out in factories, laboratories or fields, computer simulations can save considerable time and cost. From the statistical perspective, the current research work about computer simulations is mostly focusing on modeling the relationship between the output variable from the simulator and the input variables set by the experimenter. However, an experimental design with careful selection of the values of the input variables can significantly affect the quality of the statistical model. Specifically, prediction on the edge area of the experimental domain, which is extremely critical for an industrial engineering experiment often suffers from inadequate data information because the design points usually do not well cover the edge area of the experimental domain. To address this issue, a new type of design, called semi-LHD is proposed in this paper. Such a design type has the following appealing properties: (1) it encompasses a Latin hypercube design as a sub-design so that the design points are uniformly scattered over the interior of the design region; and (2) it possesses some extra marginal design points which are close to the edge so that the prediction accuracy on the edge area of the experimental domain is fully taken into account. Detailed algorithms for finding the marginal design points and how to construct the proposed semi-LHDs are given. Numerical comparisons between the proposed semi-LHDs with the commonly-used Latin hypercube designs, in terms of prediction accuracy, are illustrated through simulation studies. It turns out that the proposed semi-LHDs yield desirable prediction accuracy not only in the interior but also on the edge area of the experimental domain, so they are recommended as the experimental designs for simulation-based industrial engineering experiments.
Ferroelectric Properties of Nanoscale PbTiO3 Films by Hydrothermal Method

Lead (II) nitride (Pb(NO3)2), titanium dioxide (TiO2) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) were used as starting materials. Lead titanate powder was formed by hydrothermal method at 150 C for 6h. The calcuim fluoride (CaF2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) were separately adapted as intermediate layer on p-Si (100) substrate. Lead titanate thin film was formed onto CaF2/Si and TiO2/Si substrates by spin processor. 100kHz C-V characteristics of PbTiO3 films were measured by impedance analyzer (LCR meter). Polarization-electric field (P-E) characteristics were measured for both MFIS (Metal/ Ferroelectric/ Insulator/ Semiconductor) structures by applying the same triangular wave electric field in order to allow their application in NVFRAM (Non Volatile Ferroelectric Random Access Memory). Keywords— hydrothermal synthesis, intermediate layer, CaF2/Si, TiO2/Si, hysteresis loop
An optimal error bound for a finite element approximation of a model for phase separation of a multi-component alloy with non-smooth free energy

Using the approach in (5) for analysing time discretization error and assuming more reg- ularity on the initial data, we improve on the error bound derived in (2) for a fully practical piecewise linear nite element approximation with a backward Euler time discretization of a model for phase separation of a multi-component alloy with non-smooth free energy. AMS Subject Classication. 65M60, 65M15, 35K55, 35K35.
nhibition of Hedgehog signaling pathway impedes cancer cell roliferation by promotion of autophagy

Multiple lines of evidence implicate that aberrant activation of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is involved in a variety of human cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying how cancer cells respond to Hh inhibition remain to be elucidated. In this study, we found that blockade of Hh signaling suppresses cell proliferation in human cancer cells. Microarray analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in human cancer cells are enriched in autophagy pathway in response to the inhibition of Hh edgehog signaling ranscription factor Gli
Commodity currencies and commodity prices : an empirical analysis of the relationship between commodity currency exchange rates and commodity prices

It is a well-documented fact that changes in exchange rates are very difficult to explain using macroeconomic fundamentals such as, money supply, real income, interest rate, trade balance and bond supply. Forecasting models based on macroeconomic variables, tend to do no better than a random walk model in out-of-sample exercises. This phenomenon is known as the Meese and Rogoff puzzle. We re-examine this puzzle by employing commodity prices as an alternative variable. We find that changes in commodity prices have power in explaining fluctuations in commodity currency exchange rates both in-sample and out-of-sample. This relationship is linear in nature and strongest at the daily frequency. The relationship is present for all four studied economies and does not weaken when the GBP is used instead of USD as a base currency. The observed relationship is also robust to using either the recursive or rolling estimation scheme. We also find that controlling for asymmetries in changes in commodity prices does not lead to any significant improvements in the performance of the commodity driven exchange rate model. The observed relationship, however, disappears when the lagged commodity price change is used as the predictor instead of the realized change.
Human Capital, Consumption, and Housing Wealth in Transition

This paper focuses on human capital and housing in Slovakia during the economic reforms of the last two decades. We compare households that entered the labour market before and after the economic reforms in 1990. On the one hand, we study the returns to education in different labour market cohorts using household consumption surveys. On the other hand, we analyse the determinants of housing wealth and its impact on consumption. We show that old cohorts are characterised by lower returns to human capital and consumption levels, but higher housing wealth. Thus, we do not identify a clear pattern of winners and losers from transition.
Affective Design In Technical Communication 2005

Traditional human-computer interaction (HCI) is based on ‘cold’ models of user cognition; that is, models of users as purely rational beings based on the information processing metaphor; however, an emerging perspective suggests that for the field of HCI to mature, its practitioners must adopt models of users that consider broader human needs and capabilities. Affective design is an umbrella term for research and practice being conducted in diverse domains, all with the common thread of integrating emotional aspects of use into the creation of information products. This thesis provides a review of the current state of the art in affective design research and practice to technical communicators and others involved in traditional HCI and usability enterprises. This paper is motivated by the developing technologies and the growing complexity of interaction that demand a more robust notion of HCI that incorporates affect in an augmented and holistic representation of the user and situated use.
The Economics of Outsourcing in a De-integrating Industry

Many large firms in low scale economy industries are actively considering outsourcing options, in the face of competition from smaller more efficient players. Based on a review of the theoretical literature and a case-study of outsourcing decisions at two large vertically integrated footwear manufacturers in Pakistan, a framework is developed for determining which set of products and activities to outsource and which to keep in-house. The framework suggests activities being considered for outsourcing be evaluated in terms of level of proprietary knowledge, economies of scale, inefficiencies of vertical integration, transactional costs, and the existence of reliable vendors. It is suggested that activities with low levels of proprietary knowledge and activities where cost savings due to outsourcing justify the increased transaction costs, should be outsourced.
Machines and Machinists: Capital-Skill Complementarity from an International Trade Perspective

We estimate the effect of imported machines on the wages of machine operators utilizing Hungarian linked employer-employee data. We infer exposure to imported machines from detailed trade statistics of the firm and the occupation description of the worker. We find that workers exposed to imported machines earn about 8 percent higher wages than other machine operators at the same firm. When we proxy for unobserved worker characteristics, we find a significant 3 percent wage premium, suggesting that the relationship is causal. The return to schooling is also higher on imported machines. We build a simple matching model consistent with these findings. Our findings suggest that machine imports can be an important channel through which skill-biased technical change reaches less developed and emerging economies.
Star formation histories, extinction, and dust properties of strongly lensed z ~ 1.5-3 star-forming galaxies from the Herschel Lensing Survey.

Context. Multi-wavelength, optical to IR/submm observations of strongly lensed galaxies identified by the Herschel Lensing Survey are used to determine the physical properties of high-redshift star-forming galaxies close to or below the detection limits of blank fields. Aims: We aim to constrain theIR stellar and dust content, and to determine star formation rates and histories, dust attenuation and extinction laws, and other related properties. Methods: We studied a sample of seven galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts z ~ 1.5-3 that have been detected with precision thanks to gravitational lensing, and whose spectral energy distribution (SED) has been determined from the rest-frame UV to the IR/mm domain. For comparison, our sample includes two previously well-studied lensed galaxies, MS1512-cB58 and the Cosmic Eye, for which we also provide updated Herschel measurements. We performed SED fits of the full photometry of each object, and of the optical and infrared parts separately, exploring various star formation histories, using different extinction laws, and exploring the effects of nebular emission. The IR luminosity, in particular, is predicted consistently from the stellar population model. The IR observations and emission line measurements, where available, are used as a posteriori constraints on the models. We also explored energy conserving models, that we created by using the observed IR/UV ratio to estimate the extinction. Results: Among the models we have tested, models with exponentially declining star-forming histories including nebular emission and assuming the Calzetti attenuation law best fit most of the observables. Models assuming constant or rising star formation histories predict in most cases too much IR luminosity. The SMC extinction law underpredicts the IR luminosity in most cases, except for two out of seven galaxies, where we cannot distinguish between different extinction laws. Our sample has a median lensing-corrected IR luminosity ~3 × 1011L⊙, stellar masses between 2 × 109M⊙ and 2 × 1011M⊙, and IR/UV luminosity ratios spanning a wide range. The dust masses of our galaxies are in the range [2-17] × 107M⊙, extending previous studies at the same redshift down to lower masses. We do not find any particular trend of the dust temperature Tdust with LIR, suggesting an overall warmer dust regime at our redshift regardless of IR luminosity. Conclusions: Gravitational lensing enables us to study the detailed physical properties of individual IR-detected z ~ 1.5-3 galaxies up to a factor of ~10 fainter than achieved with deep blank field observations. We have in particular demonstrated that multi-wavelength observations combining stellar and dust emission can constrain star formation histories and extinction laws of star-forming galaxies, as proposed in an earlier paper. Fixing the extinction based on the IR/UV observations successfully breaks the age-extinction degeneracy often encountered in obscured galaxies. Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda. org
Demographics and Usage Profiles of Users of College Sport Message Boards

Internet-based sport communication mediums represent a crucial area of scholarly inquiry for the field. The continuing growth in popularity of blogs, message boards, and other Internet-specific types of sport communication presents sport communication scholars with a plethora of avenues for research. This commentary examines one such avenue, through a survey administered to users on 14 college sport message boards. Survey results indicated that message-board users were primarily male (87.8%) and White (90.8%) and possessed at least an undergraduate degree (76.0%). In addition, 42.2% of users reported a household income of $100,000 or more per year. The analysis of the resulting demographic and usage data highlights some of the key aspects of this sample of users, including information relating to race, gender, income, education level, and salience of message-board use by both subscribers and nonsubscribers. These and other factors are presented as potential areas of future scholarly inquiry for sport comm.
Interpersonal Trust and Mutually Beneficial Exchanges: Measuring Social Capital for Comparative Analyses

There are at least two significantly different approaches to the concep- tualisation of social capital. Advocates of the most influential stream define so- cial capital primarily as an attribute of societies, as an innate characteristic of the social environment based on the high degree of interpersonal and institutional trust facilitating people's co-operation. Adherents of the other stream define so- cial capital in terms of mutually beneficial exchanges based on social connec- tions and informal networks allowing individuals to achieve their own particular goals. The former approach prevails in 'western' countries, while the latter one prevails in the study of social change in post-communist societies where social capital drawing from interpersonal trust seems to be rather low. The aim of this article is to contribute to the conceptualisation and measurement of social capi- tal, with a special emphasis on its role in post-communist societies. The authors attempt to develop a measurement model for the two distinct dimensions of so- cial capital mentioned above. The measurement model for the two dimensions of social capital is developed and tested by confirmatory factor analysis. The au- thors proceed by testing the hypothesis that social capital defined as trust is on- ly weakly linked to social stratification, while social capital defined as a person's involvement in mutually beneficial exchanges shows significant variation be- tween groups defined by relevant stratification variables. The analysis was per- formed on the data from the Social Networks survey carried out in the Czech Re- public in 2001 under the International Social Survey Programme.