Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Gang of Four: Acquaintances, Friends or Foes? Towards an Integrated Perspective on Platform Competition

The economics literature extensively focused on pricing and openness as key strategic choices of platforms in two-sided markets, with the ultimate goal to obtain network effects and win over direct competitors within the boundaries of a single market. We argue that, due to the business model innovations, such as platform envelopment, the platform competition today grows beyond the boundaries of a single market. To theoretically derive the competition implications of these business model innovations, we use the lens of the multi-market contact theory. Our study argues that platform competition unfolds in two distinct, though interdependent stages. At first, platform owners make business model choices aimed at attainment of network effects and enhanced user experience within a single market. At the second stage, platforms expand from their core by enveloping into neighboring platform markets, seeking to further enhance user-experience through cross-platform complementarities. Platform envelopment is likely to coincide or lead to envelopment by the platform firm in the neighboring market; these parallel envelopments lead to convergence of neighboring markets and emergence of supra-platform market, where diverse platform players co-habitate: compete, collaborate and engage in business model innovation.
Loneliness among informal caregivers aged 50 + in Europe

This chapter analyses social exclusion in terms of the association between intensive caregiving and the feeling of loneliness. We examine whether caregivers of older people in need of long term care feel lonelier than persons who do not fulfil this role. We also consider the contextual features that mediate the relationship between care giving and loneliness. Due to rising life expectancy and population aging in Europe, the number of older persons in need of long-term care is rising. Correspondingly, the demand for informal caregivers is also increasing (Colombo 2011). Providing long-term care is “a chronic stressor that places caregivers at risk for physical and emotional problems” (Pinquart & Sörensen 2006: 33). The task is often associated with a reduction in well-being, physical and mental health, and life satisfaction (e.g. George & Gwyther 1986). Caregiving also competes with other time demanding activities and can have a negative impact on the social inclusion of the caregivers (Shiovitz-Ezra & Leitsch 2010). There is currently a shortage in formal care arrangements, such as institutions and nurses, in many countries (Genet 2012). Moreover, the availability of informal caregivers is expected to decline in the future due to reduced family size, rising childlessness, fewer intergenerational households, rising divorce rates, increasing female labour force participation and potentially decreasing willingness to provide informal care (Pinquart & Sörensen 2001). Thus, debates on adequate support policies for informal caregivers are ongoing in many European countries.
The Multifactor Model of the Agent's Power in Social Networks

The analysis of social reasoning is at the core of understanding how to manage social networks. Since interpersonal relations are composed of multiple factors with different nature (i.e., structural and social factors), we explore their influence on the strategizing processes in social networks. We formalize interpersonal relations using the methods of structural and social analysis. As a part of the research, we develop the soft-ware application for the numerical visualization of the social network functioning based on the proposed mechanism.
Looking for Leroy: illegible black masculinities

Preface: Waiting for Leroy ixAcknowledgments xiIntroduction 11 A Foot Deep in the Culture: The Thug Knowledge(s) of A Man Called Hawk 132 "My Passport Says Shawn": Toward a Hip-Hop Cosmopolitanism 353 The Block Is Hot: Legibility and Loci in The Wire 874 R. Kelly's Closet: Shame, Desire, and the Confessions of a (Postmodern) Soul Man 1175 Fear of a Queer Soul Man: The Legacy of Luther Vandross 143Postscript: Looking for Denzel, Finding Barack 169Notes 181Index 197About the Author 207
Loschmidt-amplitude wave function spectroscopy and the physics of dynamically driven phase transitions

We introduce the Loschmidt amplitude as a powerful tool to perform spectroscopy of generic many-body wave functions and use it to interrogate the wave function obtained after ramping the transverse field quantum Ising model through its quantum critical point. Previous results are confirmed and a more complete understanding of the population of defects and of the effects of magnon-magnon interaction or finite-size corrections is obtained. The influence of quantum coherence is clarified.
Evaluating the Deming Management Model of Total Quality in Telecommunication Industry in Pakistan – An Empirical Study

The study investigates the total quality management dimensions, based on Deming Management Model, in telecommunication industry in Pakistan. Questionnaire and semi structured interview were used to collect data from random sample of 400 executives and managers of Cellular Mobile Telephone Operators. Regression analysis indicated that these organizations implement total quality management practices. The findings suggest that an integrated approach is required to implement the total quality management practices in order to realize strategic quality objectives. The study extends the applicability of the Deming Management Model to a new industry and country. Collectively, the results of the research provide more nuanced understanding of issues relating to quality management in developing countries and a framework for enhancing organizational effectiveness.
An Efficient Speckle Noise Reduction Filter in Ultrasound images using Discrete Wavelet Transform based on Adaptive Threshold

Noise is the major problem in the field of image processing. In Medical image such as Ultrasound image are contaminated by different types of noise. The usefulness of US imaging is degraded by the presence of signal dependence noise known as speckle noise. In the presence of such noise it is difficult to diagnosis. To acquire a better performance we state another method that works efficiently to reduce noise an image without blurring the frontiers between different regions. This paper demonstrates wavelet based thresholding technique for de-noising and improving visual image quality in ultrasound images. This proposed method is compared to other existing approach and give superior result that satisfy the human visual quality and also these resulting images are evaluated by the performance parameter Signal to Noise Ratio, The Peak Signal to Noise Ratio and also other image quality measurement criteria. This method gives the better result with comparison to existing the Adaptive filter and Anisotropic Diffusion filter.
PDE's on surfaces---a diffuse interface approach

We introduce a new approach to deal with the numerical solution of partial differential equations on surfaces. Thereby we reformulate the problem on a larger domain in one higher dimension and introduce a diffuse interface region of a phase-field variable, which is defined in the whole domain. The surface of interest is now only implicitly given by the 1/2-level set of this phase-field variable. Formal matched asymptotics show the convergence of the reformulated problem to the original PDE on the surface, as the diffuse interface width shrinks to zero. The main advantage of the approach is the possibility to formulate the problem on a Cartesian grid and to reuse existing algorithms for the PDE, with only minor changes. With adaptive grid refinement the additional computational cost resulting from the higher dimension can be significantly reduced. Examples on linear diffusion and nonlinear phase seperation demonstrate the wide applicability of the method.
Identification and Immunogenicity of African Swine Fever Virus Antigens

African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal haemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs for which there is no vaccine. Strains of the virus with reduced virulence can provide protection against related virulent strains of ASFV, but protection is not 100% and there are concerns about the safety profile of such viruses. However, they provide a useful tool for understanding the immune response to ASFV and previous studies using the low virulent isolate OUR T88/3 have shown that CD8+ cells are crucial for protection. In order to develop a vaccine that stimulates an effective anti-ASFV T-cell response we need to know which of the >150 viral proteins are recognized by the cellular immune response. Therefore, we used a gamma interferon ELIspot assay to screen for viral proteins recognized by lymphocytes from ASF-immune pigs using peptides corresponding to 133 proteins predicted to be encoded by OUR T88/3. Eighteen antigens that were recognized by ASFV-specific lymphocytes were then incorporated into adenovirus and MVA vectors, which were used in immunization and challenge experiments in pigs. We present a systematic characterization of the cellular immune response to this devastating disease and identify proteins capable of inducing ASFV-specific cellular and humoral immune responses in pigs. Pools of viral vectors expressing these genes did not protect animals from severe disease, but did reduce viremia in a proportion of pigs following ASFV challenge.
Quantitative Analysis of Marker-Based Watershed Image Segmentation

A methodology is proposed by combining the application of markers along with watershed transformation and thresholding for image segmentation. Use of the traditional watershed algorithm is widespread because of its advantage of being able to produce a complete division of the image. However, its drawbacks include over-segmentation and noise sensitivity. Therefore, the marker-based watershed segmentation is proposed here to overcome these effects. First, the original image is preprocessed by filtering techniques in order to smoothen it. Secondly, the foreground objects are marked. Then, the background markers are computed. Finally, the marked image is transformed through watershed transformation. The area is computed for the segmented objects in the image. It has been proved that this method reduces the error percentage.
Uncertainty analysis for evaluating the accuracy of snow depth measurements

Abstract. A methodology for quantifying the accuracy of snow depth measurement are demonstrated in this study by using the equation of error propagation for the same type sensors and by compariong autimatic measurement with manual observation. Snow depth was measured at the Centre for Atmospheric Research Experiments (CARE) site of the Environment Canada (EC) during the 2013–2014 winter experiment. The snow depth measurement system at the CARE site was comprised of three bases. Three ultrasonic and one laser snow depth sensors and twelve snow stakes were placed on each base. Data from snow depth sensors are quality-controlled by range check and step test to eliminate erroneous data such as outliers and discontinuities. In comparison with manual observations, bias errors were calculated to show the spatial distribution of snow depth by considering snow depth measured from four snow stakes located on the easternmost side of the site as reference. The bias error of snow stakes on the west side of the site was largest. The uncertainty of all pairs of stakes and the average uncertainty for each base were 1.81 and 1.52 cm, respectively. The bias error and normalized bias removed root mean square error (NBRRMSE) for each snow depth sensor were calculated to quantify the systematic error and random error in comparison of snow depth sensors with manual observations that share the same snow depth target. The snow depth sensors on base 12A (11A) measured snow depth larger (less) than manual observation up to 10.8 cm (5.21 cm), and the NBRRMSEs ranged from 5.10 to 16.5%. Finally, the instrumental uncertainties of each snow depth sensor were calculated by comparing three sensors of the same type installed at the different bases. The instrumental uncertainties ranged from 0.62 to 3.08 cm.
Changes in the benthic algal community and nutrient limitation in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, during the invasion of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)

We conducted a series of nutrient manipulation experiments over the first 5 y of Dreissena colonization in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, to evaluate benthic algal nutrient limitation and community composition. We placed nutrient-diffusing substrata in the littoral zone of the Bay during 1991 (early Dreissena colonization) and from 1992 to 1995 (post-Dreissena colonization). The treatments consisted of P, N, and P+N additions, and a control. Chlorophyll a decreased through time from 1992 to 1995. Phosphorus limited biovolume only in 1994. Treatments with P additions had significantly more chlorophyll a than the controls each year after 1992. This result was consistent with an observed decrease in dissolved P throughout the study. Nitrogen additions had no significant effect throughout the 5-y period. Major shifts in species composition did not result from nutrient additions but rather seemed to be consistent with changes in light penetration and Dreissena herbivory. Our data demonstrated that the pre-Dreissena benthic algal community was dominated by tychoplanktonic diatoms (i.e., Aulacoseira granulata and Tabellaria fenestrata), which would be susceptible to filter-feeding Dreissena. Early post-invasion conditions were marked by an increase in light penetration, and benthic algae were dominated by filamentous green algae (mostly Spirogyra sp.). Late post-invasion conditions were marked by a reduction of light caused by planktonic blooms of Microcystis sp. , which were resistant to zebra mussel herbivory. The benthic algal dominance shifted to periphytic diatoms (i.e., Gomphonema clevei), which were also resistant to zebra mussel filter-feeding. A new equilibrium may be developing where Dreissena herbivory limits tychoplanktonic diatoms, which promotes Microcystis bloom, which in turn limits Dreissena filtering rates.
FUZZY PARAMETRIC SAMPLE SELECTION MODELS OF MARRIED WOMEN FOR NON-PARTICIPATION BY MLE : CASE STUDY THE MPFS-1994

Models with sample-selection biases are widely used in various fields of economics such as labour economics (see Maddala, Amemiya, and Mroz). The models are usually estimated by Heckman's two-step estimator. However, Heckman's two-step estimator often performs poorly (see Wales and Woodland, Nelson, Paarsch, and Nawata). The data used in this study originated from the survey was conducted by the National Population and Family Development Board of Malaysia under the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development of Malaysia, called the Malaysian Population and Family Survey 1994 (MPFS, 1994). The survey was conducted through a questionnaire, were randomly and specifically for married women. The data set focus on married women which provides information on wages, educational attainment, household composition and other socioeconomic characteristic. The Original sample data based on Mroz (1987), there are 4444 records married women. It is necessary to use the maximum likelihood method to estimate the models in such cases. For solving uncertainty data of a parametric sample selection model, in this paper needs to consider the models estimation using fuzzy modeling approach, called Fuzzy Parametric Sample Selection Model (FPSSM). Fuzzy Parametric sample selection model (FPSSM) is builds as a hybrid to the conventional parametric sample selection model. Finally, the result showed, FPSSM by Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) estimates of the mean, Standard Deviation (SD).
Behavioral profiling in CCTV cameras by combining multiple subtle suspicious observations of different surveillance operators

Camera surveillance and recognition of deviant behavior is important for the prevention of criminal incidents. A single observation of subtle deviant behavior of an individual may sometimes be insufficient to merit a follow-up action. Therefore, we propose a method that can combine multiple weak observations to make a strong indication that an intervention is required. We analyze the effectiveness of combining multiple observations/tags of different operators, the effects of the tagging instruction these operators received (many tags for weak signals or few tags for strong signals), and the performance of using a semi-automatic system for combining the different observations. The results show that the method can be used to increase hits (detecting criminals) whilst reducing false alarms (bothering innocent passers-by).
A rapid, label-free, and quantitative method for characterizing binding properties of RNA aptamers

Aptamers are nucleic acid sequences that are capable of binding molecular ligands with high affinities and provide important functional components for construction of synthetic genetic devices. RNA aptamers are typically generated de novo through iterative in vitro selection strategies to isolate sequences that bind small molecule ligands with high affinities and specificities from large nucleic acid libraries. Small molecule RNA aptamers have traditionally been characterized through isocratic elution and equilibrium filtration methods. However, these methods require labeling of molecules, thereby limiting their general applicability to characterize many RNA-small molecule pairs. Newer methods based on isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) offer the potential of providing a label-free aptamer characterization strategy, but the requirement of large quantities of homogenous RNA makes the ITC-based method difficult to scale for the characterization of many RNA-ligand pairs. Here, we describe a rapid, label-free, and flexible aptamer characterization strategy based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR). We utilized a sensor surface modified with a DNA linker to capture the RNA aptamer that contains a complementary sequence to the DNA linker through hybridization. The small molecule ligand in free solution is injected over the RNA-hybridized surface to monitor binding interactions in real time. The rate of SPR signal change is fit to mathematical models to obtain associated thermodynamic and kinetic parameters. We validated the SPR-based method on several previously characterized RNA aptamers. Our SPR-based strategy requires little sample consumption and can be quickly tailored to qualitatively screen or quantitatively characterize many small molecule-RNA pairs.
The impact of salicylic acid on some physiological responses of Artemisia aucheri Boiss. under in vitro drought stress

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important plant regulator which is involved in growth, development, and response to stress. This study was aimed to evaluate some physiological and biochemical responses of Artemisia aucheri Boiss. under drought stress after exogenous SA treatment. Experiment was performed in vitro . Polyethylene glycol (PEG/6000) with 0, 2 and 4 % (w/v) was used in MS medium to simulate drought stress and different concentrations of SA (0, 0.01 and 0.1mM) were added. After four weeks, SA alleviated the negative effects of PEG on dry and fresh mass as well as chlorophyll and carotenoid contents. Under drought stress, application of SA decreased storage polysaccharides and increased soluble carbohydrates respectively. Although PEG had no significant effect on flavonoid content, it increased significantly anthocyanin and total phenol content, total antioxidant capacity, PAL (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) and TAL (tyrosine ammonia-lyase) activity and SA treatment improved these parameters significantly. According to the current data, it was concluded that SA increased drought tolerance of Artemisia aucheri by increasing biosynthesis of phenolic compounds, improvement of TAL and PAL activity as well as also by increased content of soluble carbohydrates.
The luminosity of supernovae of type Ia from tip of the red-giant branch distances and the value of H0

Distances from the tip of the red-giant branch (TRGB) in the halo Population of galaxies - calibrated through RR Lyr stars as well as tied to Hipparcos parallaxes and further supported by stellar models - are used to determine the luminosity of six nearby type Ia supernovae (SN 2011fe, 2007sr, 1998bu, 1989B, 1972E, and 1937C). The result is M_V^corr = -19.41 +/- 0.05. If this value is applied to 62 SNe Ia with 3000< v < 20,000 km/s a large-scale value of the Hubble constant follows of H_0 = 64.0 +/- 1.6 +/- 2.0. The SN HST Project gave H_0 = 62.3 +/- 1.3 +/- 5.0 from ten Cepheid-calibrated SNe Ia (Sandage et al. 2006). The agreement of young Population I (Cepheids) and old, metal-poor Population II (TRGB) distance indicators is satisfactory. The combined weighted result is H_0 = 63.7 +/- 2.3 (i.e. +/-3.6%). The result can also be reconciled with WMAP5 data (Reid et al. 2010).
Comparison of SRTM and ASTER Derived Digital Elevation Models of Inaouene River Watershed (North, Morocco)—Arc Hydro Modeling

The purpose of this research is to define initial parameters of Inaouene river and its catchment areas using radar data and satellite data. The Inaouene river is situated at the east of Sebou basin in North-East of Morocco. The study has been done by two dataset: 1) Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) at a horizontal spatial resolution of 90 meters, and 2) ASTER (Advanced Spaceborn Thermal Emissionand and Reflection Radiometer) of GDEM version 2 at a horizontal spatial resolution of 30 meters, using ArcHydro model. Several raster and vector products of the Inaouene river and its catchment area have been defined at the end of the model. Moreover, final results of the ArcHydro model were compared with each other and with the reality. The result of this study can be used in baseline and advanced hydrology and geomorphology research on the catchment area. Besides of that, the result can define a spatial boundary of study on Inaouene River and its catchment area. Moreover, it would have support for decision-making on ground and surface water resource, distribution and management.
Mineral isograds and metamorphic zones of the Anglesey blueschist belt, UK: implications for the metamorphic development of a Neoproterozoic subduction–accretion complex

The 560–550 Ma blueschists and associated rocks in Anglesey, UK were derived from a subduction–accretion complex. The blueschist unit is divided into three mineral zones by two newly mapped metamorphic isograds; zone I sub‐greenschist facies, (crossite isograd), zone II blueschist facies, (barroisite isograd), zone III epidote‐amphibolite facies. The zones and isograds dip gently to the east, and decrease in metamorphic grade from the central high‐pressure zone III to lower grade zones II and I to the west and east. The P–T conditions estimated from zoned amphibole indicate an anticlockwise P–T path following adjustment to a cold geotherm. This path is well preserved in the compositional zoning of Na–Ca amphibole that have a core of barroisite surrounded by a rim of crossite, although this is only locally developed. The sense of subduction was to the east and exhumation to the west, as indicated by the metamorphic isograds. The symmetrical arrangement of the metamorphic zones with the deepest high‐pressure rocks in the middle suggests an isoclinal antiformal structure that formed by wedge extrusion during exhumation in the subduction zone.