Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mobile Banking as Business Strategy: Impact of Mobile Technologies on Customer Behaviour and Its Implications for Banks

Mobile commerce is gaining increasing acceptance amongst various sections of the society. This growth can be partly traced back to technological and demographical developments that have been influencing important aspects of the socio-cultural behaviour in today's world. The need for mobility seems to be the driving force behind mobile commerce in general. Mobile banking, availment of bank-related financial services via mobile devices, builds a cornerstone of mobile commerce. An empirical survey of customer acceptance conducted within the frame of our research clearly reveals a major, growing interest in mobile banking. However, since the degree of interest and the willingness to pay vary for individual services, it seems to be necessary to design specific services taking the needs and wishes of relevant target groups into consideration. Banks ought to therefore employ mobile channels with a clear business-focus. This paper examines the opportunities for banks to generate revenues by offering value-added, innovative mobile financial services while retaining and even extending their base of technology-savvy customers
The evolution of the topology of high-voltage electricity networks

The electricity network represents an example of an evolving complex system. The first local networks contained only a few nodes, but within several decades, they have evolved into a highly connected continental system. The growth of these networks was influenced by various factors such as economic, demographic, political and technological developments. In this paper, we analyse the growth of the French 400 kV electricity transmission network from its establishment in 1960 until the year 2000. We study the different topological characteristics that describe the intensity of the growth process, such as the number of nodes, the number of lines, the average node connectivity and the overall length of wires. We compare these results with several economic and demographic indicators in order to identify the factors which correlate with the growth rate of the electricity network. Apart from this, we evaluate how the topological efficiency and vulnerability measures (clustering coefficient, information centrality, betweenness centrality) evolve in the course of time. The decisions regarding the power grid topology are influenced by many, very often contradictory factors, such as costs, the size of the covered area, demand, fault tolerance, reliability and quality of service. Our results yield a deeper insight into the process of Critical Infrastructure (CI) construction.
Multiple control levels of root system remodeling in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

In nature, the root systems of most plants develop intimate symbioses with glomeromycotan fungi that assist in the acquisition of mineral nutrients and water through uptake from the soil and direct delivery into the root cortex. Root systems are endowed with a strong, environment-responsive architectural plasticity that also manifests itself during the establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbioses, predominantly in lateral root proliferation. In this review, we collect evidence for the idea that AM-induced root system remodeling is regulated at several levels: by AM fungal signaling molecules and by changes in plant nutrient status and distribution within the root system.
A New Approach For Developing Testing Effort Dependent Software Reliability Growth Models

Several software reliability growth models have been presented in the literature in the last three decades. They have been developed for uniform and non-uniform operational profile. Some of them are flexible whereas others are not. Model selection becomes an uphill task. Of late, some authors have tried to develop a unifying approach so as to capture different growth curves, thus easing the model selection process. The work in this area done so far relates the fault removal process to the testing / execution time and does not consider the consumption pattern of resources such as computer time, manpower and number of executed test cases etc. More realistic Unifying techniques can result if the reliability growth process is studied with respect the amount of expended testing efforts. In this paper, we propose a generalized framework for deriving several existing as well as new testing effort dependent software reliability growth models with the possibility of imperfect debugging and error generation. The proposed modeling technique is based on the assumption that fault removal/correction is immediate to failure observation and can be extended for the case when there is a clear differentiation between failure observation/detection and fault removal/correction processes. We have also provided a data analysis based on the actual software failure data sets for some of the models discussed and proposed in the paper.
Hypothermia in Uremic Dogs and Cats

Background The prevalence of uremic hypothermia (UH) and the effects of improving uremia on body temperature have not been determined in veterinary patients. Objectives To determine the prevalence of UH and correlations between uremia and body temperature in patients undergoing intermittent hemodialysis (IHD). Animals Uremic dogs (n = 122) and cats (n = 79) treated by IHD at the Bobst Hospital of the Animal Medical Center from 1997 to 2013. Methods Retrospective review of medical records. Results The prevalence of hypothermia was 38% in azotemic cats and 20.5% in azotemic dogs. Statistically significant temperature differences were observed between uremic and nonuremic dogs (nonuremic: mean, 100.8°F; range, 91.2–109.5°F; uremic: mean, 99.9°F; range, 95.6–103.8°F; P < .0001) and cats (nonuremic: mean, 100.6°F; range, 94.0–103.8°F; uremic: mean, 99.3°F; range, 92.3–103.4°F; P < .0001). In dog dialysis patients, significant models included (1) timing (pre‐dialysis versus post‐dialysis) with weight class (small [P < .0001], medium [P = .016], and large breed [P = .033] dogs), (2) timing with serum creatinine concentration (P = .021), and (3) timing with BUN concentration (P < .0001). In cat dialysis patients, there was a significant interaction between timing and weight as a categorical variable (<5 kg and ≥5 kg). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Uremic hypothermia appears to be a clinical phenomenon that occurs in cats and dogs. Uremic patients are hypothermic compared to ill nonuremic patients and body temperatures increase when uremia is corrected with IHD in dogs and in cats >5 kg. In cats, UH seems to be a more prevalent phenomenon driven by uremia. Uremic hypothermia does occur in dogs, but body weight is a more important predictor of body temperature.
Unified Querying of Ontology Languages with the SIRUP Ontology Query API

Ontology languages to represent ontologies exist in large numbers, and users who want to access or reuse ontologies can often be confronted with a language they do not know. Therefore, due to their great number, ontology languages are nowadays themselves a source of heterogeneity. In this paper, we present the SIRUP Ontology Query API (SOQA) that was developed for the SIRUP approach to semantic data integration [ZD04b]. SOQA is an ontology languageand platform-independent API for query access to ontological metadata and data that can be represented in a variety of ontology languages. Based on SOQA, we provide SOQA-QL, an SQL-like query language that supports declarative queries against ontological metadata and data, and the SOQA Browser, a tool to graphically inspect all ontology information that can be accessed through SOQA.
A lowcomplexity subspace based decoding algorithm for real BCH DFT codes

Decoding of real BCH DFT (RBDFT) codes is considered in this paper. RBDFT codes find applications in several areas. Though the generator matrix of RBDFT codes is real, the parity check matrix is still complex, because of which complex arithmetic operations are necessary at the decoder. But for a real message vector, the syndromes of RBDFT code preserve Hermitian symmetry. This Hermitian symmetric structure is exploited and a new alternative subspace based formulation is proposed in this paper. The performance of the proposed formulation is identical to the current state-of-art RBDFT decoding algorithm, while it requires only real arithmetic operations. Simulation results are provided which demonstrates the reduction in the decoding complexity with no degradation in the performance.
ZoomPointing revisited: supporting mixed-resolution gesturing on interactive surfaces

In this work, we explore the design of multi-resolution input on multi-touch devices. We devised a refined zooming technique named Offset, where the target is set at a location offset from the non-dominant hand while the dominant hand controls the direction and magnitude of the expansion. Additionally, we explored the use of non-persistent transformations of the view in our design. A think-aloud study that compared our design to a bimanual widget interaction and the classic pinch-based interaction with a freeform drawing task suggests that Offset offers benefits in terms of performance and degree of control. As well, for the drawing tasks, the transient nature of view transformations appears to impact not only performance, but workflow, focus of interaction, and subjective quality of results by providing a constant overview of the user's task.
A preliminary analysis of various testing techniques in Agile development - a systematic literature review

There are numerous software development and testing methods, tools and techniques have emerged over the past few decades with the main objective are to enhance the software quality. In Small and Medium size Enterprises (SME's), Agile methods have been gaining acceptance but quality of the product it produced is remains as the major concern because the tesing methods and standards are not improved. In Agile development process, though there are many testing techniques are exists, SME's cannot afford to follow the traditional methods of testing process, because of high cost and it is a time consuming process. In this research paper, only the issues surfaced in Regression Testing and Automated Testing are analysed and proposed that exploratory testing (ET) methods either can be used as an alternative or can be integrate along with the existing testing methods. However, there is not enough research work is conducted on Exploratory testing and emphasized the importance to focus more research work to be carried out in ET.
Endocytic pathways in polarized Caco-2 cells: identification of an endosomal compartment accessible from both apical and basolateral surfaces

The enterocyte-like cell line Caco-2 forms a polarized epithelium when grown on filters. We have investigated the interaction of endocytic pathways from the apical and basolateral surfaces. The transferrin receptor was an appropriate marker for the basolateral route; uptake of radiolabeled transferrin was highly polarized, and recycling of this ligand back to the basolateral surface occurred with an efficiency of 95%, even after prolonged incubations with transferrin. Using a transferrin-peroxidase conjugate to delineate the morphological pathway, we have identified an early endocytic compartment in the basolateral cytoplasm of the cells. Longer incubations revealed a deeper endocytic compartment in the apical cytoplasm. Concanavalin A complexed to gold was used to simultaneously label the apical endocytic route. After 60 min, extensive mixing of the two labels was seen in endocytic elements throughout the apical cytoplasm, including in the Golgi area, but never in the basal cytoplasm. Using a second double labeling procedure in which antitransferrin receptor antibody complexed to gold was applied to the basolateral surface for up to 2 h and free peroxidase applied to the apical surface for shorter periods, we demonstrated that this apical marker rapidly (within 5 min) reached endosomes containing antibody-gold. Our results indicate that, in Caco- 2 cells, the endocytic pathways from the apical and basolateral surfaces meet in an endosomal compartment from which transferrin can still be recycled.
Deriving Private Information from Randomly Perturbed Ratings

Collaborative filtering techniques have become popular in the past several years as an effective way to help people deal with information overload. An important security concern in traditional recommendation systems is that users disclose information that may compromise their individual privacy when providing ratings. Randomized perturbation schemes have been proposed to disguise user ratings while still producing accurate recommendations. However, recent research has suggested that perturbation schemes might not be able to preserve privacy as much as has been believed. We propose two data reconstruction methods that derive original private information from disguised data in existing perturbation collaborative filtering schemes. One method is based on k-means clustering and the other uses singular value decomposition (SVD). We have conducted theoretical and experimental analysis on the difference between original data and reconstructed data. Our experiments show that both methods can derive a considerable amount of original information. This study helps to determine an empirical trade-off between recommendation accuracy and user privacy in perturbation schemes.
Practical Evaluation of Partial Network Coding in Wireless Sensor Networks

Network Coding (NC) is a hot topic nowadays. Even though it has proven its applicability to wireless networks, there are still some questions whether network coding is feasible for small devices. To answer this question an implementation of the Partial Network Coding (PNC) buer scheme is done on a wireless sensor and the results are described within this paper. Originally PNC was presented in [4] and this paper validates the findings of the original work by implementing it on the OpenSensor Board (OSB) [3]. The OSB is developed at Aalborg University in collaboration with Technical University of Berlin. On this simple sensor board PNC is implemented and tested.
Three Essays on Strategic Capital Allocation

The capital allocation process is a critical component of strategic execution for multidivisional firms. Despite this importance, strategy scholars have ceded much of the empirical work in capital allocation efficiency to the domains of finance and economics. The bulk of this research, as well as evidence from prominent field studies in strategic management, concludes that managers make significantly inefficient capital allocation decisions—a result that should be of concern to business managers and strategy scholars alike. This paper asks whether managers are truly allocating capital so inefficiently, or do they instead have a valid strategic rationale that explains their investment decisions. Building off the general framework of internal capital market efficiency from financial economics, this paper develops a new measure of strategic capital allocation. The new approach introduces a multidimensional measure to capture the strategic trade-offs between future growth and current profitability, which are faced by managers during the complex resource allocation process. In the first stage of the empirical analysis, managers are found to be allocating capital more than twice as efficiently than prior literature suggests. The second stage validates this multidimensional approach by demonstrating the predicted theoretical relationship between a strategic measure of capital allocation and firm-level value, namely, that managers appear to be capable of enhancing performance through strategic capital allocation.
Using PRUSS for Real-Time Applications on Beaglebone Black

This paper discusses the use of Programmable Real-time Unit Sub System (PRUSS) in the Sitara ARM processor, for real-time applications. The Sitara AM335x SoC on the Beaglebone Black is equipped with two 32-bit low-latency microcontrollers which can be executed independent of the ARM Cortex-A8 processor in the AM335x SoC, giving near to real-time processing speed. PRUSS can be used for data acquisition with real-time response. The PRUs can be used for process control by processing sensor data and giving timely control signals accordingly. The ability to access the sensor readings in real-time helps in a faster and more accurate control of time critical processes.
A model of reference trajectory adaptation for Interaction with objects of arbitrary shape and impedance

This paper introduces and analyzes an algorithm for adaptation of the reference trajectory of a human or robot arm interacting with a novel environment. The algorithm, based on the minimization of interaction force and performance error by satisfying a desired impedance, yields a mathematically rigorous model of the underlying mechanism of motion planning adaptation in humans. Simulations demonstrate a decrease of the interaction force to a limited amount as well as identification of the unknown interaction surface shape. These properties are attractive for adaptive motion of robots interacting with unknown surfaces, providing a robust behavior with little demand on the sensing.
Neuronal responses to face-like and facial stimuli in the monkey superior colliculus

The superficial layers of the superior colliculus (sSC) appear to function as a subcortical visual pathway that bypasses the striate cortex for the rapid processing of coarse facial information. We investigated the responses of neurons in the monkey sSC during a delayed non-matching-to-sample (DNMS) task in which monkeys were required to discriminate among five categories of visual stimuli [photos of faces with different gaze directions, line drawings of faces, face-like patterns (three dark blobs on a bright oval), eye-like patterns, and simple geometric patterns]. Of the 605 sSC neurons recorded, 216 neurons responded to the visual stimuli. Among the stimuli, face-like patterns elicited responses with the shortest latencies. Low-pass filtering of the images did not influence the responses. However, scrambling of the images increased the responses in the late phase, and this was consistent with a feedback influence from upstream areas. A multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis of the population data indicated that the sSC neurons could separately encode face-like patterns during the first 25-ms period after stimulus onset, and stimulus categorization developed in the next three 25-ms periods. The amount of stimulus information conveyed by the sSC neurons and the number of stimulus-differentiating neurons were consistently higher during the 2nd to 4th 25-ms periods than during the first 25-ms period. These results suggested that population activity of the sSC neurons preferentially filtered face-like patterns with short latencies to allow for the rapid processing of coarse facial information and developed categorization of the stimuli in later phases through feedback from upstream areas.
Psychology Research and Behavior Management Dovepress Quantifying Biopsychosocial Aspects in Everyday Contexts: an Integrative Methodological Approach from the Behavioral Sciences

Contextual factors are crucial for evaluative research in psychology, as they provide insights into what works, for whom, in what circumstances, in what respects, and why. Studying behavior in context, however, poses numerous methodological challenges. Although a comprehensive framework for classifying methods seeking to quantify biopsychosocial aspects in everyday contexts was recently proposed, this framework does not contemplate contributions from observational methodology. The aim of this paper is to justify and propose a more general framework that includes observational methodology approaches. Our analysis is rooted in two general concepts: ecological validity and methodological complementarity. We performed a narrative review of the literature on research methods and techniques for studying daily life and describe their shared properties and requirements (collection of data in real time, on repeated occasions, and in natural settings) and classification criteria (eg, variables of interest and level of participant involvement in the data collection process). We provide several examples that illustrate why, despite their higher costs, studies of behavior and experience in everyday contexts offer insights that complement findings provided by other methodological approaches. We urge that observational methodology be included in classifications of research methods and techniques for studying everyday behavior and advocate a renewed commitment to prioritizing ecological validity in behavioral research seeking to quantify biopsychosocial aspects.
Cytokine and Chemokine Production by Human Oral and Vaginal Epithelial Cells in Response to Candida albicans

ABSTRACT Oropharyngeal and vaginal candidiases are the most common forms of mucosal fungal infections and are primarily caused by Candida albicans, a dimorphic fungal commensal organism of the gastrointestinal and lower female reproductive tracts. Clinical and experimental observations suggest that local immunity is important in host defense against candidiasis. Accordingly, cytokines and chemokines are present at the oral and vaginal mucosa during C. albicans infections. Since mucosal epithelial cells produce a variety of cytokines and chemokines in response to microorganisms and since C. albicans is closely associated with mucosal epithelial cells as a commensal, we sought to identify cytokines and/or chemokines produced by primary oral and vaginal epithelial cells and cell lines in response to C. albicans. The results showed that proinflammatory cytokines were produced by oral and/or vaginal epithelial cells at various levels constitutively with considerable interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and tumor necrosis factor alpha, but not IL-6, produced in response to C. albicans. In contrast, Th1-type (IL-12 and gamma interferon) and Th2-type-immunoregulatory (IL-10 and transforming growth factor β) cytokines and the chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and IL-8 were produced in low to undetectable concentrations with little additional production in response to C. albicans. Taken together, these results indicate that cytokines and chemokines are variably produced by oral and vaginal epithelial cells constitutively, as well as in response to C. albicans, and are predominated by proinflammatory cytokines.
Are We There Yet? On RPKI's Deployment and Security

— The Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) binds IP address blocks to owners' public keys. RPKI enables routers to perform Route Origin Validation (ROV), thus preventing devastating attacks such as IP prefix hijacking. Yet, despite extensive effort, RPKI's deployment is frustratingly sluggish, leaving the Internet largely insecure. We tackle fundamental questions regarding today's RPKI's deployment and security: What is the adoption status of RPKI and ROV? What are the implications for global security of partial adoption? What are the root-causes for slow adoption? How can deployment be pushed forward? We address these questions through a combination of empirical analyses, a survey of over 100 network practitioners, and extensive simulations. Our main contributions include the following. We present the first study measuring ROV enforcement, revealing disappointingly low adoption at the core of the Internet. We show, in contrast, that without almost ubiquitous ROV adoption by large ISPs significant security benefits cannot be attained. We next expose a critical security vulnerability: about a third of RPKI authorizations issued for IP prefixes do not protect the prefix from hijacking attacks. We examine potential reasons for scarce adoption of RPKI and ROV, including human error in issuing RPKI certificates and inter-organization dependencies, and present recommendations for addressing these challenges.