Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ARTHUR ’ S MODEL OF COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES WHEN SOME CHOICES ARE NON-EXCLUSIVE

Arthur’s model (1989) based on the Pólya-Eggenberger urn model has shown that, when two technologies compete with each other, increasing returns lead to a lock-in effect where market share converges to a stable but unpredictable equilibrium. An important assumption of Arthur’s model is that the choice made by each consumer between two goods is exclusive. What happens when choice is not solely exclusive for a part of the adopters ? Is the lock-in broken ? Is there any convergence to a steady market share ? To answer this question, we use a modified Pólya-Eggenberger urn model, which allows multiple drawing. We study the asymptotic behavior of our model and discuss economic implications.
RelA-Dependent (p)ppGpp Production Controls Exoenzyme Synthesis in Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica

ABSTRACT In this report, we investigate the link between nutrient limitation, RelA-mediated (p)ppGpp production, and virulence in the phytopathogen Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica. A relA null mutant (JWC7) was constructed by allelic exchange, and we confirmed that, unlike the wild-type progenitor, this mutant did not produce elevated levels of (p)ppGpp upon nutrient downshift. However, (p)ppGpp production could be restored in strain JWC7 during nutrient limitation by supplying relA in trans. During growth on exoenzyme-inducing minimal medium, the relA mutant showed a diminution in secreted pectate lyase and protease activities and a severe defect in motility. The relA mutant was also impaired in its ability to cause rot in potato tubers. In the presence of serine hydroxamate (a competitive inhibitor of seryl tRNA synthase and a potent inducer of the stringent response in wild-type E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica), exoenzyme production was essentially abolished in JWC7 but could be restored in the presence of plasmid-borne relA. The inhibition of exoenzyme production in JWC7 caused by serine hydroxamate could not be overcome by addition of the quorum-sensing signal molecule, N-3-oxohexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis of selected RNA species confirmed that the effects of relA on secreted pectate lyase activity and motility could be attributed to a reduction in transcription of the corresponding genes. We conclude that nutrient limitation is a potent environmental cue that triggers (p)ppGpp-dependent exoenzyme production in E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica. Furthermore, our data suggest that nutrient limitation [or rather, (p)ppGpp accumulation] is a prerequisite for effective quorum-sensing-dependent activation of exoenzyme production.
The Optimal Rate of Inflation

Observed inflation targets around the industrial world are concentrated at two percent per year. This paper investigates the extent to which the observed magnitudes of inflation targets are consistent with the optimal rate of inflation predicted by leading theories of monetary non-neutrality. We find that consistently those theories imply that the optimal rate of inflation ranges from minus the real rate of interest to numbers insignificantly above zero. Furthermore, we argue that the zero bound on nominal interest rates does not represent an impediment for setting inflation targets near or below zero. Finally, we find that central banks should adjust their inflation targets upward by the size of the quality bias in measured inflation only if hedonic prices are more sticky than are non-quality-adjusted prices.
Evolution of stents: past, present and future

Davide Capodanno, MD Postdoctoral Associate, Shands Jacksonville, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA; and, Research Fellow, Cardiology Department, Ferrarotto Hospital, University of Catania, via Citelli 6, 95124 Catania, Italy Tel. : +39 095 743 6201 Fax: +39 095 362429 dcapodanno@gmail.com “The rationale for the introduction of drug-eluting stents was to reduce the formation of neointimal hyperplasia, a proliferative maladaptive healing response to bare-metal stent implantation, with the potential of leading to restenosis and repeat revascularization. ”
The Concept of Intercultural Competence and the Fulbright Exchange as a Model of Intercultural Communication

The focus in the suggested research is on the role of intercultural communication in English language education and the program of English teacher assistant (ETA), which is part of the international Fulbright educational exchange in Bulgaria, for the enhancement of intercultural competence. It will present not only the context of English language acquisition in Bulgaria, but also the development of multicultural awareness and tolerance in the language classroom. The new concepts of teaching intercultural communication and competence promote the idea that they are not free from language learning and language-in-culture. The main goal of the ETA program is to improve the quality of English language teaching and learning in Bulgaria by assigning native speakers with adequate academic credentials to (English) language high schools all over the country and especially in underdeveloped regions. This model has real importance as it represents training by native speaker who functions as an intercultural moderator.The main goals of the research are:? To promote the Fulbright program ? To strengthen educational advising. To promote cultural sensitivity among Americans and Bulgarians.English language skills and intercultural communication should better be taught by native speakers. It is not only because they are a priceless tool and a natural way for learning English, but meanwhile they teach intercultural communication and intercultural competence. Also they use interactive and productive methods of teaching and presenting American and British culture and conversational English. As a part of the Fulbright program ETA gives the students, mentor teachers, teacher stuff, and the local community the possibility to stay in touch with English and American language and culture, thus imperceptibly enhancing intercultural competence.
B-Cell-Intrinsic Hepatitis C Virus Expression Leads to B-Cell-Lymphomagenesis and Induction of NF-κB Signalling

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to the development of hepatic diseases, as well as extrahepatic disorders such as B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL). To reveal the molecular signalling pathways responsible for HCV-associated B-NHL development, we utilised transgenic (Tg) mice that express the full-length HCV genome specifically in B cells and develop non-Hodgkin type B-cell lymphomas (BCLs). The gene expression profiles in B cells from BCL-developing HCV-Tg mice, from BCL-non-developing HCV-Tg mice, and from BCL-non-developing HCV-negative mice were analysed by genome-wide microarray. In BCLs from HCV-Tg mice, the expression of various genes was modified, and for some genes, expression was influenced by the gender of the animals. Markedly modified genes such as Fos, C3, LTβR, A20, NF-κB and miR-26b in BCLs were further characterised using specific assays. We propose that activation of both canonical and alternative NF-κB signalling pathways and down-regulation of miR-26b contribute to the development of HCV-associated B-NHL.
Quasi-Cyclic Codes of Index $1\frac {1}{3}$

We introduce quasi-cyclic codes of index 1(1/3), and construct a class of such codes generated by pairs of polynomials. By investigating the pair of circulant matrices associated with the generator pair of polynomials, we obtain the generator matrix of any code of the class. Using a probabilistic method, we prove that, for any positive real number δ such that the asymptotic GV-bound at 2δ is greater than 1/2, the probability that the relative minimal distance of the code in the class is greater than δ is almost 1; and the probability that the rate of the code equals to 1/4 is also almost 1. An obvious consequence is that the quasicyclic codes of index 1(1/3) are asymptotically good.
Children of Disaster: Clinical Observations at Buffalo Creek

Most of the 224 children who were survivor-plaintiffs of the Buffalo Creek disaster were emotionally impaired by their experiences. The major factors contributing to this impairment were the child's developmental level at the time of the flood, his perceptions of the reactions of his family, and his direct exposures to the disaster. The author focuses on children under 12, describing their responses to fantasy-eliciting techniques and their observed behavior after the flood compared with developmental norms for their age and reports of their previous behavior. These children share a modified sense of reality, increased vulnerability to future stresses, altered senses of the power of the self, and early awareness of fragmentation and death. These factors could lead to "after-trauma" in later life if they cannot make the necessary adaptations and/or do not receive special help to deal with the traumas.
Self-initiated expatriation (SIE) and older women: motivations, experiences and impacts

ii List of Tables . viii Attestation of Authorship . ix Acknowledgements . x Ethical Approval . xi Chapter 1: Introduction. Self-Initiated Expatriation (SIE) and Older Women: Motivations, Experiences and Impacts .
Prognostic significance of Beclin 1 in intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma

Autophagy enables cells to recycle long-lived proteins or damaged organelles. Beclin 1 plays important roles in autophagy, differentiation, apoptosis and the development and progression of cancer, but the expression of Beclin 1 and its possible role in primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) has not been reported yet. This study aimed to investigate Beclin 1 expression and its prognostic significance in ICC. First, we assessed the expression levels of Becn1 by real-time PCR in 50 ICC samples and found Becn1 mRNA expression was markedly increased in 78% (39 of 50) samples compared with normal bile duct epithelium. Beclin 1 protein expression in 108 tumor specimens from patients diagnosed with ICC was examined by immunohistochemistry and the correlation between Beclin 1 expression and clinicopathological factors were investigated. Immunopositivity for Beclin 1 was found in 72.2% (78 of 108) samples and low Beclin 1 expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis. The correlation between Beclin 1 expression and metastasis was validated in 46 ICC samples with lymph node metastasis. In survival analysis, low Beclin 1 expression was associated with worse overall survival (OS; p = 0.025) and disease-free survival (DFS; p = 0.027). In multivariate analysis, Beclin 1 expression, intrahepatic metastasis, lymph node metastasis and tumor size were found to be independent prognostic factors of OS. Thus, our results suggested the expression of Beclin 1 was correlated with progression and metastasis of ICC and it might serve as a novel prognostic marker for patients with ICC.
A Fast, Space-Efficient Algorithm for the Approximation of Images by an Optimal Sum of Gaussians

Gaussian decomposition of images leads to many promising applications in computer graphics. Gaussian representations can be used for image smoothing, motion analysis, and feature selection for image recognition. Furthermore, image construction from a Gaussian representation is fast, since the Gaussians only need to be added together. The most optimal algorithms [3, 6, 7] minimize the number of Gaussians needed for decomposition, but they involve nonlinear least-squares approximations, e.g. the use of the Marquardt algorithm [10]. This presents a problem, since, in the Marquardt algorithm, enormous amounts of computations are required and the resulting matrices use a lot of space. In this work, a method is offered, which we call the Quickstep method, that substantially reduces the number of computations and the amount of space used. Unlike the Marquardt algorithm, each iteration has linear time complexity in the number of variables and no Jacobian or Hessian matrices are formed. Yet, Quickstep produces optimal results, similar to those produced by the Marquardt algorithm.
Common garden test of range limits as predicted by a species distribution model in the annual plant Mimulus bicolor.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Direct tests of a species distribution model (SDM) were used to evaluate the hypothesis that the northern and southern edges of Mimulus bicolor's geographical range are limited by temperature and precipitation. METHODS Climatic suitability was predicted using an SDM informed only by temperature and precipitation variables. These predictions were tested by growing plants in growth chambers with temperature and watering treatments informed by weather stations characteristic of environments at the geographic center, edges, and outside the range. An Aster analysis was used to assess whether treatments significantly affected lifetime flower production and to test for local adaptation. The relationship between climatic suitability and lifetime flower number in the growth chambers was also evaluated. KEY RESULTS The temperature and watering treatments significantly affected lifetime flower number, although local adaptation was not detected. Flower production was significantly lower under the two edge treatments compared to the central treatment. While no flowers were produced under the beyond-south treatments, flower production was greatest under the beyond-north treatment. These results suggest a hard abiotic limit at the southern edge, and suitable temperature and precipitation conditions beyond the northern edge. While predicted climatic suitability was significantly lower at the range edges, there was no correlation between the climatic suitability of the weather stations' locations and flower production. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that temperature and precipitation play a significant role in defining the distribution of M. bicolor, but also indicate that dispersal limitation or metapopulation dynamics are likely important factors restricting access to habitable sites beyond the northern range limit.
DCIM: Distributed Cache Invalidation Method for Maintaining Cache Consistency in Wireless Mobile Networks

This paper proposes distributed cache invalidation mechanism (DCIM), a client-based cache consistency scheme that is implemented on top of a previously proposed architecture for caching data items in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), namely COACS, where special nodes cache the queries and the addresses of the nodes that store the responses to these queries. We have also previously proposed a server-based consistency scheme, named SSUM, whereas in this paper, we introduce DCIM that is totally client-based. DCIM is a pull-based algorithm that implements adaptive time to live (TTL), piggybacking, and prefetching, and provides near strong consistency capabilities. Cached data items are assigned adaptive TTL values that correspond to their update rates at the data source, where items with expired TTL values are grouped in validation requests to the data source to refresh them, whereas unexpired ones but with high request rates are prefetched from the server. In this paper, DCIM is analyzed to assess the delay and bandwidth gains (or costs) when compared to polling every time and push-based schemes. DCIM was also implemented using ns2, and compared against client-based and server-based schemes to assess its performance experimentally. The consistency ratio, delay, and overhead traffic are reported versus several variables, where DCIM showed to be superior when compared to the other systems.
Machiavellian Intelligence II: Social intelligence and success: Don't be too clever in order to be smart

Consequences of behaviour and meta-learning, and social intelligence Don't be too clever in order to be smart Our title alludes to Clever and Smart , comic figures created by Ibanez, which contrast in the behaviour they use to reach goals. Whereas Clever shows much refinement, Smart acts without many detours, and succeeds as often as Clever . This result would be surprising to common sense or to analysts of social interaction, Machiavellian intelligence and cognitive competence (Handel, 1982; Hinde, 1983; Anderson, 1985). Indeed, the analysis of the cognitive prerequisites of social interaction would normally lead to the conclusion that sophisticatedly planned and performed behaviour is the means to achieve social goals. Yet there is a caveat. The point we want to make is that the consequences of behaviour, not the degree of underlying cognitive complexity, determine social success. Straightforward action—reaction behaviour such as reciprocity (an eye for an eye) may be as efficacious as subtle diplomacy. For example, reciprocity may be well suited to stop overt physical aggression such as a child's temper tantrum. Watzlawick et al . (1967) tell illuminating stories of unsuccessful communication resulting from either endless recursive mindreading or ignorance of quite simple interaction rules (a man who needs a hammer imagines that his neighbour may be unwilling to lend one, and after a lot of thinking on the neighbour's possible motives, knocks angrily at the other's door shouting that he would never accept even a donated hammer). Watzlawick et al. call on interactants to communicate on their communication rules (to meta-communicate) to resolve problems, and like Dennett (1983), think that we can manage only few embedded propositions.
Practice Parameter: Treatment of nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson disease

Objective: Nonmotor symptoms (sleep dysfunction, sensory symptoms, autonomic dysfunction, mood disorders, and cognitive abnormalities) in Parkinson disease (PD) are a major cause of morbidity, yet are often underrecognized. This evidence-based practice parameter evaluates treatment options for the nonmotor symptoms of PD. Articles pertaining to cognitive and mood dysfunction in PD, as well as treatment of sialorrhea with botulinum toxin, were previously reviewed as part of American Academy of Neurology practice parameters and were not included here. Methods: A literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index was performed to identify clinical trials in patients with nonmotor symptoms of PD published between 1966 and August 2008. Articles were classified according to a 4-tiered level of evidence scheme and recommendations were based on the level of evidence. Results and Recommendations: Sildenafil citrate (50 mg) may be considered to treat erectile dysfunction in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) (Level C). Macrogol (polyethylene glycol) may be considered to treat constipation in patients with PD (Level C). The use of levodopa/carbidopa probably decreases the frequency of spontaneous nighttime leg movements, and should be considered to treat periodic limb movements of sleep in patients with PD (Level B). There is insufficient evidence to support or refute specific treatments for urinary incontinence, orthostatic hypotension, and anxiety (Level U). Future research should include concerted and interdisciplinary efforts toward finding treatments for nonmotor symptoms of PD.
Three-Dimensional Printing and Its Applications in Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

Objective Three-dimensional (3D)-printing technology is being employed in a variety of medical and surgical specialties to improve patient care and advance resident physician training. As the costs of implementing 3D printing have declined, the use of this technology has expanded, especially within surgical specialties. This article explores the types of 3D printing available, highlights the benefits and drawbacks of each methodology, provides examples of how 3D printing has been applied within the field of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, discusses future innovations, and explores the financial impact of these advances. Data Sources Articles were identified from PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE. Review Methods PubMed and Ovid Medline were queried for English articles published between 2011 and 2016, including a few articles prior to this time as relevant examples. Search terms included 3-dimensional printing, 3D printing, otolaryngology, additive manufacturing, craniofacial, reconstruction, temporal bone, airway, sinus, cost, and anatomic models. Conclusions Three-dimensional printing has been used in recent years in otolaryngology for preoperative planning, education, prostheses, grafting, and reconstruction. Emerging technologies include the printing of tissue scaffolds for the auricle and nose, more realistic training models, and personalized implantable medical devices. Implications for Practice After the up-front costs of 3D printing are accounted for, its utilization in surgical models, patient-specific implants, and custom instruments can reduce operating room time and thus decrease costs. Educational and training models provide an opportunity to better visualize anomalies, practice surgical technique, predict problems that might arise, and improve quality by reducing mistakes.
Network Congestion Control: Managing Internet Traffic (Wiley Series on Communications Networking & Distributed Systems)

Foreword. Preface. List of Tables. List of Figures. 1. Introduction . 1.1 Who should read this book? 1.2 Contents. 1.3 Structure. 2. Congestion control principles. 2.1 What is congestion? 2.2 Congestion collapse. 2.3 Controlling congestion: design considerations. 2.4 Implicit feedback. 2.5 Source behaviour with binary feedback. 2.6 Stability. 2.7 Rate-based versus window-based control. 2.8 RTT estimation. 2.9 Traffic phase effects. 2.10 Queue management. 2.11 Scalability. 2.12 Explicit feedback. 2.13 Special environments. 2.14 Congestion control and OSI layers. 2.15 Multicast congestion control. 2.16 Incentive issues. 2.17 Fairness. 2.18 Conclusion. 3. Present technology. 3.1 Introducing TCP. 3.2 TCP window management. 3.3 TCP RTO calculation. 3.4 TCP congestion control and reliability. 3.5 Concluding remarks about TCP. 3.6 The Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP). 3.7 Random Early Detection (RED). 3.8 The ATM'Available Bit Rate' service. 4. Experimental enhancements. 4.1 Ensuring appropriate TCP behaviour. 4.2 Maintaining congestion state. 4.3 Transparent TCP improvements. 4.4 Enhancing active queue management. 4.5 Congestion control for multimedia applications. 4.6 Better-than-TCP congestion control. 4.7 Congestion control in special environments. 5. Internet traffic management - the ISP perspective. 5.1 The nature of Internet traffic. 5.2 Traffic engineering. 5.3 Quality of Service (QoS). 5.4 Putting it all together. 6. The future of Internet congestion control. 6.1 Small deltas or big ideas? 6.2 Incentive issues. 6.3 Tailor-made congestion control. Appendix A: Teaching congestion control with tools. A.1 CAVT. A.1.1 Writing script. A.1.2 Teaching with CAVT. A.1.3 Internals. A.2 ns. A.2.1 Using ns for teaching: the problem. A.2.2 Using ns for teaching: the solution. A.2.3 NSBM. A.2.4 Example exercises. Appendix B: Related IETF work. B.1 Overview. B.2 Working groups. B.3 Finding relevant documents. Appendix C: List of abbreviations. Bibliography. Index.