Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparative study of sequential and simultaneous auctions

This paper compares the sequential and simultaneous auctions for the following scenario. There are multiple similar objects for sale, each object is sold in a separate auction, and each bidder needs only one object. We use English auction rules and first determine equilibrium bidding strategies for the simultaneous and sequential cases. We do this for both common and private value objects by treating a bidder's information about these values as uncertain. We then consider the case where the private and common values have a uniform distribution and compare the two mechanisms in terms of three key properties: a bidder's ex-ante expected profit, the auctioneer's expected cumulative revenue, and the total expected surplus. For both common and private value objects, our study shows the following result. The expected cumulative revenue and the expected total surplus is higher for the sequential mechanism. However, a bidder's ex-ante expected profit depends on the number of objects being auctioned and the number of participating bidders, and it is sometimes higher for the sequential mechanism and sometimes for the simultaneous one.
Case Management for Patients with Complex Multimorbidity: Development and Validation of a Coordinated Intervention between Primary and Hospital Care

In the past few years, healthcare systems have been facing a growing demand related to the high prevalence of chronic diseases. Case management programs have emerged as an integrated care approach for the management of chronic disease. Nevertheless, there is little scientific evidence on the impact of using a case management program for patients with complex multimorbidity regarding hospital resource utilisation. We evaluated an integrated case management intervention set up by community-based care at outpatient clinics with nurse case managers from a telemedicine unit. The hypothesis to be tested was whether improved continuity of care resulting from the integration of community-based and hospital services reduced the use of hospital resources amongst patients with complex multimorbidity. A retrospective cohort study was performed using a sample of 714 adult patients admitted to the program between January 2012 and January 2015. We found a significant decrease in the number of emergency room visits, unplanned hospitalizations, and length of stay, and an expected increase in the home care hospital-based episodes. These results support the hypothesis that case management interventions can reduce the use of unplanned hospital admissions when applied to patients with complex multimorbidity.
Effect of Lubricant Viscosity and Type on Ball Fatigue Life

Two separate investigations were conducted to determine the effect of lubricants on the fatigue life of M-1 tool steel balls in the rolling contact fatigue spin rig. In the first investigation four paraffinic mineral oils with viscosities of 5 to 113 centistokes at the 100F test temperature were used. Longer life was obtained with more viscous oil, life varying approximately as the 0.2 power of lubricant viscosity. In the second investigation of methyl silicone, a paraffinic mineral oil, a sebacate, a water base glycol and an adipate, each of which had a viscosity of about 10 centistokes at the 100F test temperature, were used. The 10 per cent life was about 40 times as great with the silicone (best) as with the adipate (poorest). The life results correlated fairly well with the pressure viscosity characteristics as estimated from lubricants of the same base stocks. Contributed by the ASLE Technical Committee on Bearings and Bearing Lubrication and presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society o.
Design and performance of a digitally based voltage controller for correcting phase unbalance in induction machines

The case of unbalanced supply presents a uniquely difficult problem in motor application since its causes are multivaried. In many situations a static starter utilizing back-to-back thyristors in series with the motor lines is already installed for the purpose of soft starting or for power-factor improvement. An attractive low-cost solution for phase unbalance is to simply modify the control strategy of the static starter by adjusting the firing angles of the three thyristor pairs independently. In this manner the series-connected thyristors serve the function of unsymmetrical, variable-supply impedances which can be used to balance the voltage across the motor phases. A digital controller utilizing a static starter for balancing the phase currents of an induction motor operating with unbalanced supply is introduced. Experimental results show a marked reduction in the current unbalance from approximately 40% to a few percent and clearly demonstrate the attractiveness of the phase balancer. <<ETX>>
Tailoring product focused SPI-Application and customisation of PROFES in Tokheim -

Management problems in the development of software have been addressed by a focus on improvement of the development process the last years. However, in most cases the product is sold, not the process that created it. Therefor, process improvement should have a product focus. This paper presents the practical implementation of a method for product focused software process improvement in Tokheim, and describes experiences in one development project. The main conclusions are that product focused SPI puts the product in a central position, addresses the specific needs of the company very well, and results in early availability and better visibility of benefits. As a result, commitment of the product development team to this kind of improvement programmes is established. Furthermore, it appears that the benefits of method application outweigh the (relatively low) cost already in an early phase of the project.
Intergenic Sequence Comparison of Escherichia coli Isolates Reveals Lifestyle Adaptations but Not Host Specificity

ABSTRACT Establishing the risk of human infection is one of the goals of public health. For bacterial pathogens, the virulence and zoonotic potential can often be related to their host source. Escherichia coli bacteria are common contaminants of water associated with human recreation and consumption, and many strains are pathogenic. In this study, we analyzed three promoter-containing intergenic regions from 284 diverse E. coli isolates in an attempt to identify molecular signatures associated with specific host types. Promoter sequences controlling production of curli fimbriae, flagella, and nutrient import yielded a phylogenetic tree with isolates clustered by established phylogenetic grouping (A, B1, B2, and D) but not by host source. Virulence genes were more prevalent in groups B2 and D isolates and in human isolates. Group B1 isolates, primarily from nonhuman sources, were the most genetically similar, indicating that they lacked molecular adaptations to specific host environments and were likely host generalists. Conversely, B2 isolates, primarily from human sources, displayed greater genetic distances and were more likely to be host adapted. In agreement with these hypotheses, prevalence of σS activity and the rdar morphotype, phenotypes associated with environmental survival, were significantly higher in B1 isolates than in B2 isolates. Based on our findings, we speculate that E. coli host specificity is not defined by genome-wide sequence changes but, rather, by the presence or absence of specific genes and associated promoter elements. Furthermore, the requirements for colonization of the human gastrointestinal tract may lead to E. coli lifestyle changes along with selection for increased virulence.
“Are we ready for robots that care for us?” Attitudes and opinions of older adults toward socially assistive robots

Socially Assistive Robots (SAR) may help improve care delivery at home for older adults with cognitive impairment and reduce the burden of informal caregivers. Examining the views of these stakeholders on SAR is fundamental in order to conceive acceptable and useful SAR for dementia care. This study investigated SAR acceptance among three groups of older adults living in the community: persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment, informal caregivers of persons with dementia, and healthy older adults. Different technology acceptance questions related to the robot and user characteristics, potential applications, feelings about technology, ethical issues, and barriers and facilitators for SAR adoption, were addressed in a mixed-method study. Participants (n = 25) completed a survey and took part in a focus group (n = 7). A functional robot prototype, a multimedia presentation, and some use-case scenarios provided a base for the discussion. Content analysis was carried out based on recorded material from focus groups. Results indicated that an accurate insight of influential factors for SAR acceptance could be gained by combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants acknowledged the potential benefits of SAR for supporting care at home for individuals with cognitive impairment. In all the three groups, intention to use SAR was found to be lower for the present time than that anticipated for the future. However, caregivers and persons with MCI had a higher perceived usefulness and intention to use SAR, at the present time, than healthy older adults, confirming that current needs are strongly related to technology acceptance and should influence SAR design. A key theme that emerged in this study was the importance of customizing SAR appearance, services, and social capabilities. Mismatch between needs and solutions offered by the robot, usability factors, and lack of experience with technology, were seen as the most important barriers for SAR adoption.
Readmissions Among Children Previously Hospitalized With Pneumonia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pneumonia is a leading cause of hospitalization and readmission in children. Understanding the patient characteristics associated with pneumonia readmissions is necessary to inform interventions to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and related costs. The objective of this study was to characterize readmission rates, and identify factors and costs associated with readmission among children previously hospitalized with pneumonia. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of children hospitalized with pneumonia at the 43 hospitals included in the Pediatric Health Information System between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2011. The primary outcome was all-cause readmission within 30 days after hospital discharge, and the secondary outcome was pneumonia-specific readmission. We used multivariable regression models to identify patient and hospital characteristics and costs associated with readmission. RESULTS: A total of 82 566 children were hospitalized with pneumonia (median age, 3 years; interquartile range 1–7). Thirty-day all-cause and pneumonia-specific readmission rates were 7.7% and 3.1%, respectively. Readmission rates were higher among children <1 year of age, as well as in patients with previous hospitalizations, longer index hospitalizations, and complicated pneumonia. Children with chronic medical conditions were more likely to experience all-cause (odds ratio 3.0; 95% confidence interval 2.8–3.2) and pneumonia-specific readmission (odds ratio 1.8; 95% confidence interval 1.7–2.0) compared with children without chronic medical conditions. The median cost of a readmission ($11 344) was higher than that of an index admission ($4495; P = .01). Readmissions occurred in 8% of pneumonia hospitalizations but accounted for 16.3% of total costs for all pneumonia hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: Readmissions are common after hospitalization for pneumonia, especially among young children and those with chronic medical conditions, and are associated with substantial costs.
Differential Responses of Anopheles stephensi (Diptera: Culicidae) to Skin Emanations of a Man, a Cow, and a Guinea Pig in the Olfactometer

Background: Biting habit of mosquitoes plays an important role in the epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquitoes use a set of elaborate sensory modalities to find their preferred hosts by exploiting cues emanating from a nearby host. It has been suggested that the chemical profile of skin can provide further support for anthropophilic mosquito species to find their suitable hosts. This study aimed at revealing the value of skin emanation for a zoophilic species like Anopheles stephensi as a model. Methods: Skin emanations of a man, a cow and a Guinea pig were collected by ethanol soaked cottons. Upwind responses of mosquitoes to 100 and 200 μl of filtered skin materials were non-competitively explored in a dual-choice olfactometer. L-lactic acid and other chemical content of the skin samples were identified by an enzymatic kit and GC-MS, respectively. Results: Unexpectedly, only human skin emanation was resulted in the statistically significant activation and attraction responses of An. stephensi in the wind tunnel. L-lactic acid content of this skin sample was 10 and 29 times more than the cow and the Guinea pig, respectively. The possible role of lactic acid and a few other identified compounds have been discussed here. Conclusion: Anopheles stephensi showed higher and more specific upwind responses to human skin emanation in the olfactometer. Undoubtedly, the thorough explanation of this unexpected finding needs further investigation. But, if new data verify this result, then, it may be necessary to reconsider the role of skin emanation and thence the human blood index and vectorial capacity of this zoophilic mosquito.
Does the fcc phase exist in the Fe bcc–hcp transition? A conclusion from first-principles studies

Despite considerable experimental and theoretical efforts, the underlying atomistic process of the body-centered cubic (bcc) to hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase transition in Fe is still not clear. In particular, whether an intermediate fcc phase exists in the transition has long been controversial. In this work, we carry out a study on this problem from the viewpoint of energy based on accurate first-principles calculations. The results indicate that the occurrence of the metastable fcc state in the transition is energetically unfavorable, which can explain why no fcc phase was observed in recent in situ x-ray diffraction experiments. A transition mechanism that mainly consists of simultaneous shear and shuffle of the (1 1 0)bcc planes together with reduction of the (1 1 0)bcc interplane distance is proposed. It can explain both the anomalous structures and the temperature dependence of the c/a ratio of the hcp phase observed at the beginning of the transition in diamond anvil cell (DAC) experiments. Therefore, a metastable fcc state, which was proposed by Wang and Ingalls, is not needed to account for those observations in the DAC experiments. Moreover, we find that the fcc phase appearing in molecular dymanics simulations may be just an artifact of the semiempirical potential being employed, by which the differences between fcc and hcp are not well described.
Information criteria for astrophysical model selection

Model selection is the problem of distinguishing competing models, perhaps featuring different numbers of parameters. The statistics literature contains two distinct sets of tools, those based on information theory such as the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), and those on Bayesian inference such as the Bayesian evidence and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). The Deviance Information Criterion combines ideas from both heritages; it is readily computed from Monte Carlo posterior samples and, unlike the AIC and BIC, allows for parameter degeneracy. I describe the properties of the information criteria, and as an example compute them from Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 3-yr data for several cosmological models. I find that at present the information theory and Bayesian approaches give significantly different conclusions from that data.
Obtaining optimal k-cardinality trees fast

Given an undirected graph G = (V,E) with edge weights and a positive integer number k, the k-cardinality tree problem consists of finding a subtree T of G with exactly k edges and the minimum possible weight. Many algorithms have been proposed to solve this NP-hard problem, resulting in mainly heuristic and metaheuristic approaches. In this article, we present an exact ILP-based algorithm using directed cuts. We mathematically compare the strength of our formulation to the previously known ILP formulations of this problem, and show the advantages of our approach. Afterwards, we give an extensive study on the algorithm's practical performance compared to the state-of-the-art metaheuristics. In contrast to the widespread assumption that such a problem cannot be efficiently tackled by exact algorithms for medium and large graphs (between 200 and 5,000 nodes), our results show that our algorithm not only has the advantage of proving the optimality of the computed solution, but also often outperforms the metaheuristic approaches in terms of running time.
MicroRNA-138 promotes acquired alkylator resistance in glioblastoma by targeting the Bcl-2-interacting mediator BIM

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain tumor in adults with a median survival below 12 months in population-based studies. The main reason for tumor recurrence and progression is constitutive or acquired resistance to the standard of care of surgical resection followed by radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ/RT→TMZ). Here, we investigated the role of microRNA (miRNA) alterations as mediators of alkylator resistance in glioblastoma cells. Using microarray-based miRNA expression profiling of parental and TMZ-resistant cultures of three human glioma cell lines, we identified a set of differentially expressed miRNA candidates. From these, we selected miR-138 for further functional analyses as this miRNA was not only upregulated in TMZ-resistant versus parental cells, but also showed increased expression in vivo in recurrent glioblastoma tissue samples after TMZ/RT→TMZ treatment. Transient transfection of miR-138 mimics in glioma cells with low basal miR-138 expression increased glioma cell proliferation. Moreover, miR-138 overexpression increased TMZ resistance in long-term glioblastoma cell lines and glioma initiating cell cultures. The apoptosis regulator BIM was identified as a direct target of miR-138, and its silencing mediated the induced TMZ resistance phenotype. Altered sensitivity to apoptosis played only a minor role in this resistance mechanism. Instead, we identified the induction of autophagy to be regulated downstream of the miR-138/BIM axis and to promote cell survival following TMZ exposure. Our data thus define miR-138 as a glioblastoma cell survival-promoting miRNA associated with resistance to TMZ therapy in vitro and with tumor progression in vivo.
Two Kinds of Probabilistic Induction

Problems in probabilistic induction are of two general kinds. In the first, we have a linearly ordered sequence of symbols that must be extrapolated. In the second we want to extrapolate an unordered set of finite strings. A very general formal solution to the first kind of problem is well known and much work has been done in obtaining good approximations to it [LI 93, Ris 78, Ris 89, Sol 64a, Sol 64b, Sol 78, Wal 68]. Though the second kind of problem is of much practical importance, no general solution has been published. We present two general solutions for unordered data. We also show how machines can be constructed to summarize sequential and unordered data in optimum ways.
Tri-Training for Authorship Attribution with Limited Training Data

Authorship attribution (AA) aims to identify the authors of a set of documents. Traditional studies in this area often assume that there are a large set of labeled documents available for training. However, in the real life, it is often difficult or expensive to collect a large set of labeled data. For example, in the online review domain, most reviewers (authors) only write a few reviews, which are not enough to serve as the training data for accurate classification. In this paper, we present a novel three-view tritraining method to iteratively identify authors of unlabeled data to augment the training set. The key idea is to first represent each document in three distinct views, and then perform tri-training to exploit the large amount of unlabeled documents. Starting from 10 training documents per author, we systematically evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed tritraining method for AA. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art semi-supervised method CNG+SVM and other baselines.
The potentials of in-situ-projection for augmented workplaces in production: a study with impaired persons

Interactive projections have been around for more than a decade. We measured their potentials for augmented workplaces in production. For this purpose we built the prototype of an assistive system projecting instructions directly into the workspace (in situ). While it can be applied in every production environment, the system was first implemented and tested where it is needed the most: in a sheltered work organization employing persons with impairments. It could be shown that the assembly times could be slightly reduced by the augmented system. However it had a "catalytic" effect on the test subjects' work quality: While some seem to be overwhelmed by the new information density and perform worse, others perform much better than the control group and significantly reduce error rates. The qualitative results show that although impaired persons retain a critical perspective on systems directly changing the way they have been working for years, all users would like to retry working with the system. When looking at additional aids like the projection of a real-sized model in the workspace, the users invariantly accept its benefits for their assembly work.
Schwann cells and their precursors for repair of central nervous system myelin.

In multiple sclerosis (MS), axons of the central nervous system lose their myelin sheaths, and there is also death of oligodendrocytes. Although some demyelinated axons rebuild their membranes so that they can conduct action potentials in the absence of myelin insulation, others do not; and loss of the myelin thus impairs impulse conduction either temporarily or permanently. Mounting evidence also suggests that loss of central myelin may have the secondary consequence of making axons more sensitive to damage or may, in itself, produce changes that impair axonal integrity, thereby leading to cumulative loss of axons that culminates in irreversible neurological deficits (Waxman, 2006). While a number of treatments such as the beta interferons (IFN-β) and glatirimer acetate (GA) are now available for the treatment of MS, and clinical studies using autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and monoclonal antibody interventions in MS patients have shown profound suppression of inflammatory activity in many patients, these interventions were developed in the attempt to mute the immune attack on the nervous system in MS, and not with the goal of repairing demyelination. Thus, even if the immune assault on the nervous system in MS could be halted by a new immuno-modulatory therapy and the subsequent cascade of tissue damage thereby stalled, hundreds of thousands of people harboring MS lesions would still be left with neurological deficits. It is therefore not surprising that myelin repair has become an area of major interest in MS research. Important progress in this respect has come from studies that have examined cell-based approaches to myelin repair. A critical issue for cell-based myelin repair is the choice of cell type for transplantation. The transplanted cell must be able to survive, migrate to demyelinated lesions, remyelinate axons and not be tumorogenic. Oligodendrocyte lineage cells, neural progenitor cells, post-natal Schwann cells, …