Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complementary Technology Traces in Software Practice: A Retrospective Reflection over Sixteen Years of Evolution at Ericsson

ABSTRACT To advance knowledge about evolution of practices within a software organisation, we offer a retrospective reflection based on several years of research into a software unit at Ericsson AB. Covering 16 years of evolution, we developed multiple publications from continuously expanding sources of software technology implementation data. While these publications report from specific junctures of software practice evolution at the unit, our retrospective reflection allows us to consider the impacts of the unit’s investments into two technology paradigms over the sixteen-year period: first into CMM-RUP with a focus on discipline and structured practices and years later into Agile-Lean with a focus on flexibility and responsive practices. Hence, we adopt retrospective reflection to investigate how imprints from the two paradigms, despite considerable timespan between the related technology implementations, eventually complemented each other in the unit’s software practices. Because one paradigm focuses on discipline and structured practices and the other on flexibility and responsive practices, our retrospective reflections consider how the two paradigms together impacted the software unit’s ambidextrous capability. As a result, we advance the idea that as software organisations over time invest in complementary technology paradigms they leave important technology traces with sustainable impacts on their software practices.
The influence of cultural and institutional distance on China's OFDI efficiency: fresh evidence from stochastic frontier gravity model

PurposeCulture and institutions are among the essential sources of comparative advantage in international trade and may influence a country's FDI influx. This paper aims to analyze the impact of cultural distance (CD) and institutional distance (ID) on the efficiency of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) for the panel of 43 countries during 2003–2016.Design/methodology/approachThe stochastic frontier approach (SFA) has been incorporated into the standard gravity model of gravity Kalirajan, 1999; Ravishankar and Stack, 2014). SFA has traditionally been implemented to evaluate the production frontier as the highest yield that could possibly be generated from specified input levels. The production process is viewed to be fully efficient if the real output is performed at frontier level. Otherwise, the production process is assumed technically inefficient, which implies potential scope for enhanced output. This error term is split into two parts, a non-negative term and more standard asymmetrical term. The former identifies inefficiencies in production, while the latter retrieves random disordersFindingsThe outcomes assert a U-shaped relationship between CD and the efficiency of China's OFDI. Put differently, when the CD is minimal, the “liability of foreignness” (LOF) effect plays a dominant role; and CD tends to reduce the efficiency of China's OFDI. On the flip side, when the culture distance is greater than a certain threshold level, the “advantages of foreignness” (AOF) effect plays a predominant role, and CD improves the efficiency of China's OFDI. Institutional distance results in the “LOF” effect significantly reduce the efficiency of China's OFDI.Research limitations/implicationsNotwithstanding these contributions, our study has some limitations which offer directions for future research. The major limitation of this research work is the availability of comprehensive data for a well extended time, in particular for the variable of CD. Further, a firm-level study can shed light on the motivations and performance of China OFDI. Finally, given that our analysis focuses on emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) from China, the findings might not be explicitly generalizable to MNEs from other developing countries. Future studies should concentrate on the comparative study of China's OFDI with other developing countries, to deepen our understanding of the effects of ID and CD on the efficiency of OFDI.Originality/value(1) The work is novel in nature as the authors attempt to explore the effect of ID and CD on efficiency of Chinese FDI. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research is conducted in this direction in terms of Chinese FDI. (2) Further, the prior studies employed standard gravity model, which may not correctly evaluate the trade potential viewed as the highest potential value. To overcome the shortcomings of the standard gravity model in estimation of the trade performance and efficiency, the SFA has been incorporated into the standard gravity model of gravity.
Investigating the Impact of Integrating Vocabulary Exercises Into an Adventure Video Game on Second Vocabulary Learning

Many studies have found that computer video games can offer a facilitative vocabulary learning environment. Among different types of computer games, adventure games have received much attention because of their rich input and immersive learning environment. However, some researchers have indicated that because of the characters’ fast-talking speed and many new vocabulary, more lexical supports should be provided in the games. This study thus developed an adventure game with two versions. One version was an adventure game and the other was the same game supported with vocabulary exercises. Two classes were randomly assigned to play two versions of the game and to take a pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test. A survey was also conducted to investigate the participants’ perceptions. The results showed that both groups acquired new words, but the experimental group performed significantly better in both the immediate and delayed post-tests. These findings indicated that the adventure game alone can help participants acquire new words. However, the inclusion of word-focused exercises further helped learners retain more new words. Thus, it is suggested that game developers can incorporate word-focused exercises into video games. The additional exercise can allow learners to benefit from both implicit and explicit vocabulary learning.
Identification and characterization of U6 and U2 small nuclear RNAs as the key players of the splicing reaction: Introducing a minimal RNP system

1 CHAPTER I . 3 General Introduction . 3 The primordial RNA world theory . 4 Basic principles of the splicing reaction and the spliceosome . 9 Insights into spliceosome structure and function . 11 CHAPTER II:. 22 The spliceosomal proteome: At the heart of the largest cellular ribonucleoprotein machine . 22 Introduction . 23 The evolution of a large RNP enzyme . 24 How many spliceosomal proteins? 28 The protein complement of snRNPs and the non-snRNP complexes . 30 ii 1) The U1 snRNP and recognition of the 5' splice site . 30 2) The U2 snRNP and recognition of the branch site and 3' splice site . 31 3) The U5 snRNP and its complement of regulatory proteins . 34 4) The U4/U6 di-snRNP: keeping the catalyst in check? 35 5) The tri-snRNP: U4/U6-U5 complex . 36 6) The SR proteins . 37 The proteome of spliceosomal complexes . 38 A central role for helicases: the timers and the remodelers . 44 A G-protein in control . 48 Activating the spliceosome: the role of Prp19 complex . 49 The special case of Prp8 . 50 Concluding remarks . 54 CHAPTER III . 56 Materials and Methods . 56 Preparation of RNA Constructs . 57 Protein-Free Catalytic Assays . 59 Catalytic Assays with protein . 60 Preparation of protein fragments . 61 Nuclease Digestion Assays and TLC Analyses . 61
Somatostatin Inhibits PC Cl3 Thyroid Cell Proliferation through the Modulation of Phosphotyrosine Phosphatase Activity

In this study, we report the effects of somatostatin on the proliferation of PC Cl3 thyroid cell line and the intracellular mechanisms involved. We also evaluated the possible alterations, induced by E1A oncogene transformation on the intracellular pathways mediating somatostatin inhibition of cell proliferation. We showed that somatostatin was able to powerfully inhibit insulin- and insulin + TSH-dependent cell proliferation by inducing a block in the G/S progression in the cell cycle. These cytostatic effects were completely reverted by vanadate, suggesting that somatostatin may induce antiproliferative effects through the modulation of phosphotyrosine phosphatases. In the E1A-transformed cell line, somatostatin was completely ineffective. The lack of somatostatin inhibitory effects on cell proliferation were not due to alterations in the expression of somatostatin receptors, which were regularly expressed and coupled to adenylyl cyclase activity, but were dependent on an alteration in their coupling with the phosphotyrosine phosphatase. In fact, although in PC Cl3 cells somatostatin increased by 100% phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity, it was completely ineffective in E1A-expressing cells. In conclusion we demonstrated that somatostatin activates phosphotyrosine phosphatases in PC Cl3 thyroid cells to inhibit cell proliferation and that the stable expression of E1A oncogene in these cells completely abolishes this antiproliferative effect.
Uterine Cancer Normogram to Predict Lymph Node Metastasis: Comparison to the Mayo Algorithm and an External Validation of a Model in a North American Population

Objective: We sought to compare two intraoperative uterine cancer normograms for prediction of lymph node (LN) metastasis. We used the widely known Mayo criteria, comparing it to an algorithm provided by Koskas et al. to predict likelihood of LN metastasis. Design: 490 uterine cancer patients from a single practice provider were included in the review. Data was abstracted to include age, race, stage, tumor size, grade, histologic subtype, depth of invasion, cervical involvement, lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI), and microsatellite instability (MSI). Patient comorbidities were analyzed to include body mass index (BMI), diabetes, and hypertension. Laboratories for these comorbidities were included. Those patients staged 1, 2, and 3 were included in final analysis. Results: The receiver operator curve (ROC) for the Koskas normogram was 0.78 when 4% was used as the cutoff for LN metastasis, with a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 60%. When a 5% cutoff was used, the ROCwas 0.71. For every percentage point that the French score rose, the chance of being LN positive increased by 0.8% (p< 0.001). The three point Mayo criteria odds ratio (OR) was 7.4 and the ROCwas 0.57. Lymph node metastasis also correlated with MSI as seen on immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing. Conclusions: The Koskas normogram provided a better predictive algorithm for risk assessment of LN metastasis. Our results are comparable with those previously published by Koskas et al. providing an external validation of this normogram previously used in an European population. These intraoperative variables can be incorporated into real time risk assessment for LN metastasis and operative decision making. Mayo criteria, not using tumor size, could spare an additional 40% of patients an unnecessary LND compared to standard 3 point Mayo criteria–with better predictive value.
Optimising ZnO seed layer to improve the growth of the dense, aligned ZnO nanorods as an electron transport layer in perovskite solar cell applications

ABSTRACT Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods were grown using the chemical deposition method. The presence of various ZnO seed layers in the growth process was examined. Perovskite cells, with these films, were also studied. XRD pattern confirmed the deposition of nanorods with hexagonal phasing in the (001) direction for all seeds, though with different intensities. Consistent with the FESEM images, peak intensity was directly related to the improvement in the alignment and density of the nanorods. Film transparency was also directly associated with the alignment of the ZnO structure. The optical bandgap of the nanorods was close to 3.2 eV for different seed layers. Open circuit voltage and fill factor of the cells were both found to increase from 0.55 V to 0.66 V and 0.44 to 0.49, respectively, through improving the density and alignment of the nanorods. The highest efficiency for the fabricated cells was 4.56%.
Causal survival analysis: A guide to estimating intention-to-treat and per-protocol effects from randomized clinical trials with non-adherence

When reporting results from randomized experiments, researchers often choose to present a per-protocol effect in addition to an intention-to-treat effect. However, these per-protocol effects are often described retrospectively, for example, comparing outcomes among individuals who adhered to their assigned treatment strategy throughout the study. This retrospective definition of a per-protocol effect is often confounded and cannot be interpreted causally because it encounters treatment-confounder feedback loops, where past confounders affect future treatment, and current treatment affects future confounders. Per-protocol effects estimated using this method are highly susceptible to the placebo paradox, also called the “healthy adherers” bias, where individuals who adhere to placebo appear to have better survival than those who don’t. This result is generally not due to a benefit of placebo, but rather is most often the result of uncontrolled confounding. Here, we aim to provide an overview to causal inference for survival outcomes with time-varying exposures for static interventions using inverse probability weighting. The basic concepts described here can also apply to other types of exposure strategies, although these may require additional design or analytic considerations. We provide a workshop guide with solutions manual, fully reproducible R, SAS, and Stata code, and a simulated dataset on a GitHub repository for the reader to explore.
Code for "The implications of outcome truncation in reproductive medicine RCTs: a simulation platform for trialists and simulation study. "

Randomised controlled trials in reproductive medicine are often subject to outcome truncation, where study outcomes are only defined in a subset of participants. Examples include birthweight (measurable only in the subgroup of participants who give birth) and miscarriage (which can only occur in participants who become pregnant). These are typically analysed by making a comparison between treatment arms within the subgroup (comparing birthweights in the subgroup who gave birth, or miscarriages in the subgroup who became pregnant). However, this approach does not represent a randomised comparison when treatment influences the probability of being observed (i.e. survival). The practical implications of this for reproductive trials are unclear. We developed a simulation platform to investigate the implications of outcome truncation for reproductive medicine trials. We used this to perform a simulation study, in which we considered the bias, Type 1 error, coverage, and precision of standard statistical analyses for truncated continuous and binary outcomes. Increasing treatment effect on the intermediate variable, strength of confounding between the intermediate and outcome variables, and interactions between treatment and confounder were found to adversely affect performance. However, within parameter ranges we would consider to be more realistic, the adverse effects were generally not drastic. For binary outcomes, the study highlighted that outcome truncation may lead to none of the participants in a study arm experiencing the outcome event. This was found to have severe consequences for inferences, and this may have implications for meta-analysis.
Design of hybrid Neuro-Robust deadbeat controller for higher order linear systems based on optimized mixed reduction method

The control of higher order linear system is one of the main fields of research area that has been studied for decades because of the difficulty in designing a controller for such systems. One of the best approaches to solve this problem is by reducing the order of the system into a second orders, based on this reduction many approaches can be proposed for controlling the higher order system, therefore many reduction methods are suggested and developed for this purpose, one of these methods is the Mixed Reduction Method (MRM). The first contribution of this paper is to improve the efficiency of MRM by using a flower optimization algorithm.The second contribution of this paper lies in proposing a hybrid Neuro-Robust deadbeat controller using Matlab facilities to control higher order linear systems based on the optimized MRM. Where the robust deadbeat control algorithm is combined with a modified adaptive radial basis neural network to improve the robustness and efficacy of the deadbeat controller, which is partially lost when designing this controller for the higher order based on model reduction. The suggested radial basis function neural network has a simple design. The proposed control scheme assures the stability of the overall closed loop-controlled system; therefore, it can be applied to control any linear higher order systems. Results of different simulation examples show the efficiency of the proposed hybrid controller (Neuro-robust deadbeat) in tracking different reference signals compared to the robust deadbeat controller.
Effects of tourism growth in a UNESCO World Heritage Site: resource-based livelihood diversification in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Abstract In the Galapagos, as elsewhere, tourism is promoted as a means of reconciling biodiversity conservation interests with the economic aspirations of local populations. However, the rapid expansion of tourism has triggered concerns about both social and biophysical impacts that may threaten sustainable development of the islands. These concerns, coupled with mounting constraints imposed by conservation regulations, have particular significance for two locally important resource-based livelihoods: fishing and agriculture. This paper examines recent patterns of livelihood diversification within these two sectors, and explores reasons behind livelihood decisions that people make, either to maintain existing resource-based activities or to transition into emergent livelihood opportunities. We examine drivers and inhibitors of diversification, focusing particularly on opportunities associated with tourism growth. Through a mixed-methods approach, we explore the perceptions, motivations, and actions of those still engaged in farming and fishing on the Galapagos’ three most populated islands. Results show that many are drawn to tourism, but there are notable differences in the appeal of, and the obstacles to, diversification. Considering the importance of both conservation and tourism in this iconic destination, these findings have significant implications for the role of sustainable tourism on the islands, and for the optimization of the conservation-tourism alliance elsewhere.
Mean Object Size Considering Average Waiting Latency in M/BP/1 System

This paper deals with the web object size which affects to the service time in multiple access environments. The M/BP/1 model can be considered because packets arrival and web service are Poission and Bound Pareto (BP) distribution respectively. We find mean object size which satisfies that the average waiting latency by deterministic model equals the mean queueing delay of the M/BP/1 model. Performance evaluation shows that the mean web object size is affected by file size bounds and shape parameter of BP distribution, however, the impact of link capacity is not significant. When the system load is low, web object size converges on half the maximum segment size (MSS). Our results can be applied to find mean web object size in the economic web service design.
The methods of identification and analysis of key indicators affecting the place reputation in the modern information and communication space

In the modern world, reputation is the most important intangible asset of the region economy and a dynamic characteristic of its activity. On the one hand, it is a major competitive resource for establishing partnerships with stakeholders. On the other hand, it is a set of opportunities to realize the interests of various target groups as a guarantee for the total implementation of the territory potential. The difficulty of building a holistic place image is related to the need to take into account a large number of indicators that are not always quantifiable. Only measurable parameters can be managed, so there is a need to create a relevant tool to assess the place reputation. In order to develop and manage an effective strategy, it is necessary not only to distinguish basic indicators, but also to analyze the reputation building mechanism as well as the factors influencing this process. Three main factors form the global attitude to the territory: attractive environment, efficient management, and developed economy. However, the parameters to differentiate these groups vary when evaluating the reputation of countries and megacities. First of all, it concerns the information and communication space, where the work of mass media and social media is of maximum importance. Subjectifying the target groups’ attitude to their region, different types of media form the place image in the opinion of each member of a society. The article presents approaches that determine the crucial indexes that can affect the place reputation. So qualitative and quantitative methods of publications assessment allow us to understand the peculiarities in forming the ideological components of the place image in order to be able to monitor the building of a place reputation.
Epidemiological Aspects of Stroke in Young People at the Friendship University Hospital Center in Bangui in the Central African Republic

Introduction: Stroke is a major public health problem even more dramatic in young people. Goal of the study: To make our contribution to the knowledge of strokes of the young subject. Methodology: It was a retrospective study conducted over a period of 02 years (January 2017 to December 2018) including the files of patients aged 18 to 49 years hospitalized for any suspected case of stroke in the Department of Neurology of C between Hospitalier A Sino-Central African Friendship University (CHUSCA) from Bangui. Results: During the study, 225 cases of stroke were recorded, including 26 cases in young subjects, representing a hospital frequency of 11.5%. The average age was 42.5 years with extremes ranging from 24 to 49 years. The most represented age group was 45 and 49 with a sex ratio (M/F) of 1.36. The average age for men was 41.93 years compared to 39.27 years for women. Civil servants were in the majority in 50% of the cases. Alcohol was the main FDR (80.8%) followed by hypertension (61.5%) and tobacco (50%). The majority of patients (57.70%) were admitted to neurology after the first 24 hours. Ischemic stroke represented 73.08% compared to 26.92% of AVCH. The lethality was 20.08%. The sequelae were found in 69.20% of cases. Cardiac exploration had found 57.10% of LVH. Conclusion: This study confirms a high frequency of stroke in the young subject. The predominance of modifiable FRCVs requires the implementation of a specific strategy based on awareness, early detection and effective and adequate PEC.