julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The Demand for Licensed Merchandise in Sports—On the Purchase Channel Choice
2017-05-01

Clubs and third-party operators offer licensed sports products via offline and online stores. Although a few papers have previously focused on sports merchandise, no study has ever analyzed the factors associated with the purchase channel (PC) choice. Based on representative survey data of sports club members, we empirically test the statistical association between consumers’ characteristics and their PC choice. Econometric results suggest that the PC choice is affected by membership characteristics and sociodemographic attributes such as gender, education, income, and place of residence. Comparisons with results from studies conducted in more general settings suggest that the transferability of findings from general to sports-specific settings (and vice versa) is limited. Moreover, the finding, that the impact of these characteristics depends on the type of operator (club vs. retailer) rather than the type of product, highlights the relevance to distinguish between vertically integrated and third-party-operated PCs in both managerial decisions and future research.
Establishing a session database for SDN using 802.1X and multiple authentication resources
2017-05-01

Network control systems based on identities allow fine-grained access control for users. They require a network-wide session database containing information about active authenticated and authorized users. We propose an authentication and authorization (AA) module (AAM) as a controller application for software-defined networking to establish a network-wide session database and provide a prototypical implementation with OpenFlow. End systems issue authentication requests and the switch redirects them to the AAM. The AAM either relays them to a RADIUS server as in legacy 802.1X (pass-through mode) or processes them based on directly attached AA resources (authentication server mode). After successful authentication, the AAM authorizes the requesting user and maintains a network-wide session database of authenticated and authorized identities. As the AAM interfaces to end systems and AA resources through existing protocols, i.e., EAP and RADIUS, its use is compatible with current infrastructures. Through implementation as distributed network functions, the AAM can be scaled so that high rates of authentication requests can be supported.
Multi-sensor payload detection and acquisition for truck-trailer AGVs
2017-05-01

A fundamental task of automated guided vehicles is transporting heavy payloads. These payloads are often given in the form of large containers that are mounted onto a cart with four caster wheels. In this paper we investigate a combined detection and control architecture that allows an AGV to reliably detect and acquire such containers at any location, independently of a global localization system. We propose a solution using a horizontally mounted 2D laser scanner and a forward facing 3D time-of-flight camera to detect the payload. Furthermore we demonstrate the algorithm on an asymmetric AGV that consists of a differentially driven base and a trailer with a lifting unit.
Shell Fouling and Behavior of the Caribbean Predatory GastropodCassis tuberosa
2017-05-01

The gastropod Cassis tuberosa (Linnaeus, 1758) usually lives in and on soft sediments and sea grass meadows. This carnivorous snail is primarily a semi-epifaunal and nocturnal hunter that, during daytime, rests burrowed in sediments. Around the Bahamian island of San Salvador, C. tuberosa has extended its behavior from nocturnal to metaturnal; feeding both night and day. This modification also involves further changes in behavior as an individual was observed resting epifaunally between rocks during the day even though this substrate was surrounded by soft bottoms. Epifaunal Cassis specimens are entirely encrusted primarily by coralline algae, but also by various green algae accompanied by vagile snails and crabs. The high degree of encrustation suggests that these snails do not remain burrowed for long periods of time. Cassis has thus extended its resting behavior from a semi-endofaunal to an epifaunal mode of life. The fouled shells also function as mobile benthic substrates for various organisms.
Cultural Interpretations of Global Information? Hindsight Bias after Reading Wikipedia Articles across Cultures
2017-05-01

Summary: Hindsight bias is the mistaken belief that an outcome could have been foreseen once it is known. But what happens after learning about an event? Can reading biased media amplify hindsight distortions? And do people from different cultural backgrounds — with different cognitive thinking styles — draw equal conclusions from equal media reports? We report two studies with Wikipedia articles and samples from different cultures (Study 1: Germany, Singapore, USA, Vietnam, Japan, Sweden, N = 446; Study 2: USA, Vietnam, N = 144). Participants read one of two article versions (foresight and hindsight) about the Fukushima Nuclear Plant and estimated the likelihood, inevitability, and foreseeability of the nuclear disaster. Reading the hindsight article increased individuals' hindsight bias independently of analytic or holistic thinking style. Having excluded survey language as potential impact factor (Study 2), this result remains. Our findings extend prior research on hindsight bias by demonstrating the amplifying effect of additional (biased) information on hindsight bias. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.
Optimization of SMOX-materials for gas sensing applications by numerical simulations
2017-05-01

In the field of semiconductor gas sensor research materials belonging to a broad spectrum are developed and investigated. The approach for performance increase, especially the selectivity to specific target gases, is often the surface modification in order to promote specific chemical interactions. Here, we will show how a modification of the semiconductor itself may be used to increase the sensing performance. The electrical and geometrical properties of the transducer are numerically evaluated for different sensing scenarios and the optimized conditions, in terms of grain size and defect concentration, are revealed. By correlating the target gas concentration with the numerical solutions of the Poisson equation, the conduction path through the transducer, the resulting surface coverage of the semiconductor and the optimal surface to volume ratio for a specific material may be estimated.
Comparison of the Saccules and Lagenae in six macrourid fishes from different deep-sea habitats
2017-05-01

The structures of inner ears were compared between six species of Macrouridae (grenadiers and rattails) that live at different ocean depths ranging from 200 to 5000 meters. The goal of this comparison is to find out if there are structural differences in their inner ears related to the depth of habitat. The size of the saccular otolith relative to fish head length varies considerably among the six species; with the largest otolith found in Nezumia aequalis and the smallest in N. parini, a mesopelagic species. N. aequalis is a species with potential sound production and auditory dominance by its drumming muscle on the swim bladder. Its saccular sensory area is four times larger than those from the two species live in shallower depths and have vision as their dominant sense (N. parini and Coryphaenoides rupestris). The differences found in the saccule and lagena of these species reflect the sensory advantages of habitats that are related to the benefits and constraints at different depths. It also reflects the fish’s particular life style and the trade-off among different sensory systems. The most obvious trade-off among sensory systems is found between vision and hearing.
Monarchy–Global. Monarchical Self-Assertion in a Republican World
2017-05-01

Monarchy – Global. Monarchical Self-Assertion in a Republican World In 1793, the French republic saw the guillotining of two royal heads. In 1934, Winston Churchill spoke of the «holocaust of crowns» within his lifetime. Today, the British Queen presides over the Commonwealth, which comprises mostly republics. At the same time, there have been calls a return of the kings to republics with respect to Africa. How is this astonishing self-assertion of the institutional monarchy to be explained, and why has the antagonism between the monarchy and the republic disappeared? This will be discussed in a paper through a global perspective. Churchill was convinced: «No institution pays such dividends as the monarchy. » What dividends were earned, and for whom? What has the global presence of European states meant for the institution of the monarchy in Europe, in imperial spaces, and in decolonisation? In order to be able to analyse this issue, our study questions the legitimacy which had been both accorded to and claimed by the institution monarchy. Does monarchical legitimacy differ in Europe, Asia and Africa? Why did monarchies survived while other states and empires were created and then destroyed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? The study places three areas in the center of our consideration: the role of the monarchy as the emotional center of the nation and the empire; monarchy as a polycentric rule; and lastly, monarchy as the institutionalisation of permanence in change. Finally, the study will discuss how a comparative assessment and review of the performances by the monarchy and the republic might look.
Regime Transition and the Judicial Politics of Enmity: Democratic Inclusion and Exclusion in South Korean Constitutional Justice. By Justine Guichard . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. xviii, 248 pp. ISBN: 9781137575074 (cloth).
2017-05-01

Regime Transition and the Judicial Politics of Enmity: Democratic Inclusion and Exclusion in South Korean Constitutional Justice. By Justine Guichard . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. xviii, 248 pp. ISBN: 9781137575074 (cloth). - Volume 76 Issue 2
Combination of ex vivo expansion with apoptosis inhibition in donor hematopoietic stem cells
2017-05-01

Transplantation of low numbers of donor hematopoietic stem cells is associated with the risk of severe complications such as graft failure or delayed engraftment. We have shown earlier that inhibition of apoptosis in donor cells results in the transplantation of fitter stem cells and in improved engraftment. Here, we aim at further increasing the numbers of donor stem cells by combining ex vivo stem cell expansion with apoptosis inhibition prior to and during transplantation.
Abstract 22: Crosstalk Between Phosphotidylinositol-4,5 Bisphosphonate-3 Kinase Pathway and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway Regulates Platelet Activation and Protein Synthesis via Phosphoinositide-Dependent Kinase-1
2017-05-01

Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) is known to regulate PAR4 induced platelet activation and thrombus formation through GSK3β. However, whether PDK1 signaling also involves the ADP receptor and, if so, downstream functional consequences are unknown. We employed both pharmacologic (e.g. the selective PDK1 inhibitor, BX795) and genetic (platelet specific deletion of PDK1) approaches to dissect the role of PDK1 in ADP-induced platelet activation and protein synthesis. Inhibition of PDK1 with BX795 reduced 2MeSADP-induced platelet aggregation by abolishing thromboxane generation. Similar results were observed in PDK1 -/- mice (Fig A). Inhibition of PDK1 protected mice from collagen and epinephrine-induced pulmonary embolism (Fig B). PDK1 was also necessary for the phosphorylation of MEK1/2, Erk1/2 and cPLA2, indicating that PDK1 regulates an upstream kinase in MAPK pathway. We next identified that this upstream kinase is Raf1 (necessary for the phosphorylation of MEK1/2), as pharmacologic inhibition and genetic ablation of PDK1 was sufficient to prevent Raf1 phosphorylation (Fig C). Pharmacologic inhibition and genetic ablation of PDK1 blocked MAPK- and mTORC1-dependent protein synthesis in platelets through a mechanism requiring the phosphorylation of eIF4E and S6K. Concordantly, PDK1 is necessary for signal-dependent synthesis of the protein bcl3, which is under mTORC1-dependent control (Fig C). Taken together, our findings show for the first time that PDK1, a master kinase in the PI3K pathway, directly governs thromboxane generation, thrombosis, and protein synthesis in platelets through regulating MAPK and mTORC1 pathways.
Spacetime completeness of non-singular black holes in conformal gravity
2017-05-02

We explicitly prove that the Weyl conformal symmetry solves the black hole\\nsingularity problem, otherwise unavoidable in a generally covariant local or\\nnon-local gravitational theory. Moreover, we yield explicit examples of local\\nand non-local theories enjoying Weyl and diffeomorphism symmetry (in short\\nco-covariant theories). Following the seminal paper by Narlikar and Kembhavi,\\nwe provide an explicit construction of singularity-free spherically symmetric\\nand axi-symmetric exact solutions for black hole spacetimes conformally\\nequivalent to the Schwarzschild or the Kerr spacetime. We first check the\\nabsence of divergences in the Kretschmann invariant for the rescaled metrics.\\nAfterwords, we show that the new types of black holes are geodesically complete\\nand linked by a Newman-Janis transformation just as in standard general\\nrelativity (based on Einstein-Hilbert action). Furthermore, we argue that no\\nmassive or massless particles can reach the former Schwarzschild singularity or\\ntouch the former Kerr ring singularity in a finite amount of their proper time\\nor of their affine parameter. Finally, we discuss the Raychaudhuri equation in\\na co-covariant theory and we show that the expansion parameter for congruences\\nof both types of geodesics (for massless and massive particles) never reaches\\nminus infinity. Actually, the null geodesics become parallel at the point\\nin the Schwarzschild spacetime (the origin) and the focusing of geodesics is\\navoided. The arguments of regularity of curvature invariants, geodesic\\ncompleteness, and finiteness of geodesics' expansion parameter ensure us that\\nwe are dealing with singularity-free and geodesically-complete black hole\\nspacetimes.\\n
CalibMe
2017-05-02

As devices around us become smart, our gaze is poised to become the next frontier of human-computer interaction (HCI). State-of-the-art mobile eye tracker systems typically rely on eye-model-based gaze estimation approaches, which do not require a calibration. However, such approaches require specialized hardware (e.g., multiple cameras and glint points), can be significantly affected by glasses, and, thus, are not fit for ubiquitous gaze-based HCI. In contrast, regression-based gaze estimations are straightforward approaches requiring solely one eye and one scene camera but necessitate a calibration. Therefore, a fast and accurate calibration is a key development to enable ubiquitous gaze-based HCI. In this paper, we introduce CalibMe, a novel method that exploits collection markers (automatically detected fiducial markers) to allow eye tracker users to gather a large array of calibration points, remove outliers, and automatically reserve evaluation points in a fast and unsupervised manner. The proposed approach is evaluated against a nine-point calibration method, which is typically used due to its relatively short calibration time and adequate accuracy. CalibMe reached a mean angular error of 0.59 (0=0.23) in contrast to 0.82 (0=0.15) for a nine-point calibration, attesting for the efficacy of the method. Moreover, users are able to calibrate the eye tracker anywhere and independently in - 10 s using a cellphone to display the collection marker.
Implementation of a novel projector-splitting integrator for the multi-configurational time-dependent Hartree approach
2017-05-02

The variational equations of motion of the multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) approach contain the inverse of reduced density matrices which are typically ill-conditioned and therefore lead to small stepsizes for numerical time integration. This problem is usually dealt with via regularization of the density matrices, which works well in many cases but still calls for systematic improvement schemes. Recently this problem, its implications and possible solutions have become the subject of increased interest. Notably, a projector splitting integrator for the MCTDH approach that does not require the inversion of reduced density matrices has been proposed [C. Lubich, Appl. Math. Res. Express 2015, 311]. Here, we present the first implementation of this integration scheme. Results for low-dimensional benchmark systems are presented, and the case of initially unoccupied single-particle functions is discussed.
Nano-sized Al2O3 reduces acute toxic effects of thiacloprid on the non-biting midge Chironomus riparius
2017-05-02

This study focuses on interactions between nanoparticles and a pesticide. The aim was to investigate how nano-sized aluminum oxide (410 nm) can alter the toxic effects of thiacloprid, even if no sorption between particles and the insecticide takes place. Thus, our study investigated a rather unexplored interaction. We conducted our research with larvae of Chironomus riparius and used thiacloprid as test substance as its toxicity to C. riparius is well described. The used nano-Al2O3 particles where chosen due to their suitable properties. For testing the acute effects of the interaction, we exposed larvae to thiacloprid (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 μg/L) and nano-Al2O3 (300 and 1000 mg/L), either solely or in binary mixtures. While thiacloprid resulted in elevated mortality, nano-Al2O3 solely did not exert any effects. Moreover, we observed an aggregation of nano-Al2O3 within the lumen of the intestinal tract of the larvae. Further results showed a significantly reduced mortality of fourth instar larvae when they were exposed to mixtures of nanoparticles and the pesticide, compared to thiacloprid alone. With increasing nano-Al2O3 concentration, this effect became gradually stronger. Additionally, chemical analyses of internal thiacloprid concentrations implicate reduced uptake of thiacloprid in animals exposed to mixtures. However, as larvae exposed to thiacloprid concentrations > 0.5 μg/L showed severe convulsions, independent of the presence or concentration of nano-Al2O3, we assume that nano-Al2O3 leads to a delay of mortality and does not entirely prevent it. As sorption measurements on pristine or defecated nano-Al2O3 did not reveal any sorptive interaction with thiacloprid, we can exclude sorption-based reduction of thiacloprid bioavailability as a mechanism behind our results. Even though we used test substances which might not co-occur in the environment in the tested concentrations, our study gives evidence for an interaction besides adsorption, which is important to generally understand how nanoparticles might affect biota.
Activation of stylolites as conduits for overpressured fluid flow in dolomitized platform carbonates
2017-05-03

Abstract This study investigates the Late Aptian–earliest Albian platform carbonates of the Benicàssim area (Maestrat Basin, Spain) in order to assess the relationship between bed-parallel stylolites and the flow of diagenetic fluids during dolomitization and subsequent hydrothermal alteration. Dolostones and burial dolomite and calcite cements were studied by a combination of field geology and standard petrographic and isotope analysis. Field data indicate that dolostones are closely associated with seismic-scale synsedimentary faults, preferentially replace grain-dominated facies and typically show wavy dolomitizing fronts that mostly correspond to bed-parallel stylolites. The dolostones are corroded and contain bed-parallel pores that are filled with hydrothermal saddle dolomite and blocky calcite cements. This late calcite cement frequently engulfs clasts of the host dolostones, suggesting that hydraulic brecciation likely associated with overpressured fluid occurred. Results indicate that stylolites play a key role in the distribution of dolostones and subsequent hydrothermal mineralization. During the replacement stage, stylolites acted as baffles for the dolomitzing fluids controlling lateral fluid flow and resulting in the stratabound dolostone distribution. During the post-dolomitization stage, stylolites became preferred pathways for overpressured hydrothermal corrosive and mineralizing fluids that likely came from the underlying basement, and increased bed-parallel stylolitic porosity and probably also permeability.
Classification of different reaching movements from the same limb using EEG
2017-05-03

Our results demonstrate that classification from several functional movements performed by the same limb is possible with acceptable accuracy using EEG oscillations, especially if data from the same session are used to recalibrate the classifier. Therefore, an ecologically valid decoding could be used to control assistive or rehabilitation mutli-degrees of freedom (DoF) robotic devices using EEG data. These results have important implications towards assistive and rehabilitative neuroprostheses control in paralyzed patients.
Chances and Limitations of Video Games in the Fight against Childhood Obesity—A Systematic Review
2017-05-03

Abstract Objective and Method A systematic literature search was conducted to assess the chances and limitations of video games to combat and prevent childhood obesity. This search included studies with video or computer games targeting nutrition, physical activity and obesity for children between 7 and 15 years of age. Results The study distinguished between games that aimed to (i) improve knowledge about nutrition, eating habits and exercise; (ii) increase physical activity; or (iii) combine both approaches. Overall, the games were well accepted. On a qualitative level, most studies reported positive effects on obesity‐related outcomes (improvement of weight‐related parameters, physical activity or dietary behaviour/knowledge). However, the observed effects were small. The games did not address psychosocial aspects. Conclusions Using video games for weight management exclusively does not deliver satisfying results. Video games as an additional guided component of prevention and treatment programs have the potential to increase compliance and thus enhance treatment outcome. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.