Constructive factorization of LPDO in two variables

We study conditions under which a partial differential operator of arbitrary order $n$ in two variables or ordinary linear differential operator admits a factorization with a first-order factor on the left. The factorization process consists of solving, recursively, systems of linear equations, subject to certain differential compatibility conditions. In the generic case of partial differential operators one does not have to solve a differential equation. In special degenerate cases, such as ordinary differential, the problem is finally reduced to the solution of some Riccati equation(s). The conditions of factorization are given explicitly for second- and, and an outline is given for the higher-order case.Comment: 16 pages, to be published in Journal "Theor. Math. Phys." (2005

The market for privacy:Understanding how consumers trade off privacy practices

In recent years, firms’ privacy practices have received increasing attention from consumers. While firms largely see this development as a threat, as consumers might prohibit collection or use of data, we suggest that it can also represent an opportunity for firms. On the “market for privacy,” firms can gain a competitive advantage by differentiating and actively promoting preferred privacy practices. In this context, the authors study how consumers trade off five privacy elements, three relating to distributive fairness (i.e., information collection, storage, use) and two relating to procedural fairness (i.e., transparency, control). Moreover, they analyze how the impact of these elements differs among four industries that vary in information sensitivity and interaction intensity. By using discrete choice experiments, the authors show that all privacy elements matter to consumers, even when in a trade-off with price. In highly sensitive industries, differences in information collection and use matter more, while storage matters less, for differentiation. When consumers have less frequent interactions with companies, they require more transparency about their privacy practices. The authors demonstrate empirically that optimizing privacy practices can lead to robust changes in market shares (Study 1) and higher revenues in equilibrium (Study 2) when firms embrace the market for privacy

Consumers’ privacy calculus:The PRICAL index development and validation

Although collecting personal information about consumers is crucial for firms and marketers, understanding of when and why consumers accept or reject information collection remains limited. The authors conceptualize a privacy calculus that represents a consumer's trade–off of the valence and uncertainty of the consequences of the collection, storage, and use of personal information. For example, usage-based car insurance requires drivers to share data on their driving behavior in exchange for a discount (certain benefit) but at the risk of third parties intercepting location data for malicious use (uncertain disadvantage). Building on this conceptualization, the authors develop the privacy calculus (PRICAL) index. They empirically confirm the validity of the items (Study 1) and the index as a whole (Study 2). The PRICAL index is generally applicable and improves the explanation of behavioral intentions (Study 2) and actual behavior (Study 3), compared with currently used constructs (e.g., privacy concern, trust). Overall, the PRICAL index allows managers to understand consumers’ acceptance of information collection regarding financial, performance, psychological, security, social, and time-related consequences, which the authors demonstrate using the top five most valuable digital brands (Study 4)

Excimer Laser-produced Biodegradable Photopolymer Scaffolds Do Not Induce Immune Rejection In Vivo

Following our previous works of in-vitro tests, the biocompatibility of photopolymer scaffolds was tested against immune responses in vivo. Neither relevant immune reactions nor the rejection of implanted scaffolds was detected, being an essential step for in vivo implantation of excimer laser-prepared scaffolds. The scaffolds were fabricated by UV excimer laser photocuring at 308 nm. After two weeks of transplantation neither inflammatory response nor reactive immune activation was detected based on the chemokine and cytokine profile. As a sign of biodegradability of the scaf-folds, we detected macrophage infiltration and phagocytosis of the biopolymer at the site of implan-tation. Our results suggest that poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF): diethyl fumarate (DEF) (7 : 3 w/w) scaffolds have appropriate properties for in vivo applications Excimer laser-produced biodegradable photopolymer scaffolds do not induce immune rejection in vivo - ResearchGate. Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/268523447_Excimer_laser-produced_biodegradable_photopolymer_scaffolds_do_not_induce_immune_rejection_in_vivo [accessed Aug 17, 2015]

Automatic recognition of schwa variants in spontaneous Hungarian speech

This paper analyzes the nature of the process involved in optional vowel reduction in Hungarian, and the acoustic structure of schwa variants in spontaneous speech. The study focuses on the acoustic patterns of both the basic realizations of Hungarian vowels and their realizations as neutral vowels (schwas), as well as on the design, implementation, and evaluation of a set of algorithms for the recognition of both types of realizations from the speech waveform. The authors address the question whether schwas form a unified group of vowels or they show some dependence on the originally intended articulation of the vowel they stand for. The acoustic study uses a database consisting of over 4,000 utterances extracted from continuous speech, and recorded from 19 speakers. The authors propose methods for the recognition of neutral vowels depending on the various vowels they replace in spontaneous speech. Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients are calculated and used for the training of Hidden Markov Models. The recognition system was trained on 2,500 utterances and then tested on 1,500 utterances. The results show that a neutral vowel can be detected in 72% of all occurrences. Stressed and unstressed syllables can be distinguished in 92% of all cases. Neutralized vowels do not form a unified group of phoneme realizations. The pronunciation of schwa heavily depends on the original articulation configuration of the intended vowel