Is self always prioritised? Attenuating the ownership self-reference effect in memory

The current study demonstrates the abolishment of the Ownership Self Reference Effect (OSRE) when elaborate details of a distant other-referent are provided. In a 2 (High versus Low information) × 2 (Self versus Other) experimental design, we tested the capacity for the SRE to be modulated with social saliency. Using a well-established ownership paradigm (Collard et al., 2020; Cunningham et al., 2008; Sparks et al., 2016), when the other was made socially salient (i.e. details and characteristics about the other were provided to the participant prior to encoding), no SRE emerged, such that self-owned and other-owned items were recalled with comparable accuracy. In contrast, when the other was not salient (i.e., no details about them were provided), participants accurately recalled a higher proportion of self-owned items, demonstrating a typical SRE in source memory. The degree of self- or other- referencing was not related to measured variables of closeness, similarity or shared traits with the other. Although the SRE is an established and robust effect, the findings of the current study illustrate critical circumstances in which the self is no longer prioritised above the other. In line with our predictions, we suggest that the self has automatic attributed social salience (e.g. through ownership) and that enhancing social salience by elaborating details of the other, prioritisation can expand to encapsulate an other beyond the self and influence incidental memory. [Abstract copyright: Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A specification-based QoS-aware design framework for service-based applications

Effective and accurate service discovery and composition rely on complete specifications of service behaviour, containing inputs and preconditions that are required before service execution, outputs, effects and ramifications of a successful execution and explanations for unsuccessful executions. The previously defined Web Service Specification Language (WSSL) relies on the fluent calculus formalism to produce such rich specifications for atomic and composite services. In this work, we propose further extensions that focus on the specification of QoS profiles, as well as partially observable service states. Additionally, a design framework for service-based applications is implemented based on WSSL, advancing state of the art by being the first service framework to simultaneously provide several desirable capabilities, such as supporting ramifications and partial observability, as well as non-determinism in composition schemas using heuristic encodings; providing explanations for unexpected behaviour; and QoS-awareness through goal-based techniques. These capabilities are illustrated through a comparative evaluation against prominent state-of-the-art approaches based on a typical SBA design scenario

Seasonal patterns of oral antihistamine and intranasal corticosteroid purchases from Australian community pharmacies : a retrospective observational study

Acknowledgments The abstract of this paper was presented at the Respiratory Effectiveness Group 2016 Annual Summit as a poster presentation with interim findings. The poster’s abstract was published in “Poster Abstracts” in The Journal of Thoracic Disease (Vol. 8, Supplement 5, 5 July 2016). http://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/8504.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Is Entrepreneurial Success Predictable? An Ex-Ante Analysis of the Character-Based Approach

This paper empirically analyzes whether the character-based approach, which focuses on the personality structure and the human capital of business founders, allows prediction of entrepreneurial success. A unique data set is used consisting of 414 persons whose personal characteristics were analyzed by different methods, namely an one-day assessment center (AC) and a standardized questionnaire, before they launched their business. Results are partly unexpected and weaker than previous ex-post findings: first, we found correlations between the AC data and the questionnaire in one subgroup only. Second, the predictive power of the AC data is slightly better than that of the questionnaire, but lower than expected in theory. Interestingly, for those subgroups where the AC data have low predictive power, the questionnaire does better. Third, when success is measured in terms of employees hired, the character-based approach is a poor predictor. Copyright 2008 The Authors.

On the combustion of fine iron particles beyond FeO stoichiometry: Insights gained from molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to investigate the thermal and mass accommodation coefficients (TAC and MAC, respectively) for the combination of iron(-oxide) and air. The obtained values of TAC and MAC are then used in a point-particle Knudsen model to investigate the effect on the combustion behavior of (fine) iron particles. The thermal accommodation for the interactions of $\mathrm{Fe}$ with $\mathrm{N_2}$ and $\mathrm{Fe_xO_y}$ with $\mathrm{O_2}$ is investigated for different surface temperature, while the mass accommodation coefficient for iron(-oxide) with oxygen is investigated for different initial oxidation stages $Z_\mathrm{O}$, which represents the molar ratio of $\mathrm{O}/\left(\mathrm{O} + \mathrm{Fe}\right)$, and different surface temperatures. The MAC decreases almost linearly as a function of $Z_\mathrm{O}$, with a steeper slope when $Z_\mathrm{O} < 0.5$ and a gentler slope when $0.5 < Z_\mathrm{O} < 0.57$. By incorporating the MD-informed accommodation coefficients into the single iron particle model, the oxidation beyond $Z_\mathrm{O} = 0.5$ (from stoichiometric $\mathrm{FeO}$ to $\mathrm{Fe_3O_4}$) is modeled. A new temperature evolution for single iron particles is observed compared to results obtained with previously developed continuum models. Specifically, results of the present simulations show that the oxidation process continues after the particle reaching the peak temperature, while previous models predicting a maximum temperature was attained when the particle is fully oxidized to $Z_\mathrm{O} = 0.5$. Since the rate of formation slows down as the MAC decreases with an increasing oxidation stage, the rate of heat loss exceeds the rate of heat release upon reaching the maximum temperature. Finally, the effect of transition-regime heat and mass transfer on the combustion behavior of fine iron particles is investigated and discussed

Corporate real estate analysis: evaluating telecom branch efficiency in Greece

This paper proposes productivity analysis for evaluating the relative efficiency in corporate real estate usage across decision-making units. Using data from the Greek Telecommunications Organization (GTO), we measure the productivity of 127 braches using the number of employees and the total area covered per building as inputs and the number of telephony access lines as outputs. We apply three non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models assuming: constant returns to scale (CRS), variable returns to scale (VRS) and slacks-based measures (SBM), respectively. We discuss how the proposed approach can provide real estate managers and analysts a multi informational tool that allows the quantification of targets and may serve as a guide tool for the efficient employment of real estate assets

An Hybrid, Qos-Aware Discovery of Semantic Web Services Using Constraint Programming

Most Semantic Web Services discovery approaches are not well suited when using complex relational, arithmetic and logical expressions, because they are usually based on Description Logics. Moreover, these kind of expressions usually appear when discovery is performed including Quality-of-Service conditions. In this work, we present an hybrid discovery process for Semantic Web Services that takes care of QoS conditions. Our approach splits discovery into stages, using different engines in each one, depending on its search nature. This architecture is extensible and loosely coupled, allowing the addition of discovery engines at will. In order to perform QoS-aware discovery, we propose a stage that uses Constraint Programming, that allows to use complex QoS conditions within discovery queries. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain the optimal offer that fulfills a given demand using this approach.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología TIN2006-0047

Volatilome of chill-stored European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fillets and Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) slices under modified atmosphere packaging

Fish spoilage occurs due to production of metabolites during storage, from bacterial action and chemical reactions, which leads to sensory rejection. Investigating the volatilome profile can reveal the potential spoilage markers. The evolution of volatile organic molecules during storage of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fillets and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) slices under modified atmosphere packaging at 2 °C was recorded by solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), microbiological, and sensory changes were also monitored. The shelf life of seabass fillets and salmon slices was 10.5 days. Pseudomonas and H2S-producing bacteria were the dominant microorganisms in both fish. TVB-N increased from the middle of storage, but never reached concentrations higher than the regulatory limit of 30–35 mg N/100 g. The volatilome consisted of a number of aldehydes, ketones, alcohols and esters, common to both fish species. However, different evolution patterns were observed, indicating the effect of fish substrate on microbial growth and eventually the generation of volatiles. The compounds 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, 2,3-butanediol, 2,3-butanedione and acetic acid could be proposed as potential spoilage markers. The identification and quantification of the volatilities of specific fish species via the development of a database with the fingerprint of fish species stored under certain storage conditions can help towards rapid spoilage assessment

Commodity risk assessment of Crataegus monogyna plants from the UK

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as 'High risk plants, plant products and other objects'. Taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by the applicant country, this Scientific Opinion covers the plant health risks posed by the following commodities: Crataegus monogyna bare root plants and rooted plants in pots imported into the EU from the UK. A list of pests potentially associated with the commodities was compiled. The relevance of any pest was assessed based on evidence following defined criteria. Only the quarantine pest Erwinia amylovora was selected for further evaluation. For E. amylovora the special requirements specified in the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 are fulfilled by the UK and no other pests for further evaluation were selected