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Recent papers assume that whereas the value of 'traditional' communications networks follows Metcalfe's law – that is, grows with the square of the number of users – the value of group-forming network platforms should increase faster. The papers see evidence in the fact that the advertising revenues of platforms such as Facebook and Tencent follow a cube law or stronger. We argue that such tests do not make much sense, as they lack a theoretical justification. Growth laws such as Metcalfe's and Reed's were conceived with purely one-sided networks in mind, reason in terms of utility for users, and have little to say about the monetisation of the value created. The results of the very papers that we discuss show that the laws have no generality. We also provide a counterexample of our own and proffer an alternative explanation. • Recent papers test whether revenues of network platforms obey power laws • We argue that such tests lack theoretical justification • Laws such as Metcalfe's are about value creation, not about value capturing • We provide an alternative explanation for the explosive growth of platform revenues • We suggest a new 'law' for networks subject to indirect network externalities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As more and more societies are transforming into cashless economies, questions about the social nature of this transformation are arising. With this paper we present specific insights into the process of the institutionalization of cashlessness in Poland. The process is analyzed from the perspective of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). We advance the idea that the institutional field of cashlessness is emerging with similar pressures. In this field—as we argue using the concept of Powell and DiMaggio—SMEs experience a coercive institutional isomorphism. We show that the complex impact of interlocked social interactions, financial sanctions, narrations, values and norms are creating the matrix for SMEs’ decision whether to implement cashless payments into their business. The analysis is based on 74 individual in-depth interviews with SMEs owners. The paper is grounded in qualitative research design and the theory of neo-institutionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearables are a new type of mobile devices, that, due to their versatile applications, are gaining popularity among consumers around the world. This is the first study that jointly examines the usage of the sport and financial functionalities of wearables devices. Firstly the authors explored the drivers of consumer interest in wearable devices, and secondly identified the determinants of their payment use. Based on a nationwide representative survey of Internet users in Poland, two empirical models were estimated with the use of logit model regressions. It emerged that sport and health monitoring functionalities are the main drivers for the use of wearables. Moreover, the study unveiled that NFC payment functionality can effectively encourage consumers to purchase their wearable device. Communication in social networks and attractive loyalty applications are also factors furthering the adoption of this new solution. In their work, the authors proposed several guidelines for wearable manufacturers that could foster the development of this innovative market segment. First of all, the consumers using loyalty apps, which are more likely to be interested in wearables are open to establishing relationships with their product providers. It means that special loyalty programs could be offered to them. Furthermore, social networks will likely prove excellent channels to promote wearables; in particular, by allowing communication together with the promotion of a sporty, active lifestyle. Lastly, payment functionalities have been underestimated by wearables manufacturers so far. Marketing communication should underline the usefulness of the payment functions, in the context of quick, convenient and effortless purchases while doing sports, e.g. during running or cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Concomitant with the growth of music intervention research, are concerns about inadequate intervention reporting and inconsistent terminology, which limits validity, replicability, and clinical application of findings.Objective: Examine reporting quality of music intervention research, in chronic and acute medical settings, using the Checklist for Reporting Music-based Interventions. In addition, describe patient populations and primary outcomes, intervention content and corresponding interventionist qualifications, and terminology.Methods: Searching MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, HealthSTAR, and PsycINFO we identified articles meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria for a five-year period (2010-2015) and extracted relevant data. Coded material included reporting quality across seven areas (theory, content, delivery schedule, interventionist qualifications, treatment fidelity, setting, unit of delivery), author/journal information, patient population/outcomes, and terminology.Results: Of 860 articles, 187 met review criteria (128 experimental; 59 quasi-experimental), with 121 publishing journals, and authors from 31 countries. Overall reporting quality was poor with <50% providing information for four of the seven checklist components (theory, interventionist qualifications, treatment fidelity, setting). Intervention content reporting was also poor with <50% providing information about the music used, decibel levels/volume controls, or materials. Credentialed music therapists and registered nurses delivered most interventions, with clear differences in content and delivery. Terminology was varied and inconsistent.Conclusions: Problems with reporting quality impedes meaningful interpretation and cross-study comparisons. Inconsistent and misapplied terminology also create barriers to interprofessional communication and translation of findings to patient care. Improved reporting quality and creation of shared language will advance scientific rigor and clinical relevance of music intervention research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Premenopausal women undergoing chemotherapy are at high risk for premature ovarian failure and its long-term consequences. Data on potential markers to evaluate ovarian reserve pre- and posttreatment are limited. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) known for ovarian reserve in reproductive medicine could be a surrogate marker and was assessed in premenopausal breast cancer patients of the SUCCESS A study (EUDRA-CT no. 2005-000490-21). Methods We identified 170 premenopausal patients, age ≤ 40 years at trial entry, who received FEC-Doc as taxane-anthracylince based chemotherapy. Blood samples were taken at three time points: Before, four weeks after and two years after adjuvant chemotherapy. Serum AMH-levels were evaluated in a central laboratory by a quantitative immunoassay AMH Gen II ELISA (Beckman Coulter, Brea, USA). Results Median age was 36 years (21–40 years). Median serum AMH-level before chemotherapy was 1.37 ng/ml (range < 0.1–11.3 ng/ml). Four weeks after chemotherapy AMH-levels dropped in 98.6% of the patients to <0.1 ng/ml (range < 0.1–0.21 ng/ml). After two years, 73.3% (n = 101) showed no evidence of ovarian function recovery (AMH <0.1 ng/ml, range < 0.1–3.9 ng/ml). Permanent chemotherapy induced amenorrhea occurred only in 50.6% of the patients. Conclusions In this analysis, premenopausal patients showed a high rate of ovarian impairment reflected by low AMH-levels after chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The body while the vehicle is moving is tilts the longitudinal and transverse directions. Transverse generated mainly by uneven road surface and longitudinal driving processes (acceleration and braking). Increasing the weight of the vehicle transported cargo enhances tilt. During cargo delivery vehicles are required to be adequately protected and the distribution of the load area in order to minimize dangerous tilt. Incorrectly secured load during heavy braking can move and change drive trajectory of the vehicle and extend the braking distances. The results of road tests change the inclination of car body of the vehicle a towing car transporting vehicles of different mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the results of research which consider the influence of vacuum signal disturbance on the steering process of combustion engine. It also presents design guidelines for installations of vacuum signal between suction manifold and vacuum sensor. Diagnostic analysis was made with the use of three-dimensional fuel charge map. Additionally, the paper shows the overview of causes of the disturbance of vacuum stream signal depending on the construction of the system and its operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicles in depending on the segment and destination vary in size, type and power drive unit. These factors directly affect the total weight of the car and thus the type and size of tires. The choice of tire size depends on the power generated by the drive unit, which through the interaction of tire-pavement is to be transferred to the surface. The parameters affecting the field of contact with the ground is the value of the tire pressure and load on each wheel unit. Depending on the size of the rim, tire size and the number of people transported and / or goods manufacturer gives the recommended pressures for front and rear axle of the car. The effect of changes in pressure and load on the size of the surface area of contact selected summer tires with the road. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shapes and positions of the K α 1 and K α 2 x-ray lines for 3d-transition metals can vary substantially as electrons are stripped from the outer-shells. This paper shows the detailed line shapes for nickel and zinc, obtained by calculations with a multiconfiguration Dirac–Fock method that includes Breit interaction and quantum electrodynamics corrections. The line shapes can be useful in interpreting hot, dense plasmas with energetic electrons for which the K x-ray lines are optically thin, as may be produced by pulsed power machines such as the plasma-filled rod pinch diode or the plasma focus, or in short-pulsed high power laser plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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FSHB gene is considered as a marker for reproductive traits in human as well as in domestic animals. The aim of this study was to estimate associations between polymorphism in FSHB gene and reproductive traits in Polish Landrace breed (n=260) and Polish Large White X Polish Landrace crossbreed (n=381) sows. The following traits were analyzed: total number of piglets born (TNB), number of piglets born alive (NBA) and number of piglets weaned (NW). The polymorphism in FSHB gene was determined by PCR-RFLP method using HaeIII restriction enzymes. Mixed linear model was applied for association analysis which considered effects of genotype, litter order and year season. Two alleles of FSHB gene were identified - A and B with following frequency: 0.058 and 0.942 (Polish Landrace), 0.150 and 0.850 (Polish Large White X Polish Landrace) respectively. The distribution of genotypes was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both of analyzed herds. Analysis of relationship between FSHB/HaeIII polymorphism and reproductive traits in sows showed that genotype BB was favorable for all analyzed traits in first and second parity but differences were small and not confirmed statistically. The significant effect (P=0,01) of litter order on analyzed traits was however observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionization affects the energy and shape of the characteristic X-ray lines that may be excited by energetic electrons in a partially ionized plasma. We present the first theoretical predictions for copper K-line spectra in different ionization states, one of a systematic series of computations on how ionization affects inner-shell X-ray lines. Detailed computations such as these may make it possible to use individual hard X-rays lines as diagnostics for warm, dense plasmas when high-resolution X-ray spectra are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A recent measurement [1] demonstrates that iridium's Kα 2-line, centered at ≃63286.96 eV for a cold atom, increases ≃+10 eV in energy when it is emitted by a modestly (∼17×) ionized plasma. This measurement, enabled by a near-coincident lutetium K-edge filter, agrees well with atomic physics computations. Not understood at the time was a similar measurement with a thulium filter at the ≃59370 eV energy of ytterbium's Kβ 1 line, which indicated that its photon energy decreases with ionization. The computation reported here shows that the ionization energy shift for Yb's Kβ lines is indeed negative and agrees qualitatively with the measurements. For the K-lines the ionization energy shift may be most interesting in atomic physics, while for the L-lines the ionization energy shift is a promising plasma diagnostic [2]. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Spectra of the W L transitions in the energy range 8–12 keV from warm dense plasmas generated by the Naval Research Laboratory's Gamble II pulsed power machine were recorded by a newly developed high-resolution transmission-crystal X-ray spectrometer with ±2 eV accuracy. The discharges have up to 2 MV voltage, 0.5 MA current, and produce up to 2.4 MJ/cm−3 energy density. The plasma-filled rod pinch (PFRP) diode produces a plasma with N e ≈ 1022 cm−3 and T e ≈ 50 eV during the time of maximum X-ray emission. By analyzing the line shapes, it was determined that the Lβ2 inner-shell transition from the 4d5/2 level was shifted to higher energy by up to 23 eV relative to nearby Lβ transitions from n = 3 levels. In addition, the Lβ2 transition was significantly broader and asymmetric compared to the n = 3 transitions. The energy shift of the Lβ2 transition results from the ionization of electrons outside the 4d shell that perturbs the transition energies in the ions to higher values. The increased line width and asymmetry result from unresolved transitions from a range of ionization states up to +28. The ionization distribution was determined by comparison of the measured energy shifts and widths to calculated transition energies in W ions, and the ionization was correlated with Gamble discharge parameters such as the anode type and the high voltage delay time. This work demonstrates a new hard X-ray spectroscopic diagnostic technique for the direct measurement of the ionization distribution in warm dense plasmas of the heavy elements W through U that is independent of the other plasma parameters and does not require interpretation by hydrodynamic, atomic kinetics, and radiative simulation codes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • We study which models are suitable for forecasting Bitcoin volatility. • We consider many GARCH and two heterogeneous autoregressive (HAR) models. • Realized variance estimated is used as a proxy for true volatility. • EGARCH and APARCH perform best among the GARCH models. • HAR models perform better than GARCH models. Since Bitcoin price is highly volatile, forecasting its volatility is crucial for many applications, such as risk management or hedging. We study which model is the most suitable for forecasting Bitcoin volatility. We consider several GARCH and two heterogeneous autoregressive (HAR) models and compare them. Since we utilize realized variance estimated from high frequency data as a proxy for true volatility, we can draw sharper conclusions than studies which use only daily data. We find that EGARCH and APARCH perform best among the GARCH models. HAR models based on realized variance perform better than GARCH models based on daily data. Superiority of HAR models over GARCH models is strongest for short-term volatility forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Kα X-ray emission spectra of the low-density SiO2 aerogel target bombarded by 48Ca ions with initial energy of 11.4MeV/u were measured with a high spectral and spatial resolution along 80% of the ion beam stopping path. The Si KαL0 diagram and KαL n (up to n =5) X-ray satellite lines corresponding to the radiative decays of atomic states with one hole in the K-shell and n-holes in the L-shell were measured. Energy shifts of the KαL n satellites with respect to their diagram Kα lines were determined and compared with the results of multiconfiguration Dirac–Fock (MCDF) calculations. The experimental energy shifts are smaller than values obtained from free-ion MCDF theory assuming an empty M-shell. The influence of the valence M-shell configuration on the satellite X-ray spectra is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For molybdenum wire implosions on the Z-machine at Sandia National Laboratories the high-resolution measurements of x-ray spectra have been recently published. The K and L x-ray spectra modeled here within the framework of Collisional-Radiative Model using the Flexible Atomic Code package reproduce well the published data to show that such model is a reasonable one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionization of an atom's outer shells affects the energy of K-shell photons. For atoms with Z > 40, i.e. Zr and higher, such as Mo and Ag, as used in recent high-current Z-pinches at Sandia, computations with a multi-configuration Dirac-Fock method show that the K-shell photon energy increases linearly with ionization of the particular shells farther out. The linear dependence is a convenient way to estimate the plasma's ionization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the relationship between IGF-1 gene polymorphism and milk production traits in Polish Red-and-White cattle in India. It examines various traits such as content of fat, dry matter, lactose, protein and somatic cell count. It is suggested that polymorphism C-512T in the IGF-1 gene is associated with somatic cell count and milk yield in cows.