Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Law and Economics of Disability Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act provides a clear mandate that disabled workers be provided with "reasonable" accommodations, but does not meaningfully articulate the standards by which reasonableness ought to be measured. Until now, neither courts nor commentators have provided a systematic model for analyzing accommodation claims. This Article articulates an initial law and economics framework for analyzing disability-related accommodations. In doing so, it demonstrates how accommodations span a cost continuum that can be divided into areas of Wholly Efficient and Semi-Efficient Accommodations to be funded by private employers, Social Benefit Gain Efficient Accommodations where the costs should be borne by the public fisc, and Wholly Inefficient Accommodations that ought not be provided. It also delineates the boundaries between each category, and explains why the entities designated should bear the accommodation costs assigned to them. The analysis of disability accommodations uses, questions, and at times goes beyond the neoclassical economic model of the labor market, and also engages arguments from the jurisprudence of social justice. By utilizing both these fields, this Article stakes out a unique perspective on disability accommodations, and provides an avenue for continued discussion and debate over how disability accommodations ought to be measured.
A Low-Power Digitally Controlled Oscillator for All Digital Phase-Locked Loops

A low-power and low-jitter 12-bit CMOS digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) design is presented. The Low-Power CMOS DCO is designed based on the ring oscillator implemented with Schmitt trigger inverters. The proposed DCO circuit uses control codes of thermometer type to reduce jitters. Performance of the DCO is verified through a novel All Digital Phase-Locked Loop (ADPLL) designed with a unique lock-in process by employing a time-to-digital converter, where both the frequency of the reference clock and the delay between DCO output and DCO clock is measured. A carefully designed reset process reduces the phase acquisition process to two cycles. The ADPLL was implemented using the 32 nm Predictive Technology Model (PTM) at 0.9 V supply voltage, and the simulation results show that the proposed ADPLL achieves 10 and 2 reference cycles of frequency and phase acquisitions, respectively, at 700MHz with less than 67 ps peak-to-peak jitter. The DCO consumes 2.2mWat 650MHz with 0.9 V power supply.
A bandwidth reservation protocol for speech/data integration in TDMA-based advanced mobile systems

The traffic performance of third-generation mobile systems is greatly influenced by the multiple access protocols used in the radio access subsystem. The paper introduces an access protocol, SIR (Service Integration Radio Access), which has the potential for accommodating the requirements of speech and bursty data traffic in an efficient way. SIR is evolved from a protocol (PRMA ++) studied in the framework of a TDMA-based version of the European Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and uses dedicated mechanisms for data bandwidth request collection and servicing.
Distress in the Financial Sector and Economic Activity

Abstract We construct daily market-based measures of distance to default for large U.S. financial institutions since 1973. These measures have significant predictive power for institution bankruptcy more than one year in advance. We aggregate the distances to default across institutions to provide an index of the overall health of the financial-services industry. We show that deteriorations in this Financial Institution Health Index are associated with tighter lending standards and higher interest rates on bank loans and precede declines in employment and industrial production. We argue that this points to the condition of financial institutions as an independent source of macroeconomic variability, distinct from traditional accelerator mechanisms.
Social identity influences stress appraisals and cardiovascular reactions to acute stress exposure.

OBJECTIVES This study tested a recent theoretical development in stress research to see whether group membership influenced cardiovascular reactions following exposure to acute stress. METHODS Participants (N = 104) were exposed to a message in which a maths test was described as stressful or challenging by an ingroup member (a student) or outgroup member (a stress disorder sufferer). Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure(DBP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored throughout a standard reactivity study. RESULTS As expected, a significant interaction was found; relative to those who were told that the task was challenging, ingroup members reported more stress and had higher DBP and HR reactivity when told by an ingroup member that the maths task was stressful; task information did not have the same effect for outgroup members. CONCLUSION These results indicate that informational support is not constant but varies as a function of group membership. Finally, this recent development in stress research may prove useful for those interested in investigating the interactions between social, psychological and physiological processes underlying health disparities. STATEMENT OF CONTRIBUTION What is already known on this subject? Stress is a common risk factor for hypertension and coronary heart disease. Social support has been found to reduce cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress. The influence of social support on stress varies as a consequence of social identity. What does this study add? The social group that one belongs to influences how one appraises and responds to stress. Social identity provides a useful framework for understanding how social processes are associated with health disparities.
Employee satisfaction in the Iberian hotel industry

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze job‐satisfaction differences between employees of the hotel industries of two similar tourist destinations: Andalusia (Spain) and the Algarve (Portugal). Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey was conducted in the two regions. The population for this study comprised employees of any hotel establishment in these regions. The authors have used stratified random sampling based on the number of hotels in each category and the number of hotel beds these represent. A total of 2,064 usable questionnaires from 165 hotels were returned in Andalusia and 461 from 23 hotels in the Algarve.Findings – Findings from this study show an acceptable level of job satisfaction in both regions, although this is higher among the Andalusian workers, not only in terms of the overall score but also for each of the job facet scores considered. In contrast to previous findings, in this study the effect of wage on job satisfaction has been reported as significant in both regions.Resea.
Centromere and telomere movements during early meiotic prophase of mouse and man are associated with the onset of chromosome pairing

The preconditions and early steps of meiotic chromosome pairing were studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome- specific DNA probes to mouse and human testis tissue sections. Premeiotic pairing of homologous chromosomes was not detected in spermatogonia of the two species. FISH with centromere- and telomere- specific DNA probes in combination with immunostaining (IS) of synaptonemal complex (SC) proteins to testis sections of prepuberal mice at days 4-12 post partum was performed to study sequentially the meiotic pairing process. Movements of centromeres and then telomeres to the nuclear envelope, and of telomeres along the nuclear envelope leading to the formation of a chromosomal bouquet were detected during mouse prophase. At the bouquet stage, pairing of a mouse chromosome-8- specific probe was observed. SC-IS and simultaneous telomere FISH revealed that axial element proteins appear as large aggregates in mouse meiocytes when telomeres are attached to the nuclear envelope. Axial element formation initiates during tight telomere clustering and transverse filament-IS indicated the initiation of synapsis during this stage. Comparison of telomere and centromere distribution patterns of mouse and human meiocytes revealed movements of centromeres and then telomeres to the nuclear envelope and subsequent bouquet formation as conserved motifs of the pairing process. Chromosome painting in human spermatogonia revealed compacted, largely mutually exclusive chromosome territories. The territories developed into long, thin threads at the onset of meiotic prophase. Based on these results a unified model of the pairing process is proposed.
The Impact of Urbanization on Energy Intensity in Saudi Arabia

This paper investigates the long-term and causal relationship between energy intensity, real GDP per capita, urbanization and industrialization in Saudi Arabia over the period 1971–2012 using the breakpoint unit root tests developed by Perron (1989) and the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model bounds testing to cointegration proposed by Pesaran et al. (2001) and employing a modified version of the Granger causality test proposed by Toda and Yamamoto (1995). Additionally, to test the robustness of the results, the fully modified ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, the dynamic OLS regression, and the Hansen test are used. Our results show that the variables are cointegrated when energy intensity is the dependent variable. It is also found that urbanization positively affects energy intensity in both the short term and the long term. Causality tests indicate that urbanization causes economic output that causes energy intensity in the long term. Our results do not support the urban compaction hypothesis where urban cities benefit from basic public services and economies of scale for public infrastructure. Therefore, measures that slow down the rapid urbanization process should be taken to reduce energy intensity in Saudi Arabia. In addition, reducing energy inefficiency in energy consumption should be a strategy to attain sustainable development in the near future in Saudi Arabia.
Economic Growth in Chile: Evidence, Sources and Prospects

This paper reviews the Chilean experience of growth, with particular focus on the rapid growth that began in the mid-1980s, as the economy recovered from the crisis of 1982. This process slowed down in the late nineties. This paper also reviews the evidence on growth and decomposes the rate of growth and the level of output into its components. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses that explain Chile’s growth take-off and that support future growth. Finally, the paper reviews estimates of the potential rate of long-run growth for the Chilean economy
Unsustainable Home Telehealth: A Texas Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE Telehealth has emerged as an innovative approach to aid older individuals in managing chronic diseases in their homes and avoid hospitalizations and institutionalization. However, the sustainability of home telehealth programs remains a major challenge. This qualitative study explored the reasons for the initial adoption and the eventual decline of a decade-long home telehealth program at a Texas home health agency (HHA). Barriers to and facilitators for sustaining home telehealth programs were also explored. DESIGN AND METHODS Semistructured interviews of 13 HHA nursing staff and administrators, 1 physician, and 9 patients aged >55 years and their informal caregivers who used telehealth were conducted in summer 2013. Interview transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS Data analysis generated 5 themes representing the decline of the Texas home telehealth program: its impact on patient-centered outcomes, its cost-effectiveness, patient-clinician and interprofessional communication, technology usability, and home health management culture. Lack of significant impact on patient outcomes, in addition to financial, technical, management, and communication-related challenges, adversely affected the sustainability of this home telehealth program. IMPLICATIONS A home telehealth program that attains patient-centered outcomes, improves cost-effectiveness of managing chronic diseases, improves quality of communication among patients and clinicians, is user-friendly for older adults, and involves end users in decision making is likely to be sustainable.
Is the euro advantageous? Does it foster European feelings? Europeans on the euro after five years

The introduction of the euro as a currency in physical existence in January 2002 was a major step in the European integration process. The purpose of this paper is to explore how a representative selection of 12 000 Europeans across all countries in the euro area view the effects of the euro five years after its introduction. The empirical analysis uses multinomial logistic regressions to explore the responses to two questions from the Flash Eurobarometer survey conducted in September 2006. The first question asked if the adoption of the euro was advantageous overall or not. The second one asked if using the euro had made you personally feel a little more European than before or not.
Contactless determination of gas concentration and pressure based on a low jitter mmWave FMCW radar

In this contribution a novel approach on the determination of gas concentration and pressure is presented. Dielectric mixing equations are shown that explain the relation of permittivity and gas concentration. By means of the mixing equation's edge case, an approximation for dielectric behavior of pure gas pressures is affiliated. A test container and a highly precise mmWave radar system enable the establishment of a fast and precise time domain measurement, named pseudo transmission measurement, for gas measuring tasks. Measurements that were performed on the test setup prove the suggested dielectric gas-theory and are discussed in detail.
Amyloid-beta Alzheimer targets — protein processing, lipid rafts, and amyloid-beta pores

Amyloid beta (Aβ), the hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), now appears to be deleterious in its low number aggregate form as opposed to the macroscopic Aβ fibers historically seen postmortem. While Alzheimer targets, such as the tau protein, amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing, and immune system activation continue to be investigated, the recent discovery that amyloid beta aggregates at lipid rafts and likely forms neurotoxic pores has led to a new paradigm regarding why past therapeutics may have failed and how to design the next round of compounds for clinical trials. An atomic resolution understanding of Aβ aggregates, which appear to exist in multiple conformations, is most desirable for future therapeutic development. The investigative difficulties, structures of these small Aβ aggregates, and current therapeutics are summarized in this review.
Effects of intra-articular botulinum toxin type A (Botox®) in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis

Summary Objectives: To evaluate the effects of intra-articular botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) in dogs with chronic osteo-arthritis. Methods: Client-owned dogs with lameness and discomfort attributed to unilateral elbow or hip osteoarthritis were eligible for inclusion (n = 5). All dogs had BoNT/A (25 units) administered to the affected joint (2 elbows, 3 hips). Dogs were evaluated by pressure platform gait analysis before and at two, four, eight, and 12 weeks post-injection, and by client perception of outcome. Results: In experimental limbs, ground reaction forces (peak vertical force and vertical impulse) consistently improved for a variable period of time following intra-articular BoNT/A therapy. These changes were not, however, observed in the contralateral limbs, in which values remained relatively unchanged or decreased. Four out of five owners reported at least some improvement in their dog’s condition following treatment. Clinical significance: A multimodal approach with the intra-articular administration of BoNT/A may be an option for osteoarthritis patients that are unresponsive to medical management and unable to undergo surgery. However, the findings of this study are preliminary and must be verified by further investigation.
Humanoid Multimodal Tactile-Sensing Modules

In this paper, we present a new generation of active tactile modules (i.e., HEX-O-SKIN), which are developed in order to approach multimodal whole-body-touch sensation for humanoid robots. To better perform like humans, humanoid robots need the variety of different sensory modalities in order to interact with their environment. This calls for certain robustness and fault tolerance as well as an intelligent solution to connect the different sensory modalities to the robot. Each HEX-O-SKIN is a small hexagonal printed circuit board equipped with multiple discrete sensors for temperature, acceleration, and proximity. With these sensors, we emulate the human sense of temperature, vibration, and light touch. Off-the-shelf sensors were utilized to speed up our development cycle; however, in general, we can easily extend our design with new discrete sensors, thereby making it flexible for further exploration. A local controller on each HEX-O-SKIN preprocesses the sensor signals and actively routes data through a network of modules toward the closest PC connection. Local processing decreases the necessary network and high-level processing bandwidth, while a local analog-to-digital conversion and digital-data transfers are less sensitive to electromagnetic interference. With an active data-routing scheme, it is also possible to reroute the data around broken connections-yielding robustness throughout the global structure while minimizing wirings. To support our approach, multiple HEX-O-SKIN are embedded into a rapid-prototyped elastomer skin material and redundantly connected to neighboring modules by just four ports. The wiring complexity is shifted to each HEX-O-SKIN such that a power and data connection between two modules is reduced to four noncrossing wires. Thus, only a very simple robot-specific base frame is needed to support and wire the HEX-O-SKIN to a robot. The potential of our multimodal sensor modules is demonstrated experimentally on a robot platform.
Mechanism of electromigration-induced failure in flip-chip solder joints with a 10-μm-thick Cu under-bump metallization

The electromigration-induced failure in flip-chip eutectic SnPb solder joints with a 10-μm-thick Cu under-bump metallization (UBM) was studied without the effect of current crowding in the solder region. The current crowding occurred inside the UBM instead of in the solder joint at the current density of 3.0 × 10^4 A/cm^2 because of the spreading of current in the very thick Cu UBM. In these joints, the failure occurred through a two-stage consumption of the thick Cu UBM in the joint where electrons flowed from the chip to the substrate. In the first stage, the Cu UBM dissolved layer by layer rather uniformly across the entire Cu UBM–solder interface. In the second stage, after half of the Cu UBM was dissolved, an asymmetrical dissolution of Cu UBM took place at the corner where electrons entered from the Al interconnect to the Cu UBM. Experimental observation of dissolution steps of the 10-μm-thick Cu UBM is presented. The transition from the first stage to the second stage has been found to depend on the location of current crowding in the flip-chip joints as the UBM thickness changes during the electromigration test. The current distribution in the flip-chip solder joints as a function of UBM thickness was simulated by three-dimensional finite element analysis. The dissolution rate of Cu UBM in the second stage was faster than that in the first stage. The mechanism of electromigration-induced failure in the flip-chip solder joints with a 10-μm-thick Cu UBM is discussed.
A Tool for Improving Patient Discharge Process and Hospital Communication Practices: the Patient Tracker

Hospital bed demands sometimes exceed capacity, leading to delays in patient admissions, transfers and cancellations of surgical procedures. Effective strategies must be in place for an efficient use of existing beds. Establishing such strategies at academic hospitals poses serious challenges. We developed and implemented a web-based software application called "Patient Tracker" to manage the discharge process, minimize delays in admission and reduce surgical procedure cancellations. We also tested the effectiveness of the software on the work flow by comparing outcomes between the pre-implementation control group (2002-2003) and the post-implementation experimental group (2003-2006). Following the implementation of the software, the number of cancelled surgical procedures decreased (120 vs. 12, p<0.01). During the same period, the average number of inpatient admissions increased (5725 vs. 6120), and the median emergency department LOS decreased (247 vs. 232, p<0.01).
Early Immune Response to the Components of the Type III System of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

ABSTRACT The lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are colonized initially by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is associated with progressive lung destruction and increased mortality. The pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa is caused by a number of virulence factors, including exotoxin A (ETA) and the type III cytotoxins (ExoS, ExoT, ExoU, and ExoY). P. aeruginosa contacts the plasma membrane to deliver type III cytotoxins through a channel formed by PopB, PopD, and PcrV; ETA enters mammalian cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. The Wisconsin CF Neonatal Screening Project is a longitudinal investigation to assess the potential benefits and risks of newborn screening for CF; the project was the source of serum samples used in this study. Past studies evaluated the longitudinal appearance of antibodies to ETA and elastase and P. aeruginosa infections in patients with CF. The current study characterized the longitudinal appearance of antibodies to components of the type III system in children with CF. Western blot analyses showed that serum antibodies to PopB, PcrV, and ExoS were common. Longitudinal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays determined that the first detection of antibodies to pooled ExoS/PopB occurred at a time similar to those of detection of antibodies to a P. aeruginosa cell lysate and the identification of oropharyngeal cultures positive for P. aeruginosa. This indicates that children with CF are colonized early with P. aeruginosa expressing the type III system, implicating it in early pathogenesis, and implies that surveillance of clinical symptoms, oropharyngeal cultures, and seroconversion to type III antigens may facilitate early detection of P. aeruginosa infections.
Aldo–Keto Reductase 1B10 and Its Role in Proliferation Capacity of Drug-Resistant Cancers

The human aldo–keto reductase AKR1B10, originally identified as an aldose reductase-like protein and human small intestine aldose reductase, is a cytosolic NADPH-dependent reductase that metabolizes a variety of endogenous compounds, such as aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and dicarbonyl compounds, and some drug ketones. The enzyme is highly expressed in solid tumors of several tissues including lung and liver, and as such has received considerable interest as a relevant biomarker for the development of those tumors. In addition, AKR1B10 has been recently reported to be significantly up-regulated in some cancer cell lines (medulloblastoma D341 and colon cancer HT29) acquiring resistance toward chemotherapeutic agents (cyclophosphamide and mitomycin c), suggesting the validity of the enzyme as a chemoresistance marker. Although the detailed information on the AKR1B10-mediated mechanisms leading to the drug resistance process is not well understood so far, the enzyme has been proposed to be involved in functional regulations of cell proliferation and metabolism of drugs and endogenous lipids during the development of chemoresistance. This article reviews the current literature focusing mainly on expression profile and roles of AKR1B10 in the drug resistance of cancer cells. Recent developments of AKR1B10 inhibitors and their usefulness in restoring sensitivity to anticancer drugs are also reviewed.