Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WHO recommended collaborative TB/HIV activities: evaluation of implementation and performance in a rural district hospital in Cameroon

Background The objective of the study was to assess the implementation and the performance of recommended collaborative TB/HIV activities in Batibo District Hospital (BDH) and to determine the prevalence of HIV in TB patients in this rural locality. Methods The implementation of collaborative TB/HIV activities was assessed through interviews with health workers in the hospital. The implementation score was calculated as the proportion of recommended activities effectively implemented in the hospital. The performance of implemented activities and the prevalence of HIV were determined through review in HIV and TB registers of routine data for the period 2003-2008. Results The implementation of collaborative TB/HIV activities though triggered by the existence of both TB and HIV units in the hospital was only moderate with an implementation score of 50%. All implemented activities aimed at reducing the burden of HIV in TB patients. The performance of implemented activities was in average 61% (n=179) and 82% (n=77) respectively regarding HIV testing among TB patients and antiretroviral therapy coverage in TB/HIV co-infected patients. Provision of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) was inexistent in this hospital due mainly to the lack of tuberculin skin test and isoniazid tablets. The prevalence of HIV among TB patients in this rural locality was 53%. This prevalence was 55% in females and 44% in males (p=0.19). Conclusion The implementation of collaborative TB/HIV activities in BDH was effective only regarding activities to reduce the burden of HIV among TB patients. There is urgent need to strengthen the capacity of this rural health facility in providing IPT services.
Environmental Effects on Measurement Uncertainties of Time-of-Flight Cameras

In this paper the effect the environment has on the SwissRanger SR3000 time-of-flight camera is investigated. The accuracy of this camera is highly affected by the scene it is pointed at: such as the reflective properties, color and gloss. Also the complexity of the scene has considerable effects on the accuracy. To mention a few: The angle of the objects to the emitted light and the scattering effects of near objects. In this paper a general overview of known such inaccuracy factors are described, followed by experiments illustrating the additional uncertainty factors. Specifically we give a better description of how a surface color intensity influences the depth measurement, and illustrate how multiple reflections influence the resulting depth measurement.
Trust and Trade

This paper presents a model demonstrating how trust affects the volume of trade in a society. There are two ways in which this happens. First, at minimum, societies need a certain level of trust in order to observe trading activity. Second, once this minimum condition is satisfied, the probability of observing a larger volume of trade is high only if the level of trust is sufficiently high. Our results help explain empirical findings that demonstrate a positive relationship between trust and the volume of sales, or the value added of trade. The model also shows that institutions can compensate for low levels of trust-that is, societies with low levels of trust can achieve volumes of trade comparable to those of societies with high levels of trust by spending more resources on increasing the quality of the relevant institutions.
Positive Forms and Stability of Linear Time-Delay Systems

We consider the problem of constructing Lyapunov functions for linear differential equations with delays. For such systems it is known that stability implies that there exists a quadratic Lyapunov function on the state space, although this is in general infinite dimensional. We give an explicit parametrization of a finite-dimensional subset of the cone of Lyapunov functions. Positivity of this class of functions is enforced using sum-of-squares polynomial matrices. This allows the computation to be formulated as a semidefinite program
Ca2+-Dependent Regulation of Rho GTPases Triggers Turning of Nerve Growth Cones

Cytoplasmic Ca2+ elevation and changes in Rho GTPase activity are both known to mediate axon guidance by extracellular factors, but the causal relationship between these two events has been unclear. Here we show that direct elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ by extracellular application of a low concentration of ryanodine, which activated Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, upregulated Cdc42/Rac, but downregulated RhoA, in cultured cerebellar granule cells and human embryonic kidney 293T cells. Chemoattractive turning of the growth cone triggered by a gradient of ryanodine was blocked by overexpression of mutant forms of Cdc42 but not of RhoA in Xenopus spinal cord neurons. Furthermore, Ca2+-induced GTPase activity correlated with activation of protein kinase C and required a basal activity of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Thus, Rho GTPases may mediate axon guidance by linking upstream Ca2+ signals triggered by guidance factors to downstream cytoskeletal rearrangements.
Forecasting Distribution of Inflation Rates: Functional Autoregressive Approach

In line with the recent developments on the statistical analysis of functional data, we develop the semiparametric functional autoregressive (FAR) modeling approach to the density forecasting analysis of national inflation rates using sectoral inflation rates in the UK over the period January 1997-September 2013. The pseudo out-of-sample forecasting evaluation and test results provide an overall support to superior performance of our proposed models over the aggregate autoregressive models and their statistical validity. The fan-chart analysis and the probability event forecasting exercise provide a further support for our approach in a qualitative sense, revealing that the modified FAR models can provide a complementary tool for generating the density forecast of inflation, and analyse the performance of the central bank in achieving announced inflation target. As inflation targeting monetary policies are usually set with recourse to the medium-term forecasts, our proposed work may provide policymakers with an invaluably enriched information set.
The politico-economic determinants and productivity effects of regional transport investment in Europe

We study the determinants and productivity effects of regional transportation infrastructure investment in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. We estimate productivity effects with regional production functions for each country controlling for the potential endogeneity of public infrastructure investment. In analyzing the determinants of public infrastructure investment two broad categories are considered: First, the normative principles such as efficiency, equity, and redistribution; and second, political factors such as electoral competition and electoral rents. The evidence shows that road infrastructure positively contributes to regional production. As to the determinants, efficiency and redistribution are consistently found to be the dominant norms while equity considerations appear to be less important. However, we find remarkable differences across countries regarding the political determinants. Which political factors matter for infrastructure investment is related to the different political systems of the various countries.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Development in the Neurophysiology of Emotion Processing and Memory in School-age Children

Keywords: Emotional memory development ERP Psychophysiology Recognition memory School-age children a b s t r a c t In the adult literature, emotional arousal is regarded as a source of the enhancing effect of emotion on subsequent memory. Here, we used behavioral, electrophysiological, and psy-chophysiological methods to examine the role of emotional arousal on subsequent memory in school-age children. Five-to 8-year-olds, divided into younger and older groups, viewed emotional scenes as EEG, heart rate, and respiration was recorded, and participated in a memory task 24 hours later where EEG and behavioral responses were recorded; participants provided subjective ratings of the scenes after the memory task. All measures indicated emotion responses in both groups, and in ERP measures the effects were stronger for older children. Emotion responses were more consistent across measures for negative than positive stimuli. Behavioral memory performance was strong but did not differ by emotion condition. Emotion influenced the ERP index of recognition memory in the older group only (enhanced recognition of negative scenes). The findings an increasing interaction of emotion and memory during the school years. Further, the findings impress the value of combining multiple methods to assess emotion and memory in development. Development in the neurophysiology of emotion processing and memory in school-age children.
A new look at the 'old view': Endogenous discounting, taxation, and corporate financial decisions

In presenting this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the Library of the University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type. I agree that permission to quote from, to copy from, or to publish this dissertation may be granted by the author or, in his or her absence, the professor under whose direction it was written or, in his or her absence, by the Dean of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for scholarly purposes and must not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying from or publication of this dissertation which involves potential gain will not be allowed without written permission of the author. All dissertations deposited in the Georgia State University Library must be used only in accordance with the stipulations prescribed by the author in the preceding statement. Users of this dissertation not regularly enrolled as students at Georgia State University are required to attest acceptance of the preceding stipulations by signing below. Libraries borrowing this dissertation for the use of their patrons are required to see that each user records here the information requested. ACCEPTANCE This dissertation was prepared under the direction of the candidate's Dissertation Committee. It has been approved and accepted by all members of that committee, and it has been accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Economics in the v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I wish to thank my wife, Peggy Amend, for her support, encouragement, and patience as I embarked on a journey of study, examinations, research, and writing that culminates with this dissertation. I am also thankful for the encouragement of my daughter, Christina, and my son, Jordan. I love you all. Deep gratitude also goes to my committee chair and advisor, Jim Alm, who took me on as a research associate when I entered the program and whose classes I greatly enjoyed, old movie references and older jokes included. Jim has been a helpful and very patient advisor, and a mentor and occasional co-author from whom I have learned much. your helpful comments and suggestions at the proposal stage and on the final version of the dissertation. Finally, I wish to thank Dave Sjoquist and …
Production of Dextran by Newly Isolated Strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides PCSIR-4 and PCSIR-9

Different isolated strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides produce dextran compared with that of L. mesenteroides NRRL B-512 F. Among nine newly isolated strains, strains PCSIR-4 and PCSIR-9 produced dextran of different quality. Using these two newly isolated strains, the development of dextran coincided closely with the disappearance of sucrose. The yield of dextran increased during growth and maximum yield was obtained at the end of exponential phase. Dextran yield was higher in media containing nitrogen source supplemented with different salts. Medium 2 was found to be best for the dextran production as compared with other media. Initial sucrose concentration in the media plays an important role in dextran production. The higher the initial concentration of sucrose in the medium, the higher is the yield of dextran produced per unit volume; however, the percentage conversion of sucrose into dextran decreases after reaching maxima. A 10% sucrose concentration in the medium was the optimal level of dextran production. Molecular mass distribution of dextran from PCSIR-4 is near to 2 million Dalton whereas the dextran produced by PCSIR-9 is quiet higher than the dextran from PCSIR-4.
Is There an Association Between Lifetime Cumulative Exposure and Acute Pulmonary Responses to Ozone?

Objective: To investigate the potential effects of lifetime cumulative ozone (O3) exposure on acute pulmonary responses to O3. Methods: Fifteen healthy subjects from a larger cohort of young adults were exposed to 200 ppb O3 for 4 hours followed by bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage 18 hours later. Lung function, symptom questionnaires, and blood samples were obtained before and after each exposure. Subjects' lifetime cumulative O3 exposures were estimated from residential histories and air-quality monitoring data. Results: Acute exposure to O3 caused decrements in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), maximal mid-expiratory flow rate (FEF25–75), and forced expiratory flow rate at 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF75), and an increase in plasma clara cell protein (CC16) level. Changes in CC16 and lower respiratory symptoms, but not in lung function, were positively correlated with lifetime cumulative O3 exposure. Conclusion: Higher lifetime cumulative O3 exposure was associated with airway injury and respiratory symptom responses, but not with airway inflammatory or lung function responses, to acute O3 exposure.
Robust control of robots via linear estimated state feedback

In this note we propose a robust tracking controller for robots that requires only position measurements. The controller consists of two parts: a linear observer part that generates an estimated error state from the error on the joint position and a linear feedback part that utilizes this estimated state. It is shown that this computationally efficient controller yields semi-global uniform ultimate boundedness of the tracking error. An interesting feature of the controller is that it straightforwardly extends results on robust control of robots by linear state feedback to linear estimated-state feedback. >
Fear, Unemployment and Pay Flexibility

The paper uses newly available cross-section data to study wage determination in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. The main results are as follows: (1) fear of unemployment substantially depresses pay; (2) there is some evidence of a wage ratchet whereby rates of pay are more flexible upwards than downwards; (3) the unemployment elasticity of pay averages -0.1; and (4) wages are much more flexible in nonunion workplaces than they are in union workplaces. Copyright 1991 by Royal Economic Society.
Blind Known Interference Cancellation

This paper investigates interference-cancellation schemes at the receiver, in which the interference data, which is valid data intended for another receiver, is known a priori. The interference channel, however, is unknown (the blind part). Such a priori knowledge is common in wireless relay networks. For example, a relay could be relaying data that was previously transmitted by a node A. If node A is now receiving a signal from another node B, the interference from the relay is actually self-information known to node A. Besides the case of self-information, the node could also have overheard or received the interference data in a prior transmission by another node. Directly removing the known interference requires accurate estimate of the interference channel, which may be difficult in many situations. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme, Blind Known-Interference Cancellation (BKIC), to cancel known interference without interference channel information. BKIC consists of two steps. The first step combines adjacent symbols to cancel the interference, exploiting the fact that the channel coefficients are almost the same between successive symbols. After such interference cancellation, however, the signal of interest is distorted. The second step recovers the signal of interest amidst the distortion. We propose two algorithms for the critical second steps. The first algorithm (BKIC-S) is based on the principle of smoothing. It is simple and has near optimal performance in the slow fading scenario. The second algorithm (BKIC-RBP) is based on the principle of real-valued belief propagation. Since there is no loop in the Tanner graph, BKIC-RBP can achieve MAP-optimal performance with fast convergence, and has near interference-free performance even in the fast fading scenario. Both BKIC schemes outperform the traditional self-interference cancellation schemes that have perfect initial channel information by a large margin, while having lower complexities.
The properties of satellite galaxies in simulations of galaxy formation

We investigate the properties of satellite galaxies in cosmological N-body/smooth particle hydrodynamics simulations of galaxy formation in Milky Way-sized haloes. Because of their shallow potential wells, satellite galaxies are very sensitive to heating processes which affect their gas content. Their properties can therefore be used to constrain the nature of feedback processes that regulate galaxy formation. In our simulations, we assume that all the energy produced by supernovae is used as kinetic energy to drive galactic winds. Several of our simulations produce bright, disc-dominated galaxies. We find that wind models in which the wind speed, ν w , is proportional to the local velocity dispersion of the dark matter, σ (and thus the wind mass-loading, η w ∝ σ ―2 ), make star formation in satellites sporadic, reproduce the observed satellite luminosity function reasonably well (down to M ν = -7) and match the luminosity-metallicity relation observed in the Local Group satellites. By contrast, models that assume a constant wind speed overproduce faint satellites and predict an incorrect luminosity-metallicity relation. Our simulations therefore suggest that the feedback processes that operate on the scale of satellite galaxies should generate galactic outflows whose mass-loading varies inversely with the depth of the potential.
Monetary Policy Implementation and Results in Twenty Inflation-Targeting Countries

Inflation targeting is an increasingly popular monetary regime among industrialized and developing central banks. However, there is little cross-country comparative information about commonalties and differences in monetary policy implementation and results across inflation-targeting countries. This paper presents the results of a survey on monetary policy conducted among the world’s twenty central banks that currently target inflation. Survey responses highlight operational features of monetary policy implementation, the ways monetary decisions are made and communicated to the public, and the models on which monetary policy decisions and macroeconomic forecasts are based. The paper also reports the dynamic simulation effects of monetary policy changes on output and inflation reported by individual central banks.
Longevity and aging

Research into the biology of aging seeks to understand the basic mechanisms of aging, with the goal of extending the period of life spent free from chronic disease and disability. Aging results from molecular processes that are modulated by genetic and environmental parameters. At least some of these mechanisms of aging are broadly shared across eukaryotic species from yeast to mice, and likely humans, as well. Recent breakthroughs in aging-related research have identified conserved longevity factors, such as components of the insulin-like signaling pathway and the mechanistic target of rapamycin, and have suggested potential paths toward developing the first interventions to slow aging in humans.
AN ANALYSIS OF SIMULATED CALIFORNIA CLIMATE USING MULTIPLE DYNAMICAL AND STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES

This paper was prepared as the result of work sponsored by the California Energy Commission (Energy Commission) and the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA). It does not necessarily represent the views of the Energy Commission, Cal/EPA, their employees, or the State of California. The Energy Commission, Cal/EPA, the State of California, their employees, contractors, and subcontractors make no warrant, express or implied, and assume no legal liability for the information in this paper; nor does any party represent that the uses of this information will not infringe upon privately owned rights. This paper has not been approved or disapproved by the California Energy Commission or Cal/EPA, nor has the California Energy Commission or Cal/EPA passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the information in this paper. F IN A L P A P E R
Software testing based on formal specifications: a theory and a tool

This paper addresses the problem of constructing test data sets from formal specifications. Starting from a notion of an ideal exhaustive test data set which is derived from the notion of satisfaction of the formal specification, it is shown how to select by refinements a practicable test set, i.e. computable, not rejecting correct programs (unbiased), and accepting only correct programs (valid), assuming some hypotheses. The hypotheses play an important role: they formalize common test practices and they express the gap between the success of the test and correctness ; the size of the test set depends on the strength of the hypotheses. The paper shows an application of this theory in the case of algebraic specifications and presents the actual procedures used to mechanically produce such test sets, using Horn clause logic. These procedures are embedded in an interactive system which, given some general hypotheses schemes and an algebraic specification, produces a test set and the corresponding hypotheses.
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule: Psychometric Properties of the Korean Version

Objective The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was developed as a measure of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). The aim here is to examine the factor structure and concurrent validity of the Korean version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (K-PANAS) in a clinical sample in Korea. Methods K-PANAS was administered to a clinical sample in Korea. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were undertaken to examine the factorial structure and reliability of the K-PANAS. Results The reliability of K-PANAS is satisfactory. CFA showed that several of the models commonly used in Western populations provided an insufficient fit. The modified model provided a more adequate fit to the data. Conclusion The authors demonstrate that the K-PANAS has adequate psychometric properties, and that findings obtained in the West using PANAS were partially replicated.