Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intention-Net: Integrating Planning and Deep Learning for Goal-Directed Autonomous Navigation

How can a delivery robot navigate reliably to a destination in a new office building, with minimal prior information? To tackle this challenge, this paper introduces a two-level hierarchical approach, which integrates model-free deep learning and model-based path planning. At the low level, a neural-network motion controller, called the intention-net, is trained end-to-end to provide robust local navigation. The intention-net maps images from a single monocular camera and "intentions" directly to robot controls. At the high level, a path planner uses a crude map, e.g., a 2-D floor plan, to compute a path from the robot's current location to the goal. The planned path provides intentions to the intention-net. Preliminary experiments suggest that the learned motion controller is robust against perceptual uncertainty and by integrating with a path planner, it generalizes effectively to new environments and goals.
Anticholinergic Drugs: Effects on Oxygen Consumption and Energy Expenditure

Premedication has been shown to affect both oxygen consumption (&OV0312;O2) and energy expenditure (EE). The metabolic responses to anticholinergic drugs have not been studied. In this study the effects of anticholinergic drugs on &OV0312;O2 and EE (calculated from the measured rates of &OV0312;O2 and carbon dioxide production [°CO2]: EE [kcal/d] = 3.581 × &OV0312;O2 [L/d] + 1.448 × &OV0312;CO2 [L/d]-32.4) were measured in six healthy female volunteers. They were given intramuscular atropine (15 μg/kg), glycopyrrolate (8 μg/kg), scopolamine (8 μg/kg), and placebo in a random double-blind cross-over design. The consecutive sessions were at least 1 wk apart for each subject. &OV0312;O2 and EE were measured using an indirect calorimetry (Deltatrac(tm)). Cardiovascular responses were assessed using standard noninvasive monitoring. Plasma drug concentrations were analyzed using a sensitive modification of radioreceptor assay. Subjective responses were measured with visual analog scale (VAS). Atropine and glycopyrrolate induced a significant increase in heart rate with a simultaneous decrease in pressure rate quotient (PRQ), while scopolamine caused a significant decrease in heart rate with a simultaneous increase in PRQ. Scopolamine significantly decreased both &OV0312;O2 and EE, whereas glycopyrrolate increased &OV0312;O2. Atropine had no significant effect on metabolic variables. Only scopolamine induced sedation in this study. In conclusion, atropine, glycopyrrolate, and scopolamine differ not only in their cardiovascular and central nervous system effects, but also in their effects on metabolism.
Adjunctive antimicrobial therapy of periodontitis: long-term effects on disease progression and oral colonization.

BACKGROUND This study assessed the long-term effects of adjunctive antimicrobial therapy on periodontal disease progression and oral colonization. METHODS Patients with previously untreated chronic periodontitis and subgingival Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and/or Porphyromonas gingivalis were randomly assigned to subgingival scaling without (control group) or with systemic amoxicillin plus metronidazole and CHX irrigation (test group). Relative attachment levels were determined and subgingival and mucosal plaque samples were taken at baseline, at 10 days (plaque only) and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months following initial therapy. During maintenance therapy, patients received supragingival debridement only. RESULTS After 24 months, the 18 test group patients showed at sites with initial probing depths (PD) > or =7 mm a significantly (P <0.05) higher frequency of 2 mm or more attachment gain (37.3% +/- 4.6%) and lower frequency of attachment loss (7.2% +/- 3.1%) compared to the 17 controls (8.2% +/- 3.9% and 19.1% +/- 13.1%, respectively). Compared to controls, the intraoral prevalence of A. actinomycetemcomitans (up to 18 months) and P. gingivalis (up to 3 months) decreased and that of Eikenella corrodens (at 10 days) increased in test patients (P <0.05). In both treatment groups, the detection frequency of Tannerella forsythensis decreased transiently, while an overall increase was recorded for Treponema ssp. CONCLUSIONS Over the 24-month period, a single course of the administered adjunctive antimicrobial therapy led to a relative risk reduction of 62% for attachment loss at deep sites. However, with the exception of A. actinomycetemcomitans, it failed to induce long-term changes in the prevalence profiles of oral colonization.
What does leadership and followership mean in a post-1992 university business school?

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate what leadership and followership means in a Post-1992 University Business School. The focus of the research study is in the areas of transformational leadership, followership and distributed leadership within three English post-1992 university business schools. The research proceeds from the perspective of exploring leadership through qualitative methodology and constructivist analysis. The majority of respondents’ reported the perception that they did not experience transformational leadership. Furthermore, the respondents reported a propensity by those in management posts to approach complex leadership and followership situations with more controls and reporting systems, and /or as critical events requiring major staff restructuring and redundancies. Whereby the cases study managers perceived themselves unable to resist what the system required and/or were compelled to impose control measures. On the basis of the findings, what is required is a more inclusive academic community. Within a complex knowledge based environment, such as a business school, individuals might be both leaders and followers at different times. The research indicates that blended leadership, which is consultative and distributed, will encourage more collegiate engagement and thereby promote a climate within which each person can contribute to the effective leadership of the institutions concerned.
The empirical evidence of the leverage effect on volatility in international bulk shipping market

This paper mainly applies Nelson's EGARCH (Exponentially Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity) model to investigate the leverage effect in the presence of the international bulk shipping market. The daily return of three different types of bulk vessel in the sampling period selected has been examined. We find that all return series show a significantly negative relation in terms of return and volatility and the leverage effect on volatility is more significant in market downward movement than in market upward movement under the same magnitude of innovation, in addition, the larger vessels have much more leverage effect than smaller vessels contemporaneously. Therefore, it seems to be an inherent nature in the international bulk shipping market that the phenomenon of an asymmetric impact between past innovations and current volatility. This result from the investigation may provide investors with an insight into real characteristics of price return volatility, it is useful for investors to pre-arrange their portfolios of assets, risk management e.g. enabling them to achieve a reduction of investment risk and an increase of operation performance in profit gain.
The use of heart rate turbulence and heart rate variability in the assessment of autonomic regulation and circadian rhythm in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus without apparent heart disease

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus is a progressive autoimmune disease. There are reports suggesting that patients even without overt signs of cardiovascular complications have impaired autonomic function. The aim of this study was to assess autonomic function using heart rate turbulence and heart rate variability parameters indicated in 24-hour ECG Holter monitoring. Methods Twenty-six women with systemic lupus erythematosus and 30 healthy women were included. Twenty-four hour ambulatory ECG-Holter was performed in home conditions. The basic parameters of heart rate turbulence and heart rate variability were calculated. The analyses were performed for the entire day and separately for daytime activity and night time rest. Results There were no statistically significant differences in the basic anthropometric parameters. The mean duration of disease was 11.52 ± 7.42. There was a statistically significant higher turbulence onset (To) value in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, median To = –0.17% (minimum –1.47, maximum 3.0) versus To = –1.36% (minimum –4.53, maximum –0.41), P < 0.001. There were no such differences for turbulence slope (Ts). In the 24-hour analysis almost all heart rate variability parameters were significantly lower in the systemic lupus erythematosus group than in the healthy controls, including SDANN and r-MSSD and p50NN. Concerning the morning activity and night resting periods, the results were similar as for the whole day. In the control group, higher values in morning activity were noted for parameters that characterise sympathetic activity, especially SDANN, and were significantly lower for parasympathetic parameters, including r-MSSD and p50NN, which prevailed at night. There were no statistically significant changes for systemic lupus erythematosus patients for p50NN and low and very low frequency. There was a positive correlation between disease duration and SDNN, R = 0.417; P < 0.05 and SDANN, R = 0.464; P < 0.05, a negative correlation between low/high frequency ratio and r-MSSD, R = –0.454; P < 0.05; p50NN, R = –0.435; P < 0.05 and high frequency, R = –0.478; P < 0.05. In contrast, there was no statistically significant correlation between heart rate turbulence and other variables evaluated, including disease duration and the type of autoantibodies. Conclusion: Our study confirms the presence of autonomic disorders with respect to both heart rate variability and heart rate turbulence parameters and the presence of diurnal disturbances of sympathetic–parasympathetic balance. Further studies are required.
Exchange Rate Economics

The paper summarizes the current theory of how a floating exchange rate is determined, dividing the subject into what determines the steady state and what determines the transition to steady state. The inadequacies of this model are examined, and an alternative “behavioral” model, which recognizes that the foreign exchange market is populated by both fundamentalists and chartists is presented. It is argued that the main importance of understanding the foreign exchange market for development strategy is to permit a correct appraisal of the dangers of Dutch disease. Empirically it seems that from the standpoint of promoting development it is preferable to have a mildly undervalued rate. The paper concludes by examining implications for exchange rate regimes.
The long‐term development of organised business and its implications for corporatism: A cross‐national comparison of membership, activities and governing capacities of business interest associations, 1980–2003

Internationalisation of markets and the demise of Keynesianism have made business more independent of associational action. Membership density and ‘corporatist’ involvement in wage bargaining and public policy have declined only modestly, while the capacity to govern members has dwindled significantly. This development is driven by the way in which large firms and the state relate to business associations. Large firms still have a vital interest not only in associational action, but also in integrating their smaller counterparts. Stated-based support for multi-employer bargaining, as established in most countries, buttresses business associations. By equipping the associations with an encompassing grip on the labour market, this support prompts governments to involve them in public policy. Since encompassing labour market regulation enables the associations to impose negative externalities on unaffiliated businesses, it provides them with a strong selective incentive for membership. The significant decline of the associations' governing capacity emanates from pressures of their large members to reduce costs of association. The implications of this development for interest intermediation are twofold. Given the strong decay of union power, the resilience of corporatism strongly hinges on the continued strength of organised business and on its state-sponsored engagement in bargaining. At the same time, leeway for compromising has been restrained by the significant decline in the governing capacity of organised business. This decline echoes an ever-growing predominance of large firms in business associations, while economic internationalisation exacerbates interest conflicts between larger and smaller firms. To the extent that this configuration of interest and power weakens the ability of business associations to integrate the mass of small firms, it develops into the new Achilles heel of corporatism.
Equity Issues and Stock Price Dynamics

This paper presents an information-theoretic, infinite horizon model of the equity issue decision. The model's predictions about stock price behavior and issue timing explain most of the stylized facts in the empirical literature: (a) equity issues on average are preceded by an abnormal positive return on the stock, although there is considerable variation across firms, (b) equity issues on average are preceded by an abnormal rise in the market, and (c) the stock price drops significantly at the announcement of an issue. In this model, the price drop at issue announcement is uncorrelated with the social cost of suboptimal investment due to asymmetric information; the welfare loss may be small even if the price drop is large.
Converting Failed Financial Institutions into Mutual Organisations

Abstract There are three reasons for promoting mutual building societies: they are less prone than banks to pursue risky speculative activity; a mixed system produces a more stable financial sector; and a stronger mutual sector enhances competition within the financial system. The banking crisis highlighted the importance of retaining diverse models of financial service providers, and while mutuals were affected by the recession, they were not themselves responsible for causing the recession, as were private banks. The UK Government needs to secure a financial return for the failed financial institutions it nationalised and a low level of overall economic risk for the taxpayer. Given a trade-off, the long-run benefits of financial sustainability and reduced risk, plus enhanced competition, need to be given proper weighting compared with any short run gain through a trade sale and the repayment of the government's support. This paper focuses on the case of Northern Rock as the most suitable candidate for remutualisation, and whose disposal is under current consideration, but the analysis applies more widely.
Tariffs and Welfare in an Imperfectly Competitive Overlapping-Generations Model

The effect of a tariff is analyzed in a two-sector model in an uncertain-lifetimes framework. One of the sectors is monopolistically competitive. It is shown that while a tariff leads to a consumption boom and possibly a current-account surplus, its welfare effects depend on whether the homogeneous good or the differentiated good is exported by the small open economy. Welfare improves if the differentiated good is nontraded but deteriorates if the homogeneous good is nontraded. Copyright 2001 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
The process of social adaptation towards climate change among Malaysian fishermen

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of social adaptation to climate change among fishermen in the East Coast Region of Peninsular Malaysia.Design/methodology/approach – A set of questionnaires was developed based on the individual adaptive capacity framework on social adaptation to climate change developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Based on multi‐stage simple random sampling, a total of 300 registered fishermen in the East Coast Region of Peninsular Malaysia were chosen as the respondents.Findings – The fishermen surveyed had a high level of adaptation with regards to two aspects: first, environmental awareness, attitudes and beliefs; and second, local environmental knowledge. In contrast, they showed a low level of adaptation with regards to three aspects: attachment to place; formal and informal networks; and attachment to occupation. In addition, the fishermen had a moderate level of adaptation in relation to ten other aspec.
Efficacy of an Internet-based, individually tailored smoking cessation program: A randomized-controlled trial

Introduction Self-help computer-based programs are easily accessible and cost-effective interventions with a great recruitment potential. However, each program is different and results of meta-analyses may not apply to each new program; therefore, evaluations of new programs are warranted. The aim of this study was to assess the marginal efficacy of a computer-based, individually tailored program (the Coach) over and above the use of a comprehensive Internet smoking cessation website. Methods A two-group randomized controlled trial was conducted. The control group only accessed the website, whereas the intervention group received the Coach in addition. Follow-up was conducted by e-mail after three and six months (self-administrated questionnaires). Of 1120 participants, 579 (51.7%) responded after three months and 436 (38.9%) after six months. The primary outcome was self-reported smoking abstinence over four weeks. Results Counting dropouts as smokers, there were no statistically significant differences between intervention and control groups in smoking cessation rates after three months (20.2% vs. 17.5%, p = 0.25, odds ratio (OR) = 1.20) and six months (17% vs. 15.5%, p = 0.52, OR = 1.12). Excluding dropouts from the analysis, there were statistically significant differences after three months (42% vs. 31.6%, p = 0.01, OR = 1.57), but not after six months (46.1% vs. 37.8%, p = 0.081, OR = 1.41). The program also significantly increased motivation to quit after three months and self-efficacy after three and six months. Discussion An individually tailored program delivered via the Internet and by e-mail in addition to a smoking cessation website did not significantly increase smoking cessation rates, but it increased motivation to quit and self-efficacy.
Mineral Resource Trade in Chile: Contribution to Development and Policy Implications

Mineral resources present a formidable source of wealth but a formidable challenge to regulate in order to maximize social welfare from their extraction. Some resource-rich countries, such as Chile, have been successful in developing their economies and managing their revenue streams effectively. Strong institutions and regulatory oversight have helped to capitalize on the benefits of the mining sector for economy-wide growth and development in Chile. This paper identifies some of the good practice areas in mining regulation in Chile whose economy has shown strong growth over most of the last two decades. Some of the areas touched on in this paper are the taxation of the minerals sector, management of the tax revenue, and policies designed to foster spillovers into other sectors of the economy and make the most of Chile’s comparative advantage as a long-time global leader in the copper industry. The paper concludes that there is much to be learned from the Chilean experience in regulating its mining sector and many areas where it could be well used as a model for other mineral rich economies wishing to develop their mining sectors to enhance economy-wide growth.
Stability and Selective Harvesting of a Phytoplankton-Zooplankton System

Considering that some zooplankton can be harvested for food in some bodies of water, a phytoplankton-zooplankton model with continuous harvesting of zooplankton only is proposed and investigated. By using environmental carrying capacity as a parameter, possible dynamic behaviors, such as stability, global stability, Hopf bifurcation, and transcritical bifurcations, are analyzed. The optimal harvesting policy is disposed by imposing a tax per unit biomass of zooplankton. The problem of determining the optimal harvest policy is solved by using Pontryagin's maximum principle subject to the state equations and the control constraints, and the impact of tax is also discussed. Finally, some numerical simulations are performed to justify analytical findings.
Industrial Change and Foreign Direct Investment in the Postsocialist Economy

This article examines the immense changes in Polish industry since 1990 and the impact of foreign direct investment. It is shown that, contrary to some general views about Central and East European transition, the postsocialist transformation processes have contributed to the enhanced competitiveness of Polish industry and to narrowing the gap between Poland and the European Union. The analysis includes basic indicators of economic performance, changes in branch structure, international relations (especially exports) and the labour market. Discussion of the role of transnational corporations is based on detailed empirical research which covered 2,020 foreign-owned factories. The regional differentiation of foreign investment is outlined, the disparities between developed and underdeveloped regions as well as metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in particular. Special emphasis is put on principal factors affecting the location of new foreign factories. This is analysed within the broader context of phenomena underlying economic growth or decline in Polish regions and towns during the postsocialist era.
Enhanced prolidase activity and decreased collagen content in breast cancer tissue

Adherent interactions between integrins and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins play an important role in tumorigenicity and invasiveness. The major component of ECM is collagen that plays a central role in the interaction with integrins. The expression of certain collagenases (gelatinases) by tumour cells is one of the characteristic features of the so‐called metastatic phenotype, presumably by breaking down ECM barriers as well by altering the ECM–cell interaction. Although extracellular collagenases initiate the breakdown of collagen, the final step of collagen degradation is catalysed by intracellular prolidase. Collagen deposition, gelatinolytic and prolidase activities, expression of β1‐integrin receptor and their possible relationships were studied in seven operable breast cancer cases. In breast cancer tissue, we have found significant decrease in the amount of collagen. The decrease in collagen deposition in breast cancer tissue was accompanied by increase in the tissue gelatinolytic and prolidase activities. Simultaneously, a slight decrease in the expression of β1‐integrin receptor in breast cancer tissue was observed. These results suggest that alteration in collagen metabolism in breast cancer tissue may reflect tissue remodelling, characteristic for invasive phenotype of cancer cells. Increased gelatinolytic and prolidase activities in breast cancer tissue may enhance stromal matrix degradation and thus may promote metastatic dissemination. On the basis of the data, it seems that compounds endowed with gelatinolytic and prolidase inhibitory activities may be considered as a potential drug candidates for breast cancer therapy.