Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accuracy Improvement for Line-Series-Shunt Calibration in Broadband Scattering-Parameter Measurements With Applications of On-Wafer Device Characterization

In this paper, error analysis and accuracy improvement for on-wafer line-series-shunt calibration in broadband scattering parameter (S-parameter) measurements are presented with complete modeling of the resistive series/shunt standards, rather than the simple lumped assumptions that were basic requirements in previous studies. The associated parasitic effects in the models are estimated by the first-run results using lumped assumption. They are further updated iteratively, where higher order errors are analytically identified. Additionally, the de-embedded S -parameters are transformed for the reference impedance, based on the acquired characteristic impedance, which may differ from the measurement system in broadband operations. The proposed algorithm and calibration data are demonstrated by pseudomorphic high electron-mobility transistors with conductor-back coplanar waveguides built on GaAs substrates with verifications of the thru-reflect-line calibration results.
The Impact of Imperfect Scheduling on Cross-Layer Rate Control in Multihop Wireless Networks

In this paper, we study cross-layer design for rate control in multihop wireless networks. In our previous work, we have developed an optimal cross-layered rate control scheme that jointly computes both the rate allocation and the stabilizing schedule that controls the resources at the underlying layers. However, the scheduling component in this optimal cross-layered rate control scheme has to solve a complex global optimization problem at each time, and hence is too computationally expensive for online implementation. In this paper, we study how the performance of cross-layer rate control will be impacted if the network can only use an imperfect (and potentially distributed) scheduling component that is easier to implement. We study both the case when the number of users in the system is fixed and the case with dynamic arrivals and departures of the users, and we establish desirable results on the performance bounds of cross-layered rate control with imperfect This work has been partially supported by the NSF grant ANI-0099137 and the Indiana 21st Century Center for Wireless Communications and Networking.
Dimensions of Expertise in Wine Evaluation*

Abstract This article explores the question of what distinguishes novices from experts in wine evaluation. Is it experts’ superior sensory abilities related to taste and smell, their superior cognitive abilities related to knowledge and memory, or a combination of both—and if a combination, which of the two dimensions of expertise, sensory or cognitive, seems to be more important? I address these issues by considering what has been learned in the past 30+ years from research concerning the sensory and cognitive dimensions of expertise in wine evaluation. The research examines expert/novice differences at both the chemical component level (detecting, discriminating among, and describing wine-relevant chemical components) and the holistic level (hedonic evaluation of wine as an integrated manifestation of its components). (JEL Classification: C93)
REPRESENTING DISABILITY: SOME QUESTIONS OF PHENOMENOLOGY AND POLITICS

The business of writing about disability has become a hotly contested terrain in recent years. Parallel discourses have developed with scarcely any cross­ fertilisation of ideas. There are many reasons for this absence of dialogue. There are long-standing differences in the terms people use for describing disability. Indeed, language of disability itself has become the object of political analysis and dispute, and it is increasingly difficult to use terms to describe chronic illness and disability innocently (Zola, 1993).
α5β1 Integrin Activates an NF-κB-Dependent Program of Gene Expression Important for Angiogenesis and Inflammation

ABSTRACT GeneCalling, a genome-wide method of mRNA profiling, reveals that endothelial cells adhering to fibronectin through the α5β1 integrin, but not to laminin through the α2β1 integrin, undergo a complex program of gene expression. Several of the genes identified are regulated by the NF-κB transcription factor, and many are implicated in the regulation of inflammation and angiogenesis. Adhesion of endothelial cells to fibronectin activates NF-κB through a signaling pathway requiring Ras, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and Rho family proteins, whereas adhesion to laminin has a limited effect. Retroviral transfer of the superrepressor of NF-κB, IκB-2A, blocks basic fibroblast growth factor-induced angiogenesis in vivo. These results suggest that engagement of the α5β1 integrin promotes an NF-κB-dependent program of gene expression that coordinately regulates angiogenesis and inflammation.
Department of Economics Working Paper Series the Impact of Legal Status on Immigrants' Earnings and Human Capital: Evidence from the Irca 1986 the Impact of Legal Status on Immigrants' Earnings and Human Capital: Evidence from the Irca 1986

This paper analyzes the impact of IRCA 1986, a U.S. amnesty, on immigrants' human capital development and labor market outcomes. 1975-81 arrivals on average outperform the 1982-86 arrivals in men's wage, women's labor force participation rate, and English-speaking ability. This finding is not a general trend of labor market conditions, because the analysis using refugees and U.S.-born Latinos, which are two comparison groups without legal status issue, indicate no difference in outcomes between pre-1982 and post-1982 cohorts.
Motor-related brain activity during action observation: a neural substrate for electrocorticographic brain-computer interfaces after spinal cord injury

After spinal cord injury (SCI), motor commands from the brain are unable to reach peripheral nerves and muscles below the level of the lesion. Action observation (AO), in which a person observes someone else performing an action, has been used to augment traditional rehabilitation paradigms. Similarly, AO can be used to derive the relationship between brain activity and movement kinematics for a motor-based brain-computer interface (BCI) even when the user cannot generate overt movements. BCIs use brain signals to control external devices to replace functions that have been lost due to SCI or other motor impairment. Previous studies have reported congruent motor cortical activity during observed and overt movements using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Recent single-unit studies using intracortical microelectrodes also demonstrated that a large number of motor cortical neurons had similar firing rate patterns between overt and observed movements. Given the increasing interest in electrocorticography (ECoG)-based BCIs, our goal was to identify whether action observation-related cortical activity could be recorded using ECoG during grasping tasks. Specifically, we aimed to identify congruent neural activity during observed and executed movements in both the sensorimotor rhythm (10–40 Hz) and the high-gamma band (65–115 Hz) which contains significant movement-related information. We observed significant motor-related high-gamma band activity during AO in both able-bodied individuals and one participant with a complete C4 SCI. Furthermore, in able-bodied participants, both the low and high frequency bands demonstrated congruent activity between action execution and observation. Our results suggest that AO could be an effective and critical procedure for deriving the mapping from ECoG signals to intended movement for an ECoG-based BCI system for individuals with paralysis.
Safety from Crime and Physical Activity among Older Adults: A Population-Based Study in Brazil

Objective. To evaluate the association between safety from crime and physical activity among older adults. Methods. A population-based survey including 1,656 older adults (60+ years) took place in Florianopolis, Brazil, in 2009-2010. Commuting and leisure time physical activity were assessed through the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Perception of safety from crime was assessed using the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale. Results. Perceiving the neighbourhood as safe during the day was related to a 25% increased likelihood of being active in leisure time (95% CI 1.02–1.53); general perception of safety was also associated with a 25% increase in the likelihood of being active in leisure time (95% CI 1.01–1.54). Street lighting was related to higher levels of commuting physical activity (prevalence ratio: 1.89; 95% CI 1.28–2.80). Conclusions. Safety investments are essential for promoting physical activity among older adults in Brazil.
Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Cultural Perspective

The theory of planned behaviour is widely used to measure entrepreneurial intentions. Thus, we investigate the possible moderating role of indigenous ethnic culture on the attitude-intention, subjective norm-intention and perceived behavioural control-intention relationships. In support of the theory of planned behaviour, attitude and perceived behavioural control have a positive influence on the odds of becoming a nascent entrepreneur. However, subjective norm was not a significant predictor. The inclusion of ethnicity significantly improved the predictability of entrepreneurial intentions. We found that, in comparison with students from the Kikuyu tribe, students from the Luhya and Luo tribes are less likely to have intentions becoming nascent entrepreneurs. Finally, our findings confirm significant moderating effects of ethnicity. We draw a number of implications for the theory and practice of entrepreneurship education.
Survey of Patients with Cervical Cancer in Hospital UniversitiSains Malaysia: Survival Data Analysis with Time-Dependent Covariate

Abstract Background Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women in Malaysia. The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of explanatory variables on survival time of cervical cancer patients receiving treatment at a hospital in Malaysia. Methods In this retrospective record review study, cervical cancer data obtained from Hospital UniversitiSains Malaysia (HUSM) was analysed. The data comprises of 120 patients who had been diagnosed as cervical cancer between 1st July 1995 and 30th June 2007, and obtained treatment from the hospital. The outcome variable was survival time (in months) from cervical cancer diagnosis to death. A stratified Weibull model was applied to study the effect of explanatory variable on survival time when there was time-dependent covariate in the model. Results Stage of disease and metastases were important prognostic variables. However, metastasis had been stratified because this variable did not satisfy the proportional hazard assumption. In without metastasis stratum, patients who were diagnosed at stage III & IV are at 2.30 times the risk of death as those in stage I & II. Meanwhile, in with metastasis stratum, patients in stage III & IV group had 3.53 times the hazard faced by patients in stage I & II. Conclusion The prognosis of cervical cancer patients was dependent upon the stage at diagnosis, after the stratification of the metastasis variable. A poorer prognosis on survival was observed for patients in stage III & IV than those in stage I & II.
Geometric range searching

In geometric range searching, algorithmic problems of the following type are considered. Given an n-point set P in the plane, build a data structure so that, given a query triangle R, the number of points of P lying in R can be determined quickly. Similar questions can be asked for point sets in higher dimensions, with triangles replaced by simplices or by more complicated shapes. Algorithms of this type are of crucial importance in computational geometry, as they can be used as subroutines in solutions to many seemingly unrelated problems, which are often motivated by practical applications, for instance in computer graphics (ray tracing, hidden-surface removal etc.). We present a survey of theoretical results and the main techniques in geometric range searching.
Ultrasonographic Measurements of the Ulnar Nerve at the Elbow

Objective. The purpose of this study was to identify factors confounding high‐resolution ultrasonographic measurements of the ulnar nerve to test their influence when discriminating between limbs affected and unaffected by ulnar nerve entrapment (UNE) at the elbow. Methods. High‐resolution ultrasonographic measurements of ulnar nerve dimensions at the elbow were compared between 2 groups of subjects: symptomatic and asymptomatic for UNE. Rank analysis of covariance regression tests were performed to determine whether significant differences existed between the 2 groups. The changing coefficient method (using rank analysis of covariance tests) was used to test for potential confounding effects of age, weight, height, body mass index, sex, limb sidedness, limb handedness, and nerve mobility. These tests were repeated for each measurement while controlling for the identified confounders. Exact 2‐tailed Wilcoxon signed rank tests were performed to test for significant differences between measurements of the diameter of the ulnar nerve with the elbow in full extension and full flexion. Results. Age, weight, body mass index, sex, and elbow position were shown to have confounding influences on high‐resolution ultrasonographic measurements of the ulnar nerve. No confounding effect was apparent for limb sidedness or dominance. Cross‐sectional area and long‐axis diameter measurements demonstrated significant differences between nerves with and without UNE after controlling for confounders. Conclusions. Two cross‐sectional measurements (area and maximum cross‐sectional diameter) of the ulnar nerve, made at the level of the medial epicondyle, were found to be robust discriminators between nerves with and without UNE. In the absence of normative reference values of the ulnar nerve, the contralateral limb may be used as the comparative control.
Regulation of aromatase expression in breast cancer treated with anastrozole neoadjuvant therapy

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs), such as anastrozole, are established in the treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer. However, ∼20% of patients with hormone receptor-positive breast tumors treated with anastrozole do not respond and it remains impossible to accurately predict sensitivity. Since polymorphisms in the aromatase gene may influence the response to inhibitory drugs, we evaluated the presence of rs6493497 and rs7176005 polymorphisms (mapping in the 5′-flanking region of the CYP19A1 gene coding for the aromatase protein) in a cohort of 37 patients with postmenopausal breast cancer who received three-month neoadjuvant treatment with anastrozole. We then investigated any association of the polymorphisms with changes in aromatase mRNA expression change and/or response to treatment. We also analyzed five miRNAs computationally predicted to target aromatase, to observe any association between their expression and sensitivity to anastrozole. Three samples carried the two polymorphisms and the remaining samples were wild-type for both, however, no association with response or with aromatase mRNA basal expression level or expression difference after therapy was observed. Polymorphic samples that were resistant to anastrozole showed no change or decrease in aromatase expression following AI treatment, whereas an increase in expression was observed for the polymorphic responsive samples. No statistically significant correlation was observed between miRNA and aromatase mRNA expression, or with response to anastrozole neoadjuvant treatment. These data indicate that the polymorphisms analyzed are not involved in aromatase activity and that other epigenetic mechanisms may regulate aromatase protein expression.
PREDICTIONS OF GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM GLOBULAR CLUSTER MILLISECOND PULSARS ABOVE 100 MeV

The recent Fermi detection of the globular cluster (GC) 47 Tucanae highlighted the importance of modeling collective gamma-ray emission of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in GCs. Steady flux from such populations is also expected in the very high energy domain covered by ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. We present pulsed curvature radiation (CR) as well as unpulsed inverse Compton (IC) calculations for an ensemble of MSPs in the GCs 47 Tucanae and Terzan 5. We demonstrate that the CR from these GCs should be easily detectable for Fermi, while constraints on the total number of MSPs and the nebular B-field may be derived using the IC flux components.
Cause related marketing campaigns and consumer purchase intentions: The mediating role of brand awareness and corporate image

The purpose of this research is to investigate the kind of relationship between Cause Related Marketing (CRM) campaigns, brand awareness and corporate image as possible antecedents of consumer purchase intentions in the less developed country of Pakistan. An initial conceptualization was developed from mainstream literature to be validated through empirical research. The conceptualization was then tested with primary quantitative survey data collected from 203 students studying in different universities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Correlation and regression analysis were used to test the key hypothesis derived from literature positing brand awareness and corporate image as mediating the relationship between CRM and consumer purchase intentions. The findings indicate that consumer purchase intentions are influenced by the cause related marketing campaigns. Furthermore it was observed that the brand awareness and corporate image partially mediate the impact of CRM campaigns on consumer purchase intentions. The data was gathered from universities situated in Rawalpindi and Islamabad only. Hence, future research could extend these findings to other cities in Pakistan to test their generalizability. Further research can be carried out through data collection from those people who actually participated in cause related marketing campaigns to identify the original behavior of customers instead of their purchase intentions. This research and the claims made are limited to the FMCG industry. The key implications cause related marketing of these findings for marketing managers lend support for the use of campaigns in Pakistan. The findings also suggest some measures which can be taken in to consideration in order to enhance brand awareness and to improve corporate image as both variables mediate the impact of CRM campaigns on consumer purchase intentions. The study contributes to cause related marketing literature by indicating a mediating role of brand awareness and corporate image on CRM campaigns and consumer purchase intentions. This mediating role was ignored in previous studies. Moreover, it contributes to close the gap of empirical research in this field, which exists particularly due to the diverse attitude of customers in less developed countries such as Pakistan. Key words: Cause related marketing, brand awareness, corporate image, purchase intentions, Pakistan.
Taxes and Horizontal Corporate Group (Keiretsu) Affiliation:

This paper investigates the effect of horizontal corporate group (keiretsu) affiliation on effective tax rates in Japan. After controlling for variables that affect corporate income taxes, keiretsu firms have lower effective tax rates than independent firms. These findings are attributed to political power and the unique corporate governance mechanism of keiretsu groups. Furthermore, horizontal keiretsu groups are able to reduce tax liabilities to such a low level that the influence of taxes on the substitution between debt and non-debt tax shields is insignificant. For independent companies, however, corporate income tax remains an important determinant of the tax substitution effect.
Organizational Blogs and the Human Voice: Relational Strategies and Relational Outcomes

This study develops and tests operational deﬁnitions of relational maintenance strategiesappropriate to online public relations. An experiment was designed to test the new mea-sures and to test hypotheses evaluating potential advantages of organizational blogs overtraditional Web sites. Participants assigned to the blog condition perceived an organiza-tion’s ‘‘conversational human voice’’ to be greater than participants who were assigned toread traditional Web pages. Moreover, perceived relational strategies (conversationalhuman voice, communicated relational commitment) were found to correlate signiﬁcantlywith relational outcomes (trust, satisfaction, control mutuality, commitment). doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006. 00019.x
Global Asymptotic Behavior of a Chemostat Model with Discrete Delays

This paper studies the global asymptotic behavior of an exploitative competition model between n species in a chemostat. The model incorporates discrete time delays to describe the delay in the conversion of nutrient consumed to viable biomass and hence includes delays simultaneously in variables of nutrient and species concentrations. In the case where only two species are engaged in competition, it is shown that competitive exclusion holds for any monotone growth response functions. Sufficient conditions are also obtained for the model to exhibit competitive exclusion in the n-species case. In regard to the delay effects on the qualitative outcome of competition, it is demonstrated that when the delays are relatively small, the predictions of the model are identical with the predictions given by corresponding models without time delays. However, including large delays in the model may alter the predicted outcome of competition. The techniques used also work when different removal rates are permitted, an.
Up-regulation of reverse cholesterol transport key players and rescue from global inflammation by ApoA-IMilano

Recombinant‐ApoA‐IM (rApoA‐IM) administration has been shown to regress and stabilize atherosclerotic plaques. However, the mechanisms responsible for these beneficial effects are not fully understood. The aims of the present study were to define whether the benefits of rApoA‐IM treatment were mediated via an enhanced reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) and/or anti‐inflammation‐related mechanisms. Advanced aortic lesions were induced in New Zealand White rabbits (n= 16). Animals were randomized to placebo or rApoA‐IM (rApoA‐IM/phospholipids; ETC‐216), two infusions 4 days apart. Four days after last dose, aortas and livers were processed for cholesterol content, expression of RCT‐related receptors (ATP‐binding cassette A‐1 [ABCA‐1] and scavenger receptor BI [SR‐BI]), and inflammation‐related markers (inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] and capase‐3). Oxidative stress was assessed in the vessel wall and in plasma. rApoA‐IM administration resulted in a significant reduction in the hepatic and aortic cholesterol content without differences in plasma levels. This effect was associated with an up‐regulation of vessel wall ABCA‐1, as well as a hepatic and arterial‐wall SR‐BI up‐regulation. Systemic and atherosclerotic‐plaque inflammation markers were significantly reduced by the rApoA‐IM administration, as demonstrated by a reduction in circulating oxidative stress markers and prostaglandin F1‐α levels, and the down‐regulation of the iNOS and caspase 3 in the aortic lesions. rApoA‐IM up‐regulated the ABCA‐1 and SR‐BI levels to a greater extent than the wild‐type form of apoA‐I in in vitro studies done with lipid‐rich macrophages. Our data suggest that rApoA‐IM administration enhances RCT and induces a ‘rescue’ from the global inflammatory status associated with atherosclerotic disease. The Milano form of apoA‐I seems to be more efficient in RCT than the apoA‐I wild‐type.