Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MORTALITY OF SELECTED AVIAN ORDERS SUBMITTED TO A WILDLIFE DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY (SOUTHEASTERN COOPERATIVE WILDLIFE DISEASE STUDY, USA): A 36-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract To determine the relative importance of mortality factors for birds and to assess for patterns in avian mortality over time, we retrospectively examined data of birds submitted to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS; http://vet.uga.edu/scwds), US, from 1976 to 2012. During this period, SCWDS, a wildlife diagnostic laboratory, received 2,583 wild bird specimens, from the taxonomic orders Apodiformes, Caprimulgiformes, Cuculiformes, Passeriformes, and Piciformes, originating from 22 states. Data from 2,001 of these birds were analyzed using log-linear models to explore correlations between causes of mortality, taxonomic family, demography, geographic location, and seasonality. Toxicosis was the major cause of mortality, followed by trauma, bacterial infection, physiologic stress, viral infection, and other (mortality causes with low sample numbers and etiologies inconsistent with established categories). Birds submitted during fall and winter had a higher frequency of parasitic infections, trauma, and toxicoses, whereas birds submitted during the spring and summer were more likely to die of an infectious disease, physiologic stress, or trauma. We noted a decrease in toxicoses concurrent with an increase in bacterial infections and trauma diagnoses after the mid-1990s. Toxicosis was the most commonly diagnosed cause of death among adult birds; the majority of juveniles died from physiologic stress, trauma, or viral infections. Infectious agents were diagnosed more often within the families Cardinalidae and Fringilidae, whereas noninfectious etiologies were the primary diagnoses in the Bombycillidae, Parulidae, Sturnidae, Turdidae, and Icteridae. There are important inherent limitations in the examination of data from diagnostic labs, as submission of cases varies in timing, frequency, location, and species and is often influenced by several factors, including media coverage of high-profile mortality events. Notwithstanding, our data provide a rare opportunity to examine long-term, regional, and temporal patterns in causes of avian mortality, and they allow for the analysis of novel and rare mortality factors.
Analysis of debris mitigation scenarios in terms of cost and benefit

Appropriate measures for minimising and controlling the debris environment have been clearly identified in the past. This paper addresses the cost / benefit ratio of debris mitigation. The costs are determined by the system and subsystem modifications and the fuel needs for orbit manoeuvres associated with debris mitigation. The benefit can be expressed in spacecraft that wil l not run into a damaging colli sion due to debris mitigation. Direct and indirect benefits are considered. The analysis was performed by an upgraded version of the long term debris environment model LUCA. First results are presented. A significant impact on the cost benefit ratio is the bandwidth of the growth of the future population due to uncertainties related to the traff ic models, statistical effects, etc. The related bandwidth is quantified and it is shown, which spatial regions could be subject to uncontrolled population growth taking into account also economic considerations.
ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF DATA FOR ANALYSING THE SEX RATIO AT BIRTH IN VIET NAM

Despite widespread concern about high sex ratio at birth (SRB) in Viet Nam, little attention has been given to the quality of the data sources on which SRB estimates are based. This paper reviews the key data sources available for SRB analysis in Viet Nam. A standard assessment framework is developed and used to assess the quality of three national-scale datasets from a population change survey, the health information system and the vital registration system. A comparative triangulation analysis is conducted to determine the consistencies and differentials in SRB estimates at the national, regional and provincial levels. A map of SRB at the provincial level is developed to demonstrate geographical variations. The analyses show the differentials in SRB estimates across the three datasets, and identify six northern provinces centred in the Red River Delta region that appear to have consistently high SRBs.
Risk Seeking, Nonconvex Remuneration And Regime Switching

We investigate asset management in a regime switching framework when the fund manager aims to beat a certain target for the assets under management over an infinite horizon or over a finite horizon. We consider both a full information and a partial information setting. In a full information setting, the asset manager tends to take more risk in the good state and less risk in the bad state with respect to the constant parameter environment. Confidence risk induces the agent to increase his risk exposure.
Widening participation and social class: implications for HEI policy

During the past 40 years higher education has moved from an elite to a mass system. Despite this expansion, the working class remain under‐represented in higher education. They are also disproportionately represented in less prestigious institutions and on lower status courses. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that students from lower socio‐economic groups have greater difficulty adapting to university life because of a mis‐ match between their cultural capital and the middle class culture they encounter in higher education. Finally, studies indicate that working class students have less success in the graduate labour market than their middle class peers. The disadvantages working class students face arise because of a complex combination of economic, social and cultural factors. This study utilises documentary evidence and interviews with key policy makers in HEIs to gain a better understanding of how policy migrates from the macro to the institutional level. It was found that institutional policy on widening participation develops out of a complex combination of economic and political influences mediated by the values, beliefs and objectives (i.e. the culture) of HEIs. The fact that institutions face the same economic and political environment leads to some homogeneity in policy. For example, there is similarity in what HEIs actually ‘do’ in terms of aspiration raising and student support. However, institutional differences in organisational culture also lead to heterogeneity, especially in relation to the rationale underpinning aspiration raising and in respect of admissions policies.Greenbank – Widening participation and social class 78 This paper identifies a number of issues that are felt to require further consideration by HEI policy makers. First, there appears to be a need to critically examine the values underpinning aspiration raising and admissions policies. Second, there is a reluctance to ‘label’ students or even refer to social class. This seems to act as a significant barrier to the development of effective policy. Third, there is a need for HEIs (and government) to clearly conceptualise and define what they mean by a ‘widening participation student’. Finally, HEIs often seem complacent and have a tendency to externalise the ‘problem’ of widening participation. The paper concludes by addressing the implications of these issues for admissions, student support and pedagogy. Participants will be encouraged to comment on the research and the implica‐ tions for Edge Hill.
Exchange or Covenant? The Nature of the Member-Union Relationship

Drawing on a study of members of the U.K. National Union of Teachers, this article considers the extent to which economic exchange, social exchange, and covenantal considerations underpin union members' willingness to continue membership and to participate actively in their union through union citizenship behaviors (UCB). Findings suggest that the more activist forms of UCB were motivated primarily by a perceived covenantal relationship with the union. In contrast, exchange, particularly social exchange, motivations played more of a role in motivating less demanding 'rank and file' UCB and intent to quit the union. Union instrumentality appeared to be a necessary but insufficient condition for union viability, having an indirect effect on UCB and intent to quit the union and also moderating the effects of pro-union attitudes. Implications for union strategy are considered.
A genetic based algorithm for frequency relaying using FPGAs

This work presents an accurate and precise Genetic Algorithm (GA) for frequency estimation of Electrical Power System (EPS) signals. The problem of estimating the frequency of a distorted electrical signal is modeled as an optimization problem. The advantages of GAs in this approach include the use of coding for a number of solutions which facilitates computer implementation, as well as the search for an appropriate solution from a population of possible solutions. The GA is programmed in a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) device and the estimation procedure is performed in real-time. This is made possible due to (a) the implicit parallelism of FPGAs in computing their instructions and (b) the suitable choice of steps of GAs to explore this parallelism. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, an EPS was simulated having typical operation conditions. The resulting signals were analyzed by the proposed GA-FPGA approach and promising results were compared to a commercial relay.
Openness and growth in Fiji: some time series evidence

Compared to many cross-country studies on the determinants of growth rate, time series works are relatively few and limited in scope. However, time series studies are useful for country-specific policies. But in many recent works ad hoc specifications have been used to analyse the contribution of various factors to growth. This article uses an improved specification to estimate the effects of openness on growth in a small open economy namely Fiji. In addition to trade openness, we include, as additional variables, the basic conditioning variables namely factor inputs into our specification. The need for the inclusion of some basic conditioning variables has been emphasized by Boswoth and Collins (2003) in their cross country studies. Our results show that trade openness and output are cointegrated. Neglecting the conditioning variables seems to lead to some overestimation of the effects of openness and at times a cointegrating vector may not exist.
Microglia antioxidant systems and redox signalling

For many years, microglia, the resident CNS macrophages, have been considered only in the context of pathology, but microglia are also glial cells with important physiological functions. Microglia‐derived oxidant production by NADPH oxidase (NOX2) is implicated in many CNS disorders. Oxidants do not stand alone, however, and are not always pernicious. We discuss in general terms, and where available in microglia, GSH synthesis and relation to cystine import and glutamate export, and the thioredoxin system as the most important antioxidative defence mechanism, and further, we discuss in the context of protein thiolation of target redox proteins the necessity for tightly localized, timed and confined oxidant production to work in concert with antioxidant proteins to promote redox signalling. NOX2‐mediated redox signalling modulates the acquisition of the classical or alternative microglia activation phenotypes by regulating major transcriptional programs mediated through NF‐κB and Nrf2, major regulators of the inflammatory and antioxidant response respectively. As both antioxidants and NOX‐derived oxidants are co‐secreted, in some instances redox signalling may extend to neighboring cells through modification of surface or cytosolic target proteins. We consider a role for microglia NOX‐derived oxidants in paracrine modification of synaptic function through long term depression and in the communication with the adaptive immune system. There is little doubt that a continued foray into the functions of the antioxidant response in microglia will reveal antioxidant proteins as dynamic players in redox signalling, which in concert with NOX‐derived oxidants fulfil important roles in the autocrine or paracrine regulation of essential enzymes or transcriptional programs.
A comparison of DEA and SFA methods: a case study of farm households in Bangladesh

Non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and parametric Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) have become very popular in the analysis of productive efficiency. This study undertakes a comparison of the SFA and the constant returns to scale (CRS) and variable returns to scale (VRS) output-oriented DEA models, based on a sample of 240 farms in Bangladesh. However, the aim of this paper is not only to compare estimates of technical efficiency obtained from the two approaches, but also to examine the determinants of inefficiency. The detection and measurement of technical inefficiency and its determinants can be used as a basis of policy recommendations. The results from both the approaches indicated that there is a potential for increasing farm production through efficiency improvement and that farmers' age and educational level have a significant effect on efficiency.
Impact evaluation of infrastructure interventions

The focus on results in development agencies has led to increased focus on impact evaluation to demonstrate the effectiveness of development programmes. A range of methods are available for counterfactual analysis of infrastructure interventions, as illustrated by the variety of papers in this volume. Understanding impact means understanding the context in which an intervention takes place and the channels through which the impact on outcomes is expected to occur. Such analysis typically requires mixing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The analysis will also anticipate heterogeneity, with conditioning for ‘selection bias’ being recognised as positive information about for whom and when an intervention works or not.
Planning-Interval Duration in Labor-Shift Scheduling

This article proposes guidelines for managers and researchers regarding appropriate planning intervals in labor scheduling. This study distinguishes between planning intervals used for data collection and intervals used for scheduling employees. This distinction is relevant because it is not necessary for the two interval types to be of the same duration. The results of a simulation experiment show that both increased variability in the customer-arrival rate and high mean customer-arrival rates work to reduce the ideal length of both data-collection and schedule-development intervals. In fact, with a mean arrival rate of five customers per minute, the most profitable labor schedules originated with a five-minute data-collection interval combined with a five-minute schedule-development interval. At present, because of the paucity of procedures that can accommodate such brief intervals, managers will find fifteen-minute data-collection and schedule development intervals generally to be the most effective.
Testing the Growth Option Theory: The Profitability of Enhanced Momentum Strategies in Australia

Recent literature relates growth option theory to various return regularities. Sagi and Seasholes (2007) (S&S) develop a model that explains momentum profitability using growth option theory. We test the model’s predictions in the Australian market by examining three momentum strategies. Two of these strategies examine the profitability of momentum strategies conditioned on stocks characteristics, whereas the third conditions on previous market returns. Our results are largely supportive of the S&S model. As predicted by S&S, the two strategies that use firm‐specific characteristics yield a higher profit than a simple momentum strategy. The third strategy that conditions on the previous market return also leads to differences in momentum profitability between bull and bear markets, but these differences are small and largely insignificant.
Haversian Remodeling in Guided Bone Regeneration with Calcium Alginate Film in Circular Bone Defect Model of Rabbit

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of bioabsorbable Calcium alginate film in guided bone regeneration by the study of Haversian remodeling. Circular bone defects of 5 mm diameter were created in the corners of mandibles in 35 rabbits. The defects were covered with calcium alginate film (CAF) served as the experimental group, or collagen membrane (CM) as the control group, respectively. Healing condition was analyzed with gross, histological and immunohistochemical studies after 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. The experimental group appeared more and earlier Haversian remodeling and osteoinductive factors leading to better bone regeneration. The control group showed more macrophages, less and later Haversian remodeling, absorbled slowly, while collected fewer osteoinductive factors in the early stage. Calcium alginate film, which is a relatively cheaper material, provides better effect than the collagen membrane in bone regeneration, Haversian remodeling and quantity of osteoinductive factors.
The Impact of Trader Type on the Futures Volatility-Volume Relation

We examine the volatility-volume relation in futures markets using volume data categorized by type of trader. We find that the positive volatility-volume relation is driven by the general public, a group of traders who are distant from the trading floor and therefore without precise information on order flow. Clearing members and floor traders who observe order flow often decrease volatility. Our findings are consistent with Shalen's (1993) hypothesis that uninformed traders who cannot differentiate liquidity demand from fundamental value change increase volatility.
What Roles Do Errors Serve in Motor Skill Learning? An Examination of Two Theoretical Predictions

ABSTRACT Easy-to-difficult and difficult-to-easy progressions of task difficulty during skill acquisition were examined in 2 experiments that assessed retention, dual-task, and transfer tests of learning. Findings of the first experiment suggest that an easy-to difficult progression did not consistently induce implicit learning processes and was not consistently beneficial to performance under a secondary-task load. The findings of experiment two did not support the predictions made based on schema theory and only partially supported predictions based on reinvestment theory. The authors interpret these findings to suggest that the timing of error in relation to the difficulty of the task (functional task difficulty) plays a role in the transfer of learning to novel versions of a task.
Properties of Loss Front in Long Magnetically Insulated Transmission Lines

Based on particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation, a robust method is developed to calculate varied loss-front velocity of long magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL) in pulse-propagating direction. In this method, the MITL is divided into several segments, and the loss front moves from one segment to the next one. Assumptions for this method include: 1) the interval between loss front and precursor is determined by loss-front velocity; 2) the waveform of voltage below the loss front does not change; and 3) the width of loss front is determined by the voltage after the loss front. Empirical expression of loss-front width is got through PIC simulation. Loss-front velocity and energy efficiency calculated from this robust method are compared with PIC simulation results. The calculated results agree well with simulation results when high voltage and short rise time are applied. These results may help to quickly estimate loss-front properties of long MITLs in large-scaled pulsed power systems.
Elder Care and Migrant Labor in Europe: A Demographic Outlook

type="main"> This article examines the demand for migrant labor in older-adult care as one of the key aspects of the aging and migration nexus. It reviews the demographic determinants that have shaped demand for and provision of older-adult care across Europe. Using the EU Labour Force Survey, new comparative estimates are generated on the employment of migrants in care occupations and the channels of entry into the European labor market. Projections on demand for and supply of care to the older population reveal a future gap in both formal and informal provision. It is shown that, owing to institutional, economic, and social constraints, the significant growth of the care workforce that will be required to meet the future needs of Europe's aging populations is unlikely to be achieved by relying exclusively on EU labor supply. The conclusions outline some implications for future immigration policies.
The Venture Capitalist: A Relationship Investor

Based upon a series of case studies, this article explores the role of the venture capitalist in management. In addition to money, venture capitalists provide a variety of inputs to the firms in which they invest, such as operating services, discipline, general business knowledge, image, networks, and moral support. Venture capitalists have three sources of power over management—money, personal relationships, and formal power. They attempt to influence managers to follow their "dominant logic," which generally stresses formal planning, a profit orientation, organizational development, patience, and strategic focus.
Is Mechanical Clot Removal or Disruption a Cost-Effective Treatment for Acute Stroke?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It is unclear whether the costs and risks of mechanical therapies make them cost-effective. We examined whether interventions such as mechanical clot removal or disruption with angioplasty are cost-effective for acute ischemic stroke compared with best medical therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a cost-utility analysis of patients with acute stroke due to large intracranial artery occlusion presenting beyond the 3-hour window for IV tPA. Model inputs for the mechanical arm were derived from Multi MERCI trial data and a recent meta-analysis. For best medical therapy, we used rates of spontaneous recanalization, ICH, and functional outcomes based on a systematic literature review. Discounted QALYs were determined by using the Markov modeling for 65-year-old patients with acute ischemic stroke. RESULTS: On the basis of a systematic literature review, we modeled an 84% rate of recanalization with mechanical intervention and a 6.3% rate of symptomatic ICH. For best medical therapy, we modeled a spontaneous recanalization rate of 24% with a 2% rate of symptomatic ICH. Mechanical therapies were associated with a $7718 net cost and a gain of a 0.82 QALYs for each use, thus yielding a net of $9386/QALY gained. In sensitivity analyses, results were dependent on the rates of recanalization, symptomatic ICH rates, and costs of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of available data, mechanical therapies in qualified patients with acute stroke beyond the window for IV tPA appear to be cost-effective. However, the inputs are not derived from randomized trials, and results are sensitive to several assumptions.
Adenovirus‐mediated inhibition of survivin expression sensitizes human prostate cancer cells to paclitaxel in vitro and in vivo

Improvements in the response rates to chemotherapy would represent an important advancement in the care of patients with metastatic prostate cancer. There is accumulating evidence that Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family, is associated with both cancer progression and drug resistance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of Survivin in paclitaxel‐resistance and whether the targeting of Survivin sensitizes prostate cancer cells to paclitaxel.