Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Renewable Energy Policy, Economic Growth and Employment in EU Countries: Gain Without Pain?

Given the intensifying debates whether governments should use industrial policies to promote particular renewable energy technologies, the main objective of this study is to investigate the long-run effects of renewable energy support policies on economic growth and employment in 15 European Union (EU) member states for the 1990-2012 time period by using panel-data time-series econometric techniques. The first hypothesis is that the EU’s renewable energy support policies lead to technological advancement, followed by economy growth, in the long-run. The second hypothesis states that these policies at least generate an increase in output and employment in the short-run. In summary, our results provide some evidence in support of the second hypothesis, but, in contrary to the similar studies, our findings do not support the first hypothesis that these policies promote growth in the long-run.
Control of moulting and metamorphosis in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.): growth of the last-instar larva and the decision to pupate.

The dynamics of growth and the timing of release of the brain's prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) in final instar larvae of Manduca sexta are consistent with the following hypothesis. When a 5th-stage larva reaches a critical weight of about 5 g an unidentified process is initiated which requires 24 h to be completed. At the completion of this process the brain is rendered competent to release PTTH. The actual release of PTTH is gated by the photoperiod and occurs when the gate opens during the very next photophase.
Manubrium-limited sternotomy decreases blood loss after aortic valve replacement surgery.

OBJECTIVES Minimally invasive surgical approaches for aortic valve replacement (AVR) are growing in popularity in an attempt to decrease morbidity from conventional surgery. We have adopted a technique that divides only the manubrium and spares the body of the sternum. We sought to determine whether patients benefit from this less-invasive approach. METHODS We retrospectively analysed our prospectively maintained database to review all isolated aortic valve replacements performed in an 18-month period from November 2011 to April 2013. RESULTS One hundred and ninety-one patients were identified, 98 underwent manubrium-limited sternotomy (Mini-AVR) and 93 had a conventional median sternotomy (AVR). The two groups were well matched for preoperative variables and risk (mean logistic EuroSCORE mini-AVR 7.15 vs AVR 6.55, P = 0.47). Mean cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times were 10 and 6 min longer, respectively, in the mini-AVR group (mean values 88 vs 78 min, P = 0.00040, and 66 vs 60 min, P = 0.0078, respectively). Mini-AVR patients had significantly less postoperative blood loss, 332 vs 513 ml, P = 0.00021, and were less likely to require blood products (fresh-frozen plasma and platelets), 24 vs 36%, P = 0.042. Postoperative complications and length of stay were similar (discharge on or before Day 4; mini-AVR 15 vs AVR 8%, P = 0.17). Valve outcome (paravalvular leak mini-AVR 2 vs AVR 1%, P = 1.00) and survival (mini-AVR 99 vs AVR 97%, P = 0.36) were equal. CONCLUSIONS A manubrium-limited approach maintains outcomes achieved for aortic valve replacement by conventional sternotomy while significantly reducing postoperative blood loss and transfusion of blood products.
On the Measure of Distortions

Abstract The paper considers formally the mapping from distortions in the allocations of resources across firms to aggregate productivity. TFP gaps are characterized as the integral of a strictly concave function with respect to an employment-weighted measure of distortions. Size related distortions are shown to correspond to a mean preserving spread of this measure, explaining the stronger effects on TFP found in the literature. In general, the effect of correlation between distortions and productivity is shown to be ambiguous; conditions are given to determine its sign. An empirical lower bound on distortions based on size distribution of firms is derived and analyzed, revealing that substantial rank reversals in firm size are necessary for distortions to explain large TFP gaps. The effect of curvature on the impact and measurement of distortions is also considered.
Interatomic potentials for hydrogen in α –iron based on density functional theory

We present two interatomic potentials for hydrogen in –iron based on the embedded atom method potentials for iron developed by Mendelev et al. Philos. Mag. 83, 3977 2003 and Ackland et al. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 16, S2629 2004 . Since these latter potentials are unique among existing iron potentials in their ability to produce the same core structure for screw dislocations as density functional theory DFT calculations, our interatomic potentials for hydrogen in iron also inherit this important feature. We use an extensive database of energies and atomic configurations from DFT calculations to fit the cross interaction of hydrogen with iron. Detailed tests on the dissolution and diffusion of hydrogen in bulk –iron, as well as the binding of H to vacancies, free surfaces, and dislocations, indicate that our potentials are in excellent overall agreement with DFT calculations.
A Robot Hand with T-MPSOM Neural Networks in a Model of the Human Haptic System

We have developed an 8 d.o. f. robot hand, which has been tested with two computational models of haptic perception. Each model uses a variant of the novel self-organizing neural network, the Tensor-Multiple Peak Self-Organizing Map (T-MPSOM). One of the models uses a variant of the T-MPSOM that multiplies the activity corresponding to each of the two input vectors, while the other uses a variant that sums them. The computational models were trained and tested with a set of objects consisting of hard spheres, blocks and cylinders. Both models were capable of shape categorization, and in addition, one of the models was able to discriminate individual objects.
Clinical and Financial Outcomes Due to Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Surgical Site Infection: A Multi-Center Matched Outcomes Study

Background The clinical and financial outcomes of SSIs directly attributable to MRSA and methicillin-resistance are largely uncharacterized. Previously published data have provided conflicting conclusions. Methodology We conducted a multi-center matched outcomes study of 659 surgical patients. Patients with SSI due to MRSA were compared with two groups: matched uninfected control patients and patients with SSI due to MSSA. Four outcomes were analyzed for the 90-day period following diagnosis of the SSI: mortality, readmission, duration of hospitalization, and hospital charges. Attributable outcomes were determined by logistic and linear regression. Principal Findings In total, 150 patients with SSI due to MRSA were compared to 231 uninfected controls and 128 patients with SSI due to MSSA. SSI due to MRSA was independently predictive of readmission within 90 days (OR = 35.0, 95% CI 17.3–70.7), death within 90 days (OR = 7.27, 95% CI 2.83–18.7), and led to 23 days (95% CI 19.7–26.3) of additional hospitalization and $61,681 (95% 23,352–100,011) of additional charges compared with uninfected controls. Methicillin-resistance was not independently associated with increased mortality (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 0.70–4.20) nor likelihood of readmission (OR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.21–0.89) but was associated with 5.5 days (95% CI 1.97–9.11) of additional hospitalization and $24,113 (95% 4,521–43,704) of additional charges. Conclusions/Significance The attributable impact of S. aureus and methicillin-resistance on outcomes of surgical patients is substantial. Preventing a single case of SSI due to MRSA can save hospitals as much as $60,000.
The 'Roller Coaster' of California State Budgeting after Proposition 13

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that have produced the boom-to-bust budget cycles that the State of California has experienced since the passage of Proposition 13. This is first done by examining historical budget patterns for the State to see if there is any evidence that they differ from what has been observed for states as a whole. The specific circumstances in California - constitutional restrictions, revenue reliance, demographics, future concerns, and public opinion - responsible for its budget patterns are then described. The paper concludes with a description of how the State's budget faired during the last business cycle and suggested policy reforms that could help alter the expected course of California's budget outcomes over such future cycles.
Seasonal Fires, Bison Grazing, and the Tallgrass Prairie Forb Arnoglossum plantagineum Raf.

ABSTRACT: Fire and grazing can interact to affect the structure and composition of vegetation communities in a manner that may differ from the effects of fire or grazing that occurs in isolation of the other. In order to better understand the effects of a fire-grazing interaction at the level of an individual plant species, we studied the response of a perennial tallgrass prairie forb, Arnoglossum plantagineum Raf. , to the interaction of spring and summer fires with grazing by bison (Bison bison L.). During one field season (2006), we collected data in areas that had been treated with summer fires while in a subsequent field season (2007) we collected data in areas that had been treated with spring fires. Many measures of plant growth (plant height, vegetative biomass, and total biomass) and reproductive effort (reproductive biomass, indices of flowering plant density) suggested greater resource availability for individuals of A. plantagineum growing in areas that had been recently burned and were being heavily grazed by bison. However, the response of these variables to the fire-grazing interaction often varied among differing topographical positions. Our results demonstrate that the interaction of fire and bison grazing can further interact with topographical position in tallgrass prairie to affect the growth and reproductive effort of the perennial forb A. plantagineum.
Adaptive Multimodal Exploration of Music Collections

Discovering music that we like rarely happens as a result of a directed search. Except for the case where we have exact meta data at hand it is hard to articulate what song is attractive to us. Therefore it is essential to develop and evaluate systems that support guided exploratory browsing of the music space. While a number of algorithms for organizing music collections according to a given similarity measure have been applied successfully, the generated structure is usually only presented visually and listening requires cumbersome skipping through the individual pieces. To close this media gap we describe an immersive multimodal exploration environment which extends the presentation of a song collection in a video-game-like virtual 3-D landscape by carefully adjusted spatialized plackback of songs. The user can freely navigate through the virtual world guided by the acoustic clues surrounding him. Observing his interaction with the environment the system furthermore learns the user’s way of structuring his collection by adapting a weighted combination of a wide range of integrated content-based, meta-data-based and collaborative similarity measures. Our evaluation proves the importance of auditory feedback for music exploration and shows that our system is capable of adjusting to different notions of similarity.
Introduction: The Dual Economy Approach to Economic Growth and Development

This volume contains papers that use a two-sector approach to studying economic growth. Many economists believe taking such an approach is essential, especially for understanding the early stages of development. A two-sector model generates important insights about both the accumulation of physical and human capital (Mankiw et al. 1992) and improvements in total factor productivity (TFP) (Hall and Jones, 1999; Parente and Prescott, 2000). The main premise is that the structural transformation of an economy, as one sector expands and another contracts, is a fundamental cause, and not just a by-product, of aggregate growth.
Church Membership and Social Insurance: Evidence from the American South

We examine the effect of increased demand for social insurance on church membership.Our empirical strategy exploits the differential impact of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 across counties to identify a shock to the demand for social insurance. We find that flooded counties experienced a significant increase in church membership. Consistent with economic theories about determinants of membership of religious organizations, our result suggests that local churches provided ex-post insurance for the needy and in return gained new members.
Monetary dialogue and the democratic accountability of the ECB

It is still too early to say when and in what form the discussion on a European constitution can be resumed. What is certain, however, is that the discussion on the economic policy to be conducted at Community level with regard to achieving the goal of full employment and ensuring economic and social cohesion in the enlargement process must be taken further if Monetary Union and enlargement are to be successful in the long term. This discussion relates not only to institutional and organisational matters but also to the content of economic policy and the question of what is to be achieved by means of structural policy measures and what – in the Monetary Union – can and must be achieved by macroeconomic policy measures devised in common. This discussion must be conducted in an open manner. The Economic and Social Committee Opinion represents a helpful contribution in this context.
Haematocrit correlates with tail ornament size in three populations of the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Summary 1. Handicap models of sexual selection propose that male ornaments are indicators of male quality and that honesty is enforced by the costs imposed by the exaggerated ornamental traits. In long-distance migratory birds that feed on the wing, the aerodynamic cost of exaggerated ornamental characters should be particularly high because the size of the ornaments deviates from the natural selection optimum. During migration, birds are expected to raise their oxygen consumption in relation to the energetic demands imposed by their morphology. An increase of haematocrit is an adaptive response to enhance oxygen uptake and efficiency of transfer to the muscular tissues during spells of intense muscular activity. 2. The change of haematocrit of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) after their arrival to the breeding sites, and the relationships between haematocrit values recorded after migration and the size of ordinary and sexually selected morphological characters in three Barn Swallow populations were analysed. 3. Males had higher haematocrit values than females. Individual haematocrit values declined after arrival to the breeding sites. Haematocrit values of males were significantly and positively correlated with the size of their ornamental tail but not correlated with other characters, thus suggesting that well-ornamented males, in order to arrive early, have to raise their haematocrit above the level of short-tailed males. 4. Males and females of similar tail length did not differ in their haematocrit, thus suggesting that sexual dimorphism in haematocrit might be functionally related to dimorphism in tail length. 5. Our results are consistent with the handicap principle because long-tailed males experience lower mortality and larger seasonal reproductive success compared with short-tailed males.
APER S ERIES Citations are Forever : Modeling Constrained Network Formation

Determining the extent to which citation flows, and hence bibliometric indicators based on them, reflect some intrinsic value of scientific works is an important task made very difficult by endogeneity issues. This paper presents an approach which allows to go beyond the abundant anecdotal evidence by testing whether the citation behavior is free from environmental factors. The hypothesis of independence is strongly rejected, providing causal evidence of a Matthew effect at work: namely, the publication of a new work on behalf of an author increases the flow of citations to previous works. Such result is a step towards the estimation of biases affecting bibliometric indicators, at least when interpreted as measures of scientific productivity. The study is based on a novel framework for the study of endogenous network growth subject to constraints. Constraints can be both positive and negative, and change in time depending on the actions of the agents. The framework is not limited to citation networks, and can be applied to any context in which the formation of a link inhibits or implies the formation of another one.
The ultraviolet line spectrum of the soft X-ray transient XTE J1118+480: a CNO-processed core exposed

We compare ultraviolet (UV) spectra of the recent soft X-ray transients XTE J1118+480 and XTE J1859+226. The emission line strengths in XTE J1118+480 strongly suggest that the accreting material has been CNO processed. We show that this system must have come into contact with a secondary star of about 1.5 M, and an orbital period 15 h, very close to the bifurcation value at which the nuclear and angular momentum loss time-scales are similar. Subsequent evolution to the current period of 4.1 h was driven by angular momentum loss. In passing through a period of 7.75 h the secondary star would have shown essentially normal surface abundances. XTE J1118+480 could thus represent a slightly later evolutionary stage of A0620-00. We briefly discuss the broad Lyα absorption wings in XTE J1118+480.
Innovative Methodology New Angles on Neuronal Dendrites In Vivo

Göbel W, Helmchen F. New angles on neuronal dendrites in vivo. J Neurophysiol 98: 3770–3779, 2007. First published September 26, 2007; doi:10.1152/jn.00850. 2007. Imaging technologies are well suited to study neuronal dendrites, which are key elements for synaptic integration in the CNS. Dendrites are, however, frequently oriented perpendicular to tissue surfaces, impeding in vivo imaging approaches. Here we introduce novel laser-scanning modes for twophoton microscopy that enable in vivo imaging of spatiotemporal activity patterns in dendrites. First, we developed a method to image planes arbitrarily oriented in 3D, which proved particularly beneficial for calcium imaging of parallel fibers and Purkinje cell dendrites in rat cerebellar cortex. Second, we applied free linescans—either through multiple dendrites or along a single vertically oriented dendrite—to reveal fast dendritic calcium dynamics in neocortical pyramidal neurons. Finally, we invented a ribbon-type 3D scanning method for imaging user-defined convoluted planes enabling simultaneous measurements of calcium signals along multiple apical dendrites. These novel scanning modes will facilitate optical probing of dendritic function in vivo.
Association of Toll-Like Receptor 4 Polymorphisms with Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Application of Artificial Neural Network in DFU Risk Assessment in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

The Toll-Like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays an important role in immunity, tissue repair, and regeneration. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the association of TLR4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs4986790, rs4986791, rs11536858 (merged into rs10759931), rs1927911, and rs1927914 with increased diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PCR-RFLP was used for genotyping TLR4 SNPs in 125 T2DM patients with DFU and 130 controls. The haplotypes and linkage disequilibrium between the SNPs were determined using Haploview software. Multivariate linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling was done to observe their predictability for the risk of DFU in T2DM patients. Risk genotypes of all SNPs except rs1927914 were significantly associated with DFU. Haplotype ACATC (P value = 9.3E − 5) showed strong association with DFU risk. Two haplotypes ATATC (P value = 0.0119) and ATGTT (P value = 0.0087) were found to be protective against DFU. In conclusion TLR4 SNPs and their haplotypes may increase the risk of impairment of wound healing in T2DM patients. ANN model (83%) is found to be better than the MLR model (76%) and can be used as a tool for the DFU risk assessment in T2DM patients.
Five Keys for Reproductive Success

The efficient production of milk drives the profitability of the dairy enterprise. Within a dairy herd, total milk production is determined by the proportion of cows producing milk at any given time and the level of milk production of the individual cows within the herd (Vandehaar, 1998). Both of these factors are dramatically affected by reproductive efficiency. Improving reproductive efficiency improves profitability by maintaining the greatest proportion of cows in a herd producing milk at optimal levels.
An Experimental Investigation on the Combustion and Heat Release Characteristics of an Opposed-Piston Folded-Cranktrain Diesel Engine

In opposed-piston folded-cranktrain diesel engines, the relative movement rules of opposed-pistons, combustion chamber components and injector position are different from those of conventional diesel engines. The combustion and heat release characteristics of an opposed-piston folded-cranktrain diesel engine under different operating conditions were investigated. Four phases: ignition delay, premixed combustion, diffusion combustion and after combustion are used to describe the heat release process of the engine. Load changing has a small effect on premixed combustion duration while it influences diffusion combustion duration significantly. The heat release process has more significant isochoric and isobaric combustion which differs from the conventional diesel engine situation, except at high exhaust pressure and temperature, due to its two-stroke and uniflow scavenging characteristics. Meanwhile, a relatively high-quality exhaust heat energy is produced in opposed-piston folded-cranktrain diesel engines.
Individuals' Unemployment Durations Over the Business Cycle

Using a large panel of administrative records this study confirms the predictions of the ranking model of Blanchard and Diamond (1994) that an individual’s probability of leaving unemployment decreases with unemployment duration and increases with economic growth. However, the ranking model of Blanchard and Diamond (1994) makes the further prediction that negative genuine duration dependence will be stronger the more depressed the labour market. In conflict with this prediction this study provides persuasive empirical evidence that the pattern of negative genuine duration dependence does not change over the business cycle. Moreover it is shown that the finding in previous studies that negative genuine duration dependence becomes stronger the more depressed the labour market arises from failure to control for cyclical fluctuations in the composition of the newly unemployed. This finding carries a strong warning for policy assessment: unless controlled for cyclical fluctuations in the composition of the newly unemployed an evaluation of a policy designed to get the long-term unemployed into work will be biased towards a success in times of high economic growth and towards a failure in times of low economic growth.