Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Untangling the Complexity of Connected Health Evaluations

Societal changes are forcing us to reconsider how healthcare is delivered. Connected Health, which involves the application of ICT to support healthcare delivery, is an emerging trend in this space. A robust evaluation technique that considers the impact of Connected Health on society is a vital enabler for this growing area. For this reason, we developed an exploratory framework for the evaluation of Connected Health solutions. Our framework, which is built upon the Information Systems Success Model, was developed after having critically appraised the findings of earlier health information system evaluation studies. We identity the primary stakeholders and address their assessment needs from a multi-perspective viewpoint, for example effectiveness and efficiency. In this paper, we outline the framework and report on its application to a Connected Health solution for primary care based dementia patients in Ireland.
Title: an in Vitro Spinal Cord Slice Preparation for Recording from Lumbar 1 Motoneurons of the Adult Mouse 2

Title: An In Vitro Spinal Cord Slice Preparation for Recording from Lumbar 1 Motoneurons of the Adult Mouse 2 3 Running Head: Adult Spinal Cord Slice Preparation 4 5 Authors and address: 6 Pratip Mitra and Robert M. Brownstone 2 7 Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology 8 Department of Surgery (Neurosurgery) 9 5850 College Street 10 14-A1, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building 11 PO Box 15000 12 Dalhousie University 13 Halifax 14 Nova Scotia 15 CANADA B3H 4R2 16 17 Corresponding author: 18 Robert M. Brownstone 19 Address: Same as above 20 Email: rob.brownstone@dal.ca 21 Phone: (902) 494-6244 22 Fax: (902) 494-1212 23 Articles in PresS. J Neurophysiol (October 26, 2011). doi:10.1152/jn.00558. 2011
Are American and French Stock Markets Integrated?

Within a nonlinear framework, this article studies the market integration hypothesis between the French and American stock markets, on a short- and long-term basis. We use two nonlinear Error Correction Models (ECM): the Exponential Switching Transition ECM (ESTECM) and the nonlinear ECM-Rational Polynomial (NECM-RP). Our results provide strong evidence of integration between French and American stock markets. They show that the stock market integration process is non-linear and timevarying and that it has strengthened over time.
Plastic neural changes and reading improvement caused by audiovisual training in reading-impaired children

This study aimed at determining whether audiovisual training without linguistic material has a remediating effect on reading skills and central auditory processing in dyslexic children. It was found that this training resulted in plastic changes in the auditory cortex, indexed by enhanced electrophysiological mismatch negativity and faster reaction times to sound changes. Importantly, these changes were accompanied by improvement in reading skills. The results indicate that reading difficulties can be ameliorated by special training programs and, further, that the training effects can be observed in brain activity. Moreover, the fact that the present training effects were obtained by using a program including no linguistic material indicates that dyslexia is at least partly based on a general auditory perceptual deficit.
Effectiveness of Carboplatin and Paclitaxel as First- and Second-Line Treatment in 61 Patients with Metastatic Melanoma

Background Patients with metastatic melanoma have a very unfavorable prognosis with few therapeutic options. Based on previous promising experiences within a clinical trial involving carboplatin and paclitaxel a series of advanced metastatic melanoma patients were treated with this combination. Methods Data of all patients with cutaneous metastatic melanoma treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel (CP) at our institution between October 2005 and December 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. For all patients a once-every-3-weeks dose-intensified regimen was used. Overall and progression free survival were calculated using the method of Kaplan and Meier. Tumour response was evaluated according to RECIST criteria. Results 61 patients with cutaneous metastatic melanoma were treated with CP. 20 patients (85% M1c) received CP as first-line treatment, 41 patients (90.2% M1c) had received at least one prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease. Main toxicities were myelosuppression, fatigue and peripheral neuropathy. Partial responses were noted in 4.9% of patients, stable disease in 23% of patients. No complete response was observed. Median progression free survival was 10 weeks. Median overall survival was 31 weeks. Response, progression-free and overall survival were equivalent in first- and second-line patients. 60 patients of 61 died after a median follow up of 7 months. Median overall survival differed for patients with controlled disease (PR+SD) (49 weeks) compared to patients with progressive disease (18 weeks). Conclusions Among patients with metastatic melanoma a subgroup achieved disease control under CP therapy which may be associated with a survival benefit. This potential advantage has to be weighed against considerable toxicity. Since response rates and survival were not improved in previously untreated patients compared to pretreated patients, CP should thus not be applied as first-line treatment.
Relationship development and marketing communication: An integrative model

Develops a model which integrates the development of marketing relationships with marketing communication practice. Especially within the realm of relationship marketing thinking, communication may be understood as an act of persuasion. Using three classical rhetorical elements, we may see this process as developing an understanding of the communicator’s intentions and qualities (ethos) and the communication climate (pathos), both of which are necessary for engaging in constructive dialogues with customers (logos). On this basis, the paper outlines a model for integrating practices of marketing communication with relationship building and illustrates the model using a case study from a Danish bank as a reflective device.
Controlling the properties of Photonic Jets

In this paper, we discuss the important controllable parameters and dependent parameters in a Photonic Jet formed from plane wave illumination of a micron sized sphere in free space. We use a numerical Finite Element Method (FEM) to vary the diameter of an infinite cylinder and study the resulting properties of the Photonic Jet. These results are compared with the analytical model of Mie theory and experimental results. We show that there is an important oscillation in the focal intensity of the jet as a function of cylinder diameter. This "ripple effect" is predicted by Mie theory and is a result of the modal structure of the sphere. This suggests an optimum sphere size to increase the intensity in the Photonic Jet. We show also that the FWHM oscillates around a value of 0.43X0. Thus one can optimise the diameter of a cylinder or sphere to create a Photonic Jet with both high intensity and small FWHM.
Who may frown and who should smile? Dominance, affiliation, and the display of happiness and anger

Three experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that the social stereotype that anger displays are more appropriate for men and smiling is requisite for women is based on the perception of men and women as more or less dominant or affiliative. The first study tested the mediation model that men are rated as more dominant and women as more affiliative and that expectations for men to show more anger and for women to smile more are partially mediated by this difference in perception. Second, a vignette approach was used to test the notion that these expectations translate into prescriptive social norms that are based on levels of perceived dominance and affiliation rather than sex per se. The results strongly support this hypothesis for dominance and provide partial confirmation for affiliation.
One Alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol Improves Growth Performance, Tibia Quality, and Meat Color of Broilers Fed Calcium- and Phosphorus-Deficient Diets

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of one alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (1α-OH D3) on growth performance, tibia quality, and skin and meat color in broilers fed calcium (Ca)- and phosphorus (P)-deficient corn-soybean meal diets. A total of 288 male Ross broilers, at 21 days of age, were randomly assigned to three treatments with eight cages per treatment. Three levels of 1α-OH D3 (0, 5, and 10 μg/kg) were added to a basal diet (0.50% Ca, 0.13% non-phytate phosphorus (NPP), and 0.35% total phosphorus (tP)) without vitamin D3. As a result of this study, the addition of 1α-OH D3 increased body weight gain (p<0.001), feed intake (p = 0.007), feed efficiency (p<0.001), tibia weight (p = 0.002), length (p<0.001), breaking-strength (p = 0.012), ash (p<0.001), Ca (p<0.001), and P content (p = 0.004). Dietary 1α-OH D3 enhanced breast meat yellowness (p = 0.015) and the length and weight of the small intestine of the broilers. Moreover, 1α-OH D3 decreased serum Ca concentration (p = 0.074) and breast meat redness (p = 0.010). These results indicate that the 1α-OH D3 improves growth, tibia quality, and meat color in broilers fed Ca- and P-deficient corn-soybean meal diets.
Asymmetries in the adjustment of motor diesel and gasoline pump prices in Europe

Gasoline prices are said to take longer to decrease and at a slower rate when crude oil prices fall than they do to increase when crude oil prices rise. In this paper I analyze to what extent this asymmetry phenomenon can be identified across all EU15 Member States, plus the EU15 average, and I allow for a comparative analysis between IO95 gasoline and motor diesel. I follow previous approaches by disentangling between the two major channels of pump price formation in Europe, namely the international channel from Brent to Platts (ex-refinery) prices and the domestic channels from Platts to average pump prices before tax. I consider weekly data over the period 2004-2008 and follow a previously proposed co-integration based econometric approach. Results strongly suggest the existence of asymmetries in the international channel for diesel, where there is also evidence of overshooting, but not for gasoline. On the domestic channels, the evidence in favour of asymmetries depends on the considered Member State and type of fuel.
Reinventing Government in the Information Age: International Practice in IT-Enabled Public Sector Reform

Introduction SECTION A 1. Reinventing Government in the Information Age 2. Different approaches to Information Age reform 3. Understanding success and failure in Information Age reform 4. Better information age reform: reducing the risk of Information Systems failure SECTION B 5. Information systems for improved performance management: Development approaches in the US Public Agencies 6. Automating personnel records for improved management of human resources: the experience of three African governments 7. Evaluating information systems for decentralisation: Health management reform in Ecuador SECTION C 8. Internet-enabled applications for local government democratisation: Contradictions of the Swedish Experience 9. Community development and democratisation through Information Technology: Building the New South Africa 10. Information Technology's Impact on the Quality of Democracy: Reinventing the 'Democratic Vessel' SECTION D 11. Transforming accountability for government information technology projects: The impact of new US legislation 12. Outsourcing and government information technology strategy: Relevance of external consultant models in Barbados 13. Meeting training needs for information age reform: Shortcomings of current training provision SECTION E 14. Strategic Information systems planning 15. 16. Analysing performance information needs: Using framework approaches in a UK Public Healthcare Organisation 17. Recruiting and retaining information systems staff for Information Age reform Appendix
Practising clinical supervision : a reflective approach

Introduction: The Different Types of Budgets * The Budgeting Process * Motivation and Incentives * Cost Concepts * Personnel Issues * Forecasting * Strategic Planning and Business Plans * The Operating Budget * Revenue Budgeting * Capital Budgeting * Technical Appendix: Quantitative Methods for Capital Budgeting * Performance Budgeting * Cash Budgeting * Variance Analysis * Variance Analysis - Examples, Extensions, and Caveats * Benchmarking, Productivity, and Cost-Benefit/Cost Effectiveness Analysis (new) * Costing Out Nursing Services * Glossary * Appendix * Index
Unemployment and Income Distribution: Time-Series Evidence from Sweden

For a long time, Swedish politicians have been devoted to keeping unemployment at low levels. The main reason for this devotion is probably the belief that higher unemployment increases inequality of income and welfare. This is a reasonable belief since unemployment risks are highest among people with low earnings capacity, even when they have a job. By means of micro data it is easy to verify a marked low-income profile of unemployment. Further, the Swedish unemployment insurance system replaces only about 70 per cent of foregone income and quite many unemployed do not qualify for any benefits; see Bjorklund and Holmlund (1991). Increases in unemployment, however, are associated with many changes in the economy with complex consequences for the personal distribution of income. In addition to the income losses suffered by those who become unemployed, higher unemployment also affects the factor shares of income. The profit share typically declines during recessions and because upper-income groups receive a relatively high proportion of their income from capital income, a countervailing mechanism is involved. Changes in unemployment also affect inflation which, in turn, might influence the personal distribution of income. The distributional effects of inflation are an open question. This note makes an investigation into the relationship between unemployment and the personal distribution of income using Swedish time-series data. The method was first used on U.S. data by Blinder and
Earnings, Schooling, and Ability Revisited

This paper presents a survey and interpretation of recent research on the return to education. The empirical findings in a series of current papers suggest that the causal effect of education on earnings is understated by standard estimation methods. Using a simple model of optimal schooling developed by Gary Becker (1967), I derive an explicit formula for the conventional estimate of the return to schooling and for alternative instrumental variables and fixed- effects estimators. The analysis suggests that instrumental variables estimates based on 'interventions' that affect the schooling choices of children from relatively disadvantaged family backgrounds will tend to exceed the corresponding OLS estimates.
Profits in the "New Trade" Approach to Trade Negotiations †

I highlight two advantages of adopting a "new trade" approach to trade negotiations. First, it allows for a view of trade negotiations in which producer interests play a prominent role. And second, it lends itself naturally to quantitative analyses of non-cooperative and cooperative trade policy. My specific focus is on profit shifting effects through which countries can gain at the expense of one another.
Promoting ethical follower behaviour through leadership of ethics : the development of the ethical leadership inventory (ELI)

The Centre of Leadership Studies developed a model that defines and describes leadership behaviour required for creating an ethical and high performing organisation. Purposefully building an ethical organisational environment is a prerequisite for ethical organisational behaviour. To be an ethical high performance leader, a person must be both an effective leader and a leader of ethics. The purpose of this study is to develop a 360° instrument that can be used to assess the quality of ethical leadership of middle, senior and executive managers in public, private and not-for-profit organisations. The results reported here provide reasonable support for the use of the ELI. The possibility of causal influences existing amongst specific first-order leadership dimensions, however, needs to be investigated.
Making gender relevant: conversation analysis and gender categories in interaction

In this article, we critically evaluate a conversation analytic approach to the study of the links between gender and language from a feminist perspective. In so doing, we engage in the recent series of exchanges about conversation analysis (CA) and other strands of discourse analysis that have been published in Discourse & Society. We consider talk from two sets of discourse data, focusing on participants' orientation to gender categories as they crop up in the interactions. We suggest that a CA approach produces a rich understanding of the links between discourse and gender. However, we are critical of several, often unexamined aspects and conundrums of conversation analytic methodology. First, we consider the extent to which the 'analytic stances' of feminism and conversation analysis are compatible. Second, we question whether, as Schegloff (1997) suggests, it is fruitful to rely on descriptions of and orientations to gender solely in participants' terms, as well as problematizing the notion of 'orienting to gender' itself. Finally, while we propose CA is a useful tool for making claims about the relevance of gender in conversational interaction, and that such claims are grounded in speakers' orientations, we suggest that culture and common-sense knowledge, of both members and analysts, are largely unacknowledged and unexplicated resources in CA. Gender and discourse: a critical review The study of language and gender continues to stimulate research and debate across the social sciences and beyond. During the last decade, there has been a dramatic shift in the sorts of questions asked, and the subsequent methods used, in the interrogation of the links between gender and discourse. Some commentators have challenged the basis of gender difference research itself, questioning
Arbitrary Error Detection in Combinational Circuits by Using Partitioning

The paper presents a new technique for designing a concurrently checking combinational circuit. The technique is based on partitioning the circuit into two independent sub-circuits. It does not require any redundant coding variables; instead, it utilizes a sub-set of input variables. These variables are transferred directly into a checker providing the arbitrary error detection. The paper develops and studies a method for selecting an optimized sub-set of such variables. Benchmark results show efficiency of the proposed approach.
Fear and Loathing in La Liga: Barcelona vs Real Madrid

This is nominated for William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2013. It's Messi vs Ronaldo, it's Catalonia vs Castilla. It's the nation against the state, freedom fighters vs Franco's fascists. It's majestic goals and mesmerising skills, red cards and bench brawls. It's the best two teams on the planet going face to face and toe to toe. It's more than a game. It's a war. It's Barcelona vs Real Madrid.Only, it's not that simple. From the wounds left by the civil war to the teams' recent global domination, historian and expert on Spanish football, Sid Lowe lifts the lid on sport's greatest rivalry. Lowe has spoken to the biggest names and the forgotten heroes who defined their clubs. Men like Alfredo Di Stefano and Johan Cruyff as well as the only survivor of the most politically charged game in history, the Barcelona striker who knocked Madrid out of the European Cup for the first time ever, and the president who celebrated his club's defining moment by taking a midnight dip in the Thames. By exploring the history, politics, culture, economics and language, while never forgetting the drama on the pitch, Lowe demonstrates the symbiotic nature of the relationship between these two football giants. In doing so he reveals the human story behind this explosive rivalry.
Three Worlds of Productivity Growth: Human Capital Policy Profiles and Productivity Growth Outcomes

Labor productivity is an important determinant of the wealth of national economies and their standards of living, as its growth explains half of per capita GDP growth. We show that there are three worlds of productivity growth among industrialized countries, by decomposing labor productivity growth into multifactor productivity (MFP) growth and capital deepening. The three worlds that emerge from the analysis are: 1) human capital investment and MFP growth dominant Nordic social market economies (SMEs); 2) physical capital investment and labor productivity growth-dominant liberal market economies (LMEs); and 3) continental SMEs whose moderately high human capital investments create decently high MFP growth, but whose low physical capital investments push down their labor productivity. The three worlds are broadly a result of the countries’ human capital formation policies and economic growth strategies — different policies add differently to the components of labor productivity (and ultimately to economic growth). We also identify two dominant paths to high labor productivity growth — the Nordic-type human capital investment path driven by high MFP growth, and the LME-type market-centered path powered by fixed capital investment growth. Overall, we tie the welfare production regimes (WPRs) literature to economic outcomes by showing that different human capital formation policies produce different economic outcomes.
Productivity Growth, Technical Efficiency and Technical Change on Minnesota Farms

Changes and trends in farm productivity have been of intense interest to many involved with agriculture. This study used data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the output-oriented Malmquist total factor productivity (TFP) index from panel data for 1993-2006 for farms in Southern Minnesota. Bootstrap methods were used to estimate confidence intervals for the productivity, efficiency change and technical change indices. The model included three inputs (labor, land and immediate expenditures) and six outputs (corn, soybean, milk, hog, beef, and nonfarm income). Productivity growth was found to be positive during the period, with an average annual productivity growth of 6.6 percent. However, TFP growth has been slowing down in recent years and indeed negative in 2000/01, 2002/03 and 2005/06. In the second stage of the analysis, the significance of various factors that might affect farm performance was estimated. Farm size (as measured by the log of farm income) was correlated with higher productivity which may help explain the increase in farm size in Minnesota farms in recent years. Government subsidies were found to have a negative impact on farm performance supporting the argument that agricultural subsidies may create disincentives for farmers to improve their productivity and efficiency. A higher nonfarm income ratio was positively related with higher productivity growth. A higher proportion of hired labor has a negative effect implying family labor is more crucial than hired labor in improving productivity.
Heegaard splittings of 3--manifolds (Haifa 2005): Problems

These are problems on Heegaard splittings, that were raised at the Workshop, listed according to their contributors: David Bachman, Mario Eudave-Munoz, John Hempel, Tao Li, Yair Minsky, Yoav Moriah and Richard Weidmann. On pages 285-298 of this monograph (arxiv:0904.0017) Hyam Rubinstein gives a personal collection of problems on 3-manifolds.