Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Manual Mobilization on the Mobility of the Thoracic Spine in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

Objective: To explore the effects of manual mobilization on thoracic spine mobility, respiratory function and disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: Two groups, each consisting of 12 patients, were treated with standard physiotherapy during a regular inpatient stay. After randomization, one group was also treated with manual mobilization of the thoracic spine for an average of 6 sessions, whereas the other group only received conventional physiotherapy. The primary outcome parameter was the mobility of the thoracic spine represented by the Ott’s sign. The secondary outcome parameters were pain (VAS), respiratory function (differences of chest expansion and inspiratory vital capacity IVC), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI). Results: Mobility of the thoracic spine (Ott’s sign) increased significantly within the group of manually mobilized patients compared to baseline (hospital admission) at each of the follow-up visits (p_discharge < 0.002, p_1month < 0.002, p _3months < 0.004). No significant impact on thoracic spine mobility could be found in the control group. Comparing both groups, manually mobilized patients had significantly improved mobility at the time of discharge from the hospital (p < 0.002) as well as 1 month later (p < 0.009). No difference could be shown after 3 months. The group treated with manual mobilization showed also a significant pain reduction compared to baseline (p_discharge < 0.006, p_1month < 0.005, p_3months < 0.013). Parameters of the respiratory function test increased during therapy with manual mobilization. Compared to baseline, chest expansion improved at all follow-up visits (p_discharge < 0.001, p_1month < 0.026, p_3months < 0.005). The therapy also had a positive impact on the IVC at the time of discharge (p < 0.003) and after 3 months (p < 0.008). Regarding the scores (BASDAI, BASFI), a significant decrease was detected, thus reflecting a general improvement of the manually treated patients in terms of disease activity and function. Overall, the observed effects on most outcome parameters lasted until the follow-up visit at 1 month after discharge but could be observed up to 3 months later. Conclusion: The results show that physiotherapy including manual mobilization of the thoracic spine promotes mobility, improves respiratory function and has a positive influence on disease activity and physical function. Therefore, manual mobilization of the spine (without ankylosis) should be included in the physical therapy concept of patients with AS. Since the effects appear to last for approximately 3 months, manual mobilization should be strongly considered as an additive physiotherapeutic option.
Asymptotically one-dimensional dynamics of high-peak-power ultrashort laser pulses

Laser fields with peak powers P well above the critical power of self-focusing Pcr are intrinsically unstable with respect to modulation instabilities, breaking up into multiple filaments as a part of a quintessentially three-dimensional nonlinear beam dynamics. Here, however, we show that—even for P ≫ Pcr—the spatiotemporal field evolution can stay effectively one-dimensional. In this regime, observed as an asymptotic case of large diffraction lengths, the laser field can undergo a rich diversity of pulse transformation scenarios, including, most notably, pulse self-compression to subcycle field waveforms with very high peak powers, while remaining decoupled, within a limited propagation length, from beam dynamics.
Modelling and forecasting financial log-returns as locally stationary wavelet processes

In this article, we model financial log-return series in the Locally Stationary Wavelet (LSW) framework proposed by Nason et al. (2000). We slightly alter the LSW set-up to include time- modulated white noise (TMWN) as a special case. We show that the LSW model, being linear and non-stationary, adequately captures the most commonly observed stylized facts. Furthermore, we propose a new method for estimating time-varying second order quantities in the LSW model, and provide an exploratory analysis of the daily FTSE 100 series using the LSW toolbox. The example shows that the dependence structure of FTSE 100 varies over time, and that the LSW model is particularly well-suited for modelling this series. Finally, by considering daily returns on the DJIA index, we demonstrate that financial log-returns can be successfully forecast in the LSW framework.
Substrate affinity and diversity dynamics of Paleozoic marine animals

Abstract Short-term fluctuations in the diversification rate of Paleozoic marine animal genera are more strongly correlated with extinction-rate variation than with origination-rate variation. Diversity dynamics are strikingly different in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, when variation in origination is more important than extinction. Data on the lithologic context of taxonomic occurrences in the Paleobiology Database are used to assess the substrate affinities of Paleozoic genera. The greater role of extinction-rate variation in the Paleozoic is found to characterize genera with an affinity for carbonate substrates but not those that prefer terrigenous clastic substrates. It is therefore plausible that the Paleozoic to post-Paleozoic shift in diversity dynamics is underlain in part by the secular decline in the relative areal extent of carbonate environments, and the concomitant decline in the relative diversity of carbonate- versus clastic-loving taxa.
Homologies of Floral Structures in Velloziaceae with Particular Reference to the Corona

New data on floral morphology, development, and vasculature in two Brazilian genera of the monocot family Velloziaceae (Pandanales) are used to explore the homologies of their unusual floral structures, especially the corona of Barbacenia and the corona‐like appendages and multiple stamens of some Vellozia species. All Velloziaceae have epigynous flowers. Some species of Vellozia are polyandrous, and stamen number can be variable within species. In Vellozia jolyi, there is a single stamen opposite each sepal and a stamen fascicle (of three secondary stamens) opposite each petal. Each stamen possesses a single vascular bundle, and these are united into a single aggregate bundle in proximal regions of the fascicle. Stamens mature centripetally within each fascicle. The coronal appendages of both genera are closely associated with the stamens, but they share some vasculature with the tepals and develop late in ontogeny. The coronal organs cannot readily be homologized with any of the typical floral organs, but they show partial homology with both tepals and stamens. They are most readily interpreted as a late elaboration of the region between the petals and stamens associated with epigyny and the hypanthium.
River and Sand Bank Regions Segmentation from Google Earth Imagery

Nowadays, extracting river information accurately from remotely sensed images plays a vital role in policy planning, hydrological planning and environmental planning. So, change detection from remotely sensed data is an essential for environmental monitoring. In change detection process, object segmentation from satellite imagery is a primary important step to obtain accurate classification results. Thus, this paper is proposed to segment river regions and sand bank regions from Google earth images. For these regions segmentation, heuristic rules are applied. In this system, Sobel operator is used to calculate the gradient value for the input grey scale image and then the river regions and sand bank regions are segmented by applying the thresholding approach and morphological approaches such as dilation, closing and extracted connected components. The proposed system obtained the 97.7 % accuracy for river regions segmentation and 72.1% accuracy for sand bank regions extraction. Experimental results approve the effectiveness of the proposed system. Thus, this system can provide the river detection, change detection and policy making.
Genetic evaluation for longevity of Croatian Simmental bulls using a piecewise Weibull model

Abstract. Genetic evaluation of sires for functional longevity was conducted using survival analysis techniques. The data set consisted of 49 659 Simmental cows with first calving from 1997 to 2008. A piecewise Weibull sire model was used to estimate breeding values of 251 bulls for functional length of productive life of their daughters. The model was stratified by parity i.e. a separate baseline hazard was computed for each stratum. Besides the random sire effect, the model included the fixed time independent effects of age at first calving, herd size and region as well as the time dependent effects of relative milk production and year*season of first calving. The highest impact on longevity was found for relative milk production. Cows with the lowest milk yields were at approximately 2.7 times higher risk of culling compared to cows with average milk production. Effects of age at first calving, herd size and country region had lower impact on longevity. Sire variance was 0.023 which results in a heritability of 0.06 for functional length of productive life. The average approximate reliability of estimated breeding values was 0.49. Genetic trend showed no clear tendency by year of birth of bulls.
CONE CONDITIONS AND COVERING RELATIONS FOR NORMALLY HYPERBOLIC INVARIANT MANIFOLDS

We present a new topological proof of the existence of normally hyperbolic invariant manifold for maps. The proof is conducted in the phase space of the system. In our approach we do not require that the map is a perturbation of some other map for which we already have an invariant manifold. We provide conditions which imply the existence of the manifold within an investigated region of the phase space. The required assumptions are formulated in a way which allows for rigorous computer assisted verification. We apply our method to obtain a normally hyperbolic invariant manifold within an explicit range of parameters for the rotating Hénon map.
A Simple Solution to the Identification Problem in Detailed Wage Decompositions

Oaxaca and Ransom (1999) show that a detailed decomposition of the coefficients effect is destined to suffer from an identification problem since the detailed coefficients effect attributed to a dummy variable is not invariant to the choice of reference groups. It turns out that the identification problem in the decomposition equation is a disguised identification problem of constant and dummy variables in a regression equation. This paper proposes a simple and natural remedy for this problem by utilizing “normalized” regressions which enable us to identify the constant and estimates of each dummy variable. The identification problem is automatically resolved once we obtain “normalized” regression equations for two comparison groups.
Locating financial incentives among diverse motivations for long-term private land conservation

A variety of policy instruments are used to promote the conservation of biodiversity on private land. These instruments are often employed in unison to encourage land stewardship beneficial for biodiversity across a broad range of program types, but questions remain about which instruments are the appropriate tools when seeking long-term change to land-management practice. Drawing on three case studies, two in Australia and one in South Africa, spanning various program types—a biodiverse carbon planting scheme, a covenanting program, and a voluntary stewardship program—we investigate the importance of financial incentives and other mechanisms from the landholder’s perspective. From participant interviews we find that landholders have preconceived notions of stewardship ethics. Motivations to enroll into a private land conservation program are not necessarily what drives ongoing participation, and continued delivery of multiple mechanisms will likely ensure long-term landholder engagement. Financial incentives are beneficial in lowering uptake costs to landholders but building landholder capacity, management assistance, linking participants to a network of conservation landholders, and recognition of conservation efforts may be more successful in fostering long-term biodiversity stewardship. Furthermore, we argue that diverse, multiple instrument approaches are needed to provide the flexibility required for dynamic, adaptive policy responses. We raise a number of key considerations for conservation organizations regarding the appropriate mix of financial and nonfinancial components of their programs to address long-term conservation objectives.
A Moving Average Sieve Bootstrap for Unit Root Tests

This paper considers the use of bootstrap methods for the test of the unit root hypothesis for a time series with a first difference that can be written as a general linear process admitting an infinite moving average (MA(1)) representation. The standard test procedure for such cases is the augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test introduced by Said and Dickey (1984). However, it is well known that this test’s true rejection probability under the unit root null hypothesis is often quite different from what asymptotic theory predicts. The bootstrap is a natural solution to such error in rejection probability (ERP) problems and ADF tests are consequently often based on block bootstrap or autoregressive (AR) sieve bootstrap distributions. In this paper, we propose the use of moving average (MA) sieve bootstrap distributions. To justify this, we derive an invariance principle for sieve bootstrap samples based on MA approximations. Also, we demonstrate that the ADF test based on this MA sieve bootstrap is consistent. Similar results have been proved for the AR sieve bootstrap by Park (2002) and Chang and Park (2003). The finite sample performances of the MA sieve bootstrap ADF test are investigated through simulations. Our main conclusions are that it is often, though not always, more accurate than the AR sieve bootstrap or the block bootstrap, that it requires smaller parametric orders to achieve comparable or better accuracy than the AR sieve and that it is more robust than the block bootstrap to the choice of approximation order or block length and slightly more robust to the data generating process.
REGARDING THE LINE-OF-SIGHT BARYONIC ACOUSTIC FEATURE IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY AND BARYON OSCILLATION SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY LUMINOUS RED GALAXY SAMPLES

We analyze the line-of-sight baryonic acoustic feature in the two-point correlation function ξ of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample (0.16 < z < 0.47). By defining a narrow line-of-sight region, rp < 5.5 h−1 Mpc, where rp is the transverse separation component, we measure a strong excess of clustering at ∼110 h−1 Mpc, as previously reported in the literature. We also test these results in an alternative coordinate system, by defining the line of sight as θ < 3°, where θ is the opening angle. This clustering excess appears much stronger than the feature in the better-measured monopole. A fiducial ΛCDM nonlinear model in redshift space predicts a much weaker signature. We use realistic mock catalogs to model the expected signal and noise. We find that the line-of-sight measurements can be explained well by our mocks as well as by a featureless ξ = 0. We conclude that there is no convincing evidence that the strong clustering measurement is the line-of-sight baryonic acoustic feature. We also evaluate how detectable such a signal would be in the upcoming Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) LRG volume. Mock LRG catalogs (z < 0.6) suggest that (1) the narrow line-of-sight cylinder and cone defined above probably will not reveal a detectable acoustic feature in BOSS; (2) a clustering measurement as high as that in the current sample can be ruled out (or confirmed) at a high confidence level using a BOSS-sized data set; (3) an analysis with wider angular cuts, which provide better signal-to-noise ratios, can nevertheless be used to compare line-of-sight and transverse distances, and thereby constrain the expansion rate H(z) and diameter distance DA(z).
Employment insecurity and life satisfaction: The moderating influence of labour market policies across Europe

This article tests whether the link between employment insecurity and life satisfaction is moderated by the generosity of labour market policies across Europe. Employment insecurity provokes anxieties about (a) the difficulties of finding a new job and (b) alternative sources of non-work income. These components can be related to active and passive labour market policies, respectively. Generous policy support is thus expected to buffer the negative consequences of employment insecurity by lowering the perceived difficulty of finding a similar job or providing income maintenance during unemployment. Based on data for 22 countries from the 2010 European Social Survey, initial support for this hypothesis is found. Perceived employment insecurity is negatively associated with life satisfaction but the strength of the relationship is inversely related to the generosity of labour market policies. Employment insecurity, in other words, is more harmful in countries where labour market policies are less generous.
Mercury mobilization and episodic stream acidification during snowmelt: Role of hydrologic flow paths, source areas, and supply of dissolved organic carbon

We quantified hydrologic source areas and flow paths, acid‐base and aluminum chemistry, dissolved organic carbon dynamics, and mercury mobilization during snowmelt at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF), New Hampshire, USA. Here we show (1) episodic acidification during snowmelt at the HBEF is controlled by multiple mechanisms (base cation dilution, nitrate and aluminum acidity, and natural organic acids) and persists despite long‐term decreases in acidic deposition; (2) episodic acidification continues to result in mobilization of inorganic monomeric aluminum to concentrations toxic to fish; (3) DOC mobilized from shallow organic soils during snowmelt results in the mobilization of mercury from these same sources; (4) methyl mercury may be produced in the forest floor over winter and flushed from soils during snowmelt; (5) the amount of mercury released during snowmelt likely represents a large portion of annual mercury export; and (6) hydrologic source areas and flow paths, as well as DOC dynamics, strongly influence episodic acidification and the mobilization of mercury, even in a watershed with low stream water DOC concentrations and export.
Are socialists a woman's best friend? Equality policies in the Spanish regions

This paper challenges the dominant thesis that social democracy is the principal impetus behind gender equality policy. The delegation of gender equality policy to the Spanish regional governments in the 1980s offers an unusually good experimental set-up to test competing theories: two decades of rich and comparable data. The interaction between the federal state structure, the parties in office, and women in power explains the development of equality policy in Spain. The difference between conservative and socialist governments at the regional level has been small and is declining. Furthermore, the party effect on policy is not a direct result of left-wing ideology, but an indirect result of a) the preferential treatment of similarly colored regional governments by the central administration; and b) the socialists' commitment to placing women in power, which prompted other parties to follow suit. A direct link between women in power and improved equality policy is established.
District-Level Spatial Analysis of Migration Flows in Ghana: Determinants and Implications for Policy

The present study investigates the determinants of inter-district migration flows over the 1995-2000 period in Ghana. A combination of socio-economic, natural and spatial ‘district-level’ attributes are considered as potential variables explaining the direction of migration flows. In addition to the ‘net’ migration model, ‘in’ and ‘out’ migration models are also employed within the context of the gravity model. Results in the three models consistently show that people move out of districts with less employment and choose districts with high employment rate as destinations. While shorter distance to roads encourages out-migration, districts with better water access seem to attract migrants. Generally, people move out of predominantly agrarian districts to relatively more urbanized districts.
This is a postprint of: Leote, C. & Epping, E. (2015). Sediment–water exchange of nutrients in the Marsdiep basin, western Wadden Sea: Phosphorus limitation induced by a controlled release?

To quantify the release of inorganic phosphorus from the sediments and assess its contribution to present primary production, a basin-wide study of the Marsdiep (western Wadden Sea, The Netherlands) was performed. Two distinct sedimentary zones were identified: a depositional area characterized by a high content of silt and organic carbon and a small grain size and the majority of the area, composed of fine/medium sand and a low organic carbon content. The sediment-water exchange was higher in the fine grained depositional area and based on a relationship found between the release of inorganic phosphorus and the silt content, a total annual release of 1.0x10 mol P was estimated for the whole Marsdiep basin. A spatial variability in the processes controlling the nutrient release was found. The exchange in the depositional area resulted mainly from molecular diffusive transport, with mineralization and sorption determining the concentration of inorganic phosphorus in the porewater. For the coarser sediment stations the activity of macrofauna clearly enhanced the fluxes. Given the relative demand of nutrients (N:P:Si) for phytoplankton growth, the release was phosphorus deficient during most of the year. Nevertheless, it increased from February until September, in parallel with the increase in temperature and light, thus having the potential to fuel primary production during their seasonal growth period. In terms of