Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prospective Evaluation of Patients with Chronic Dyspnea in a Pulmonary Out-Patient Clinic Using an Algorithm

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the causes of chronic dyspnea in patients of an outpatient clinic prospectively and to implement an efficient diagnostic approach. Methods: A prospective study was performed with an algorithm for chronic dyspnea. After the patients were evaluated by the history and physical examination, blood tests, chest X-ray (CXR), and spirometry were performed in all cases. The methacholine inhalation challenge test was proposed as a diagnostic test in situations where clinical asthma is suspected and spirometric findings are non-obstructive. All patients whose basic tests were normal, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT), computed tomography (CT), pulmonary angiography, and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were performed as second step tests. Results: As basic tests were non-diagnostic in 58 patients, second step tests were performed. Twelve patients with high clinical probability of asthma were positive on the methacholine inhalation challenge test and responded to asthma treatment. With this algorithmic approach, a final diagnosis was reached in 90% of the patients. The most frequent diagnoses were asthma (27%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (17%), bronchiectasis (13%), and heart failure (10%). Conclusion: As a result of this comprehensive protocol, most causes of chronic dyspnea were found to be airway and heart diseases. We would suggest that CXR and spirometry can be performed as first step tests. We consider that when the results of the basic tests are normal, both TTE and HRCT are very useful tests.
Determinants of Schooling: Empirical Evidence from Rural Ethiopia

We examine the determinants of current enrolment status and relative grade attainment among primary school children in rural Ethiopia. We use repeated cross-sectional data from 15 rural villages in Ethiopia to capture the impact of changing household and child characteristics on enrolment status and relative grade attainment between 1994 and 2004. Using instrument variable (IV) estimation, we find, first, a positive income effect for schooling enrolments and an even stronger effect for relative grade attainment. Second, the effect of income is larger for girls compared to boys. Third, OLS estimates of the impact of household income are biased downwards relative to IV results. Finally, observable community characteristics have little role in explaining schooling. These findings suggest that policies that address the demand-side constraints with a special focus on girls will have the potential to improve schooling attainments as well as to reduce gender differences in schooling attainments found in Ethiopia and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Copyright 2013 , Oxford University Press.
Preparation and Characterization of Vanadium Pentoxide by DC-Magnetron Sputtering

In this work, the structural properties of the monocrystalline vanadium pentoxide have been presented. Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) films were deposited by using a DC reactive magnetron sputtering system at a working pressure of 8.5x10-2mbar.The sputtered vanadium atoms were sputtered and oxidized in presence O2:Ar gas mixture by (5/95,10/90, 20/80,30/70,50/50). Employment of magnetron results in the formation of V2O5 in the final samples according to the XRD analysis, increase the roughness and hence surface area of the produced V2O5 nanostructures. The results of X-rays are shown to us, the deposited films were formed by nanoparticles with an average grain size in the range of (52.11nm to 98.03) nm and roughness Ave (nm) in the range of (1.04nm to 8.88nm). The deposited films are identified to be polycrystalline nature with a cubic structure along ((001), (111)) and ((200)) orientation also MonoV2O5, Cub VO were found as deposited. The texture of the films was observed using SEM and AFM, it was observed that the grain size was increased with increasing the O2 percentage. These improvements in the structural properties of the produced vanadium pentoxide make these nanostructures good candidates for specific applications, such as photo detectors, solar cells, electro chromic smart window and gas sensor.
Gap symmetry and structure of Fe-based superconductors

The recently discovered Fe-pnictide and chalcogenide superconductors display low-temperature properties suggesting superconducting gap structures which appear to vary substantially from family to family, and even within families as a function of doping or pressure. We propose that this apparent nonuniversality can actually be understood by considering the predictions of spin fluctuation theory and accounting for the peculiar electronic structure of these systems, coupled with the likely ‘sign-changing s-wave’ (s±) symmetry. We review theoretical aspects, materials properties and experimental evidence relevant to this suggestion, and discuss which further measurements would be useful to settle these issues. Satisfactoriness has to be measured by a multitude of standards, of which some, for aught we know, may fail in any given case; and what is more satisfactory than any alternative in sight, may to the end be a sum of pluses and minuses, concerning which we can only trust that by ulterior corrections and improvements a maximum of the one and a minimum of the other may some day be approached. William James, Meaning of Truth
Phylogeography of the reef‐building polychaetes of the genus Phragmatopoma in the western Atlantic Region

To verify the synonymy of the reef‐building polychaete Phragmatopoma caudata (described for the Caribbean) and Phragmatopoma lapidosa (described for Brazil) using molecular data. To evaluate the patterns of genetic diversity and connectivity among populations from Florida to South Brazil.
The response of Panicum maximum to a simulated subcanopy environment. 2. Soil × shade × water interaction

Continuing on from previous work examining the mechanisms by which increases in the biomass of Panicum maximum might occur when growing under the canopy of mature Samanea saman trees (Durr and Rangel 2000), a further pot trial was undertaken. This applied a similar methodology of using soil collected from under and away from the canopy of trees and imposing variable light levels by shade cloths. A third variable was introduced, that of water stress, through varying the period of re-watering: every day, every 5 days and every 10 days. The major effect of water stress was to reduce the biomass. However, the degree of reduction was dependent upon the soil and the shade level, as there was relative compensation in grasses grown in the subcanopycollected soil at intermediate shade levels due to an increase in the water use efficiency. This finding suggests that one of the major benefits of nutrient enrichment by trees in these environments acts via improved water utilisation and suggests a generalised explanation of why relative increases of grass biomass under the canopy of trees might occur in subhumid environments.
Profit-maximizing Wages under Duopoly

Using a simple duopoly model with endogenous order of moves, this study provides a potential explanation for why firms might pay their employees a higher wage than rival firms or the market-clearing rate: Setting a higher wage can serve as a commitment to obtain the preferred order of moves in subsequent price competition. This holds even if the wage increase does not enhance worker productivity or efficiency. Simultaneous wage setting admits no pure strategy Nash equilibrium, as their best responses form a cycle wherein firms repeatedly overbid in wages to preempt the preferred position in price competition. Sequential wage setting leads to wage dispersion even among homogeneous workers and firms: the wage-setting leader offers a high wage such that the rival firm would not want to overbid in equilibrium. In contrast, in quantity competition, duopolists have no such incentives because, ceteris paribus, a firm that pays a wage higher than the competitor will be unsuccessful in obtaining first-mover advantages in subsequent quantity competition.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FIRM PERFORMANCE : A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF AUDITING PROBLEMS

The recent financial crises have created a new debate about comparison and convergence of different systems of corporate governance. In particular, they have underlined poor efficiency of rule structures to achieve a good relationship between different stakeholder’s rights. In line with many studies of corporate governance that emphasize the manager-stakeholders relationship as explained by agency theory, in this paper, I analyse the role of auditing as an incentive device to reduce contractual or transaction costs related to asymmetric information.Considering as a benchmark the recent US Sarbanes Oxley Act of July 2002. I describe a set of auditing principles by comparing common and civil corporate laws. First, by using multiple correspondence analysis on six countries and twenty-seven dummy variables on auditing rules, I identify the main variables that form the auditing index. Second, I test the hypothesis that a suitable rule structure can improve the capability of financial markets to estimate the fair value of firms. In particular, I analyse the problem of the effects of direct and indirect monitoring rules for managers on the market value of public companies. The results obtained highlight a different relationship between auditing principles and firm performance from that expected on the basis of the legal framework.
Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Recommendations Update: Appropriate Use of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors

In this article, recommendations from the 2012 American Diabetes Association (ADA)/European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) position statement are discussed with an emphasis on the appropriate use of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). The 2012 ADA/EASD position statement emphasizes individualization of treatment, with glycated hemoglobin (A1C) targets being determined for each patient based on life expectancy, complications, disease duration, comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease or cognitive impairment, and the risk of hypoglycemia and other adverse events. Patients’ attitudes and support systems should also be considered. Recommendations for pharmacotherapy are less prescriptive and should be based on a patient’s needs, preferences, and tolerances. In general, metformin is recommended as firstline therapy for most patients, although combination of 2 noninsulin agents or insulin alone should be considered in patients with baseline A1C ≥ 9.0%. Add-on therapy to metformin will likely be needed to achieve and maintain glycemic control as the disease progresses. It is important to avoid therapies that increase the risk of weight gain or and, especially in older patients, hypoglycemia. As discussed in this review, DPP-4 inhibitors are well tolerated and effectively lower A1C and improve β-cell function without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain. DPP- 4 inhibitors are recommended as an option for first-line therapy when metformin is contraindicated or not tolerated and are also recommended as an option for add-on therapy to metformin and to metformin plus a sulfonylurea, a thiazolidinedione, or insulin. This article reviews the appropriate use of DPP-4 inhibitors in individuals with T2DM and recently published cardiovascular outcome trials with DPP-4 inhibitors.
Estimating the impact of state government spending and the economy on crime rates

The determinants of crime have been an area of numerous studies over time. In spite of this volume of work, interest in the causes of crime continues to persist. This paper investigates the determinants of variations in crime rates in the United States using cross-sectional state-level data. It explores the role of government spending and socio-economic variables and compares these determinants for the three years 1990, 2000, and 2010 to determine whether there have been changes in the impact of these variables in these years. State level data is used for the statistical analysis. The result shows that the determinants of crime varied by both the category of crime and the period of study. In addition, government spending on welfare and education were not significant in 1990, but become more significant for the 2000 and 2010 samples. Key words: crime rate, determinants of crime, government spending.
Making sense of CSR in construction: Do contractor and client perceptions align?

The achievement of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives is increasingly being viewed as of key importance in the procurement process of public sector construction projects. As such, main contractors and public sector clients are increasingly interested in and keen to espouse the benefits of CSR strategies and their measurement. However, it cannot be assumed that both sets of broad stakeholders share a common understanding of what CSR means, what it constitutes and how it can be used to serve vested interests. This research aims to provide a deeper understanding of the motivations for stakeholders across the public procurement divide to participate and engage in CSR related to the procurement and delivery of construction projects. In-depth semi-structured interviews with practitioners from main contractors and various public sector client organisations were conducted. These formed the basis of analysis in order to explore how each constituency made sense of CSR. The theoretical frame used to analyse the data drew from Weick's (1995) sensemaking approach and revealed similarities and differences in the understanding of CSR between the constituencies on either side of the contractual divide. The importance of, and motivation for, CSR participation is shared by constituencies, but an agreed definition couldn't be reached, and what 'counts' as CSR in one geographical location for one client, may not count for another. These findings challenge simplistic assumptions about CSR and highlight significant limitations on what CSR can deliver via public sector procurement processes.
Effect of indirect interband transitions on terahertz conductivity in “decorated” graphene bilayer heterostructures

We demonstrate that the indirect interband generation of photons in the optically or injection pumped graphene bilayer (GBL) heterostructures with an array of metal particles (GBLs “decorated” by metal particles) with population inversion can surpass their intraband (Drude) absorption. This can result in rather large absolute values of the negative dynamic terahertz (THz) conductivity in a wide range of frequencies at room temperature. This effect enables the creation of novel THz lasers based on the decorated GBLs.
Culture and Plane Crashes: A Cross-Country Test of The Gladwell Hypothesis

DOI: 10.14254/2071789X.2017/10-3/20 ABSTRACT. Early studies found evidence of a positive correlation between Hofstede’s power distance scores, which measure the extent to which those without power defer to those with it, and plane accidents in different countries. However, these studies did not control for the level of economic activity (Gross Domestic Product-GDP) and severe weather conditions in these countries. This paper uses regression analysis to estimate the effects of number of flights, GDP, severe weather conditions, and culture on plane crashes in sixty eight countries. It is found that per-capita GDP and country scores on the cultural dimension of individualism are inversely related to plane accidents while power distance scores and number of flights are directly related to plane accidents. Continued training for pilots and copilots in direct cockpit communication can help overcome cultural barriers and reduce plane accidents.
Distraction and Temporal Order in Narrative Situation Models

ABSTRACT Narrative comprehension requires the allocation of resources to the construction of a situation model describing the events and circumstances in the narrative. While mind wandering, fewer resources may be devoted to this task. In the present research, we assessed whether the effects of distraction on memory for narrative event order are qualitatively similar to those of mind wandering. In two experiments, participants read passages, sometimes with auditory noise, and after each passage rated the extent to which they were on task. Both auditory noise and spontaneous mind wandering affected temporal order judgements for narrative events. However, noise also decreased on-task rating, and temporal order memory was a linear function of on-task rating regardless of auditory noise condition. We conclude that the effects of spontaneous mind wandering and auditory noise on memory for temporal order can both be understood as a withdrawal of resources devoted to situation model construction.
Comparison of Artificial Intelligence Techniques for river flow forecasting

The use of Artificial Intelligence methods is be- coming increasingly common in the modeling and forecast- ing of hydrological and water resource processes. In this study, applicability of Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference Sys- tem (ANFIS) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods, Generalized Regression Neural Networks (GRNN) and Feed Forward Neural Networks (FFNN), and Auto-Regressive (AR) models for forecasting of daily river flow is investigated and Seyhan River and Cine River was chosen as case study area. For the Seyhan River, the forecasting models are es- tablished using combinations of antecedent daily river flow records. On the other hand, for the Cine River, daily river flow and rainfall records are used in input layer. For both stations, the data sets are divided into three subsets, training, testing and verification data set. The river flow forecasting models having various input structures are trained and tested to investigate the applicability of ANFIS and ANN and AR methods. The results of all models for both training and test- ing are evaluated and the best fit input structures and methods for both stations are determined according to criteria of per- formance evaluation. Moreover the best fit forecasting mod- els are also verified by verification set which was not used in training and testing processes and compared according to criteria. The results demonstrate that ANFIS model is supe- rior to the GRNN and FFNN forecasting models, and ANFIS can be successfully applied and provide high accuracy and reliability for daily river flow forecasting.
Investigating the Interpersonal and Contextual Factors Govern Saudi Lecturers' Motivation in Creating Innovative Blended Learning Environment That Web 2.0-Based.

Sustaining success in higher education within an ever-changing landscape largely depends on academics’ motivation to cope with it. Essentially, this study aims to explore the interpersonal and contextual factors that govern the introduction of blended learning in a Saudi context. A collective case study approach was employed with Self- determination theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework. Findings of this study discuss concerns associated with promoting autonomy-supportive environment in Saudi higher education. It concludes that change management strategies have to play a more open role in unleashing the lecturers’ creativity on adopting innovative technologies and in teaching strategies and thereby creating a meaningful blended learning environment.
Development and Validation of a Four-Tier Diagnostic Instrument for Chemical Kinetics (FTDICK)

The present study outlines the development and validation of a four-tier diagnostic instrument to explore first year undergraduate students’ understanding of chemical kinetics (FTDICK). The four-tier instrument is a recent format and has been applied only sparsely in a limited number of subject areas, not including chemical kinetics. This study confirms the importance of a four-tier approach in fully investigating students’ poor knowledge and understanding. The FTDICK described here involves 20 questions with a confidence level linked to both the question tier and the reason tier. The development of the instrument followed the procedure used for the two-tier instrument developed by Treagust and involves (1) testing & interviewing, (2) identifying & collecting students’ unscientific ideas, (3) developing the prototype FTDICK, (4) validating the prototype FTDICK, and (5) developing the final FTDICK. The initial steps revealed a number of areas of misconceptions to be explored in the final instrument. The instrument has been developed and the prototype tested using international cohorts of students from the University of Reading, UK and two Indonesian Universities. Comprehensive item analysis on the results showed the instrument to be valid and reliable and suitable for identifying students’ understanding of chemical kinetics. This study confirms the importance of a four-tier approach for investigating students’ prior knowledge and understanding.
Some Research Problems in Uncertainty Theory

In addition to the four axioms of uncertainty theory, this paper presents the flfth axiom called product measure axiom. This paper also gives an operational law of independent uncertain variables and a concept of entropy of continuous uncertain variables. Based on the uncertainty theory, a new uncertain calculus is proposed and applied to uncertain difierential equation, flnance, control, flltering and dynamical systems. Finally, an uncertain inference will be presented. c
CUORE-0 detector: design, construction and operation CUORE Collaboration

A bstract : The CUORE experiment will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 130 Te with an array of 988 TeO 2 bolometers arranged in 19 towers. CUORE-0, the ﬁrst tower assembled according to the CUORE procedures, was built and commissioned at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, and took data from March 2013 to March 2015. In this paper we describe the design, construction and operation of the CUORE-0 experiment, with an emphasis on the improvements made over a predecessor experiment, Cuoricino. In particular, we demonstrate with CUORE-0 data that the design goals of CUORE are within reach.
Child Poverty: What Can Social Spending Explain in Europe?

This study assesses the role of social spending in relation to child poverty in European welfare states. Using macro-level panel data from EU SILC 2005-2012, we analyze the effect of the size of social spending and the effect of how those benefits are targeted. We separately estimate the effect of pension benefits on child poverty, as the prevalence of multigenerational families makes them a relevant income source for families with children, especially in Southern and Eastern European welfare states. Estimating a GLS model including time and country fixed effects, we find that both cash transfers and pensions substantially reduce child poverty. Increased targeting also leads to lower poverty rates, but the effect sizes are more modest by comparison, and strongly depend on how targeting is defined. The estimates for social spending change little across various model specifications and we also obtain similar estimates when we use regional variation within countries to assess the same effects. Where social spending explains a large share of variation in poverty within countries over time, the explanatory power with respect to cross-sectional variation in poverty rates is limited. The complete model does explain a large share of cross-sectional disparities in poverty across European welfare states, but a sizable unexplained variation remains. This unexplained disparity likely relates to factors that are more invariable over time.