Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Retrospective Study on Importance of CRP as a Predictor and To Analyse the Effectiveness of Antibiotics in the Treatment of Neonatal Sepsis at Secondary Care Hospital of Tiruppur

Early diagnosis of sepsis in a neonate is often difficult because symptoms and signs are usually non-specific. A study was conducted to evaluate C-reactive protein (CRP) as a screening tool and the effectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of neonatal sepsis. This retrospective study was conducted at NICU, Government District Headquarters Hospital, Tiruppur from December 2016 to June 2017, on total of 120 neonatal sepsis patients. Patients of Group I received Ampicillin + Gentamicin, Group II received Ampicillin + Gentamicin followed by Cefotaxime + Amikacin, Group III received Cefotaxime + Amikacin, Group IV received Ampicillin + Gentamicin followed by Piptaz followed by Amikacin + Ciprofloxacin and Group V received, Ampicillin + Gentamicin followed by Piptaz then by Amikacin + Meropenem and then by Ciprofloxacin. Chi-square test two side p-value and ONE WAY ANOVA followed by Tukey-Krammer Multiple Comparison Test is used for statistical analysis. Among study subjects, 18 (15%) and 102 (85%) had negative and positive CRP respectively. According to blood culture studies, 15 cases were culture positive, with the following organisms, Klebsiella pneumoniae (53.33%), Escherichia coli (20%), Staphylococcus aureus (20%) and Proteus marbilis (6.66%). Group II is an appropriate choice for empirical therapy of neonatal sepsis and was 46.96% of 66 patients. Group I, which is considered as First Line treatment was 33.33% of 66 patients.
Does implied volatility contain information about future volatility? Evidence from the Petrobras options market

The aim of this work is to study the relationship between implied and realized volatilities. For this purpose, we analyze the markets of Petrobras stocks and calls between January 2006 and December 2008. Regression analysis with no overlapping monthly data of in-the-money, at-the-money and out-of-the-money calls indicates that the implied volatility of out-of-the-money options contains more information about future volatility than does historical volatility. On the other hand, the implied volatility of the in-the-money and at-the-money calls has poor explanatory
FRACTALS AND SELF-SIMILARITY IN ECONOMICS: THE CASE OF A STOCHASTIC TWO-SECTOR GROWTH MODEL

We study a stochastic, discrete-time, two-sector optimal growth model in which the production of the homogeneous consumption good uses a Cobb-Douglas technology, combining physical capital and an endogenously determined share of human capital. Education is intensive in human capital as in Lucas (1988), but the marginal returns of the share of human capital employed in education are decreasing, as suggested by Rebelo (1991). Assuming that the exogenous shocks are i.i. d. and affect both physical and human capital, we build specific configurations for the primitives of the model so that the optimal dynamics for the state variables can be converted, through an appropriate log-transformation, into an Iterated Function System converging to an invariant distribution supported on a generalized Sierpinski gasket.
Role of Credit Risk Management Practices in Sustainability of Micro Credit Schemes in Nakuru County

Over time financial exclusion for the poorest of the poor from the formal banking system has been a major development challenge hindering the flow of capital to the poor. Groups constituting as few as ten members engage in savings and loaning among themselves through the micro credit system. Credit lending in these groups is based on mutual trust which is questionable for future growth and sustainability of the groups. This study sought to assess credit risk management practices and their effects on financial sustainability of these groups. The study objective was to establish how credit risk management affects the sustainability of micro credit schemes. The study was conducted in Nakuru County, using descriptive survey research design. The target population comprised all the treasurers of the 127 micro credit schemes in Nakuru County. The sampling frame was drawn from the registrar of societies in Nakuru County. The sample size included in the study was 95 treasurers of Micro Credit Schemes in Nakuru County. Simple random sampling technique was used in respondents. Primary data was obtained from micro credit treasurers using structured questionnaire designed by the researcher. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The study has revealed that majority of the groups were keen on ensuring proper credit management practices in their groups. In addition, credit risk management was established to significantly, positively and strongly affect sustainability of micro-credit schemes. It is recommended that a standardized credit management practice should be developed from the best practices observed from micro credit schemes in Nakuru for adoption by start- up micro credit schemes to minimize the chance of mistakes at start-up.
The Strategic Management of High-Growth Firms: A Review and Theoretical Conceptualization

Scholars’ knowledge of the factors behind high-growth firms remains fragmented. This paper provides a systematic review of the empirical literature concerning high-growth firms with a focus on the strategic aspects contributing to growth. Based on our review of 39 articles, we identify five drivers of high growth: human capital, strategy, human resource management, innovation, and capabilities. These drivers are combined to develop a conceptual model of high-growth firms that includes potential contingency factors among the five drivers. We also propose a research agenda to deepen the study of high-growth firms in strategic management.
You Can Take it with You: Transferability of Proposition 13 Tax Benefits, Residential Mobility, and Willingness to Pay for Housing Amenities

In 1978, Californians approved Proposition 13, which fixed property tax rates at 1% of housing prices at the time of purchase. Beyond its fiscal consequences, Proposition 13 created a lock-in effect on housing choice because of the implicit tax break enjoyed by homeowners living in the same house for a long time. In this paper, I provide estimates of this lock-in effect, using a natural experiment created by two subsequent amendments to Proposition 13 - Propositions 60 and 90. These amendments allow households headed by an individual over the age of 55 to transfer the implicit tax benefit to a new home. I show that mobility rates of 55-year old homeowners are approximately 25% higher than those of 54-year olds. The second contribution of this paper is the incorporation of transaction costs, due to Proposition 13, into a household location decision model, providing a new way to estimate marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for housing characteristics. The key insight of this model is that because of the property tax laws, different potential buyers have different user costs for the same house. The exogenous property tax component of this user cost then works as an instrument to solve the main identification problem of revealed preference models - the correlation between price and unobserved quality of the product.
A comparison between temporal and subband minimum variance adaptive beamforming

This paper compares the performance between temporal and subband Minimum Variance (MV) beamformers for medical ultrasound imaging. Both adaptive methods provide an optimized set of apodization weights but are implemented in the time and frequency domains respectively. Their performance is evaluated with simulated synthetic aperture data obtained from Field II and is quantified by the Full-Width-Half-Maximum (FWHM), the Peak-Side-Lobe level (PSL) and the contrast level. From a point phantom, a full sequence of 128 emissions with one transducer element transmitting and all 128 elements receiving each time, provides a FWHM of 0.03 mm (0.14λ) for both implementations at a depth of 40 mm. This value is more than 20 times lower than the one achieved by conventional beamforming. The corresponding values of PSL are -58 dB and -63 dB for time and frequency domain MV beamformers, while a value no lower than -50 dB can be obtained from either Boxcar or Hanning weights. Interestingly, a single emission with central element #64 as the transmitting aperture provides results comparable to the full sequence. The values of FWHM are 0.04 mm and 0.03 mm and those of PSL are -42 dB and -46 dB for temporal and subband approaches. From a cyst phantom and for 128 emissions, the contrast level is calculated at -54 dB and -63 dB respectively at the same depth, with the initial shape of the cyst being preserved in contrast to conventional beamforming. The difference between the two adaptive beamformers is less significant in the case of a single emission, with the contrast level being estimated at -42 dB for the time domain and -43 dB for the frequency domain implementation. For the estimation of a single MV weight of a low resolution image formed by a single emission, 0.44 * 109 calculations per second are required for the temporal approach. The same numbers for the subband approach are 0.62 * 109 for the point and 1.33 * 109 for the cyst phantom. The comparison demonstrates similar resolution but slightly lower side-lobes and higher contrast for the subband approach at the expense of increased computation time.
Warning sign as a predictor of dengue infection severity in children

Background: Dengue has emerged as a global public health problem, about 500,000 affected patients of 50–100 million cases will develop severe dengue infection. Therefore, early identification of severe dengue infection symptoms can save a patient’s life. The 2009 WHO dengue infection classification proposed seven warning signs to identify the risk of severe dengue. This study was conducted to predict the severity of dengue infection based on the number of warning signs.Methods: This was a diagnostic study conducted with a retrospective analytic observation of patients admitted to Adam Malik hospital with a diagnosis of dengue infection from January 2014–May 2016. The association between warning signs and severe dengue infection was analyzed using logistic regression. We also analyzed the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value.Results: Of 140 patients who fulfilled the research criteria were collected from the medical records. The patients were classified as severe dengue (n=28) and nonsevere dengue (n =112). The warning signs that were associated with severe dengue were persistent vomiting (p<0.05, OR 31.9, 95%CI), fluid accumulation (p<0.05, OR 22.4, 95%CI), mucosal bleeding (p<0.05, OR 9.1, 95%CI), lethargy (p<0.05, OR 43.1, 95%CI). After analyzing the diagnostic tests, the combination of three or more warning signs showed that sensitivity of 92.9%, specificity of 78.6%, positive predictive value of 52%, negative predictive value of 97.7% was found to be associated with a severe dengue infection.Conclusion: The combination of three or more warning signs showed a high sensitivity and specificity for predicting a severe dengue infection.
On the equivalence of case-crossover and time series methods in environmental epidemiology

The case-crossover design was introduced in epidemiology 15 years ago as a method for studying the effects of a risk factor on a health event using only cases. The idea is to compare a case’s exposure immediately prior to or during the case-defining event with that same person’s exposure at otherwise similar “reference” times. An alternative approach to the analysis of daily exposure and case-only data is time series analysis. Here, log-linear regression models express the expected total number of events on each day as a function of the exposure level and potential confounding variables. In time series analyses of air pollution, smooth functions of time and weather are the main confounders. Time series and case-crossover methods are often viewed as competing methods. In this paper, we show that case-crossover using conditional logistic regression is a special case of time series analysis when there is a common exposure such as in air pollution studies. This equivalence provides computational convenience for case-crossover analyses and a better understanding of time series models. Time series log-linear regression accounts for overdispersion of the Poisson variance, while case-crossover analyses typically do not. This equivalence also permits model checking for case-crossover data using standard log-linear model diagnostics.
Detection of Biofilm Forming Ability of Bacterial Isolates from Contact Lenses and their Accessories

In modern era the usage of contact lens is increased in youngsters especially in females with a high risk of ocular infections. In current research bacteriological analysis and bio-film forming ability of 22 contact lens accessories samples (Contact lenses, contact lens storage kit and contact lens solution) is studied. The isolated bacteria includes Corynebacterium spp, S. aureus, coagulase negative Staphylococcus, Bacillus spp. and Streptococcus spp. Bio-film are the main cause of bacterial infection. The bio-film forming ability of these bacterial isolates is studied by Congo red agar method and tube method. Best results were observed in Test tube method. The results initiate to continue further researches on the pathogenesis of bacteria as well as guide patients with proper contact lens procedures will hopefully decrease the incidence of ocular infections. Modern approaches for bio-film prevention and control will help in elimination of different diseases. The main objective of the research is to study the contact lens accessories isolated pathogens and their bio-film forming ability.
Analysis of Narrative and Importance of Point of View in Novels

The arrival of novel to Iran caused deep changes in Persian prose and caused the advance of Persian novel. The analysis of Persian novel and the influence of literary schools of the world have long been the topic of many articles and researches. However, this deep change is always in need of discussion and analysis. With the advance of Persian novel, first historical novel appeared and then social novel with realistic approach came into existence. In this paper, attempt is made to discuss the importance of the choice of narrative in novels by presenting a definition of novel, narrator, and point of view. Moreover, it tries to come to the point that choosing an appropriate narrator and point of view is of great help to authors to express the concepts they have in mind.
Blood coagulation properties in hibernating and non-hibernating American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus)

Activated partial thromboplastin times (APTT) and factor deficiency assays were performed on the plasma of twenty American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) to test for potential changes and regulation of the intrinsic coagulation pathway during and after hibernation. Bullfrogs (pre-hibernating n=4, hibernating n=6, post-hibernating n=10) were housed in 10 gallon aquariums filled with RO water and placed in a temperaturecontrolled room. Hibernation was gradually induced by decreasing the temperature of the room from 24 C to 3 C in increments of 3 C per week. Blood (6-8 ml) was collected from individual non-hibernating frogs, hibernating frogs and post-hibernating frogs in 0.105M sodium citrate tubes and immediately centrifuged at 2500 x g for five minutes. The resulting plasma was stored at -80 C until tested for activated partial thromboplastin time. APTT times of hibernating bullfrogs were significantly longer than pre-hibernating times (p=0.000) and post-hibernating times (p=0.004). Factor deficient assays were performed for Factors VIII, IX, XI, and XII to determine their presence or absence. Factor VIII in all bullfrogs was either not present, or if present, was non-functional. Factor IX, XI, and XII were present in pre-hibernating bullfrogs, but during hibernation, these levels either decreased or were inhibited, suggesting that Factors IX, XI, and XII are regulated during hibernation. However, no difference in Factors IX, XI, and XII levels were found between hibernating and post-hibernating animals. Initial tests for a potential inhibitor failed to show that such an inhibitor existed, but additional studies are needed. Hibernating ectotherms, like hibernating endotherms, regulate levels of the clotting factors associated with intrinsic coagulation system during hibernation to prevent clot formation during hibernation. BLOOD COAGULATION PROPERTIES IN HIBERNATING AND NON-HIBERNATING AMERICAN BULLFROGS (Lithobates catesbeianus) A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Stephen Cain University of Northern Iowa
Depression and Empathy Predict Emotion-Modulated Startle Reactivity

Research supports varied patterns of emotion-modulated startle (EMS) reactivity among depressed individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine whether these varied patterns can be explained by depression, empathic tendencies, and emotional stimuli. The EMS paradigm is a well-validated measure of emotion-modulated reactivity in which the magnitude of startle reflexes in reaction to acoustic stimuli are recorded while participants view pleasant, neutral, and negative images (Lang, Bradley, & Cuthbert, 1990). Young adults (N = 120; Mage = 19.54, SD = 1.41; 75% female) completed self-report rating scales of depression symptoms and cognitive and affective empathic tendencies and the EMS paradigm. Individuals with low depression, regardless of their cognitive (p 2 = .44 and .47) and affective empathic tendencies (p 2 = .49 and .36), and individuals with high depression and high cognitive and affective empathic tendencies (p 2 = .23, .46, respectively) exhibited the typical linear EMS reactivity pattern of increasing startle reflex magnitude from pleasant to neutral to unpleasant images. In contrast, individuals with high depression along with low cognitive and affective empathic tendencies exhibited blunted EMS reactivity patterns (p 2 = .000, .04, respectively). These findings indicate blunted EMS reactivity patterns only in depressed individuals who have low cognitive and affective empathic tendencies and are likely disengaged from emotional stimuli, thus suggesting variability among depressed individuals in motivational states that prime or inhibit the startle reflex. INDEX WORDS: Emotion reactivity, Electromyography, Psychophysiology, Perspective-taking, Depression DEPRESSION AND EMPATHY PREDICT EMOTION-MODULATED STARTLE REACTIVITY
Does Financial Inclusion Induce Financial Stability? Evidence from Cross-country Analysis

In recent times, financial inclusion and financial stability issue have become a priority on policy agendas across the world. However, there is relative dearth of empirical studies addressing and establishing the link between the same. This study fills this gap. Using panel data of 2001-2013, this study empirically investigated whether financial inclusion contributes to country’s financial stability, measured by Z-score. Robust results from GMM dynamic panel data estimator show that financial inclusion variables as measured by number of SME borrowers to total borrowers and ratio of outstanding SME loans to total loans have significant positive contributions to financial stability. Findings also indicate that GDP per capita, liquidity, proportion of private credit to GDP are positively and proportion of domestic credit provided to private sector and financial crisis are negatively associated with financial stability. Empirical findings of this study is of greater significance to the policymakers as it will invoke the attention of governments and policymakers to undertake such policies to accelerate financial inclusion of their countries which in turn will lead to country’s greater financial stability. This study also contributes to empirical literatures of the issue of financial inclusion and financial stability by reconfirming (or otherwise) findings of previous studies.
Social Interactions, Racial Segregation and The Dynamics of Tipping

We develop an analytically tractable agent-based model of heterogeneous agents to characterize how social interactions within a neighborhood determine the dynamic evolution of its ethnic composition. We characterize the conditions under which integration or segregation will occur, which depends on how the social externality parameter compares with the net benefit from leaving. Minority segregation may result from the process of tipping, and in such a case we identify three possible tipping channels: two are related to exogenous shocks (migration flows and changes in tipping points) and one is related to the endogenous probabilistic features of our framework (endogenous coordination across agents). This characterization of integration and segregation conditions yields interesting policy implications for both social and urban planning policies that favor desegregation.
Table-based Device Modeling : Methods and Applications

When simulating a practical present day analog circuit, device model evaluations alone can take several days of compute time. This is largely because of the complexity of the physical devices that these models represent. These models typically have only a few inputs, so approximating them with polynomials is feasible and attractive. In this thesis, we build a general purpose framework for translating any given compact model into a table-based approximation. We show that with different interpolants, various improvements can be achieved over conventional analytically-derived ‘compact models’. Low order cubic splines provide multiple orders of magnitude in speed improvement. Chebyshev polynomials implemented using Barycentric-Lagrange Interpolation can yield near machineprecision in terms of accuracy while still yielding a significant speedup. Chebyshev polynomials can also be used to diagnose hard-to-find modeling errors, like derivative discontinuities. We also discuss the construction of table-based models from sparse measurements of compact models using compressed sensing. In order to make this work accessible, all the code that was used for this report has been released along with it in the form of a MATLABbased software package titled STEAM. Examples have been included in the package to reproduce the main results and figures presented here.
What Leads to Player’s Enjoyment and Achievement in a Mobile Learning Game?

This study investigated students’ perceptions of competence and enjoyment of a mobile game within the context of mobile game-based learning. The proposed model showed that perceived competence and game attitude were the main predictors of enjoyment, while no direct relationship was found between perceived competence and gaming achievement. The model simultaneously considered other factors such as prior game experience and intensity of use, and final analysis revealed that these two variables were directly related. Another important finding was the strong impact of prior game experience on perceived competence. Results are interpreted with reference to implications for possible means of improving learning outcomes when using mobile learning games in the academic context.