Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Impact of Ease of Doing Business and Corruption on Economic Growth for Africa Free Trade Zone (AFTZ) Member States

A positive economic growth is one crucial macroeconomic objective of every nation. Many countries have formed regional as well as international trading blocs in an attempt to enhance economic growth and maximise welfare of each member state, the AFTZ member states are not an exception. This paper seeks to investigate the impact of ease of doing business and corruption on economic growth of AFTZ member states. The study employed a panel data analysis for the period 2010-2016, using Stata Statistical Software. The study findings for the bloc, indicated that corruption, trading across borders, getting credit, registration of property, dealing with construction permits, and starting business have a significant impact on the bloc’s economic growth; with insolvency resolving and investor protection of concern as well. Paying attention to country effects test, with the quest for efficient results, the study further divided the AFTZ bloc into 3 groups using average GDP as the determining variable. The usual 3 panel models were run for each group, with efficiency noted from the reported adjusted R-squared and overall R-squared. The study recommends each member state to pay particular attention to the identified affecting variables for improved economic growth. The onus to improve economic wellbeing of each state does not lie on the bloc only but on individual efforts as well, since individual differences prevail. All this will enable the broader efficacy and vision of AFTZ to be realised.
Distance from Dura mater to spinal cord at the thoracic vertebral level: An introductory study on local subdural geometry for thoracic epidural block

Objective To evaluate the anatomical safety margins in relation to thoracic epidural block by analysing magnetic resonance (MR) images. Methods This retrospective study identified consecutive patients who underwent MR imaging of the thoracic vertebral spine. The distance from the dura mater to the spinal cord (DTC) was measured at different thoracic intervertebral levels using three different pathways as references: the ‘U’, ‘L’ and ‘M’ lines. Results A total of 346 patients provided MR images for analysis. The vertical DTC was the longest at the T5/6 intervertebral level (mean ± SD: 4.22 ± 1.43 mm) and the shortest at the T11/12 intervertebral level (mean ± SD: 2.51 ± 0.87 mm). The DTC was the longest on the ‘L’ line at the T1/2 and T5/6 intervertebral levels and on the ‘U’ line at the T10/11 intervertebral level. The difference in DTC between the ‘U’ and ‘L’ lines was the greatest at the T5/6 intervertebral level. Conclusion Differences in the DTC were observed among the thoracic intervertebral levels. The variability of the safety margin according to the angle of needle insertion was the largest at the T5/6 intervertebral level.
Comparing the Performance of Agree/Disagree and Item-Specific Questions Across PCs and Smartphones

The use of agree/disagree (A/D) questions is a common technique to measure attitudes. For instance, this question format is employed frequently in the Eurobarometer and International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). Theoretical considerations, however, suggest that A/D questions require a complex processing. Therefore, many survey researchers have recommended the use of item-specific (IS) questions, since they seem to be less burdensome. Parallel to this methodological discussion is the discussion around the use of mobile devices for responding to surveys. However, until now, evidence has been lacking as to whether the use of mobile devices for survey response affects the performance of established question formats. In this study, implemented in the Netquest panel in Spain (N = 1,476), we investigated the cognitive effort and response quality associated with A/D and IS questions across PCs and smartphones. For this purpose, we applied a split-ballot design defined by device type and question format. Our analyses revealed longer response times for IS questions than A/D questions, irrespective of the device type and scale length. Also, the IS questions produced better response quality than their A/D counterparts. All in all, the findings indicate a more conscientious response to IS questions compared to A/D questions.
Failure mechanisms after unicompartmental and tricompartmental primary knee replacement with cement.

BACKGROUND Concern exists regarding the durability of unicompartmental knee replacements. The purpose of the present study was to compare the early failure rates and failure mechanisms of primary cemented unicompartmental knee replacements with those of primary cemented tricompartmental total knee replacements. METHODS The rates of failure of primary cemented unicompartmental knee replacements (n = 2288) and tricompartmental total knee replacements (n = 3032) as reported to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register from January 1994 through December 2004 were compared with use of Kaplan-Meier estimated survival rates and Cox multiple regression. RESULTS The ten-year survival probability was 80.1% (95% confidence interval, 76.0% to 84.2%) for unicompartmental knee replacements, compared with 92.0% (95% confidence interval, 90.4 to 93.6%) for total knee replacements, with a relative risk of revision of 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 2.5) (p < 0.001). This increased risk of revision following unicompartmental knee replacement was seen in all age-categories. Unicompartmental knee replacement was associated with an increased risk of revision due to pain (relative risk, 11.3 [95% confidence interval, 4.8 to 26.8]; p < 0.001), aseptic loosening of the tibial component (relative risk, 1.9 [95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 3.0]; p = 0.01) and of the femoral component (relative risk, 4.8 [95% confidence interval, 2.3 to 10.3]; p < 0.001), and periprosthetic fracture (relative risk, 3.2 [95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 8.9]; p = 0.02) as compared with total knee replacement. Unicompartmental knee replacement was associated with a lower risk of infection compared with total knee replacement (relative risk, 0.28 [95% confidence interval, 0.10 to 0.74]; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The survival of cemented unicompartmental knee replacements is inferior to that of cemented tricompartmental total knee replacements in all age-categories.
Superhuman Accuracy on the SNEMI3D Connectomics Challenge

For the past decade, convolutional networks have been used for 3D reconstruction of neurons from electron microscopic (EM) brain images. Recent years have seen great improvements in accuracy, as evidenced by submissions to the SNEMI3D benchmark challenge. Here we report the first submission to surpass the estimate of human accuracy provided by the SNEMI3D leaderboard. A variant of 3D U-Net is trained on a primary task of predicting affinities between nearest neighbor voxels, and an auxiliary task of predicting long-range affinities. The training data is augmented by simulated image defects. The nearest neighbor affinities are used to create an oversegmentation, and then supervoxels are greedily agglomerated based on mean affinity. The resulting SNEMI3D score exceeds the estimate of human accuracy by a large margin. While one should be cautious about extrapolating from the SNEMI3D benchmark to real-world accuracy of large-scale neural circuit reconstruction, our result inspires optimism that the goal of full automation may be realizable in the future.
Quality of service constrained throughput optimisation for joint adaptive transmission with automatic repeat request over block-fading channels

An optimisation framework for wireless link adaptation which maximises the system throughput subject to a packet-level quality of service (QoS) constraint is presented. The authors consider joint adaptive variation of the transmitted power level, transmission data rate and packet-error-rate (PER) at the physical layer to improve the throughput performance of the selective-repeat automatic repeat request (SR-ARQ) protocol over block-fading channels. Specifically, for discrete-rate coded M-QAM schemes, the authors present a power and rate adaptation algorithm that guarantees a target PER constraint. The proposed framework also facilitates optimising the throughput performance for delay constrained wireless applications, which imposes a limit on the number of retransmissions for the ARQ. In particular, a link adaptation scheme is presented, which guarantees a target packet-loss rate (PLR) when a truncated SR ARQ protocol at the data-link layer is employed. Numerical results indicate that the proposed adaptation schemes compared with other adaptive schemes noticeably enhance the system throughput. Also, in the case of truncated ARQ, the results illustrate a fundamental trade-off between the delay and PLR QoS metrics achieved at the maximum throughput performance.
Phylogenetic and Molecular Analysis of Food-Borne Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Seventy-five food-associated Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains were analyzed by molecular and phylogenetic methods to describe their pathogenic potential. The presence of the locus of proteolysis activity (LPA), the chromosomal pathogenicity island (PAI) PAI ICL3, and the autotransporter-encoding gene sabA was examined by PCR. Furthermore, the occupation of the chromosomal integration sites of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), selC, pheU, and pheV, as well as the Stx phage integration sites yehV, yecE, wrbA, z2577, and ssrA, was analyzed. Moreover, the antibiotic resistance phenotypes of all STEC strains were determined. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed, and sequence types (STs) and sequence type complexes (STCs) were compared with those of 42 hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS)-associated enterohemorrhagic E. coli (HUSEC) strains. Besides 59 STs and 4 STCs, three larger clusters were defined in this strain collection. Clusters A and C consist mostly of highly pathogenic eae-positive HUSEC strains and some related food-borne STEC strains. A member of a new O26 HUS-associated clone and the 2011 outbreak strain E. coli O104:H4 were found in cluster A. Cluster B comprises only eae-negative food-borne STEC strains as well as mainly eae-negative HUSEC strains. Although food-borne strains of cluster B were not clearly associated with disease, serotypes of important pathogens, such as O91:H21 and O113:H21, were in this cluster and closely related to the food-borne strains. Clonal analysis demonstrated eight closely related genetic groups of food-borne STEC and HUSEC strains that shared the same ST and were similar in their virulence gene composition. These groups should be considered with respect to their potential for human infection.
The Effect of Cooperative's Characteristic on Financial Reporting Timeliness

The purpose of this study is to do more in-depth analysis about factors that affect the financial reporting timeliness. The sample used in this study consists of 90 existing cooperatives in Denpasar city. Secondary data obtained from the Department of Cooperatives, Small, and Medium Enterprises. The primary data collected from the questionnaires. The analytical technique used is multiple linear regression. The results of this study found that profitability, leverage, and total assets are significantly effecting on financial reporting timeliness of the cooperative. On the other hand, the performance of the executive board and the participation of members are not significantly affected on financial reporting timeliness. The results of this study are expected to be input for service Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprise Office in oversees cooperative for the sake of realization of the principle of accountability and financial transparency.
Chlamydia trachomatis in gynaecological infections in Luanda, Angola.

small bowel biopsy specimen. No other pathogens were found. At the time of diagnosis the serum drug level of itraconazole was 7.9 ,ug/ml (levels above 2.0 ,ug/ml are considered therapeutic). Albendazole and metronidazole were ineffective in ameliorating the patient's diarrhoea. Symptomatic therapy with tinctura opii and loperamide resulted in a decrease of the stool frequency to two to five bowel movements per day. The patient continues to excrete E bieneusi in his stool. Although a single report can provide only limited evidence, in this patient high dose itraconazole failed to protect against the development of E bieneusi infection. Further studies are necessary to establish firmly the drug sensitivity pattern of this microsporidium. Because albendazole may provide some palliation and preliminary evidence is available that atovaquone may also have efficacy against E bieneusi [D Schwartz, personal communication], we recommend that itraconazole should currently not be considered as a first-line drug for use in E bieneusi infections in persons with AIDS. HELMUT ALBRECHT HANS-JURGEN STEL -BRINK Medizinische Kernklinik und Poliklink INGO SOBOTTKA Institutfur Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Immunologie, Univenitdtskrankenhaus Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
zTrust: adaptive decentralized trust model for QoS selection in electronic marketplaces

In the absence of legal enforcement procedures for the participants of an open e-marketplace, trust and reputation systems are central to resisting threats from malicious agents. Such systems also provide mechanisms for identifying participants who disseminate unfair ratings. This thesis research is in the area of modeling trust in multi-agent systems where self-interested agents intelligently interact to maximize their benefits. The thesis presents an adaptive intelligent trust model, called zTrust, with multidisciplinary approaches well-suited for cooperative and competitive electronic commerce in such a way that individuals could make optimal decisions in selecting business transaction partners. zTrust has two essential elements: 1) a two-layered filtering algorithm, the Prob-Cog model, with an adaptive threshold evaluation procedure, which combines cognitive and probabilistic views of trust to classify participants through modelling their subjectivity, behavioural characteristics and environmental conditions in order to detect unfair advisers, and 2) a two-layered Trust-Oriented Service Selection (TOSS) framework to assist consumers in
Child mortality trends and determinants – policy implications for child survival in India DRAFT Child mortality panel discussion , May 20 2004

In 2003, about 2.2 million children under age 5 died in India which is the highest total of any country and about 20 percent of all child deaths globally. Where most children die is shown in Figure 1. Recent years have shown a slowing down in the decline in infant mortality rates in India, resulting in a departure from the longer-term trends (Claeson, Bos, et al 1999, 2000) . The slowing down in child mortality decline in India has called for new approaches that go beyond diseaseprogramand sector – specific approaches. This paper provides an input to the debate about what, why and how to speed up the rate of decline and accelerate progress towards the child mortality Millennium Development Goal of India. This is a synthesis of analytical work done by the World Bank-WHO Child Health and Poverty Working Group, the Bellagio study group on child survival, the recent MDG analysis of trends and determinants discussed in the Millennium Development Goals for Health; Rising to the Challenges and on Bank analysis of child mortality in India (Victora, Wagstaff 2003; World Bank, 2004; Claeson, Bos 2000). Three issues are discussed:
Technical Efficiency of Beef Cattle Production in West Nusa Tenggara

The characteristics of beef cattle business in West Nusa Tenggara province which are dominated by small-scale farmers by semi-intensive and extensive systems are relatively inefficient. The research objectives were to identify the factors that influenced the level of production and analyze the technical efficiency of beef cattle production in West Nusa Tenggara. The research used cross section data taken from the results of the 2014 Livestock Household Survey (ST2013-STU) conducted by the Indonesia Central Bureau of Statistic. The analytical method used in this study was the stochastic frontier production function. The analysis results of the stochastic frontier production function showed that forage fodder input, concentrates, labour, animal health care and herd size are influential factors on beef cattle production. The average level of technical efficiency of beef cattle farmers in West Nusa Tenggara is 0.705. This shows that the average productivity achieved is 70.5 percent, which means that production can still be increased by 29.5 percent to achieve maximum productivity. The policy to reduce the level of technical inefficiency is by providing facilitation to farmers in order to change their production systems from extensive to intensive or semi-intensive.
Self-propelled swimming of a flexible plunging foil near a solid wall

Numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the influences of a solid wall on the self-propelled swimming of a flexible plunging foil. It is found that the presence of a solid wall enhances the cruising speed, with the cost of increasing input power. Rigid foil can achieve high percentage increase in cruising speed when swimming near a solid wall, but the propulsive efficiency may be reduced. Foils with some flexibility can enjoy the enhancements in both cruising speed and propulsive efficiency. Another advantage of the flexible foils in near-wall swimming is that smaller averaged lateral forces are produced. The effects of wall confinement on the wake structure and the vortex dynamics are also studied in this paper. The results obtained in this study shed some light on the unsteady wall effect experienced by aquatic animals and also inform the design of bio-mimetic underwater vehicles which are capable of exploiting the wall effect.
Seeing Native Advertising Production via the Business Model Lens: The Case of Forbes’s BrandVoice Unit

Abstract Although the production side of advertising has interested scholars for decades, research has focused primarily on isolated agency practices and interactions with clients. Discussion has been limited regarding how an ad agency coordinates and connects multiple activities and relationships, and how the agency setup has evolved over time. This question has become particularly interesting in the age of digitization, in which new forms of advertising require new ways of organizing production. In a case study of Forbes’s BrandVoice unit, this article specifically examines native advertising production via the business model lens, illustrating how BrandVoice consciously borrows production logics from journalism and distribution practices of platform economies. This study contributes to the understanding of the morphing of advertising production and agency work in the digital economy.
The motivations of Internet users to avoid online advertisements by employing ad blocking extensions

This thesis explores the motivations of online users to avoid online advertising by employing ad blockers. Ad blocker is the filtering technology that blocks online advertising from appearing. Four motives have been identified: privacy concerns, annoying advertisements, browsing experience, and malvertising. The motives examined are aiming to reveal the importance of each one of them in the blocking activity. The research follows a quantitative methods design, with data being collected through 202 self-completion online questionnaires. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted along with a multiple regression analysis in order to reveal the linearity of the independent variables with the advertising avoidance. Three of the four variables were found to have a significant relationship with the blocking activity, while malvertising is not considered an important factor for the generated model. This research raised implication for companies, digital marketing practitioners, online content publishers, and website operators. (Less)
A complementary dynamic residue amplifier for a 67 dB SNDR 1.36 mW 170 MS/s pipelined SAR ADC

A complementary dynamic single-stage residue amplifier for a pipelined SAR ADC is presented. It re-uses charge typically wasted during the reset phase, and hence improves efficiency by a factor 2× in this block that often dominates the fundamental noise/power trade-off of the ADC. The residue amplifier achieves 90 μVrms input noise for an energy consumption of 1.5 pJ. It is used in a 2-times interleaved 6b coarse/8b fine pipelined SAR ADC. The 40nm CMOS prototype achieves 11 ENOB at 20 MS/s while consuming 165 μW, leading to an energy per conversion step of 4 fJ. It maintains more than 10.8 ENOB at low input frequencies for a clock frequency up to 180 MS/s.
Interstitial Nephritis Secondary to Bevacizumab Treatment in Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma

Objective: To report a case of interstitial nephritis associated with the administration of bevacizumab. Case Summary: A 26-year-old man diagnosed with metastatic rectal leiomyosarcoma was treated with intravenous bevacizumab 5 mg/kg and received a total of 3 doses at 2 week intervals. His creatinine had increased from 1.0 mg/dL at baseline to 1.6 mg/dL after 2 doses of bevacizumab and to 4.7 mg/dL after the third dose, prompting admission. Acute renal failure was diagnosed, and hemodialysis was initiated. A renal biopsy revealed interstitial nephritis. Renal failure resolved with cessation of the drug, and the patient did not require further hemodialysis. Discussion: Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal immunoglobulin G antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor. Bevacizumab has shown efficacy in treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma and colorectal cancer and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer. Our patient had no other confounding factors that might have caused renal failure. The presence of primary glomerular disease was excluded by biopsy. According to the Naranjo probability scale, bevacizumab was the probable cause of acute renal failure in this patient. Conclusions: Bevacizumab can cause acute renal failure by inducing interstitial nephritis. Renal function should be monitored during bevacizumab therapy.
THE INVENTORY OF PARENT AND PEER ATTACHMENT (IPPA): A STUDY ON THE VALIDITY OF STYLES OF ADOLESCENT ATTACHMENT TO PARENTS AND PEERS IN AN ITALIAN SAMPLE

The aims of the present study were to provide a contribution to the validation of the three versions of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) (Armsden & Greenberg, 1989) relative to mother, father, and peers, and to verify the validity of the attachment style classifications suggested by Armsden and Greenberg (1987) and Vivona (2000). The IPPA measures adolescent parent and peer at8 tachment styles by assessing the following three dimensions: Trust, Communication, and Alienation. The sample was composed of 1183 adolescents (606 males and 577 females) living in central Italy. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the three8factor structure in both parent and peer IPPA ver8 sions. The internal consistency coefficients ( ρ) of the three IPPA subscales were satisfactory for each version. Further, the present study provided support for both parent and peer attachment style classifi8 cations devised by Armsden and Greenberg (1987) and Vivona (2000), also within the Italian context.