Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural change and the ability to sustain growth

This paper examines the relationships between structural characteristics and the ability to sustain growth. The analysis is based on a novel dataset of sectoral shares in GDP and growth rates for 108 countries from 1960 to 2010. Rather than focusing exclusively on average growth rates, the paper examines the characteristics of positive growth episodes. Dependent variables include the duration of positive growth episodes and the risk that such growth episodes come to an end. Structural characteristics include the degree of sectoral specialisation, the share of manufacturing and the share of the modern sector in GDP. We find that higher shares of manufacturing, high and increasing shares of the modern sector and a more diversified structure of production contribute to longer duration of growth episodes and reduced volatility of growth patterns. The effects of these same variables on average growth rates are much more ambiguous.
Sleep Disordered Breathing in Four Resource-Limited Settings in Peru: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Association with Chronic Diseases.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a highly prevalent condition in high-income countries, with major consequences for cardiopulmonary health, public safety, healthcare utilization, and mortality. However, its prevalence and effect in low- and middle-income countries are less well known. We sought to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and comorbidities of SDB symptoms in four resource-limited settings. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of the CRONICAS Cohort, a population-based age- and sex-stratified sample. SETTING Four resource-limited settings in Peru varying in altitude, urbanization, and air pollution. PARTICIPANTS There were 2,682 adults aged 35 to 92 y. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Self-reported SDB symptoms (habitual snoring, observed apneas, Epworth Sleepiness Scale), sociodemographics, medical history, anthropometrics, spirometry, blood biomarkers were reported. We found a high prevalence of habitual snoring (30.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 28.5-32.0%), observed apneas (20.9%, 95% CI 19.4-22.5%) and excessive daytime sleepiness (18.6%, 95% CI 17.1-20.1%). SDB symptoms varied across sites; prevalence and adjusted odds for habitual snoring were greatest at sea level, whereas those for observed apneas were greatest at high altitude. In multivariable analysis, habitual snoring was associated with older age, male sex, body mass index (BMI), and higher socioeconomic status; observed apneas were associated with BMI; and excessive daytime sleepiness was associated with older age, female sex, and medium socioeconomic status. Adjusted odds of cardiovascular disease, depression, and hypertension and total chronic disease burden increased progressively with the number of SDB symptoms. A threefold increase in the odds of having an additional chronic comorbid disease (adjusted odds ratio 3.57, 95% CI 2.18-5.84) was observed in those with all three versus no SDB symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Sleep disordered breathing symptoms were highly prevalent, varied widely across four resource-limited settings in Peru, and exhibited strong independent associations with chronic diseases.
Sphere Decoding for Unique Word OFDM

The recently presented UW-OFDM (Unique Word - orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) signaling scheme [1] uses certain subcarriers in frequency domain for redundant symbols instead of data, in order to generate a zero word in the DFT (discrete Fourier transform) interval in time domain. These redundant symbols depend on the data loaded on the other carriers and thus introduce correlation. The resulting linear system model enables sophisticated detectors for data recovery. As the best known maximum likelihood detector for this case, we applied the Sphere Decoding (SD) algorithm to a single antenna UW-OFDM system and evaluated its bit error performance in AWGN (additive white Gaussian noise) and frequency selective environments. Compared to linear receivers, the SD is able to take the correlations on the redundant subcarriers optimally into account and shows an enormous gain. A reduction of the redundant energy by increasing the number of redundant subcarriers improved the bit error performance of UW-OFDM systems with linear data estimators [2] at the price of a lower bandwidth efﬁciency. In contrast it is found, that a receiver based on Sphere Decoding is able to optimally exploit the excess redundant energy. The SD based system therefore shows its best performance at maximum bandwidth efﬁciency.
Judicial Independence and Peace Duration: An Assessment of Political Institutions in the Post-Conflict Environment

The purpose of this research is to assess the role that an independent judiciary serves in the postconflict environment. The existing literature on post-conflict environments has suggested that mitigating security dilemmas best ensures durable peace and that the presence of political institutions that safeguard against security dilemmas are necessary in promoting this peace. I argue that an independent judiciary is endowed with the security-assuring attributes that the previous literature claims to be necessary for political institutions to have in order to facilitate peace in post-conflict societies. I employ a Cox Proportional Hazards Model to test the effect that the presence of an independent judiciary has on the onset of renewed conflict using the dataset in Mason et al. (2011) and the CIRI Human Rights Data Project. Although the findings in this paper do not support the theoretical argument I set forth, they offer interesting implications for future research in this field of study. I offer a variety of explanations for these results that lend themselves to further inquiry in the study of post-conflict political institutions. Judicial Institutions 4
Gain-scheduled synthesis with dynamic positive real multipliers

If designing robust controllers based on multiplier or separation techniques, one is confronted with weighting filters that are not necessarily stable. For optimal synthesis, this requires controllers to be only partially internally stabilizing. In this paper we propose a new synthesis framework for possibly unstable performance weights. It is further shown how these results can be used to design gain-scheduling controllers with dynamic positive real multipliers by convex optimization, a problem without any analogous solution in the literature.
ABCB1 polymorphisms influence the response to antiepileptic drugs in Japanese epilepsy patients.

OBJECTIVES The efflux transporter P-glycoprotein encoded by the ATP-binding cassette (ABC)B1 gene may play a role in drug-resistant epilepsy by limiting gastrointestinal absorption and brain access of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Our objective was to investigate the effect of ABCB1 polymorphisms on AED responsiveness and on the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine (CBZ) in epileptic patients with the indication for CBZ therapy. METHODS The ABCB1 T-129C, C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T polymorphisms were genotyped in 210 Japanese epileptics who had been prescribed AEDs, including CBZ, for longer than 2 years. Haplotype and diplotype frequencies were estimated by expectation-maximization algorithm. Drug resistance was determined by the presence of seizures. Association of the polymorphisms with the risk of drug resistance was estimated by logistic regression analysis and the odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for the clinical factors affecting the outcome of AED therapy. CBZ concentrations to the dose (C/D) ratios were compared among the ABCB1 polymorphisms. RESULTS Drug-resistant patients were more likely to have the T allele (OR [95% confidence interval (CI)], 2.02 [1.14-3.58]) and the TT genotype at C3435T (OR [95% CI], 3.64 [1.16-11.39]), and the TT genotype at G2677T/A (OR vs the GG genotype [95% CI], 3.43 [1.01-11.72]). The frequency of the T-T-T haplotype at C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T was significantly higher (OR [95% CI], 1.84 [1.03-3.30]), and the CC-GG-CC diplotype was lower (OR [95% CI], 0.09 [0.01-0.85]) in the drug-resistant patients than in the drug-responsive patients. None of the ABCB1 polymorphisms were observed to influence the C/D ratios of CBZ. CONCLUSION We demonstrated that ABCB1 polymorphisms may influence the AED responsiveness without significant changes in the plasma concentrations of CBZ. Our findings were the inverse of previous results in European epileptics, thus the influence of ABCB1 polymorphisms on the AED responsiveness and/or the P-glycoprotein activity may vary among races.
InGaAs/InP Tunnel FETs With a Subthreshold Swing of 93 mV/dec and $I_{\rm ON}/I_{\rm OFF}$ Ratio Near  $\hbox{10}^{6}$

Vertical n-channel tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) with tunneling normal to the gate based on an n+ In<sub>∞=0.53->;1</sub>GaAs/p<sup>+</sup> InP heterojunction have been demonstrated to exhibit simultaneously a high I<sub>ON</sub>/I<sub>OFF</sub> ratio of 6 × 10<sup>5</sup>, a minimum subthreshold swing (SS) of 93 mV/dec, and an on-current of 20 μA/μm at V<sub>DS</sub> = 0.5 V and a gate swing of 1.75 V at 300 K, a record TFET performance. The significant improvement in device performance is ascribed to the adoption of a thin equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of ~1.3 nm for improved electrostatics and the use of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition SiN<sub>∞</sub> mesa passivation to preserve the integrity of the thin exposed semiconductor layers.
Rapid trajectory time reduction for unmanned rotorcraft navigating in unknown terrain

Onboard and online flight path planning for small-scale unmanned rotorcraft requires very efficient algorithms in order to meet runtime constraints. When flying through a priori unknown environment, rapid replanning is necessary in order to maintain a safe obstacle clearance. The complexity of the planning problem rises vastly when trying to minimize flight time. This is because the helicopter's flight dynamics must be accounted for in order to produce paths which the helicopter can follow safely at high speeds. Building on the success of sampling-based planning algorithms, decoupled approaches that separate the planning of collision free and dynamically feasible flight paths into sequential steps have been shown to solve the problem very efficiently. However, these approaches may produce suboptimal results or may even fail to provide valid flight paths at all. Addressing these problems, we present an approach for planning safe, dynamically feasible and time efficient flight paths using cubic splines. Trying to reduce trajectory time, we consider the influence of path smoothing and refinement measures on the quality of the resulting flight paths and on the reliability of the planning procedure. We present comparative results in a range of benchmark scenarios, including flight through urban terrain, to evaluate the overall mission performance.
The Domestication Process and Domestication Rate in Rice: Spikelet Bases from the Lower Yangtze

The process of rice domestication occurred in the Lower Yangtze region of Zhejiang, China, between 6900 and 6600 years ago. Archaeobotanical evidence from the site of Tianluoshan shows that the proportion of nonshattering domesticated rice (Oryza sativa) spikelet bases increased over this period from 27% to 39%. Over the same period, rice remains increased from 8% to 24% of all plant remains, which suggests an increased consumption relative to wild gathered foods. In addition, an assemblage of annual grasses, sedges, and other herbaceous plants indicates the presence of arable weeds, typical of cultivated rice, that also increased over this period.
Bistability, Causality, and Complexity in Cortical Networks: An In Vitro Perturbational Study

Measuring the spatiotemporal complexity of cortical responses to direct perturbations provides a reliable index of the brain's capacity for consciousness in humans under both physiological and pathological conditions. Upon loss of consciousness, the complex pattern of causal interactions observed during wakefulness collapses into a stereotypical slow wave, suggesting that cortical bistability may play a role. Bistability is mainly expressed in the form of slow oscillations, a default pattern of activity that emerges from cortical networks in conditions of functional or anatomical disconnection. Here, we employ an in vitro model to understand the relationship between bistability and complexity in cortical circuits. We adapted the perturbational complexity index applied in humans to electrically stimulated cortical slices under different neuromodulatory conditions. At this microscale level, we demonstrate that perturbational complexity can be effectively modulated by pharmacological reduction of bistability and, albeit to a lesser extent, by enhancement of excitability, providing mechanistic insights into the macroscale measurements performed in humans.
Association between folate, vitamin B(6) and vitamin B(12) intake and depression in the SUN cohort study.

BACKGROUND An association between low blood levels of folate, vitamins B(6) and B(12) and a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms has been reported in several epidemiological studies. The present study aimed to assess the association between folate, vitamins B(6) and B(12) intake and depresion prevalence in the SUN cohort study. METHODS The study comprised a cross-sectional analysis of 9670 participants. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to ascertain vitamin intake. The association between the baseline intake of folate, vitamins B(6) and B(12) categorised in quintiles and the prevalence of depression was assessed. The analyses were repeated after stratifying by smoking habits, alcohol intake, physical activity and personality traits. RESULTS Among women, odds ratios (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for the third to fifth quintile for vitamin B(12) intake were 0.58 (0.41-0.84), 0.56 (0.38-0.82) and 0.68 (0.45-1.04), respectively. Among those men with a low level of anxiety and current smokers, a significant positive association between low folate intake and the prevalence of depression was found. The OR (95% CI) for the first quintile of intake was 2.85 (1.49-5.45) and 2.18 (1.08-4.38), respectively, compared to the upper quintiles of intake (Q2-Q5) considered as a group. CONCLUSION Low folate intake was associated with depression among currently smoking men and men with low anxiety levels. Low intake of vitamin B(12) was associated with depression among women. No significant associations were found for vitamin B(6) intake.
Splice mutations in the p53 gene: case report and review of the literature

Splice mutations in the p53 gene (TP53) are described as rare events that occur at a frequency of less than 1%. Using a functional assay based on the transcriptional activity of p53 and using RNA as starting material, we describe here a p53 splice mutation that could not be detected by genomic sequencing. This lack of detection is due to a deletion of the region complementary to primers commonly used for amplification. Reviewing the literature, we show that p53 splice mutations have been certainly underestimated and that careful strategy should be used for a complete mutational analysis of the p53 gene. Furthermore, some p53 gene mutations described as “neutral” due to the absence of any amino‐acid change are truly deleterious, as they affect gene splicing. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Efficiency of empirical methods for reference evapotranspiration estimation in the district of Vilankulo, Mozambique

Precise quantification of reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is crucial for calculating crop water demand. Eight empirical methods based on temperature and six on solar radiation were evaluated against Penman-Monteith FAO 56 method based on: Mean Bias Error (MBE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Willmott coefficient (“d”), determination coefficient (R2) and the Student’s t-test. The meteorological data of Vilankulo district (maximum, minimum and medium temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and sunshine hours) were used and collected in the National Institute of Meteorology of Mozambique from 1979 to 2006. The results showed that Mak solar radiation method had the best efficiency (MBE = -0.03 mm day-1; RMSE = 0.28 mm day-1; "d" = 0.97 and R2 = 0.98). When sunshine hours or global solar radiation are not measured in order to use Mak method, Schendel method can be an alternative which requires air temperature and relative humidity (MBE = -0.09 mm day-1; RMSE = 0.81 mm day-1; “d” = 0.84 and R2 = 0.74). Both methods were not statistically different with PMF 56 method. The merit of this study stems from the fact that no similar study was conducted in Vilankulo district. Key words: Reference evapotranspiration, empirical methods, Penman Monteith.
Antarctic atmospheric temperature trend patterns from satellite observations

Tropospheric temperatures in the Antarctic are retrieved by linearly combining satellite‐borne Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) channels 2 and 4 observations. We show good agreement between satellite‐inferred temperature trends and radiosonde observations. It is illustrated that the Antarctic troposphere has cooled in the summer and fall seasons since 1979, in agreement with Thompson and Solomon (2002). It is shown that significant tropospheric warming prevails during Antarctic winters and springs, but we also find significant winter cooling over half of East Antarctica. We find the largest winter tropospheric warming of about 0.6 K/decade for 1979–2005 between 120°W and 180°W. Homogeneous winter tropospheric warming over Antarctica from the ERA‐40 reanalysis is not supported by the MSU observations. While MSU stratospheric temperatures exhibit the expected large cooling during the spring and summer seasons, we also find large stratospheric warming over half the southern hemisphere high latitudes in the winter and spring seasons.
Bipolar Disorder Differences between Genders: Special Considerations for Women

The objective of this article is to review clinical differences between men and women with bipolar disorder. The secondary objective is to analyze the differences in adherence to medication between genders. Men usually present with manic episodes and have comorbid drug abuse, while women usually present with major depressive episode, the onset is often later, comorbidity of physical pathology is common and adherence to medication is greater than in men. In women who have an earlier onset of the illness and are single, the risk of nonadherence is higher than in other groups of women. There are two time periods that are very important in women: pregnancy and postpartum. Both are critical periods and a relapse or recurrence of symptoms at either stage can have serious consequences for the woman and/or her baby. In addition, the effect of medication on the fetus is unclear. In conclusion, there is a clear need for more studies on gender differences in bipolar disorder and how to improve adherence to treatment. Moreover, a better understanding of how to treat women with bipolar disorder during pregnancy and lactation will undoubtedly lead to improved outcomes for both the mother and her child.
A CONTEMPORARY RE-EXAMINATION OF MALAYSIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH: THE ISSUES OF EQUITY, EFFICIENCY AND LIBERALIZATION

This paper is an empirical investigation on economic growth for Malaysia, with focus on income inequality, foreign direct investment (FDI), financial development and trade. Co-integrating regression procedures namely, fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), canonical co-integrating regression (CCR) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) were employed. Positive relationship between growth with financial development and trade are found to be consistent across all estimations. Income inequality on the other hand though negative, does not seem to exhibit robust significant statistical relationship with growth. The orders of integration for variables used have been demonstrated to be governed such that a long-run relationship prevails.
A global measure of perceived stress.

This paper presents evidence from three samples, two of college students and one of participants in a community smoking-cessation program, for the reliability and validity of a 14-item instrument, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), designed to measure the degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. The PSS showed adequate reliability and, as predicted, was correlated with life-event scores, depressive and physical symptomatology, utilization of health services, social anxiety, and smoking-reduction maintenance. In all comparisons, the PSS was a better predictor of the outcome in question than were life-event scores. When compared to a depressive symptomatology scale, the PSS was found to measure a different and independently predictive construct. Additional data indicate adequate reliability and validity of a four-item version of the PSS for telephone interviews. The PSS is suggested for examining the role of nonspecific appraised stress in the etiology of disease and behavioral disorders and as an outcome measure of experienced levels of stress. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 1983. Copyright © 1983 by the American Sociological Association) For more information on the PSS, see VioEval record number 216. Survey Instrument Adult Stress Life Stress Adult Perceptions Self Perceptions Instrument Validity Instrument Reliability College Student Research Adult Substance Use Tobacco Use 01-01
The medical reshaping of disabled bodies as a response to stigma and a route to normality

Disabled people are said to experience stigma because their embodied presence in the world does not fit with how others interact and use their bodies to be social participants. In response they can turn to medical procedures, such as surgery or physiotherapy, in order to reshape their bodies to more closely approximate norms of social interaction and embodiment. This paper explores how medicine plays a role in attempts to be recognised by others as normal and acceptable by minimising disability. It will do so via a focus on disabled young people, in order to explore how their emerging identities and aspirations for the future influence how they think about their bodies, what normality means and their participation in multiple activities that work on their bodies. The paper draws from an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) project that used a range of qualitative research methods with a group of disabled young people. The project explored ways in which participants actively worked on their bodies to be more normal and examined the disciplinary and agency dynamics involved in this work.
Dendrites

I have touched upon the great variety of crystal forms and dendritic forms in nature, have discussed the essential physics involved in the generation of these forms during either constrained or unconstrained crystal growth, and have shown how this knowledge helps in the classification of this seemingly infinite variety of forms. Man has built upon this understanding to control the form and dimensions of certain materials to his technological advantage. We may hope that, in the future, we will have greater understanding of these phenomena of natural crystal growth and the ability to use this knowledge for technological ends.