Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alternate day supplementation of corn stalk diets with soybean meal or corn gluten meal fed to ruminants.

Four experiments were conducted to determine the effect of adding corn gluten mean (CGM) or soybean meal (SBM) at 24- or 48-h intervals to diets based on corn stalks. In each experiment corn stalks was the primary diet ingredient fed to wethers or steers. Monensin was also fed to determine whether its effects on ruminal fermentation would improve the efficiency of N utilization under these conditions. Evaluation criteria included ruminal fermentation characteristics, DM intake and utilization, N balance in sheep, and steer feedlot performance. Ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH3 N) concentrations measured over time were higher (P < .05) when diets contained SBM. Diet did not influence (P > .10) total VFA concentrations in ruminal fluid. Differences in diurnal shifts in ruminal NH3 N and total VFA due to protein source resulted in diet x hour interactions (P < .05). Dry matter intake response to protein source and frequency of supplement feeding was variable. Dry matter digestibility and nitrogen digestibility were not affected (P > .10) by protein source or feeding interval. The 48-h interval feeding of CGM was favorable compared with 24-h interval feeding (P < .05). The opposite response occurred with SBM, resulting in a diet x feeding interval interaction (P < .05). Nitrogen retention was greater (P < .05) when CGM was fed and with alternate day feeding. Diets that contained CGM supported higher (P < .05) ADG and gain/feed than diets that contained SBM when fed to steer calves. Alternate day feeding of supplements that contained monensin was detrimental to steer performance under the conditions of these experiments. Corn gluten meal is an effective substitute for SBM when alternate day protein supplementation is practiced.
Descartes' Rule of Signs for Radial Basis Function Neural Networks

We establish versions of Descartes' rule of signs for radial basis function (RBF) neural networks. The RBF rules of signs provide tight bounds for the number of zeros of univariate networks with certain parameter restrictions. Moreover, they can be used to infer that the Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) dimension and pseudodimension of these networks are no more than linear. This contrasts with previous work showing that RBF neural networks with two or more input nodes have superlinear VC dimension. The rules also give rise to lower bounds for network sizes, thus demonstrating the relevance of network parameters for the complexity of computing with RBF neural networks.
Consequences of orthostatic blood pressure variability in middle-aged men (The Malmö Preventive Project)

Objective To investigate the determinants and consequences of orthostatic hypotension in the middle-aged segment of the general population. Methods A population of 5722 men aged 52.6 ± 3.6 years, previously included in the Malmö Preventive Project (n = 22 444 men), was re-screened after 5.6 ± 1.0 years and thereafter followed up over a period of 19.6 ± 5.3 years. Results At re-screening, 566 (9.9%) participants were found to have orthostatic hypotension according to international consensus criteria, of these 365 (64.5%) demonstrated systolic impairment only. In a multivariate adjusted logistic regression model, age, low BMI, hypertension, increased heart rate, antihypertensive treatment, diabetes and current smoking independently determined orthostatic hypotension, but systolic impairment also showed association with higher pulse pressure and reduced glomerular filtration rate. In a multivariate adjusted Cox proportional hazard model, men with orthostatic hypotension demonstrated a higher risk of incident coronary event, stroke and all-cause mortality than men without orthostatic hypotension. Systolic impairment was a better predictor of all studied endpoints than were the combined criteria of orthostatic hypotension. Moreover, participants with orthostatic hypotension at both baseline and re-screening showed the highest risk of any adverse event (hazard risk 1.76, 95% confidence interval 1.28–2.43, P = 0.001), exceeding the risk predicted by orthostatic hypotension at re-screening only (hazard risk 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.38, P = 0.003). Conclusion Orthostatic hypotension may be found in up to 10% of middle-aged men and correlates with well known cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, smoking, diabetes and kidney failure. Orthostatic impairment seems to constitute an independent cardiovascular risk factor and may be practically estimated by systolic reaction only. As orthostatic reaction may vary over time, repeated measurements or more accurate diagnostic methods are recommended to identify high-risk patients with persistent orthostatic hypotension.
Radioguided Surgery in Brain Tumors With Thallium-201

Rationale: Malignant astrocytomas show thallium uptake with a high target-to-background ratio, allowing the use of radioguided surgery. Method: We report on 6 patients (3 men) diagnosed with malignant astrocytoma. All patients signed informed consent documents. Previous thallium-201 SPECT was performed, showing uptake in tumors. In the operating room we injected 37 MBq (1 mCi) of thallium-201 at the same time the craniotomy was performed. With the gamma probe we confirmed the tumor uptake, and a biopsy sample was taken. After conventional tumor resection, we scanned the surgical bed with the gamma probe. All areas of abnormal uptake were evaluated by the surgeon and, if possible, removed. Results: In all patients the biopsy confirmed a high-grade astrocytoma. In all cases we found residual uptake in the surgical bed that was confirmed as residual tumor by pathologic examination. In 3 cases it was not possible to remove all the sites of pathologic uptake because critical areas were involved. In the other 3 patients, only background activity was found after the procedure. Conclusion: Radioguided surgery in brain tumors with thallium-201 is a complex technique and expertise in radioguided surgery and neuroimaging is needed, but we think that it is promising.
Decreasing imposed work of the breathing apparatus to zero using pressure‐support ventilation

ObjectivesTo apply pressure-support ventilation with the goal of decreasing the imposed work of the breathing apparatus (endotracheal tube, breathing circuit tubing, and the ventilator's demand-flow system) to zero and to evaluate a clinical method of measuring the imposed work of breathing. DesignA prospective evaluation of adult and pediatric patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support. SettingA surgical and a pediatric intensive care unit in a university hospital. PatientsFifteen patients (11 adult and four pediatric), who were diagnosed with acute respiratory failure from various etiologies, and who were intubated and spontaneously breathing, received continous positive airway pressure and pressure-support ventilation. Measurements and Main ResultsImposed work of the breathing apparatus was calculated by integrating pressure measured at the tracheal end of the endotracheal tube from a narrow air-filled catheter and the change in volume from a miniature pneumotachograph (flow sensor) positioned between the “Y” piece of the breathing circuit and the endotracheal tube. Pressure and volume singnals were directed to a computerized, portable respiratory monitor (Bicore Monitoring Systems) that provides real-time display of the pressure-volume (work) loops and calculation of the imposed work. Imposed work was measured at 0 cm H2O pressure-support ventilation, and then incremental levels of pressure-support ventilation were applied until the imposed work decreased to zero. Imposed work decreased in a quadratic fashion after incremental levels of pressure-support ventilation (r = -.83 [r2 = .69]; p<.001). At pressure-support ventilation level of 0 cm H2O, the imposed work was 0.60 ± 0.17 joule/L. At mean pressure-support ventilation levels of 13.5 ± 4.8 cm H2O, imposed work decreased to O joule/L. ConclusionsIdeally, the imposed work of the breathing apparatus should be zero to decrease the afterload on the ventilatory muscles and, thus, the patient's work of breathing. Eliminating the imposed work is achieved using appropriate levels of pressure-support ventilation. We describe an easily applied, practical method of measuring imposed work using a commercially available, portable, bedside respiratory monitor. We recommened that all patients diagnosed with respiratory failure and compromised pulmonary mechanics and who are intubated and breathing spontaneously, recieve at least a minimal level of pressure-support ventilation that results in zero breathing apparatus-imposed work of breathing. (Crit Care Med 1993;21:1333–1338)
Exercise left ventricular ejection fraction predicts events in right bundle branch block

ABSTRACT Objective Interpretation of the electrocardiogram (ECG) during exercise is not easy in patients with right bundle branch block (RBBB). Also, the value of exercise echocardiography (ExE) for predicting outcome in them has not been addressed. We sought to assess its prognostic value in patients with RBBB and known/suspected coronary disease. Design Retrospective analysis of data on 703 patients with RBBB who were submitted to a clinically-indicated ExE. The end points were overall mortality and combined myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality. Results During follow-up (4.1 ± 4.5 years) there were 130 deaths and 108 combined events. Independent predictors of combined events were history of coronary artery disease (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.37, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.24–4.52, p = 0.009) resting wall motion score index (HR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.12–4.10, p = 0.02), metabolic equivalents (HR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.93–0.97, p = 0.007), Δ in double product with exercise (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.92–1.00, p = 0.036) and Δ in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) with exercise (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.94–0.99, p = 0.01). Neither positive clinical nor ECG exercise testing was predictive. Combined event rates were 3.3% in patients with ΔLVEF > 5%, 4.7% in those with ΔLVEF between 1–5% and 8.2% in those with no increase (Δ < 1%). Conclusions A decrease in LVEF during exercise is predictive of serious events in patients with RBBB.
Exploration of vocal excitation modulation features for speaker recognition

To derive spectro-temporal vocal source features complementary to the conventional spectral-based vocal tract features in improving the performance and reliability of a speaker recognition system, the excitation related modulation properties are studied. Through multi-band demodulation method, source-related amplitude and phase quantities are parameterized into feature vectors. Evaluation of the proposed features is carried out ﬁrst through a set of designed experiments on artiﬁcially generated inputs, and then by simulations on speech database. It is observed via the designed experiments that the proposed features are capable of capturing the vocal differences in terms of F0 variation, pitch epoch shape, and relevant excitation details between epochs. In the real task simulations, by combination with the standard spectral features, both the amplitude and the phase-related features are shown to evidently reduce the iden-tiﬁcation error rate and equal error rate in the context of the Gaussian mixture model-based speaker recognition system.
A novel approach to cache block reuse predictions

We introduce a novel approach to predict whether a block should be allocated in the cache or not based on past reuse behavior during its lifetime in the cache. Our evaluation of the scheme shows that the prediction accuracy is between 66% and 94% across the applications and can potentially result in a cache miss rate reduction of between 1% and 32% with an average of 12%. We also find that with a modest hardware cost - a table of around 300 bytes - we can cut the miss rate with up to 14% compared to a cache with an always-allocate strategy
The Influence of Entrepreneurial Characteristics on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Accessibility to Debt Finance in Nigeria

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a great role in the economic growth and development, poverty reduction, income generation, and job creation in both developing and developed countries. Despite all these important roles, SMEs still face challenges, particularly in developing countries. Among these challenges, insufficient of debt financing is one of the major challenges. The study determines the influence of entrepreneurial characteristics on access to debt finance by SMEs from banks in Nigeria. The data was collected through a survey done by administering questionnaires to SMEs operators in Nigeria, with a sample population of 110. Pearson correlation and logistic regression statistical analysis were chosen to ascertain the association between independent and dependent variables and whether all the independent variables influence SMEs access to finance. The result revealed that entrepreneur’s educational background, managerial competency, networking, entrepreneur age, gender and entrepreneur marital status influences access to finance. The study recommends that the government agencies in charge of SMEs development should organize more training and seminars for SMEs to improve on their shortcomings.
Systemic Risk: Overlapping Portfolios, Diversification and Policy Interactions

Systemic risk, the possibility that a triggering event such as the failure of a large financial firm will seriously impair financial markets and harm the broader economy, has taken centre stage since the recent global financial crisis. In the wake of the crisis, policy-makers worldwide have recognised the need to fill gaps in our understanding of the dynamics of the financial system, its non-linear relationship with the real economy, and the factors responsible for alternating phases of stability and instability characterising the system. This thesis addresses the aforementioned gaps under three main headings related to systemic risk: overlapping portfolios, risk diversification and policy interaction. The insights developed suggest that specialised financial institutions pose a great risk to the stability of the financial system when banks are indirectly connected via overlapping portfolios. Furthermore, this work shows that diversification serves multiple roles in relation to financial stability; on the one hand diversification reduces the risk of an isolated bank failure, but on the other hand it increases the risk of many joint failures. The findings of the analyses are used to propose regulatory policies for improving financial stability and social welfare. Lastly, in a bid to avoid the fallacy of composition risk that is associated with the study of regulatory policies in isolation, this thesis also attempts to identify the complex interactions of resolution, monetary, and macro-prudential policies.
Impact of intellectual capital on innovation capability and organizational performance: An empirical investigation

Intellectual capital has much contribution for organizational value creation in developed nations, but it is still in progressing stages in developing countries. This study aims to develop a model to investigate the effects of different dimensions of intellectual capital on innovation capability and organizational performance. Data were collected from 295 respondents in large textile companies in Pakistan. This study found significant positive direct and indirect effects on innovation capability and organizational performance among three dimensions of intellectual capital: human, relational, and technological. This research presents the implications for HR managers and policy makers in incorporating intellectual capital. This study contributes to bridge the gap in research by examining the effects of different dimensions of intellectual capital on organizational performance in the context of a developing country.
Financial Stability vs. Sustainable Development and Its Financing

Financing of sustainable development is a sophisticated and long-term process determined by a number of economic and non-economic factors. Financial instruments, private and public nature, exist that can be a source of financing of sustainable development. The choice of finance sources and instruments has an impact on the stability of economic systems and the efficiency of public expenditure with respect to sustainable development goals. The choice of financial instruments for financing development impact on financial stability and results in outcomes performed. The goal of the chapter is to examine relationships between financial stability reflected by public debt to gross domestic product (GDP) and sustainable development described by variables represented by three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental. The role of environmentally related tax revenue has been identified as crucial for financing sustainable development goals. Financial Stability vs. Sustainable Development and Its Financing
Factors affecting budget implementation for successful delivery of primary health care building facilities within Nigerian health sector

Abstract Several studies have attributed high maternal mortality and morbidity rates in rural areas of developing countries including Nigeria to poor budget performance in the provision of primary health care (PHC) facilities. Yet, very little studies focused on the effects of factors affecting budget implementation for the successful delivery of PHC building facilities in the rural areas of Nigeria. Thus, this study assesses the factors affecting budget implementation for successful delivery of PHC building facilities in northern Nigeria. A sample of 317 respondents from a population of 1777 project managers was administered questionnaires through stratified proportionate random sampling technique. The survey attains 87% valid response rate. Data obtained were analyzed using warp5 PLS-SEM software. The results indicated low effects of factors affecting budget implementation on the successful delivery of PHC building facilities in northern Nigeria. Similarly, linear relationships exist between budget implementation factors and successful delivery of PHC building facilities. Moreover, the study provided criteria for assessing the effects of budget implementation factors affecting successful delivery of PHC building facilities in northern Nigeria and other developing countries that are facing similar problems. The study solicited for the improvement on the budget implementation of PHC sector through adequate budget and monitoring bases for mitigating maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the rural areas of developing countries through successful delivery of PHC building facilities.
A Job Embeddedness Comparison of Professors Based on Employment Status and Type

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of difference in the job embeddedness attitudes of full-time and part-time professors, and possible differences in job embeddedness attitudes between professors at community colleges and state universities. This research project focused on Criminology and Criminal Justice departments. The dependent variables were onthe-job and off-the-job embeddedness, and the independent variables were school type and employment status. The timely study was based on the recent trend toward hiring adjunct professors in lieu of tenured professors at community colleges and universities. The literature review identified a lacuna in the embeddedness literature within the education context, and more especially in higher education. Embedded figures theory, field theory, social exchange theory, affect theory, job satisfaction, employee retention, and intention to leave were all instrumental in the evolution of job embeddedness. This quantitative study employed a causal-comparative design to examine the two research questions. A convenience sample of 148 volunteer full-time and part-time professors/instructors participated from a population of approximately 230-260 professors. All professors were asked to complete an online questionnaire. There were 14 community colleges and 12 state universities in one state who agreed to participate. Data was collected online via Survey Monkey and uploaded into SPSS for analysis. Each research question used a 2 × 2 factorial ANOVA. The two-way ANOVA examined the three nullhypotheses all at once for each research question. A relationship was discovered between fulltime and part-time professors with off-the-job embeddedness, and this null (H05) was rejected at p < . 001.
Measurement of the J/ψ meson and b-hadron production cross sections in pp̄ collisions at √s = 1960 GeV

The authors present a new measurement of the inclusive and differential production cross sections of J/{psi} mesons and b-hadrons in proton-antiproton collisions at {radical}s = 1960 GeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 39.7 pb{sup -1} collected by the CDF Run II detector. They find the integrated cross section for inclusive J/{psi} production for all transverse momenta from 0 to 20 GeV/c in the rapidity range |y| 1.25 GeV/c. They find the total cross section for b-hadrons, including both hadrons and anti-hadrons, decaying to J/{psi} with transverse momenta greater than 1.25 GeV/c in the rapidity range |y(J/{psi})| < 0.6, is 0.330 {+-} 0.005(stat){sub -0.033}{sup +0.036}(syst) {mu}b. Using a Monte Carlo simulation of the decay kinematics of b-hadrons to all final states containing a J/{psi}, they extract the first measurement of the total single b-hadron cross section down to zero transverse momentum at {radical}s = 1960 GeV. They find the total single b-hadron cross section integrated over all transverse momenta for b-hadrons in themore » rapidity range |y| < 0.6 to be 17.6 {+-} 0.4(stat){sub -2.3}{sup +2.5}(syst) {mu}b. « less
LABORATORY AND FIELD INVESTIGATIONS WITH DIFENACOUM, A PROMISING NEW RODENTICIDE

Author(s): Bull, John O. | Abstract: Difenacoum is a new rodenticide recently introduced on the British market; it is one of the most potent of a series of hydroxycoumarin-based anticoagulants. Difenacoum is effective against laboratory rats and mice resistant to conventional anticoagulants and has a marked selectivity in favour of non-target species. Vitamin K1 is an effective antidote and the hazard of secondary poisoning is minimal. Laboratory and field trials confirm difenacoum's efficacy against wild resistant strains. Further work is in progress to evaluate the efficacy of difenacoum against other rodent pest species.