Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biomarker-based diagnosis of pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator pocket infections: A prospective, multicentre, case-control evaluation

Background The use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) has risen steadily, yet the rate of cardiac device infections (CDI) has disproportionately increased. Amongst all cardiac device infections, the pocket infection is the most challenging diagnosis. Therefore, we aimed to improve diagnosis of such pocket infection by identifying relevant biomarkers. Methods We enrolled 25 consecutive patients with invasively and microbiologically confirmed pocket infection. None of the patients had any confounding conditions. Pre-operative levels of 14 biomarkers were compared in infected and control (n = 50) patients. Our selected biomarkers included white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), lipopolysaccharide binding protein, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP), polymorphonuclear-elastase, presepsin, various interleukins, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Results Of the 25 patients with isolated pocket infection (70±13years, 76% male, 40% ICDs), none presented with leukocytosis. In contrast, they had higher serum levels of HS-CRP (p = 0.019) and PCT (p = 0.010) than control patients. Median PCT-level was 0.06 ng/mL (IQR 0.03–0.07 ng/mL) in the study group versus 0.03 ng/mL (IQR 0.02–0.04 ng/mL) in controls. An optimized PCT cut-off value of 0.05 ng/mL suggests pocket infection with a sensitivity of 60% and specificity of 82%. In addition TNF-α- and GM-CSF-levels were lower in the study group. Other biomarkers did not differ between groups. Conclusion Diagnosis of isolated pocket infections requires clinical awareness, physical examination, evaluation of blood cultures and echocardiography assessment. Nevertheless, measurement of PCT- and HS-CRP-levels can aid diagnosis. However, no conclusion can be drawn from normal WBC-values. Clinical trial registration clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01619267
Ultra-pH-Responsive and Tumor-Penetrating Nanoplatform for Targeted siRNA Delivery with Robust Anti-Cancer Efficacy.

RNA interference (RNAi) gene silencing technologies have shown significant potential for treating various diseases, including cancer. However, clinical success in cancer therapy remains elusive, mainly owing to suboptimal in vivo delivery of RNAi therapeutics such as small interference RNA (siRNA) to tumors. Herein, we developed a library of polymers that respond to a narrow pH change (ultra-pH-responsive), and demonstrated the utility of these materials in targeted and deep tumor-penetrating nanoparticle (NP) for in vivo RNAi. The new NP platform is mainly composed of the following key components: i) internalizing RGD (iRGD) to enhance tumor targeting and tissue penetration; ii) polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains to prolong blood circulation; and iii) sharp pH-responsive hydrophobic polymer to improve endosome escape. Through systematic studies of structure-function relationship, the optimized RNAi NPs (<70 nm) showed efficient gene silencing and significant inhibition of tumor growth with negligible toxicities in vivo.
The invisible map: Community tenure rights

Land tenure reforms in the world’s southern forests is transferring a broad set or bundle of rights to indigenous peoples, local communities and groups to access forestlands and resources, providing initial opportunity for improving the livelihoods of poor forest-dependent communities. The definition of these rights, the marking of how and where they are held, who grants them, and who holds them are not straightforward under the ‘classic’ tenure system models. The range of land use rights from individual to common property use is obscured. Internal customary practice is also dynamic, changing during different seasons, with new leadership, and often interacting with new rules imposed by external regulations or market opportunities once tenure is granted. The expansion in the tenure reform in coupled with the development of the visual mapping technology has posed significant demands on local communities to clarify the nature of their existing and desired tenure rights. It highlights a growing need to need to represent these rights in order to both manage and defend them. Community mapping of land use has grown, but existing tools for gathering, organizing and presenting the rights related to land and resource use are scarce and insensitive to the complexity of practice. This paper presents a framework in which to consider how bundles of rights are distributed between the state, the collective, smaller groups and individuals within communal tenure systems. It then discusses how the framework has been turned into a tool for multi-purpose participatory research at the intra and inter community levels. It makes the case that the tool can help communities themselves give visibility to internal tenure systems ‘within the perimeters’ of their forestlands. Finally, the paper presents cases that demonstrate how the shifting boundaries among the categories of rights holders are influencing the security of tenure to common property resources.
Antenna-on-Chip and Antenna-in-Package Solutions to Highly Integrated Millimeter-Wave Devices for Wireless Communications

Antenna-on-chip (AoC) and antenna-in-package (AiP) solutions are studied for highly integrated millimeter-wave (mmWave) devices in wireless communications. First, the background, regulations, standard, and applications of 60-GHz wireless communications are briefly introduced. Then, highly integrated 60-GHz radios are overviewed as a basis for the link budget analysis to derive the antenna gain requirement. Next, in order to have deep physical insight into the AoC solution, the silicon substrate's high permittivity and low resistivity effects on the AoC efficiency are examined. It is shown that the AoC solution has low efficiency, less than 12% due to large ohmic losses and surface waves, which requires the development of techniques to improve the AoC efficiency. After that, the AiP solution and associated challenges such as how to realize low-loss interconnection between the chip and antenna are addressed. It is shown that wire-bonding interconnects, although inferior to the flip-chip, are still feasible in the 60-GHz band if proper compensation schemes are utilized. An example of the AiP solution in a low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) process is presented in the 60-GHz band showing an efficiency better than 90%. A major concern with both AoC and AiP solutions is electromagnetic interference (EMI), which is also discussed. Finally, the systems level pros and cons of both AoC and AiP solutions are highlighted from the electrical and economic perspectives for system designers.
Will Greeks Cycle? Exploring Intention and Attitudes in the Case of the New Bicycle Network of Patras

In this paper, social psychology methods were employed to explore the intention of a Greek city's residents to use a new bicycle network for their mobility needs, the factors affecting this intention, and the residents’ attitudes toward the environment, car use, and alternative means of transport. A strong intention to use the new bicycle network was found, complemented by pro-environment, pro-alternative means of transport views and realization of car-related problems. The construction of the bicycle network, along with soft cycle-promotion policies and car-restriction measures, may strengthen the perceived behavioral control and attitude and, consequently, this intention.
Can the Natural Resource Curse Be Turned Into a Blessing? The Role of Trade Policies and Institutions

We criticize existing empirical results on the detrimental effects of natural resource dependence on the rate of economic growth after controlling for institutional quality, openness, and initial income. These results do not survive once we use instrumental variables techniques to correct for the endogenous nature of the explanatory variables. Furthermore, they suffer from omitted variables bias as they overestimate the effect of initial income per capita and thus underestimate the speed of conditional convergence. Instead, we provide new evidence for the impact of natural resource dependence on income per capita in a systematic empirical cross-country framework. In addition to a significant negative direct impact of natural resources on income per capita, we find a significant indirect effect of natural resources on institutions. We allow for interaction effects and provide evidence that the natural resource curse is particularly severe for economic performance in countries with a low degree of trade openness. Adopting policies directed toward more trade openness may thus soften the impact of a resource curse. We also check the robustness of our results by using a variety of instruments and also employing the ratio of natural capital rather than natural resource exports to national income as an explanatory variable. We find evidence that resource abundance, measured by the stock of natural capital, also induces a resource curse, but less severely for countries that are relatively open.
Post‐Soviet Reform in Latvia: Early Progress and Future Prospects

After the rapid and dramatic demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, 15 newly autonomous republics are restructuring their economies after decades of central Communist planning. The three Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia had successful market-oriented economies during more than two decades of independence between World Wars I and II and were comparatively strong performers within the USSR after being occupied in 1940. A case study of Latvia looks at the historic factors and political issues which are shaping the current reform process. A contrast of state-run, collective and private enterprises is used to illustrate the rapid changes which now place Latvia at the forefront among post-Soviet reformers. This analysis of the early progress and problems forms a foundation for considering the reform prospects across the former Soviet Union and leads to a suggestion that the results in Latvia will play a bell-wether role.
What Drives Regional Trade Agreements that Work

Economists have recently begun trying to explain that pattern of Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) formation around the world. This paper adds to the developing literature by taking into account the fact that many of the RTAs signed are not effectively implemented. The analysis proceeds in two steps: the gravity model is used to establish which RTAs are effectively implemented, in the sense that they positively and significantly increase trade flows between member countries compared to the flows predicted by the gravity model; second a hypothesis is tested about the pattern of effective RTAs – that successful RTAs are found between pairs of countries which send a large share of their exports to each other’s markets. Convincing evidence is found to support this hypothesis, including evidence that export interest from one partner alone does not improve the probability of an effective RTA.
Comment on "Phytoplankton Calcification in a High-CO2 World"

Iglesias-Rodriguez et al. (Research Articles, 18 April 2008, p. 336) reported that the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi doubles its organic matter production and calcification in response to high carbon dioxide partial pressures, contrary to previous laboratory and field studies. We argue that shortcomings in their experimental protocol compromise the interpretation of their data and the resulting conclusions.
Evaluation of the risk of root resorption during orthodontic treatment: a study of upper incisors.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the risk of severe apical root resorption after orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances in relation to resorption after initial treatment, 6–9 months; and in relation to apical root form. The risk of severe apical root resorption in relation to resorption after 6–9 months of treatment was studied on 390 upper incisors in 98 consecutive patients (55 boys, 43 girls). Intra-oral radiographs before treatment, after 6–9 months and after treatment were evaluated. The importance of the root form (normal, short, blunt, apically bent, pipette shaped) for root resorption was studied on 610 upper incisors in 153 patients (75 boys, 78 girls). Intra-oral radiographs before and after treatment were evaluated. Treatment was performed with an edgewise or a Begg technique and lasted from 11 to 29 months. An index from 0 to 4 (Fig. 1) was used for the evaluation of the degree of root resorption. Root resorption after treatment was significantly related to the resorption after the initial 6–9 months. The results indicate a risk of severe resorption in teeth with minor resorptions after 6–9 months. Even an irregular root contour after 6–9 months indicates a risk of severe resorption. No-severe resorption was found after treatment in teeth without resorption after 6–9 months. The degree of root resorption in teeth with blunt or pipette shaped roots was significantly higher than in teeth with a normal root form.
A Range-Based Multivariate Stochastic Volatility Model for Exchange Rates

In this paper we present a parsimonious multivariate model for exchange rate volatilities based on logarithmic high–low ranges of daily exchange rates. The multivariate stochastic volatility model decomposes the log range of each exchange rate into two independent latent factors, which could be interpreted as the underlying currency specific components. Owing to the empirical normality of the logarithmic range measure the model can be estimated conveniently with the standard Kalman filter methodology. Our results show that our model fits the exchange rate data quite well. Exchange rate news seems to be currency specific and allows identification of currency contributions to both exchange rate levels and exchange rate volatilities.
Corporate Income Tax Competition in the Caribbean

Motivated by the concern that corporate income tax (CIT) competition may have eroded the tax base, this paper calculates average effective tax rates to measure the impact of CIT competition, including the widespread use of tax holidays, on the tax base for 15 countries in the Caribbean. The results not only confirm erosion of the tax base, but also show that CIT holidays must be removed for recent tax policy initiatives (such as accelerated depreciation, loss carry forward provisions, and tax harmonization) to be effective. These findings suggest that the authorities should either avoid granting CIT holidays or rely more on other taxes (including consumption taxes such as the value-added tax) in order to broaden the tax base.
Compensation of Wave Actuator Dynamics for Nonlinear Systems

The problem of stabilization of PDE-ODE cascades has been solved in the linear case for several PDE classes, whereas in the nonlinear case the problem has been solved only for the transport/delay PDE, namely for compensation of an arbitrary delay at the input of a nonlinear plant. Motivated by a specific engineering application in off-shore drilling, we solve the problem of stabilization of the cascade of a wave PDE with a general nonlinear ODE. Due to the presence of nonlinearities of arbitrary growth and the time-reversibility of the wave PDE, and due to the possibility of using arguments based on Lyapunov functionals or explicit solutions, several stability analysis approaches are possible. We present stability results in the H2 × H1 and C1 × C0 norms for general nonlinear ODEs, as well as in the H1 × L2 norm for linear ODEs. We specialize our general design for wave PDE-ODE cascades to the case of a wave PDE whose uncontrolled end does not drive an ODE but is instead governed by a nonlinear Robin boundary condition (a “nonlinear spring,” as in the friction law in drilling). This is the first global stabilization result for wave equations that incorporate non-collocated destabilizing nonlinearities of superlinear growth. We present two numerical examples, one with a nonlinear ODE and one with a nonlinear spring at the uncontrolled boundary of the wave PDE.
A Factor-Analytic Study of Communication Satisfaction in the Lodging Industry

Communication, job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction have been popular topics in hospitality and business research. The most widely used business communication satisfaction questionnaire, the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), has not been used in the hospitality industry. This article presents a factor-analytic study of the CSQ in a lodging setting. After the factor analysis, the article will then discuss the findings of communication satisfaction as they compare to findings in other business-related studies.
Nonlinear analysis of pupillary dynamics

Abstract Pupil size reflects autonomic response to different environmental and behavioral stimuli, and its dynamics have been linked to other autonomic correlates such as cardiac and respiratory rhythms. The aim of this study is to assess the nonlinear characteristics of pupil size of 25 normal subjects who participated in a psychophysiological experimental protocol with four experimental conditions, namely “baseline”, “anger”, “joy”, and “sadness”. Nonlinear measures, such as sample entropy, correlation dimension, and largest Lyapunov exponent, were computed on reconstructed signals of spontaneous fluctuations of pupil dilation. Nonparametric statistical tests were performed on surrogate data to verify that the nonlinear measures are an intrinsic characteristic of the signals. We then developed and applied a piecewise linear regression model to detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). Two joinpoints and three scaling intervals were identified: slope α0, at slow time scales, represents a persistent nonstationary long-range correlation, whereas α1 and α2, at middle and fast time scales, respectively, represent long-range power-law correlations, similarly to DFA applied to heart rate variability signals. Of the computed complexity measures, α0 showed statistically significant differences among experimental conditions (p<0.001). Our results suggest that (a) pupil size at constant light condition is characterized by nonlinear dynamics, (b) three well-defined and distinct long-memory processes exist at different time scales, and (c) autonomic stimulation is partially reflected in nonlinear dynamics.
Characterization of Galileo signal correlation losses caused by non linear power amplification with memory

This paper presents a set up and a measurement data processing method applied to the characterization of non linear power amplifiers driven by Galileo modulation schemes for radio navigation application. The work reported here focuses on the impact of power amplifiers with memory on autocorrelation losses of Galileo signals. A hybrid MESFET amplifier having 17 dB power gain, 1 watt output power and 60% PAE has been characterized at 1.19 GHz with a signal bandwidth varying from 100KHz to 80MHz.
Business activities, competitive resources and ownership types of Chinese textile and apparel manufacturing firms

This study aimed to gain a deep and timely understanding about the stature of textile and apparel (T&A) manufacturers in China, whose industry appears to be transitioning from the growth to the mature phase of the industry life cycle. The texts under ‘About Us’ or ‘Company Information’ available on firms' websites were coded following Barney's (Barney, J., 1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17 (1), 99–120) resource-based theory of the firm framework. The results of Mann–Whitney and Chi-square tests of the coded data were consistent with the thesis that Chinese T&A industries might be in transition from the growth to the mature phase of the life cycle, shifting their business bases from manufacturing to retailing, designing and marketing, while putting emphasis on general operational resources, organisational knowledge and learning resources. Firms with foreign ownership or partnership were more likely engaged in non-manufacturing, value-added business activities than domestic firms. The study concludes with implications, limitations and future research opportunities.
Monoclonal antibody specific to virulence-associated 15- to 17-kilodalton antigens of Rhodococcus equi

Virulent Rhodococcus equi produces 15- to 17-kDa surface protein antigens. These antigens are used as markers to identify virulent R. equi isolates from foals and their environment by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis with naturally infected foal serum. In the present study, a monoclonal antibody (MAb; 10G5) was generated against the 15- to 17-kDa antigens excised from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels to develop sensitive and specific immunoblot assays for the identification of virulent R. equi. MAb 10G5 strongly reacted with R. equi ATCC 33701 and L1, which expressed 15- to 17-kDa antigens by Western blot, colony blot, and dot immunobinding assays, but it did not react with strains ATCC 33701P- and L1P-, which lacked the antigens. For identification of virulent R. equi, clinical and environmental isolates were tested by these assays with the MAb, and all virulent strains were successfully identified; these strains possessed virulence plasmids. These results suggest that the MAb is a useful reagent for the identification of virulent R. equi.
Ownership Structure and Corporate Earnings in China

The market setting of the Chinese securities markets is unique because of: (1) a mandatory requirement to release reported earnings within 120 days after the fiscal year ends; (2) a practice of announcing earnings and dividends simultaneously; and (3) a high percentage of shares in the hands of state-owned and legal-person shareholders. This article explores the relation between ownership structure, earnings performance, and announcement timing of Chinese listed firms. Overall results indicate that the percentage of nontradable shares is negatively related to announcement timeliness, and positively related to unexpected earnings increase, unexpected cash dividend increase, and firm size. Consistent with the findings of previous research, this study provides evidence that the market reacts favorably to early rather than late announcement. Firms with high percentages of nontradable shares are larger firms and have better earnings performance, and hence these firms tend to release earnings information earlier.
An exploratory study of UK based, family‐owned, Asian firms' motives for internationalising

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate UK based, family‐owned, Asian firms' motives for internationalising.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports on eight interviews with the key decision‐makers in UK based, Asian, family‐owned firms.Findings – Differences were found between two groups of firms: first, “internationally oriented Asian entrepreneurs” were those whose manufacturing operations were based in the UK but whose businesses were involved in overseas sales; second, “transnational entrepreneurs” were those who operated in two socially embedded environments and leveraged their family's resources in their country of origin in order to serve overseas markets.Originality/value – The contribution of this paper is that it offers socio‐cultural insights into issues that motivated these firms to internationalise and especially those that outsourced operations to the Indian sub‐continent.
Force estimation and slip detection/classification for grip control using a biomimetic tactile sensor

We introduce and evaluate contact-based techniques to estimate tactile properties and detect manipulation events using a biomimetic tactile sensor. In particular, we estimate finger forces, and detect and classify slip events. In addition, we present a grip force controller that uses the estimation results to gently pick up objects of various weights and texture. The estimation techniques and the grip controller are experimentally evaluated on a robotic system consisting of Barrett arms and hands. Our results indicate that we are able to accurately estimate forces acting in all directions, detect the incipient slip, and classify slip with over 80% success rate.