Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A hermeneutic science: health economics and Habermas.

PURPOSE Mainstream health economics labours under a misleading understanding of the nature of the topic area and suffers from a concomitant poverty of thinking about theory and method. The purpose here is to explore this critical position and argue that health economics should aspire to being more than a technical discipline. It can, and should, engage with transformative discourse. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH It is argued that the hermeneutic sciences, emphasising interpretation not instrumentality or domination, offer a route into the change to which one seeks to contribute. The article specifically focuses on the way Habermas provides insights in his approach to knowledge, reason and political economy. How he emphasises complexity and interaction within cultural milieu is explored and primacy is given to preserving the life-world against the encroachments of a narrow rationalization. FINDINGS The argument for a critical re-imagining of health economics is presented in three stages. First, the antecedents, current assumptions and critical voices from contemporary economics and health economics are reviewed. Second, the way in which health is best understood via engaging with the complexity of both the subject itself and the society and culture within which it is embedded is explored. Third, the contribution that hermeneutics, and Habermas' critical theory, could make to a new health economics is examined. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The paper offers a radical alternative to health economics. It explores the shortcomings of current thinking and argues an optimistic position. Progress via reason is possible if one reframes both in the direction of communication and in the appreciation of reflexivity and communality. This is a position that resonates with many who challenge prevailing paradigms, in economics and elsewhere.
Deficit Financing in LDCs: Evidence From South Asia

Fiscal policy triggers three distinct effects on the economy such as (1) interest rate effect (2) price effect and (3) exchange rate effect. A VAR system was developed to capture these effects in five South Asian countries. Empirical results suggest that budgetary action does not have any perceptible influence on the interest rate of the sampled countries. In terms of the price effect, fiscal action has opposite effects in Bangladesh and India. Fiscal action tends to increase aggregate price level in India but reduces the price level in Bangladesh, although the magnitude is very small. For Pakistan the price effect is positive but statistically insignificant while the price effect for Nepal and Sri Lanka is negative but statistically insignificant. Fiscal action is found to have no perceptible influence on the exchange rates of the sampled countries except Nepal where increased government expenditure tends to appreciate the Nepali currency. Overall, empirical findings suggest that expansionary fiscal action does not lead to crowding out behaviour in the sampled countries.
Molecular Mapping of Oil Content and Fatty Acids Using Dense Genetic Maps in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Enhancing seed oil content with desirable fatty acid composition is one of the most important objectives of groundnut breeding programs globally. Genomics-assisted breeding facilitates combining multiple traits faster, however, requires linked markers. In this context, we have developed two different F2 mapping populations, one for oil content (OC-population, ICGV 07368 × ICGV 06420) and another for fatty acid composition (FA-population, ICGV 06420 × SunOleic 95R). These two populations were phenotyped for respective traits and genotyped using Diversity Array Technology (DArT) and DArTseq genotyping platforms. Two genetic maps were developed with 854 (OC-population) and 1,435 (FA-population) marker loci with total map distance of 3,526 and 1,869 cM, respectively. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis using genotyping and phenotyping data identified eight QTLs for oil content including two major QTLs, qOc-A10 and qOc-A02, with 22.11 and 10.37% phenotypic variance explained (PVE), respectively. For seven different fatty acids, a total of 21 QTLs with 7.6–78.6% PVE were identified and 20 of these QTLs were of major effect. Two mutant alleles, ahFAD2B and ahFAD2A, also had 18.44 and 10.78% PVE for palmitic acid, in addition to oleic (33.8 and 17.4% PVE) and linoleic (41.0 and 19.5% PVE) acids. Furthermore, four QTL clusters harboring more than three QTLs for fatty acids were identified on the three LGs. The QTLs identified in this study could be further dissected for candidate gene discovery and development of diagnostic markers for breeding improved groundnut varieties with high oil content and desirable oil quality.
Transcranial cerebral oximetry, transcranial Doppler sonography, and heart rate variability: useful neuromonitoring tools in anaesthesia and intensive care?

Sophisticated software algorithms and miniaturized hardware components have opened new non-invasive vistas to monitor the central nervous system. Electrophysiological modalities (electroencephalography (EEG), evoked potentials) can be used to assess the integrity (or compromise) of neuronal structures at different levels. Spectroscopic methods are used to evaluate oxygen metabolism in the brain and ultrasound techniques can depict cerebral perfusion. Quantifying oscillations of the heart-rate sequence sheds light on the regulatory systems governing complex autonomic feedback loops.
A randomised controlled trial of a client-centred self-care intervention after stroke: a longitudinal pilot study

Purpose. The aim of this randomised controlled pilot study of a client-centred self-care intervention (CCSCI) in individuals with stroke was to study (i) the feasibility of the study design, (ii) effects up to 12 months on activities of daily living (ADL), use of informal care and home help services and the caregiver burden. Method. An intervention group (IG) received CCSCI and a control group (CG) received ordinary training. Forty individuals with stroke (IG n = 19, CG n = 21) were included. Data were collected at 3, 6 and 12 months using established instruments. Results. After 12 months 24 people remained in the study (IG = 10, CG = 14). The data collection method was acceptable to most participants. At 12 months there were no differences in ADL, use of services or caregiver's burden. Both groups improved significantly and clinically important improvements were achieved by 80% in the IG and 71% in the CG. Conclusions. The results should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size and the large proportion of dropouts. However, the CCSCI appears promising as a way of recapturing self-care after stroke and a large randomised controlled trial is warranted, in which the present design and methods will be suitable with some modification.
Canine pulmonary filtration coefficient calculated from optical, radioisotope, and weight measurements.

Three independent methods were used to estimate filtration coefficient (Kf) in isolated dog lungs perfused with low-hematocrit (Hct) blood. Pulmonary vascular pressure was increased by 12-23 cmH2O to induce fluid filtration. Average Kf (ml.min-1 x cmH2O-1 x 100 g dry wt-1) for six lungs was 0.26 +/- 0.05 (SE) with use of equations describing conservation of optically measured protein labeled with indocyanine green. Good agreement was found when a simplified version of the multiequation theory was applied to the data (0.24 +/- 0.05). Both optical estimates were lower than those predicted by constant slope (0.55 +/- 0.07) or extrapolation (1.20 +/- 0.15) techniques, which are based on changes in total lung weight. Subsequent studies in five dog lungs investigated whether the higher Kf from weight analyses could be caused by prolonged pulmonary vascular filling. We found that 51Cr-labeled red blood cells (RBCs), monitored over the lung, continued to accumulate for 30 min after vascular pressure elevations of 9-16 cmH2O.Kf was determined by subtracting computed vascular filling from total weight change (0.28 +/- 0.06) and by perfusate Hct changes determined from radiolabeled RBCs (0.23 +/- 0.04). These values were similar to those obtained from analysis of optical data with the complete model (0.30 +/- 0.06), the simplified version (0.26 +/- 0.05), and from optically determined perfusate Hct (0.16 +/- 0.03). However, constant slope (0.47 +/- 0.04) and extrapolation (0.57 +/- 0.07) computations of Kf were higher than estimates from the other methods. Our studies indicate that prolonged blood volume changes may accompany vascular pressure elevations and produce overestimates of Kf with standard weight measurement techniques. However, Kf computed from optical measurements is independent of pulmonary blood volume changes.
Detection of Double-Compression in JPEG2000 Images for Application in Image Forensics

In the age of digital multimedia, the emergence of high resolution digital cameras and sophisticated photo-editing software packages make s it relatively easy to create digital image forgeries. It is increasingly important to verify the authenticity and integrity of digital images. In this paper, a new approach to detect tampered images based on double JPEG 2000 compression is proposed. The paper first analyzes the statistics of double JPEG 2000 compression , the artifacts in the Fourier transforms of DWT (Discrete Wavelet Transform) coefficient histogram, i.e. , the stronger singularity in the mid and high frequencies compared with single JPEG 2000 compression; then extracts the singularity using the characteristics of DWT and detects double JPEG 2000 compression by thresholding the singularity . Finally , to images identified as the double JPEG 2000 compress ed versions, the percent of non- zero DWT coefficients in high frequencies is examined to catch the difference between authentic image part and tampered image part . The experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach can achieve an effective detection for double JPEG 2000 compression as well as accurate location for the tampered areas .
Optimal mobility control with energy constraint in delay tolerant networks

Owing to the uncertainty of transmission opportunities between mobile nodes, the routing in delay tolerant networks (DTNs) exploits the mechanism of store-carry-and-forward. In this routing mechanism, mobility plays an important role, and we need to control the mobility of nodes around the network to help with carrying messages from the source to the destination. This is a difficult problem because the nodes in the network may move arbitrarily and it is difficult for us to determine when the nodes should move faster to help the data transmission while considering the complicated energy consumption in such a network. At the same time, for most DTNs, the system energy is limited, and energy efficient algorithms are crucial to maximizing the message delivery probability while reducing the delivery cost. In this paper, we investigate the problem of energy efficient mobility speed control in epidemic routing of DTN. We model the message dissemination process under variable mobility speed by a continuous-time Markov model. With this model, we then formulate the optimization problem of the optimal mobility control for epidemic routing and obtain the optimal policy from the solution of this optimization problem. Furthermore, extensive numerical results demonstrate that the proposed optimal policy significantly outperforms the static policy with constant speed, in terms of energy saving. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dual-polarised lens feed arrays and end-fire antennas in E-band

The growing subscriber demand for better mobile broadband experiences is encouraging the industry to look ahead at the future 5G networks: how can they be readied to meet extreme capacity and performance demands for both access and backhaul applications. The large bandwidth of spectrum available in E-band (71-76 GHz & 81-86 GHz) makes for an attractive resource to support such capacity gains. One of the numerous challenges that face the developers of commercial E-band solutions is how to efficiently implement dual-polarised antennas needed to support dual-stream MIMO applications. This paper presents a novel dual-polarised feeder array for dielectric lens antennas useable for access and backhaul applications as well as a dual-polarised end-fire antenna solution suitable to expand the field of view for user devices.
Intelligent Ocean Navigation and Fuzzy-Bayesian Decision/Action Formulation

This paper focuses on the formulation of a decision-action execution model that can facilitate intelligent collision avoidance features in ocean navigation systems, while respecting the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) rules and regulations of collision avoidance. The decision/action process in this work consists of a fuzzy-logic-based parallel decision-making (PDM) module whose decisions are formulated into sequential actions by a Bayesian-network-based module. Therefore, the paper presents a collision avoidance system (CAS) that is capable of making multiple parallel collision avoidance decisions regarding several target vessel collision conditions, and those decisions are executed as sequential actions to avoid complex collision situations in ocean navigation.
Forecasting the maximum compensation offer in the automobile BI claims negotiation process

Most motor bodily injury (BI) claims are settled by negotiation, with fewer than 5% of cases going to court. A well-defined negotiation strategy is thus very useful for insurance companies. In this paper we assume that the monetary compensation awarded in court is the upper amount to be offered by the insurer in the negotiation process. Using a real database, a log-linear model is implemented to estimate the maximal offer. Non-spherical disturbances are detected. Correlation occurs when various claims are settled in the same judicial verdict. Groupwise heteroscedasticity is due to the influence of the forensic valuation on the final compensation amount. An alternative approximation based on generalized inference theory is applied to estimate confidence intervals on variance components, since classical interval estimates may be unreliable for datasets with unbalanced structures. JEL classification: C33, C53, G22 Subject and insurance Branch Code: IM11, IB40, IB41
Contact lens correction of presbyopia

The contact lens wearing presbyopic population is underserved worldwide. There are several available options, including single vision contact lenses and spectacle over‐correction for near, monovision, rigid gas permeable (GP) multifocal and bifocal lens designs and soft bifocal lens designs. This paper presents an overview of the latest research and clinical experience as it pertains to these forms of correction. Recent comparative studies concluded that contact lens multifocals perform better in many different forms of visual measurements, in some cases performing similar to best spectacle correction, than monovision wearers. The future appears to be very promising for multifocal GP and soft lens modalities.
Array painting: a method for the rapid analysis of aberrant chromosomes using DNA microarrays

Objective: The authors describe a method, termed array painting, which allows the rapid, high resolution analysis of the content and breakpoints of aberrant chromosomes. Methods: Array painting is similar in concept to reverse chromosome painting and involves the hybridisation of probes generated by PCR of small numbers of flow sorted chromosomes on large insert genomic clone DNA microarrays. Results and Conclusions: By analysing patients with cytogenetically balanced chromosome rearrangements, the authors show the effectiveness of array painting as a method to map breakpoints prior to cloning and sequencing chromosome rearrangements.
Parametric binary choice models ( Chapter prepared for

Binary dependent data are a common feature in many areas of empirical economics as, for example, in transportation choice, the analysis of unemployment, labour supply, schooling decisions, fertility decisions, innovation behaviour of rms, etc. As panel data is increasingly available, the demand for panel data models coping with binary dependent variables is also increasing. Also, dramatic increases in computer capacity have greatly enhanced our ability to estimate a new generation of models. The second volume of this handbook contains several applications based on this type of dependent variable and we will therefore limit this chapter to the exposition of econometric models and methods. There is a long history of binary choice models applied to panel data which can for example be found in Arellano and Honore (2001), Baltagi (2000), Hsiao (1992, 1995, 2003), Lee (2002) or Sevestre (2002) as well as in chapters of econometrics textbooks as for instance Greene (2003) or Wooldridge (2000). Some of these books and chapters do not devote much space to the binary choice model. Here, in view of other chapters in this handbook that address related nonlinear models (qualitative, truncated or censored variables, nonparametric models, etc. ) we focus on the parametric binary choice model and some of its semiparametric extensions. The binary choice model provides a convenient benchmark case, from which many results can be generalised to limited dependent variable models such as multinomial discrete choices (Train, 2002), transition models in continuous time (Kamionka, 1998) or to structural dynamic discrete choice models that are not studied here. We tried to be more comprehensive than the papers and chapters mentioned and we provide an introduction into the many issues that arise in such models.
Timing Constraints on Remote Sensing of Wildland Fire Burned Area in the Southeastern US

Abstract: Remote sensing using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery is increasingly used for mapping wildland fire burned area and burn severity, owing to its frequency of collection, relatively high resolution, and availability free of charge. However, rapid response of vegetation following fire and frequent cloud cover pose challenges to this approach in the southeastern US. We assessed these timing constraints by using a series of Landsat TM images to determine how rapidly the remotely sensed burn scar signature fades following prescribed burns in wet flatwoods and depression swamp community types in the Apalachicola National Forest, Florida, USA during 2006. We used both the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) of reflectance bands sensitive to vegetation and exposed soil cover, as well as the change in NBR from before to after fire (dNBR), to estimate burned area. We also determined the average and maximum amount of time following fire required to obtain a cloud-free image for burns in each month of the year, as well as the predicted effect of this time lag on percent accuracy of burn scar estimates. Using both NBR and dNBR, the detectable area decreased linearly 9% per month on average over the first four months following fire. Our findings suggest that the NBR and dNBR methods for monitoring burned area in common southeastern US vegetation community types are limited to an average of 78–90% accuracy among months of the year, with individual burns having values as low as 38%, if restricted to use of Landsat 5 TM imagery. However, the majority of burns can still be mapped at accuracies similar to those
Pesticide Vendors in the Informal Sector

South African low-income communities face many challenges (e.g., insufficient housing, poor service delivery, and abject poverty); additionally, a silent challenge of pest infestation plagues these areas resulting in disease risks, nuisances, and stigma. Consequently, an enterprising urban informal sector business has emerged providing residents with highly toxic, effective, cheap, and illegal “street pesticides. ” These pesticides pose acute and chronic health risks for vendors and residents. The economic opportunity provided by the high demand for effective and cheap pest control results in the high risk of health effects being traded for income. Current measures to control and “regulate” the massive street pesticide sales result in toxic stockpiles and government’s “turning a blind eye. ” Solutions will only be achieved through open dialog identifying and developing non-toxic pest control strategies while ensuring vendors’ income; and relevant stakeholder recognition that pest infestation is a social and environmental health determinant needing acknowledgement in different government policies.
Population Genetics of Amblyomma americanum (Acari; Ixodidae) Collected From Arkansas

ABSTRACT Lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum L. (Acari: Ixodidae), infest multiple hosts such as birds, and mammals of various sizes (rodents to white-tailed deer) and can harbor human pathogens such as Borrelia lonestari and Ehrlichiosis chaffeensis. The population structure of 251 A. americanum ticks, collected from canines and two white-tailed deer in six Arkansas ecoregions, was examined using DNA sequences of a 247-bp region of the mitochondrial DNA ribosomal RNA 16S gene. Of the 247 nucleotide characters, 26 were variable. Thirty-three haplotypes were identified of which 25 haplotypes occurred once (10%). The most common haplotype was Aa25, occurring in 60% of the samples and found in all six ecoregions. The excess of low frequency haplotypes combined with the overall negative Tajima's D and Fu and Li statistics suggests population expansion. Phylogenetic relationships of the 33 A. americanum haplotypes were constructed with other Amblyomma species and identified A. americanum as a monophyletic species with two groups. The patterns of high nucleotide and haplotype diversity found in this study suggests that the A. americanum population is expanding perhaps due to its ability to survive in a variety of habitats and feed on multiple hosts. Given the gene flow in Arkansas, the spread of acaricide resistance and pathogens may be rapid.
Mechanisms of CHD 5 Inactivation in Neuroblastomas

Purpose:Neuroblastomas (NBs) have genomic, biological, and clinical heterogeneity. High-risk NBs are characterized by several genomic changes, includingMYCN amplification and 1p36 deletion.We identified the chromatin-remodeling gene CHD5 as a tumor suppressor gene that maps to 1p36.31. Low or absent CHD5 expression is associated with a 1p36 deletion and an unfavorable outcome, but the mechanisms of CHD5 inactivation in NBs are unknown. Experimental Design:We examined (i) the CHD5 sequence in 188 high-risk NBs investigated through the TARGET initiative, (ii) the methylation status of the CHD5 promoter in 108 NBs with or without 1p36 deletion and/orMYCN amplification, and (iii)mRNA expression ofCHD5 andMYCN in 814 representative NBs using TaqMan low-density array microfluidic cards. Results:Wefoundnoexamplesof somatically acquiredCHD5mutations, even in caseswith1p36deletion, indicating that homozygous genomic inactivation is rare. Methylation of the CHD5 promoter was common in the high-risk tumors, and it was generally associated with both 1p deletion and MYCN amplification. High CHD5 expression was a powerful predictor of favorable outcome, and it showed prognostic value even in multivariable analysis after adjusting for MYCN amplification, 1p36 deletion, and/or 11q deletion. Conclusions: We conclude that (i) somatically acquired CHD5 mutations are rare in primary NBs, so inactivation probably occurs by deletion and epigenetic silencing; (ii) CHD5 expression and promoter methylation are associated with MYCN amplification, suggesting a possible interaction between these 2 genes; and (iii) highCHD5 expression is strongly correlatedwith favorable clinical/biological features and outcome. Clin Cancer Res; 18(6); 1588–97. 2012 AACR.