Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of JML, EKF and SDDRE filters of nonlinear dynamic systems

The Joint Maximum Likelihood filter, also called Least Mean Square Error filter, has been recently derived for the state estimation of nonlinear dynamic systems. It is an exact, explicit, closed form and recursive optimal filter. In this paper performances of this new Least Mean Square Error filter, the Extended Kalman Filter and the State Dependent Differential Riccati equation based Filter are compared. The Van der Pol equation is used in this comparison. It is demonstrated by simulations that although the performances are not so different that the Least Mean Square Error filter is the fastest filter to reach for the first time zero tracking error.
Stimulation of ejaculated domestic cat sperm motility with caffeine, pentoxifylline, and 2'-deoxyadenosine.

Sperm motility patterns of cryopreserved domestic cat ejaculates treated at 37 degrees C with 1 mM caffeine, pentoxifylline, or 2'-deoxyadenosine were analyzed using computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA). The percent motility (MOT), curvilinear velocity (VLC), straight-line velocity (VSL), linearity (LIN), and amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) were measured for each group following 15 min of treatment. Motility indices were examined during a 6-h treatment period to determine the effect of each chemical on sperm longevity. Caffeine, pentoxifylline, and 2'-deoxyadenosine each increased (p > .05) the MOT and VCL of the ejaculates compared to the controls. The longevity of the treated and control samples were not significantly different throughout the incubation period. These results, similar to previous findings with cryopreserved epididymal cat sperm, demonstrate that motility stimulants can significantly elevate the MOT and VCL of cryopreserved ejaculated cat sperm without having deleterious effects on longevity.
Register allocation for hybrid register architecture in nonvolatile processors

Nonvolatile processors (NVP) have been an emerging topic in recent years due to its zero standby power, data retention and instant-on features. The conventional full replacement architecture in NVP has drawbacks of large area overhead and high backup energy. This paper provides a partial replacement based hybrid register architecture to significantly abate above problems. However, the hybrid register architecture can induce potential critical data loss and backup errors. In this paper, we propose a critical-data overflow aware register allocation (CORA). Different from other register allocation methods, CORA efficiently reduces the possibility of critical data spilling and backup errors. The experiment results show that CORA reduces the critical data overflow rate by up to 52%. The hybrid register architecture reduces the chip area by 45.1% and backup energy by 82.8% when using CORA.
Physical mapping, amplification, and overexpression of the mouse mdr gene family in multidrug-resistant cells

The mouse mdr gene family consists of three distinct genes (mdr1, mdr2, and mdr3), for which we have isolated full-length cDNA clones. cDNA subfragments corresponding to discrete regions showing little sequence conservation among the three mdr genes were used as gene-specific DNA probes in hybridization experiments. Long-range mapping by pulse-field gel electrophoresis indicated that the three mdr genes are closely linked on a genomic DNA segment of approximately 625 kilobases. The gene order and direction of transcription of the three genes were determined and indicate the arrangement (5') mdr3 (3')-(5') mdr1 (3')-(3') mdr2 (5'). Southern blotting analyses of genomic DNA from a panel of independently derived multidrug-resistant cell lines identified mdr gene amplification in 10 of 12 cell lines studied. In individual cell lines showing gene amplification, the copy number of each of the three mdr genes was identical, suggesting that the three mdr genes became amplified as part of a single amplicon in these cells. Although increased expression of all three mdr genes was detected in 2 of 12 cell lines tested, multidrug resistance was associated in 10 of 12 lines with the independent overexpression of either mdr1 (7 of 12) or mdr3 (3 of 12) but not mdr2. mdr1 overexpression was consistently associated with gene amplification, while increased mdr3 expression was detected in certain cell lines that did not show gene amplification. Increased levels of mdr1 mRNA were linked to the overexpression of a P glycoprotein of apparent molecular weight 180,000 to 200,000, whereas increased mdr3 expression resulted in increased expression of a P glycoprotein of molecular weight 160,000 to 180,000. Our results suggest that at least two members of the mouse mdr gene family, mdr1 and mdr3, can independently confer multidrug resistance in the cell lines examined.
Early recovery after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome: a prospective, observational study

Abstract The early post-operative course after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome has not been thoroughly characterized or correlated to factors that may influence recovery. The aim of this study was to report on early pain, function and attitudes towards rehabilitation and to determine predictors of early recovery after hip arthroscopy. Sixty-two patients reported pre-operative pain, iHOT-12 (hip functional score), psychological status and other baseline characteristics. Pain, iHOT-12, hip flexion and several other outcomes were measured through 6 weeks post-operative. Baseline characteristics were correlated with outcomes using univariate and multivariable models. Pain relief started on post-operative day 1 and consistently improved throughout the 6 weeks of follow-up. The average patient’s pain was reduced from a pre-operative level of 5/10 to 2/10 by 6 weeks post-operative. Similarly, iHOT-12 improved from 33/100 to 57/100 whereas hip flexion increased by 9° by 6 weeks post-operative. At 2 weeks post-operative, pre-operative anti-inflammatory usage was associated with greater improvement in pain and swelling; pre-operative opioid usage with poorer patient-reported helpfulness of and adherence to rehabilitation; and higher ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) score and lower procedure time with improvement of the pre-operative pain complaint. At 6 weeks, greater depression was associated with lower post-operative pain reduction but greater pre-operative pain complaint improvement. Continuous passive motion usage was associated with increased hip flexion. Pain improved from pre-operative by Day 1 after hip arthroscopy, and early functional improvements were seen by 6 weeks post-operative. Pre-operative anti-inflammatory and opioid usage, depression, race, ASA score, procedure time and continuous passive motion usage were significantly associated with study outcomes.
Prediction for Disease Risk and Medical Cost using Time Series Healthcare Data

Foreseeing the medical expenditure is beneficial for both insurance companies and individuals. In this paper we propose a new methodology to predict disease risk and medical cost. Based on sequential latent dirichlet allocation (SeqLDA), which classifies hierarchical sequential data into segments of topics, we tried to predict the number of people with diseases and the one-year cost of lifestyle-related diseases. Using the health checkup information and medical claims of 6500 people for three years, we achieved that prediction error was less than conventional LDA, and for accuracy rate, AUC was more than 0.71. The results suggest that the SeqLDA method serve to predict the number of people with diseases and the related medical costs using time series healthcare data.
The Medieval Market Economy

This volume comprises ten essays, six of which are published in English for the first time. The author considers the development of medieval capitalism from the vantage point of international merchants and merchant-bankers. He reconsiders the much discussed "Great Depression" of the 14th and 15th centuries, and is particularly concerned with the active and often destabilizing role played by money in the medieval economy at a time when the money supply consisted overwhelmingly of metallic currency. It includes an account of how a money shortage of critical proportions resulted from the decline of mine production and the steady drain of precious metal to the eastern Mediterranean. The book contains numerous tables and charts of mint production, prices and wages, foreign trade and other selected economic indicators for different countries of Europe in the late Middle Ages.
Differential expression of adenosine receptors in human neutrophils: up‐regulation by specific Th1 cytokines and lipopolysaccharide

Four types of adenosine receptors have been identified in different tissues and cell types, namely, A1, A2A, A2B, and A3 receptors. We report that A2AR but not A2BR mRNA in freshly isolated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) is maximally up‐regulated after 4 h stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and to a lesser extent, with interleukin (IL)‐1β. These effects were maintained up to 21 h. Consistent with changes in A2AR mRNA expression, up‐regulation of A2AR protein was also detected after 4 h of LPS or TNF‐α exposure. Up‐regulation of A2AR protein expression was transient and returned to near basal levels after 12 h or 16 h stimulation with TNF‐α or LPS, respectively. Conversely, IL‐1β failed to promote A2AR protein expression. Suppression of thapsigargin‐induced leukotriene synthesis by the selective A2AR agonist CGS‐21680 was found to be more pronounced when PMN were cultured for 4 h with LPS or TNF‐α. In contrast, the up‐regulation of A2AR has no impact on CGS‐21680‐induced inhibition of phospholipase D activation and superoxide production in response to formyl‐Met‐Leu‐Phe. These results demonstrate that the A2AR is up‐regulated by specific T helper cell type 1 cytokines and LPS. Although this could represent a potential feedback mechanism to control inflammation, the effect of A2AR up‐regulation varied depending on the stimulus used to stimulate PMN functional responses after their incubation with proinflammatory mediators.
The ethical practice of psychology in organizations

Personnel Selection (Cases 1-13) Organizational Diagnosis and Intervention (Cases 14-27) Managing Consulting Relationships (Cases 28-34) Research and Academic Issues (Cases 35-44) Professional Training and Certification Issues (Cases 45-47) Billing and Marketing Issues (Cases 48-51) The Ethics of Professional Behaviour (Cases 52-61).
Service quality assessment in liner shipping industry: an empirical study on Asian shipping case

The aim of this paper is to improve service quality of liner shipping companies and investigates the quality function deployment (QFD) in terms of quality assessment method. Liner shipping is particularly characterised by the container transportation and the wider organisation including other logistics activities. The major customers of the logistics services are the industrial clients. The customer satisfaction is a key managerial task since competitiveness is a growing issue in the liner shipping industry. The QFD is one of the unique procedures to expose the requirements of customer and transform them into managerial tasks by cross-correlation analysis between requirements and technical measures. The empirical study is performed to investigate service quality of Asian liner shipping industry by focusing on a group of anonymous leading liner shipping companies. One of the major finding is the customer of liner shipping service tends to purchase a complete transport service including other logistics services. The important technical measures are the implementation of ISO 9001 framework, cheaper service and exemption on terminal handling fee.
A Spatial Analysis of Aggregate and Industry-Level FDI in China

In this paper, we study the determinants of FDI in China with both aggregate and industry-level data from 1999-2007. We adopt the spatial lag model to investigate the interdependence of FDI in different provinces in China and find strong spatial interdependence among provinces in China in terms of their receiving foreign investment. Aggregate data at the provincial level show that neighboring provinces tend to become competitors for FDI. With industry level FDI, we find much stronger evidence for vertical or complex vertical FDI than using the aggregate data.
Mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease: Diagnosis and progression to dementia

ABSTRACT Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment is common in nondemented Parkinson disease patients (PD-MCI) and is considered as a risk factor for dementia (PDD). Recently, the Movement Disorder Society (MDS) published guidelines for PD-MCI, although the studies available are still limited. The aim of this work was to characterize PD-MCI and its progression to dementia. Moreover, the study variables could be considered as predictors for the progression of cognitive impairment. Method: The study included 43 patients with idiopathic PD (mean age = 59.19 years, SD = 9.64) and 20 healthy and neurologically normal controls (mean age = 60.85 years, SD = 12.26). The criteria proposed by the MDS Task Force were applied for the PD-MCI diagnosis. Follow-up assessments were conducted within six to eight years after the diagnosis of PD-MCI. Results: The results showed that 60.5% of the patients were diagnosed with PD-MCI when a comprehensive assessment was performed (MDS criteria Level 2), while 23.3% of the patients met MCI criteria when a brief assessment was used (MDS criteria Level 1). Multiple domain impairment was the most frequent impairment (96.2%). A total of 42.3% of PD-MCI patients had dementia in the follow-up study. Logistic regression showed that the Hoehn and Yahr stage and education significantly contributed to the prediction of PD-MCI. Moreover, the Hoehn and Yahr stage and memory domain significantly contributed to the prediction of dementia. Conclusions: The results of the study: (a) provide relevant data about the process of validation of the MDS PD-MCI criteria, (b) reinforce the hypothesis that PD-MCI is more frequent than previous studies showed without applying MDS criteria, and (c) confirm that PD-MCI is a risk factor for the onset of dementia. Finally, the study shows that neurological impairment, educational level and memory impairment were predictors for the progression of cognitive impairment.
Cross-Cultural Analysis of Stakeholder Identification in Municipal Districts

Abstract The purpose of this article is to present an empirical, descriptive contribution to the literature on stakeholder management in the area of local government decision making. The research presented here examines the web of interactions, inter-connections and influences on local government authorities in Brazil and England. It provides a cross-cultural survey of Brazilian and English municipal districts with data being analysed using statistical techniques (Chi-squared is calculated to test for goodness of fit and Cronbach's alpha to test reliability). The paper identifies two stakeholder lists for the countries under investigation, and concludes that, despite cultural differences between Brazil and England, there is convergence in the way local government managers identify stakeholders. The empirical evidence provided here supports the hypothesis that stakeholder identification is very likely to be seen as a universal phenomenon. A comprehensive review of the extant literature revealed that this research constitutes the very first cross-cultural investigation that has focused on stakeholder identification in the local government domain.
Federal and State Government Roles in Science and Technology

Increased state government participation in the formulation and implementation of national science and technology policies has been proposed in a series of recent reports, most notably the State-Federal Technology Partnership Task Force's Final Report These recommendations are based on state experiences with technology development and manufacturing modernization programs, the premise that public sector activities are needed to accelerate the rate of commercial innovation, and a stylized model of the geographic appropriability of basic, applied, and developmental research and development outcomes. These reports overstate the economic impact and programmatic relevance of existing state programs to the federal setting while understating state program contributions to the development and strengthening of regional technology infrastructures. Increased coordination of federal and state government activities is needed to address dysfunctional aspects of federal research award policies and to enlist states as committed participants in joint federal-state programs.
Langfristige Folgen einer Einbeziehung der Selbständigen in die gesetzliche Rentenversicherung

This paper examines the consequences of including the self-employed in the German pay-as-you-go pension system. The effects on the implicit tax rate of the different generations and groups are analysed. It is demonstrated that the inclusion of the self-employed can be used to reach two objectives. First, horizontal equity between individuals of one generation can be established. Second, the implicit tax rate of the individuals previously insured in the pension system can be permanently lowered if the pension formula is appropriately modified. Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Folgen einer Einbeziehung der Selbstandigen in die gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung. Im Mittelpunkt der Betrachtung stehen die impliziten Steuersatze fur die einzelnen Generationen und Versichertengruppen. Es wird gezeigt, dass eine Einbeziehung der Selbstandigen nicht nur dazu geeignet ist, horizontale Gerechtigkeit zwischen den Individuen einer Generation herzustellen und die Rentenversicherung kurz- und mittelfristig zu entlasten. Zudem kann die implizite Steuerlast der bisher Versicherungspflichtigen auch langfristig gemindert werden, wenn die Rentenformel geeignet modifiziert wird.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND EXERCISE: QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF A TEACHING PROGRAMME

One of the issues that mostly concern scientific researchers is education, due to the fact that it is closely related with the moulding of the students’ character. Similarly, the school syllabus is structured in such a way that it aims at the creation of lessons and activities which promote the moral development of the students, while at the same time draw attention to the role of the teachers. This particular activity (teaching suggestion) consists of a series of interventional co-teaching sessions during the lessons of Religious Education and Physical Education, attempting to correlate physical activities with moral values and religious notions. The activity in question was materialized during the school year 2013-2014 in the first grade of Senior High School, qualitative research and data analysis was carried out, in the form of semi-structured interviews, within the context of evaluation of teaching practices which are taking place at school.
The use and misuse of structural equation modeling in management research: a review and critique

Purpose - – The research practice in management research is dominantly based on structural equation modeling (SEM), but almost exclusively, and often misguidedly, on covariance-based SEM. The purpose of this paper is to question the current research myopia in management research, because the paper adumbrates theoretical foundations and guidance for the two SEM streams: covariance-based and variance-based SEM; and improves the conceptual knowledge by comparing the most important procedures and elements in the SEM study, using different theoretical criteria. Design/methodology/approach - – The study thoroughly analyzes, reviews and presents two streams using common methodological background. The conceptual framework discusses the two streams by analysis of theory, measurement model specification, sample and goodness-of-fit. Findings - – The paper identifies and discusses the use and misuse of covariance-based and variance-based SEM utilizing common topics such as: first, theory (theory background, relation to theory and research orientation); second, measurement model specification (type of latent construct, type of study, reliability measures, etc.); third, sample (sample size and data distribution assumption); and fourth, goodness-of-fit (measurement of the model fit and residual co/variance). Originality/value - – The paper questions the usefulness of Cronbach's
Risk Sharing within the Extended Family: Evidence from the Indonesia Family Life Survey

In recent years, there has been an increase in the availability of longitudinal household surveys in developing countries that allow the researchers to construct linkages between households with familial ties. This type of data allows researchers to look at whether some household outcomes are influenced by decisions made at the extended-family level. This article utilizes data from two waves of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (1997 and 2000) to construct a panel of extended families in order to focus on one particular example of such outcome: whether consumption risk sharing occurs among households within the extended family. The findings show that after controlling for the extended family fixed effects, changes in the household’s own income still matter for changes in its consumption, rejecting full consumption risk insurance. However, the coefficients on household own income are small, indicating significant degrees of risk sharing. Results from a set of reduced-form estimations suggest that household consumption is affected by characteristics of other households in the extended family. This article contributes to the literature on household surveys by shedding light on how one could define a household in a panel analysis that uses data from longitudinal household surveys in which split-off households are tracked.
Role of Membrane Organization and Membrane Domains in Endocytic Lipid Trafficking

Lipid compositions vary greatly among organelles, and specific sorting mechanisms are required to establish and maintain these distinct compositions. In this review, we discuss how the biophysical properties of the membrane bilayer and the chemistry of individual lipid molecules play a role in the intracellular trafficking of the lipids themselves, as well as influencing the trafficking of transmembrane proteins. The large diversity of lipid head groups and acyl chains lead to a variety of weak interactions, such as ionic and hydrogen bonding at the lipid/water interfacial region, hydrophobic interactions, and van‐der‐Waals interactions based on packing density. In simple model bilayers, these weak interactions can lead to large‐scale phase separations, but in more complex mixtures, which mimic cell membranes, such phase separations are not observed. Nevertheless, there is growing evidence that domains (i.e., localized regions with non‐random lipid compositions) exist in biological membranes, and it is likely that the formation of these domains are based on interactions similar to those that lead to phase separations in model systems. Sorting of lipids appears to be based in part on the inclusion or exclusion of certain types of lipids in vesicles or tubules as they bud from membrane organelles.
Multi UAV negotiation for coordinated tracking of contaminant cloud

In this paper, we develop a mechanism to detect and model the shape of a contaminant cloud boundary using air borne sensor swarms. The UAV sensors detect discrete points on the boundary of a contaminant cloud, which is used for cloud modeling. The shape of the cloud evolves with the measurement data from the UAV sensors, which in turn indicates the region where the UAVs should explore for better approximation of the cloud boundary. A negotiation mechanism is developed for the allocation of the regions of exploration to the UAVs. The evolution of the UAV trajectories while exploring a sample cloud distribution is simulated to illustrate the tracking and reconstruction of the shape of the cloud and the negotiation mechanism.