Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychophysiological Responses to Sedative Music in Patients Awaiting Cardiac Catheterization Examination: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Objectives:Cardiovascular diseases are the number 1 cause of death globally. Cardiac catheterization is a key step in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases. Decreasing the stress of cardiac catheterization is a key factor in improving patients' well-being. The aim of the study was to explore the effect of music on psychophysiological indices in patients awaiting cardiac catheterization examination. Methods:Using a 2-group repeated-measures design, 54 subjects aged 47 to 70 years and scheduled for cardiac catheterization examination were recruited. The subjects were randomly assigned to either the music group (27 subjects) or the usual-care group (27 subjects). Subjects in the music group listened to 30 minutes of music, whereas the usual-care group rested quietly, as in routine care. The heart rate (HR), HR variability, and skin temperature (ST) were measured at 7 time points and were recorded by the MP150 recording system (BIOPAC Systems, Inc, Goleta, California). Heart rate variability was analyzed by power spectral analysis: low frequency, high frequency, and ratio of low frequency to high frequency. The state of anxiety was measured at baseline and at time 7. At the end of the study, the subjects' music preference was evaluated using a visual analog scale. Results and Conclusions:Listening to music resulted in a significantly reduced state of anxiety (P = .003). Both the music and quiet rest groups noted the beneficial effects of decreased HR and increased ST (all P < .001). The treatment effects of both interventions on HR variability were inconclusive. Moreover, we also found that the higher the scores of the music preference, the lower the subjects' perceived anxiety level (P = .05). Our findings provide the necessary scientific support for the use of sedative music and quiet rest as safe and effective interventions against anxiety, as manifested in the subjects' anxiety state, HR, and ST.
Macroeconomic Impact of Direct Foreign Investment in China: 1979–96

Direct foreign investment (DFI) has played an important role in the economic development of China in the past 15 years. It contributed to the Chinese domestic capital formulation and industrial growth, and promoted export expansion and employment creation. This paper provides an empirical investigation of the impact DFI on these macroeconomic variables of China. The regression analysis using pooled time-series and cross-section data shows that DFI positively affected the domestic capital formation and economic growth in the coastal region of China. In addition, DFI added a dynamic force to the industrial growth and exports of China. At the same time it created new employment. The Chinese experience in using DFI would be of valuable implications for other developing countries.
Houdini: a System Dynamics Model for Housing Market Reforms

This paper describes work in progress on Houdini: a system dynamics model of the Dutch housing market focused on explaining institutional structures leading to high price increases and obstructing new supply and on proposed reforms. The model is largely based on extensive literature on the woes of the Dutch housing market and was reviewed by a well-established expert panel, consisting of representatives of universities, ministries and national research and policy analysis institutes. The core model structure has its foundation in the diPasquale and Wheaton real estate markets model, an implicit system dynamics model. We report on the Houdini model structure, validation, base run, policy experiments and follow up activities.
Communication and Free-Riding Behavior: The Voluntary Contribution Mechanism

The authors experimentally examine the role of active communication as a mechanism for improving economic efficiency in a voluntary-contribution, public-goods environment. With no communication, this environment has been shown to induce significant suboptimality, approaching zero contributions with iteration of the decision environment. Communication is shown to significantly improve group optimality. The authors examine the robustness of their results in increasingly complex environments and in environments in which there has been a history of communication, but in which active communication is no longer available. Copyright 1988 by Oxford University Press.
Nitric oxide inhibits complex I following AMPA receptor activation via peroxynitrite

We investigated the role of nitric oxide (NO) on mitochondrial complexes activity, following short-term non-desensitizing activation of AMPA receptors with kainate (KA) plus cyclothiazide (CTZ), in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. In these conditions, we observed a decrease in the activity of mitochondrial complexes I, II/III, and IV. A selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, 7-Nitroindazole, prevented the decrease in the activity of mitochondrial complex I, but not for the other complexes. Exposure to KA plus CTZ also increased cyclic GMP levels significantly, and led to increased levels of 3-nitrotyrosine, a biomarker for peroxynitrite production. Taken together, our results suggest that non-desensitizing activation of AMPA receptors causes inhibition of mitochondrial complex I via peroxynitrite.
A Multivariate Neural Network Approach to Tourism Demand Forecasting

This study compares the performance of different Artificial Neural Networks models for tourist demand forecasting in a multiple-output framework. We test the forecasting accuracy of three different types of architectures: a multi-layer perceptron network, a radial basis function network and an Elman neural network. We use official statistical data of inbound international tourism demand to Catalonia (Spain) from 2001 to 2012. By means of cointegration analysis we find that growth rates of tourist arrivals from all different countries share a common stochastic trend, which leads us to apply a multivariate out-of-sample forecasting comparison. When comparing the forecasting accuracy of the different techniques for each visitor market and for different forecasting horizons, we find that radial basis function models outperform multi-layer perceptron and Elman networks. We repeat the experiment assuming different topologies regarding the number of lags used for concatenation so as to evaluate the effect of the memory on the forecasting results, and we find no significant differences when additional lags are incorporated. These results reveal the suitability of hybrid models such as radial basis functions that combine supervised and unsupervised learning for economic forecasting with seasonal data.
States' Compliance to Human Rights Regimes: The Case of Myanmar

This dissertation paper discusses how the solidity of human rights regimes influences State‟s compliance. It elaborates a theoretical discussion on „compliance‟ by discussing concepts as „obligation‟, „precision‟ and „delegation‟ when establishing regimes. It further examines why the nature of human rights regimes represent a challenge for State‟s sovereignty. The analyzed case study in which the dissertation paper focuses on is the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and its prospects for acting against human rights violations to which the Rohingya community is subject in Myanmar. The analysis shows that lack of precision in its legal basis and excessive regard to cultural norms related to the concept of „non-interference‟ undermine the Commission‟s capacity to effectively promote the respect of the rights of the Rohingya.
Feature article: Reconfigurable S-band patch antenna system for cubesat satellites

A novel S-band patch antenna system compatible with the CubeSat Standard has been presented. The antenna has been designed on the basis of the specifications of the Tigrisat mission but is suit-able for more general cases. The antenna is fabricated on a square annular-ring substrate that allows hosting of a camera system for Earth observation. Different radiation patterns can be achieved by properly phasing the feeds of the four patches that constitute the antenna. A mission analysis for the nadir-pointing attitude case, which is the case of the Tigrisat satellite, has been performed in order to select the configuration that ensures better link performances. The selected configuration has an "apple"-shaped radiation pattern that resembles the isoflux configuration for which the path loss due to range variation is partly compensated by an increase of the off-nadir gain. The characterization of the fabricated antenna in anechoic chamber in terms of radiation pattern and impedance matching shows a very good agreement with simulation results.
Would you like to shrink the welfare state? A survey of European citizens

Welfare state reform A survey of what Europeans want The fundamental problems facing European welfare states – high unemployment and unsustainable public pensions plans in particular – have been in the political debate for years, so why have we seen so little reform? To find out, we surveyed the opinions of citizens in France, Germany, Italy and Spain on their welfare states and on various reform options. This is what we found. First, most workers underestimate the costs of public pensions, though they are aware of their unsustainability. Second, the status quo is a majoritarian outcome: a majority of citizens opposes cuts to social security and welfare spending, but also opposes further increases. Since population ageing without reform implies an automatic expansion, our results suggest that most citizens would favour reforms that stabilize but do not shrink the current welfare states. Third, many would welcome changes in the allocation of benefits. A large number of workers in Italy and Germany would be willing to opt out of public pensions and replace them with private pensions, though the details of how this scheme is formulated matter for its popularity. And many Italians and Spaniards would welcome an extension of the coverage of unemployment insurance. Fourth, conflicts over the welfare state are mainly shaped by the economic situation of the respondent, while political ideology plays a limited role. Disagreements are found along three dimensions: young versus old, rich versus poor, and ‘outsider’ versus ‘insider’ in terms of labour market status. From a practical point of view, this suggests that there is scope to bundle reforms strategically in order to build a large and mixed coalition of supporters. — Tito Boeri, Axel Borsch‐Supan and Guido Tabellini
Modelling consumer preferences for electric vehicles in Portugal: an exploratory study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand consumer preferences concerning electric vehicles (EV) in Portugal, based on comparisons with other vehicles with different powertrains. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis incorporated two survey-based approaches: choice-based conjoint analysis (CBC) and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) based. The survey interviewed 252 respondents. The criteria characterizing each vehicle are purchase price, range, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Another criterion was added to verify the potential of EV privileges to influence consumer preferences. A sensitivity analysis on the influence of purchase price and fuel price in the global utility of the vehicles was performed. Findings – The results showed that monetary criteria are those influencing vehicle purchase decisions the most, whereas the existence of privileges for EV owners has little relevance. EV are chosen by the consumer only if their price decreases or if gasoline and diesel prices increas.
Grand Mediation in China

Abstract Grand mediation (GM) is a new concept raised currently in China that relies on mediation but links various social and governmental resources together aiming at resolving conflict more effectively. This paper examines the mechanism and application of GM. The quadripartite interaction reflects a low degree of judicial power in contrast to a high degree of the rule of politics.
Intellectual capital formation in EU cross border regions: theory and application

This paper aims at studying the importance of intellectual capital as a catalyser of the development of border regions. The topic is relevant because traditionally border regions are less cared by central governments due to distance and therefore they have to rely on themselves to develop; IC and border connections can be, theoretically two ways of helping to solve the development problem of those regions. In a century marked by increased globalisation, the topic becomes ever more present and pertinent. Specifically we study two pairs of cross-border regions: Portugal and Spain, Hungary and Romania. We use a method to define stable cross-border coalitions of cities in both sets of countries. We use data about social and economic indicators, intellectual capital and travel distances. We find evidence of two stable cross border coalitions in Iberia and three in Eastern Europe.
Investigation of Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Depressive Symptoms Following Acute Ischemic Stroke (PSD) in the Aged

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors for post stroke depression (PSD), and their clinical correlations. Method: A consecutive cohort of 102 ischemic stroke patients with a mean age of 72.6 ± 7.2 years, were studied. Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS), modified motor assessment scale (MMAS) and Barthel index (BI) were administered. Risk factors of PSD studied were gender, laterality of stroke, family history of depression and post stroke functional impairment. Results: From assessment with the HDRS, 71 (69.6%) of the subjects were non-depressive and the rest 31 (30.4%) had depression. Depressive symptoms (HDRS > 10) were relatively common, but the prevalence of severe depression (HDRS >17) was only 7.0%. Patients with depressive symptoms were more likely to be female(X2 = 4.01, P = 0.039), have a family history of depression(X2 = 3.87, P = 0.045), and a poor functional status(MMAS, t = 2.18 and P = 0.016; BI, t = 3.74 and P = 0.009). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that depressive symptoms occurred in about one third of post stroke patients. Important risk factors found for PSD included gender, family history of depression and functional impairment.
Prediction of Facial Nerve Outcome Using Electromyographic Responses in Acoustic Neuroma Surgery

Objective To determine whether early and late postoperative facial nerve function can be predicted on the basis of electromyographic responses in acoustic neuroma surgery. Setting Prospective blinded study. Design Tertiary referral center. Patients and Methods Burst and train electromyographic responses were recorded intraoperatively during the last step of vestibular schwannoma removal. The responses were classified and compared with early and late postoperative facial function in 49 patients who underwent enlarged translabyrinthine acoustic neuroma surgery. Results In the early postoperative period, 20 of 22 patients with an irritable pattern and 10 of 13 patients with an ordinary pattern had Grade III or better facial nerve function, whereas all 3 patients with a stray pattern and 9 of 11 patients with a silent pattern had Grade V or VI. In the late postoperative period, on the other hand, Grade III or better facial nerve function was achieved in 37 of 38 patients with an irritable, stray, or ordinary pattern, but the facial nerve function remained at Grade V or VI in 2 patients with the silent pattern. Conclusion Patients with mechanically evoked facial electromyographic responses to the last step of tumor dissection may not experience severe facial nerve dysfunction or show a remarkable improvement. However, patients with silent electromyographic responses during this step tend to experience severe facial nerve dysfunction early in the postoperative course, and some patients may not show any functional improvement.
Options for Fertility Policy Transition in China

This article compares five currently debated scenarios for fertility policy transition in China, in terms of their implications for future population growth and population aging, the proportions of elderly living alone, labor force trends, pension deficits, economic costs, the marriage squeeze, and other socioeconomic outcomes. Based on these comparative analyses, the author concludes that China needs to begin a gradual modification of its fertility policy as soon as possible. He proposes a three-stage "soft-landing" strategy for fertility policy transition: (1) a 7-year initial smooth transition period; (2) from approximately 2014-15 to 2032-35 a universal two-child policy combined with late childbearing in both rural and urban areas; (3) after 2032-35 all Chinese citizens would be free to choose family size and fertility timing. This strategy will enable China to have much more favorable demographic conditions and socioeconomic outcomes, as compared to keeping the current policy unchanged. Copyright 2007 The Population Council, Inc.
Using portfolio optimisation models to enhance decision making and prediction

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse and compare the performances of portfolio optimisation models including Markowitz's mean-variance model (MV model), Konno and Yamazaki's mean-absolute deviation portfolio optimisation model (MAD model), Young's minimax portfolio model and the VaR model. , – Historical data on 43 constituent shares listed on the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index (HSI) covering a four-year period are obtained. The paper then tests the performance of each model under different scenarios and against different sets of historical data. , – The paper finds that different levels of required annual returns impact on portfolio composition, historical data have a major impact on the determination of portfolio composition and the level of required annual return impacts on how optimisation models perform. , – The paper posits that with a comprehensive understanding of the performance of each of these performance optimisation models, investors may be able to develop a better understanding of how to adjust investment risk strategies, thus preventing serious losses. , – There are two major points of value to this paper. In the first place, the paper presents an original review of portfolio optimisation models. Second, using “real” data, the paper utilises five different scenarios to test the performance of each model under different situations.
Multiclass domain adaptation with iterative manifold alignment

We propose a novel approach for multiclass domain adaptation using an iterative manifold alignment technique inspired by the TRiplet-based Iterative ALignment (TRIAL) protein structure alignment algorithm. Our technique learns a rigid transformation for each class using a set of automatically-selected pivot samples that characterize the relative relationships between classes in two similar, but not identical, feature spaces. We demonstrate that our technique robustly reconciles domain-specific differences between similar classes in hyperspectral images captured under different conditions, and yields more accurate results than recently-proposed manifold alignment techniques. We evaluate our method on a pair of real-world hyperspectral images of Cuprite, NV, and provide a MATLAB implementation of our algorithm, available online.
What Rate of Return Can You Reasonably Expect… or What Can the Long Run Tell Us about the Short Run?

Conventional studies of long-run returns on capital market assets, because of changes in valuation between the starting date and the ending date, obscure the basic return each asset earns. Consequently, both absolute returns and measured risk premiums are distorted. The basic return can be extracted by selecting widely separated dates with identical valuation levels. Over nearly 200 years, the analysis for equities produced 63 episodes averaging 35 years with a mean nominal basic return of 9.6 percent and standard deviation of 1.6 percent; 63 bond episodes averaging 43 years produced a mean nominal basic return of 4.9 percent and standard deviation of 2.3 percent. Equities revealed a tendency to regress to the mean over time, but no such tendency was apparent in the bond data. Thus, long-run equity returns were more predictable than long-run bond returns. This conclusion applies with even greater force to real returns.
A New Analytical Approach to Evaluate the Critical-Event Probability Due to Wireless Communication Errors in Train Control Systems

Wireless communication links tend to be employed more and more in safety-critical railway applications. Their safe use in an advanced train control system (TCS) is an issue that is addressed in this paper by characterizing the TCS service interruption due to communication errors. More precisely, occurrence probabilities of single errors are first discussed. Then, we obtain probabilistic analytical expressions of several temporal conditions that lead to a TCS service interruption, here a train emergency braking (the critical event). The accuracy of this analytical approach is proved when the results are compared with those given by a simulation approach with a Petri net model. Additionally, as the use case related to the “trains' separation” is considered in this paper, an analytical evaluation process is proposed to discuss the tolerated time margins that can be fixed to limit the critical-event occurrence probability due to the wireless communication errors.
Does Rule 10b-21 Increase SEO Discounting?

Short sale constraints prior to seasoned equity offers, imposed by Rule 10b-21 in 1988, are believed to compromise pricing efficiency and contribute to the large temporal increase in offer price discounting. This study provides additional insights by examining shelf-registered offers, which were exempt from pre-issue short sale constraints until 2004. The results suggest that pre-issue short sale constraints do not influence the level of discounting in seasoned equity offers. Moreover, this study reports that the recent temporal increase in discounting is due to a greater prevalence of overnight shelf offers, which are associated with relatively large offer price discounts.