Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of an acute myocardial infarction report card in Ontario, Canada.

OBJECTIVES Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) 'report cards' are being developed using administrative databases in many jurisdictions, but little is known about their acceptance by and their usefulness to the medical community. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the publication of Cardiovascular Health and Services in Ontario: An ICES Atlas (Naylor CD, Slaughter P. (eds), 1999, Toronto: ICES), the first report featuring hospital-specific AMI performance measures to be published in Canada. DESIGN We conducted a mail survey of physicians at Ontario hospitals to determine their views on the usefulness of various atlas performance measures for assessing and improving quality of care, the types of quality initiatives launched at their hospital in response to the atlas, and their views on the concept and limitations of reporting hospital-specific AMI mortality data. RESULTS Respondents to the survey indicated that information on process of care measures such as post-infarction beta-blocker and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor use, and cardiac procedure waiting times were the most useful, and outcomes data (e.g. 30-day and 1-year risk-adjusted AMI mortality rates) the least useful of the multiple performance measures published in the atlas (P = 0.0385). Fifty-four percent of respondents reported launching one or more quality of care initiatives at their hospital in response to the atlas. The majority of respondents (65%) indicated that they support the public release of hospital-specific AMI mortality data, although many had concerns about potential miscoding in administrative databases and the adequacy of risk-adjustment methods. CONCLUSION The publication of the first AMI report card in Canada stimulated quality of care initiatives at many Ontario hospitals. Inclusion of performance measures other than mortality in health care report cards may lead to greater acceptance and use by the medical community.
Promoting Positive Youth Development: A Crash Course for Youth Ministers

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv DEDICATION . v INTRODUCTION . 1 LITERATURE REVIEW . 3 Positive Youth Development . 3 Youth, Families, and Religion . 7 Youth Workers in Religious Institutions . 10 CONCLUSION: “A CRASH COURSE FOR YOUTH MINISTERS” . 13 REFERENCES . 15 APPENDIX . 23
DoS Defense in Structured Peer-to-Peer Networks

Denial of service (DoS) attacks are a large and increasing threat to the Internet community. In this paper, we propose using a distributed approach to DoS defense. Our architecture leverages the properties of a wide-area overlay network to isolate clusters of attackers while denying access to a minimal amount of legitimate users. This is done by collaborating with other members of a structured peer-to-peer network, which is inherently collaborative. Our results show that our approach is effective at both detection and suppression of a DoS attack.
Graphs and tables: a four-factor experiment

ach designer of interactive systems evolves, of necessity, a set of precepts for the creation of user-friendly systems. Examples are: use menus, no more than seven choices, maintain a consistent format, develop error responses that do not provoke anxiety [ZO] Research findings are used to support and guide the development of these and the many othrr existing prrrrpts. Although it may not be immediately apparent, such precepts arise from one basic all-encompassing guideline: An interface which is as attractive and useful as possible is modeled so that it flows in parallel with the cognitive expectations (conxious and unconscious) of the target users. The aurhors label the design of systems so they proceed and interact with the user in a manner parallel to the flow of the user's own thol$lt processes " Cognitive I\latch Interfaw Design " (COMIND 151). The goal is to make the interface an extension of the user so its use requires (like a hand or an eye) no conscious attention. The user is empowered to focus his/her entire concentration on the problem at hand. Pieceby-piece investigators and designers accumulate, by means of research rxperimena, human/computer interface findings, and use these findings to build interfaces of &rr increasing user friendliness. It is expected that the culmination of these advances will be the creation of computer systems that can tailor themselves to a user's specific ps~chological/expertis~ profile. The experiment described in this article was performed within the framprvork described earlier. Although large ~luns are spent by industy for the purchase of tabular and graphic display packages, and although important decisions are regularly made based on data organized by mrans of such packages, little uncontested knowledge is availahlr concerning the relative rffcacy of tables and the various lorms of graphs. A consensus is that the literature iy in disarray.
Enhancement and suppression in the visual field under perceptual load

The perceptual load theory of attention proposes that the degree to which visual distractors are processed is a function of the attentional demands of a task—greater demands increase filtering of irrelevant distractors. The spatial configuration of such filtering is unknown. Here, we used steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) in conjunction with time-domain event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the distribution of load-induced distractor suppression and task-relevant enhancement in the visual field. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded while subjects performed a foveal go/no-go task that varied in perceptual load. Load-dependent distractor suppression was assessed by presenting a contrast reversing ring at one of three eccentricities (2, 6, or 11°) during performance of the go/no-go task. Rings contrast reversed at 8.3 Hz, allowing load-dependent changes in distractor processing to be tracked in the frequency-domain. ERPs were calculated to the onset of stimuli in the load task to examine load-dependent modulation of task-relevant processing. Results showed that the amplitude of the distractor SSVEP (8.3 Hz) was attenuated under high perceptual load (relative to low load) at the most proximal (2°) eccentricity but not at more eccentric locations (6 or 11°). Task-relevant ERPs revealed a significant increase in N1 amplitude under high load. These results are consistent with a center-surround configuration of load-induced enhancement and suppression in the visual field.
Off-Shell Bethe Ansatz Equation for Gaudin Magnets and Solutions of Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov Equations

We generalize the previously established connection between the off-shell Bethe ansatz equation for inhomogeneous SU(2) lattice vertex models in the quasiclassical limit and the solutions of the SU(2) Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations to the case of simple Lie algebras of higher rank.
Research on painting-features-based Chinese ink animation

In the simulation for Chinese painting, the research on Chinese ink animation is still in the primary phase. The paper introduces an solution of painting-based Chinese ink animation, which includes feature extracting and analyzing, modeling, rendering, and sequence composing. A painting-based Chinese ink animation prototype system is developed according to the solutions. The final experimentation proves the system can create the Chinese ink animation using a piece of Chinese ink painting as chief source, and the animation and the painting share the same theme.
Modeling and Control of ROV Manipulator

The main objective of this thesis is to investigate and present the most relevant techniques and topics within the field of robot modeling and control. The studies will then be used to develop a working control system for the ’Raptor’ manipulator stationed on the ROV ’SubFighter 30K’. Due to insufficient information, a simplified model is made to resemble the actual manipulator. This model forms the foundation of all subsequent actions, including the model based control design. The dynamic model is developed by the well known method of Euler-Lagrange. Since this is an energy based method, both the kinetic and the potential energy of the system must be calculated. Systematic procedures are given to clarify the process of these calculations. In this thesis, a sliding-mode controller is derived and proposed as a suitable controller for the given manipulator. The control objective is to force the manipulator to track a time dependent, desired path in the joint space. However, since it is inconvenient for the operator to specify joint space trajectories, several inverse kinematics algorithms are suggested. Due to the kinematic structure of the manipulator, no closed-form solutions can be obtained. The focus is thus directed towards numerical Jacobian based methods. A full-scale implementation requires a working interface between the developed control system and the manipulator system. For that reason, the main concepts of digital communication are presented. Although no communication data is logged from the Raptor, this presentation will pose an advantage if the work is continued. When no control forces are applied to the dynamic model, the manipulator model is expected to behave like a multi joint, three dimensional pendulum. The simulations corresponds to this assumptions, thus the model is assumed to be correct and valid. Simulations of the complete system shows that the sliding-mode controller works as intended. Two chosen IK algorithms are then implemented and compared through simulations. The DLS method proves to be superior to the simple inverse Jacobian method. Finally, the control system is implemented in LabVIEW and thus prepared for fullscale testing.
How to emerge stronger: Antecedents and consequences of organizational resilience

Abstract Organizations have to strive in an uncertain and challenging environment. Hence, the role resilience played at work has been of special interest in the last decade, although empirical research is still scant, especially regarding the antecedents and the consequences resilience has. In this study we analyse the role corporate social responsibility plays towards employees (CSRE) in the promotion of resilience at work, and how resilience results in organizational learning capability (OLC) and firm performance. Structural equation modelling was used to test our model with a sample of 296 companies from different sectors. Results show that CSRE had a positive influence on organizational resilience, which in turn affected firm performance via OLC. Therefore, we tested the antecedents and consequences resilience had empirically, whose practical implications in terms of further human resource management activities are also discussed.
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

Introduction. This article reviews current management strategies for DCIS in the context of recent randomised trials, including the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and endocrine treatment. Methods. Literature review facilitated by Medline, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases. Results. DCIS should be managed in the context of a multidisciplinary team. Local control depends upon clear surgical margins (at least 2 mm is generally acceptable). SLNB is not routine, but can be considered in patients undergoing mastectomy (Mx) with risk factors for occult invasion. RT following BCS significantly reduces local recurrence (LR), particularly in those at high-risk. There remains a lack of level-1 evidence supporting omission of adjuvant RT in selected low-risk cases. Large, multi-centric or recurrent lesions should be treated by Mx and immediate reconstruction should be discussed. Adjuvant hormonal treatment may reduce the risk of LR in selected cases with hormone sensitive disease. Conclusion. Further research is required to determine the role of new RT regimes and endocrine therapies. Biological profiling and molecular analysis represent an opportunity to improve our understanding of tumour biology in DCIS to rationalise treatment. Reliable identification of low-risk lesions could allow treatment to be less radical.
Preferential grazing of Oxyrrhis marina on virus infected Emiliania huxleyi

We examined whether virus infection of Emiliania huxleyi with the lytic E. huxleyi‐specific virus, EhV‐86, influenced it's palatability to the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina. E. huxleyi mortality was assessed by comparing changes in the algae's concentration between four different incubations: (1) Grazer O. marina plus an equal concentration of infected and healthy E. huxleyi prey (grazed‐infected); (2) the same equal concentration of healthy and infected E. huxleyi prey without grazer O. marina (infected); (3) healthy E. huxleyi prey (no infected cells) with grazer O. marina (grazed); and (4) healthy E. huxleyi prey alone (no grazer or infected cells; control). Grazing rates of O. marina increased in the presence of virus‐infected E. huxleyi prey. An adapted plaque assay protocol revealed that the amount of infected cells in grazed‐infected cultures was approximately one‐quarter (0.28) of that observed in infected (minus grazer) controls. Given that these assays were normalized to cell number, they demonstrate that O. marina was preferentially feeding on virus‐infected E. huxleyi over their healthy counterparts. The effects of marine viruses may have been misinterpreted since the likelihood of them being grazed during infection has not been previously considered. Preferential grazing of infected cells in the ocean would sequester more carbon in particulate form, making it available to higher trophic levels. Consequently, these results should be taken into consideration when modeling the ocean carbon budget.
The Level of Instructional Leadership Practices Among Principals of National Religious Secondary School in Malaysia

It is stated that Instructional leaders are responsible for making sure that positive attitude towards change is organised and created among members of the school. The study aimed to identify the level of Instructional Leadership practices among principals of the National Religious Secondary School in Malaysia. A total of 365 respondents from 57 National Religious Secondary Schools were selected by systematic random sampling method to answer the questionaires. Data is analyzed by using descriptive statistics identifying the mean, standard deviation and percentage to recognise the level. The result showed that the level of Instructional Leadership practices is significantly high (mean=3.85, s.d.=0.41). In conclusion, the study found that the level of Instructional Leadership Practices is high among the principals of the schools. The research implied that Instructional Leadership plays an important role and should be adopted by the principals and teachers of National Religious Secondary School to increase School Achievement. Keywords: Instructional Leadership, Principals, National Religious Secondary School, School Achievement
Selecting appropriate calibration points for an ultra low area 8-bit subrange ADC

An ultra low area 8-bit subrange Analogue/Digital Converter that consists of a pair of Flash 4-bit converter stages is described in this paper emphasising on the appropriate method for its real time calibration. Its active area occupies only 0.04 mm2 and dissipates less than 22 mW. The sampling rate is higher than 500 MS/s and the achieved Signal to Noise and Distortion Ratio is higher than 40 dB. A voltage mode integer divider is used at the input of this Analogue/Digital Converter driving the two output Flash stages by its quotient and residue. The ultra low area and power is owed to the use of the integer divider at the input stage of the subrange converter and the employment of a “thermometer to binary encoder” instead of a full 4-bit Flash Analogue/Digital Converter for the generation of the 4 most significant bits. The calibration method employed for this Analogue/Digital Converter is based on the proper biasing of the resistor ladders used by the fine 4-bit Flash stage as well as on properly delaying and shifting of the divider signals that generate the residue.
A Matlab-based magnitude response game for DSP education

We present a Matlab-based game, teaching the interplay between the pole-zero chart of a linear filter and its magnitude response. The estimation error, which acts as a game score, is based on concepts undergraduate students learn during elementary signal processing courses at our university. The game is accompanied by an online database collecting the players' results and admitting a statistical analysis thereof.
Runtime state change detector of computer system resources under non stationary conditions

All runtime management decisions in computer and information systems require immediate detection of relevant changes in the state of their resources. This is accomplished by continuously monitoring the performance/utilization of key system resources and by using appropriate statistical tests to detect the occurance of significant state changes. Unfortunately, the complexity of today systems and applications and the unpredictability of user request patterns result in highly variable and non stationary time series which are difficult to analyze. As a consequence, present solutions for detecting state changes at runtime are affected by excessive time delays or false positives. We propose a novel “agile” runtime detector that solves the delay vs. false positive tradeoff: it is able to detect the relevant state changes as fast as the best reactive models with the lowest percentages of false positives. All evaluations carried out for a large set of scenarios confirm the efficacy and robustness of the proposed model.
The Relative Performance of Conditional Volatility Models - An Empirical Evaluation on the Nordic Equity Markets

By regressing volatility series of equity returns on macroeconomic variables using data from the Nordic countries, three conditional volatility models are evaluated on their ability to capture effects of long-run volatility shocks. In addition, the same models' short-run forecasting performance is tested by employing a rolling window approach. The results suggest that none of the models are superior of capturing long-run volatility effects. The same holds for the short-run forecasting performance. The Stochastic Volatility model has the worst performance on average, while the difference between the GARCH-type models are negligible.
UNC45A Confers Resistance to Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors and Retinoic Acid

To identify potential biomarkers of therapy response, we have previously done a large-scale gain-of-function genetic screen to identify genes whose expression confers resistance to histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACI). This genetic screen identified two genes with a role in retinoic acid signaling, suggesting that HDACIs target retinoic acid signaling as part of their anticancer effect. We study here a third gene identified in this genetic screen, UNC45A, and assess its role in retinoic acid signaling and responses to HDACIs using cell-based proliferation and differentiation assays and transcriptional reporter gene assays. The vertebrate Unc45 genes are known for their roles in muscle development and the assembly and cochaperoning of the muscle motor protein myosin. Here, we report that human UNC45A (GCUNC45) can render transformed cells resistant to treatment with HDACIs. We show that UNC45A also inhibits signaling through the retinoic acid receptor α. Expression of UNC45A inhibits retinoic acid–induced proliferation arrest and differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells and inhibits the induction of endogenous retinoic acid receptor target genes. These data establish an unexpected role for UNC45A in causing resistance to both HDACI drugs and retinoic acid. Moreover, our data lend further support to the notion that HDACIs exert their anticancer effect, at least in part, through an effect on retinoic acid signaling. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(11):1861–70)
New caching algorithms performance evaluation

In this paper we propose new caching and test their performance. We use Memcached platform to test the caching algorithm performance. Memcached is an extremely popular open-source, distributed key-value store system that powers several of the Internet's busiest websites such as LiveJournal, Wikipedia, Facebook and others. Currently, Memcached uses a trivial Least Recently Used algorithm for cache eviction decision-making. We describe modifications to the Memcached caching system and the introduction of alternate caching policies and benchmark them as well. 3 new caching algorithms are introduced and 2 new implementations of well-known algorithms are benchmarked as well. We discuss the caching algorithm and the simulation methods used in this paper. By introducing superior caching algorithms, we demonstrate a 10-20% improvement of hit rates. This feature has been sent to Memcached upstream and was met with positive feedback.
7. Tourism and Long-run Growth in Aruba

This study examines the long-run relationship between tourism development and economic growth in a small island destination. Determining whether the nature of the relationship is unidirectional or bidirectional provides insightful information as to policies to be implemented. This information is crucial in a resource-poor environment, such as a small island destination. The study employs an econometric methodology consisting of unit root testing, co-integration analysis, vector error correction modeling and Granger causality testing. Results confirm the reciprocal hypothesis. The policy implication is that resource allocation supporting both the tourism and tourism-related industries could benefit both tourism development and economic growth.
A study of image retrieval based on Hough transform

Content-based image retrieval is an important research area in digital libraries and multimedia databases. In this paper, we present a novel image retrieval method based on improved Hough transform. First, we developed a new general method of acceleration of the convergence of the Hough transform based. It works on an improvement of the image analysis speed as well as the space undersampling of the image. This method is used in image processing to extract lines, circles, ellipses or arbitrary shapes. Then, a similarity measure is introduced, and used to compare the similarity of the query image with the images in the database. Finally, the best matches are returned in similarity order. The presented approach is easy to implement and can be efficiently applied to retrieve images. Experimental results show that our method is well.
Mobile Application Software Engineering : Challenges and Research Directions

The rapid proliferation and ubiquity of mobile, smart devices in the consumer market has forced the software engineering community to quickly adapt development approaches conscious of the novel capabilities of mobile applications. The combination of computing power, access to novel onboard sensors and ease of application transfer to market has made mobile devices the new computing platform for businesses and independent developers. However, the growth of this new computing platform has outpaced the software engineering work tailored to mobile application development. This position paper looks at four significant challenges to mobile application software engineering and provides a discussion of possible research directions, drawing from existing areas of software engineering, that should be further examined. Specifically, we examine the challenge of: 1) creating user interfaces accessible to differentlyabled users; 2) handling the complexity of providing applications across multiple mobile platforms; 3) designing context-aware aware applications; and, 4) specifying requirements uncertainty.