Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIOPHAGES ACTIVE ON CLOSTRIDIUM SPOROGENES

Betz, John V. (St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, N.Y.), and Kenneth E. Anderson. Isolation and characterization of bacteriophages active on Clostridium sporogenes. J. Bacteriol. 87:408–415. 1964. —Twelve bacteriophages active on the anaerobic species Clostridium sporogenes were studied. Four of these were isolated by the authors, and eight were obtained from L. S. McClung of Indiana University. The 12 phages studied could be distinguished into three groups on the basis of their plaque morphology, host range, receptor sites, and serological relationships. One group contained ten of the phages which were serologically related. These were separated into three subgroups on the basis of plaque morphology, host range, and receptor sites. The heat sensitivities of four phages were correlated with their classification in this scheme. Of 25 strains of C. sporogenes tested for lysogenicity, none was found to be lysogenic, but 9 produced bacteriocin-like substances and 20 were sensitive to one or more of these.
Can we tax the desire for tax evasion

A static income tax evasion model ? la Yitzhaki (1974) predicts that an increase in the tax rate causes taxpayers to increase their income declaration. In an important contribution, Lin and Yang (2001) obtained exactly the opposite result by extending the Yitzhaki (1974) model to a dynamic one with Ak(t) production technology. In this paper we show that once the Lin and Yang (2001) model becomes fully compatible with the Yitzhaki's (1974) setting, the negative relationship between taxes and evasion still prevails. We then enrich the dynamic model with a productive public sector, and obtain an ambiguous relationship between taxes and evasion incentives as in Allingham and Sandmo (1972). We also prove that the growth-maximizing share of public expenditures in total output satisfies the natural efficiency condition even in the presence of tax evasion. However, the latter result is not robust to the introduction of the costs associated with income declaration and concealment activities.
Spirituality and quality of life in gynecologic oncology patients.

PURPOSE The inclusion of spiritual well-being in healthcare assessments can provide insight into patients' needs and coping resources. This study explored the relationship between spiritual well-being and quality of life (QOL) in gynecologic oncology patients in an attempt to clarify the significance of spiritual well-being in the assessment process. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY Eighteen women with gynecologic cancer completed a self-administered questionnaire that obtained sociodemographic, medical, spiritual, and functional information. The Spiritual Well-being Scale was used to assess spiritual well-being, and the Functional Living Index: Cancer (FLIC) measured QOL. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, comparison of means, and analysis of variance. RESULTS Patients with gynecologic cancers other than ovarian reported a better QOL and a higher degree of spiritual, existential, and religious well-being. Older patients consistently reported higher degrees of spiritual well-being and QOL than did younger patients. Married patients consistently reported higher degrees of spiritual well-being than patients who were not married (never married or separated). Catholic patients scored higher in degrees of religious and spiritual well-being as well as in FLIC scores than other patients. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Health professionals do not generally assess spiritual well-being in their evaluations of patients' needs. The findings from this study support the inclusion of spirituality as part of routine patient assessment and intervention. Clinical intervention that would increase a patient's level of spiritual awareness and his or her level of comfort associated with a personal perspective on death could help decrease the patient's level of psychosocial distress. Despite the medical establishment's bias to the contrary, religion and spirituality are positively associated with both physical and mental health and may be particularly significant to terminally ill patients. The curricula of medical, nursing, and other health schools should be redesigned appropriately.
The Impact of Hepatitis C on Short-Term Outcomes of Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND With recent advances in the treatment of infection with hepatitis C increasing lifespan and quality of life, the need for total joint arthroplasty in this patient population is expected to grow. Presently, there are limited and conflicting data on the perioperative outcomes of lower-extremity total joint arthroplasty among patients with hepatitis C. The purpose of our study was to assess the association between hepatitis C and perioperative outcomes of lower-extremity total joint arthroplasty. METHODS The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was used to identify patients who underwent a total hip or knee arthroplasty in the United States from 1998 to 2010. Controls were matched in a three-to-one ratio to patients with hepatitis-C infection according to surgical procedure, age, race, sex, Deyo comorbidity score, and year of surgical procedure. Outcomes included perioperative complications (any, medical, surgical) and mean length of stay. RESULTS There were 1,700,400 total joint arthroplasties performed and recorded in the database during the study period, among which 8044 patients (0.47%) had a documented hepatitis-C infection. The frequency of hepatitis-C infection increased from 1.9 per 1000 total joint arthroplasties in 1998 to 5.9 per 1000 total joint arthroplasties in 2010 (slope = 0.47; r(2) = 0.93). Compared with matched controls, patients with hepatitis C had a 30% increased risk of any complication (95% confidence interval, 17% to 44%; p < 0.001), a 15% increased risk of a medical complication (95% confidence interval, 2% to 30%; p = 0.025), a 78% increased risk of a surgical complication (95% confidence interval, 49% to 112%; p < 0.001), and a mean length of stay that was 14% longer (95% confidence interval, 12% to 15%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Infection with hepatitis C is an infrequent but increasingly common comorbidity among patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. Given these findings, orthopaedic surgeons should be aware of the increased risks of total joint arthroplasty in patients with hepatitis C and should discuss these risks with potential surgical candidates during a shared decision-making process.
Israel's Strategic Environment in the 1990s

The 1990s were of particular importance in Israel's history as they were characterized by drastic changes in the international system and by significant regional developments, which were beneficial for Israeli national security. Israel has remained a good ally of the United States in an American dominated world. This helped Israel become a respected international actor and allowed much progress in the peace process and Israel's acceptance in the region. While the chances for a large-scale conventional war were lower than in the past, Israel still faced existential threats, stemming particularly from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the Middle East. In addition, it continued to face low-intensity conflict challenges.
The Effects of the Contract-Relax-Antagonist-Contract Form of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching on Postural Stability

Ryan, EE, Rossi, MD, and Lopez, R. The effects of the contract-relax-antagonist-contract form of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching on postural stability. J Strength Cond Res 24(7): 1888-1894, 2010-To investigate the effects of the contract-relax-antagonist-contract (CRAC) form of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching, with and without a warm-up, on postural stability. Thirty volunteers (15 men and 15 women, age: 25.17 ± 5.4 years, height: 173.76 ± 8.2 cm, and weight: 72.03 ± 14.87 kg) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: warm-up and stretch (WS), stretching only (SO), and a control condition (CON). Contract-relax-antagonist-contract PNF of the hamstrings, plantar flexors, and hip flexors was performed during WS and SO. A 6-minute treadmill warm-up was applied before CRAC in the WS condition. Measures of anterior/posterior and medial/lateral (M/L) postural stability were taken before and after treatment conditions. A 2 × 3 analysis of variance was used to assess for differences between conditions. Significance was set at p < 0.05. There was a time × condition interaction (F = 3.962,58; p = 0.024, Power = 0.69) for M/L stability. There was a difference between WS and CON (p = 0.037, Power = 0.57) and SO and CON (p = 0.041, Power = 0.51) posttesting. This study suggests that CRAC PNF stretching with or without warm-up improves M/L stability. Contract-relax-antagonist-contract form of stretching is a useful protocol for improving M/L stability.
Design, analysis, and control of a cable-driven parallel platform with a pneumatic muscle active support

SUMMARY The neck is an important part of the body that connects the head to the torso, supporting the weight and generating the movement of the head. In this paper, a cable-driven parallel platform with a pneumatic muscle active support (CPPPMS) is presented for imitating human necks, where cable actuators imitate neck muscles and a pneumatic muscle actuator imitates spinal muscles, respectively. Analyzing the stiffness of the mechanism is carried out based on screw theory, and this mechanism is optimized according to the stiffness characteristics. While taking the dynamics of the pneumatic muscle active support into consideration as well as the cable dynamics and the dynamics of the Up-platform, a dynamic modeling approach to the CPPPMS is established. In order to overcome the flexibility and uncertainties amid the dynamic model, a sliding mode controller is investigated for trajectory tracking, and the stability of the control system is verified by a Lyapunov function. Moreover, a PD controller is proposed for a comparative study. The results of the simulation indicate that the sliding mode controller is more effective than the PD controller for the CPPPMS, and the CPPPMS provides feasible performances for operations under the sliding mode control.
Investigation on solder voids in flip-chip light-emitting diodes using thermal transient response

In order to reduce the cost of the LED packages and to minimize the thermal budget, the chip-on-board (COB) packages and the chip-scale package (CSP) LEDs, based on flip-chip die bonding process, have been developed. Although the flip-chip die bonding process for the COB and the CSP LEDs is useful to decrease the thermal resistance, a precise process control for minimizing voids in solder joint and an in-line inspection for bonding quality check are needed for reliability. We proposed a simple in-line void inspection method based on the thermal transient response of LED junction temperature. In order to carry out the feasibility test, we made three LED package groups showing different solder void qualities. By measuring voltages at two points in time domain, we could distinguish the LED packages showing a poor solder void quality.
The role of doppler ultrasound in high risk pregnancy: A comparative study

Background: The objective was to determine the effectiveness of Doppler velocimetry results in the management of high-risk pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This cohort study was conducted from January 2005 to December 2006 in Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Alnoor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 200 high-risk pregnant women with gestational age >28 weeks were selected for the study and divided into group A (100) subjected to Doppler velocimetry and group B (100) without Doppler velocimetry. Standard management protocols were followed in all cases. The primary outcome measures were mode of delivery and gestational age at the time of delivery. The secondary outcome measures were prenatal and neonatal complications. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: Preterm deliveries, preterm as well as full-term neonatal admissions were more frequent in group A than those in group B, i.e., (39% vs. 26%), (56% vs. 88%) (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.04-0.7), and (30% vs. 57%) (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.7), respectively. Similarly preterm and full-term neonatal deaths were rare in group A than those in group B, i.e., (9% vs. 78%) (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.02-0.7), and (6% vs. 29%) (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.03-1.8), respectively. Emergency caesarean section rate was rare in the subjects with normal Doppler than those with abnormal Doppler (48% vs. 100%) (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.03-0.4) as well as in group B (48% vs. 82%) (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.4). Conclusion: Doppler studies in high-risk pregnancies are more beneficial in the management of perinatal as well as neonatal management.
Equivalent circuit design of multilayer parallel-coupled line filter

LTCC filters have been widely used for wireless LAN terminals. They generally adopt the multilayer structure. Some multilayer LTCC filters are made of symmetrical parallel-coupled lines and anti-symmetrical parallel-coupled lines to reduce the length of resonators. The equivalent circuit of parallel-coupled lines was analyzed and applied to bandpass filters using multilayer parallel-coupled line resonators. A three-pole bandpass filter with a center frequency of 2.45 GHz is designed by using the proposed equivalent circuit and the measured results have good agreement with the design results.
Beat the Market: An Interactive Microeconomics Simulation

Beat The Market ONLINE is an interactive set of simulation games and exercises for active learning and teaching of economics in a new and exciting way. For simulation games, students compete in making decisions to maximize profits using economic concepts in different market structures including perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly. For simulation exercises, students learn by topic, including law of demand, elasticity of supply and demand, short-run and long-run costs, short-run and long-run productions, market equilibrium, and more. All games and exercises are automatically graded, with an online grade book and progress reports. An online consultant acts as a tutor and helps guide students. Students compete in teams or individually, against either each other (multiplayer games) or computer-managed firms (single player games). The simulation handles the entire process for the teacher. Any number of students from 1 to over 1,000 can play. The simulation has learning levels that the instructor selects with clicks to make the games simple or complex. Teachers select the number of decisions (from 2 to 8; e.g., price, production, advertising, plant size), the duration of the game (from 2 to 20 quarters in time), the market structure, economic events, the macroeconomy (e.g., stable, growth, business cycles, or random), and more. Therefore, it can be used at the high school and college levels for introduction to economics, principles of microeconomics, managerial economics, intermediate economics, and MBA economics courses. The game is crosscategorical in combining economics, current events, mathematics, and cooperative learning skills. The simulation motivates students to learn, makes economics relevant, and improves critical-thinking skills.
MONEY, CREDIT, AND LIMITED PARTICIPATION

An asset market segmentation model is constructed to study the distributional effects of monetary policy when economic individuals can choose means of payment among alternatives. In equilibrium, monetary policy has two distributional effects: a direct effect and an indirect effect through the choice of means of payment. When the government injects money, some purchase a greater variety of goods with cash whereas others purchase a greater variety of goods with credit. Credit can dampen fluctuations in consumption arising from monetary policy. The optimal money growth rate can be positive or negative. The Friedman rule is not optimal in general.
Three Scheduling Algorithms Applied to the Earth Observing Systems Domain

This paper describes three approaches to assigning tasks to earth observing satellites EOS. A fast and simple priority dispatch method is described and shown to produce acceptable schedules most of the time. A look ahead algorithm is then introduced that outperforms the dispatcher by about 12% with only a small increase in run time. These algorithms set the stage for the introduction of a genetic algorithm that uses job permutations as the population. The genetic approach presented here is novel in that it uses two additional binary variables, one to allow the dispatcher to occasionally skip a job in the queue and another to allow the dispatcher to occasionally allocate the worst position to the job. These variables are included in the recombination step in a natural way. The resulting schedules improve on the look ahead by as much as 15% at times and 3% on average. We define and use the "window-constrained packing" problem to model the bare bones of the EOS scheduling problem.
Intangibles, Export Intensity, and Company Performance in the French Wine Industry*

Abstract Intangible assets can play a strategic role in the implementation of differentiated strategies in foreign markets. The literature has addressed the impact of intangible assets on both exports and financial performance and the effects of exports on company financial performance (profit and risk). This article aims to analyze the effect of exports on the relationship between intangibles and company performance in the wine industry. Empirical studies show that intangibles have a positive but diminishing impact on exports. The effect of exports on financial performance differs depending on whether we consider corporations or cooperatives. While intangible expenses reduce company risk in both samples whatever the level of export intensity, the effects are different with profit. In corporations, intangible expenses have a positive impact on profit only when there is a high level of expenses and a high level of export intensity. (JEL Classifications: G32, L25, Q12, Q13)
Do determinants of FDI to developing countries dier among US and European investors? Insights from Bayesian Model Averaging

The main objective of this paper is to examine the determining factors of outward FDI from four major OECD investors US, Germany, France and the Netherlands to developing countries located in different world regions. Our goal is to elucidate whether the motivation for FDI differs among these investors. Rather than relying on specific theories of FDI determinants we examine them all simultaneously employing Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) in a panel data set with 129 FDI destinations in 5 geographical regions covering the 1995-2008 period. This approach permits us to select the most appropriate model that governs FDI allocation and to distinguish robust FDI determinants. Among the main conclusions, we show that the FDI of these investors in developing countries depends on established ∗Financial support from the OeNB Jubilaeumsfond, No. 11701, is gratefully acknowledged. Gabriele Tondl acknowledges financial support from Europa-Kolleg Hamburg and a DAAD-scholarship. The authors like to thank Joseph Francois and ETSG conference participants for useful comments and suggestions. †Vienna University of Economics and Business, Institute for International Economics, Althanstrasse 39-45, A-1090 Vienna, Austria, e-mail: nikolaos.antonakakis@wu.ac. at. ‡Vienna University of Economics and Business, Institute for International Economics & Research Institute for European Affairs, Althanstrasse 39-45, A-1090 Vienna, Austria, email: gabriele.tondl@wu.ac. at.
Testing for Cross-sectional Dependence in Regional Panel Data

Abstract We examine three tests of cross-sectional dependence and apply them to a Danish regional panel dataset with few time periods and a large cross-section: the CD test due to Pesaran (2004), the Schott test and the Liu–Lin–Shao test. We show that the CD test and the Schott test have good properties in a Monte Carlo study. When controlling for panel-specific and time-specific fixed effects, the Schott test is superior. Our application shows that there is cross-sectional dependence in regional employment growth across Danish regions. We also show that this dependence can be accounted for by time-specific fixed effects. Thus, the tests uncover new properties of the regional data. RÉSUMÉ Nous examinons trois tests d'autonomie transversale, que nous appliquons à des ensembles de données d'une commission régionale danoise, avec peu de plages de temps et un vaste échantillons: le test d'autonomie transversale mené par Pesaran (2004), le test de Schott et le test Liu–Lin–Shao. Nous démontronsque le test d'autonomie transversale et le test de Schott présentent de bonnes propriétés dans uneétude Monte Carlo. Lorsquel'on se penchesur les effets propres au panel et les effets fixes en fonction du temps, le test de Schott dépasse les autres. Notre application illustre le dépendance transversale dans l'expansion de l'emploi à l’échelon régional dans les régions danoises, et nous démontronsque cette dépendance peut s'expliquer par des effets fixes en fonction du temps. De cette façon, le test révèle des propriétés nouvelles des données régionales. RESUMEN Examinamos tres pruebas de dependencia transversal y las aplicamos a un conjunto de datos de panel regional en Dinamarca con pocos períodos de tiempo y una gran sección transversal: la prueba CD de Pesaran (2004), la prueba Schott y la prueba Liu–Lin–Shao. Demostramos que la prueba CD y la prueba Schott poseen buenas propiedades en un estudio de Monte Carlo. Al controlar los efectos fijos específicos de panel y específicos de tiempo, la prueba Schott es superior. Nuestra aplicación demuestra que existe una dependencia transversal en el crecimiento del empleo regional a través de las regiones danesas. Asimismo, demostramos que esta dependencia puede ser explicada mediante los efectos fijos específicos de tiempo. Por lo tanto, las pruebas dejan al descubierto nuevas propiedades de los datos regionales.
Tax Evasion and Competition

Using a Cournot oligopoly model with an endogenous number of firms and evasion of indirect taxes, this paper shows that more intense competition may have the negative side-effect of eroding tax revenues by increasing tax evasion. This will be the case if market entry costs decrease. A similar result will hold if marginal production costs fall and demand is either weakly concave or convex and inelastic. The desirable result of more competition, less evasion and higher tax revenues will be obtained if (a) marginal production costs fall and demand is convex and elastic or (b) the demand elasticity increases.
Bis(4-nitrophenyl) 1,3-phenylenedimethylene dicarbonate

In the title molecule, C22H16N2O10, the dihedral angles between the benzene rings of the 4-nitrophenyl groups and the central benzene ring are 32.7 (1) and 34.7 (1)°, while the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings of the 4-nitrophenyl groups is 3.6 (2)°. In the crystal structure, weak intermolecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link molecules into centrosymmetric dimers.
Trade Liberalization and Inter-industry Productivity Spillovers:

Since the 1980s a common goal of trade liberalization conducted by developing countries is to increase manufacturing productivity. The literature has found evidence supporting such an increase in productivity. However, this paper finds that the current methodology ignores inter-industry productivity spillovers. This omission biases the estimates of the impact of tariff reductions on the productivity. Using Brazilian trade liberalization episode data, I find that inter-industry productivity spillovers are positive and account for 70% of the increase in productivity due to a reduction in tariffs. When omitted, the direct effect of tariffs on productivity is overestimated by at least 25%.