Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Political Economy of Health Care: Dynamics Without Change

expectancy in 1965 for males than seventeen other countries, and poor emergency room and ambulatory care are among the diverse facts or allegations which have justified a wide variety of proposed reforms. And yet . the numbers of health personnel, the proportion of the gross national product spent on health care, and the sheer quantity of services rendered have grown considerably faster than the economy as a whole.1 If health care is in &dquo;crisis&dquo; now, then it was in crisis ten, twenty, and forty years ago as well. Several qualified observers have commented on the similarity between the 1932 analysis by the Committee on the Costs of
Private information retrieval in vehicular location-based services

Acting as a new type of mobile terminals, vehicles are able to access Internet in real-time. Consequently, a specific kind of Location-Based Services (LBS), usually named Vehicular LBS (VLBS), has received significant attention because of its bright prospects. VLBS can answer drivers' location-dependent queries to Points of Interest and provide more dedicated services for drivers by utilizing transportation information. Accompanying with convenience, however, users may suffer from some serious privacy leak problems. Previous work has proposed a series of privacy protection methods for LBS. As a well-known method for its high effectiveness in protecting privacy, computational Private Information Retrieval (cPIR) can provide provable privacy protection. Yet, it is usually considered impractical because of its prohibitive computational cost. An important research question arises: can cPIR be improved and used in VLBS to preserve privacy? We answer it by proposing a privacy preserving framework for VLBS based on it. Under the restriction of road network, the proposed framework, which applies the available transportation information as prior knowledge for cPIR, can drastically reduce the computational cost. We perform several experiments on a real dataset to validate its effectiveness.
Inferring Gene Networks: Dream or Nightmare?

Inferring gene networks is a daunting task. We here describe several algorithms we used in the Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods (DREAM2) Reverse Engineering Competition 2007: an algorithm based on first‐order partial correlation for discovering BCL6 targets in Challenge 1 and an algorithm using nonlinear optimization with winning performance in Challenge 3. After the gold standards for the challenges were released, the performance of alternative variants of the algorithms could be evaluated. The DREAM competition taught us some strong lessons. Amazingly, simpler methods performed in general better than more advanced, theoretically motivated approaches. Also, the challenges strongly showed that inferring gene networks requires controlled experimentation using a well‐defined experimental design. Analyzing data obtained through merging many unrelated datasets indeed resulted in weak performances of all algorithms, while algorithms that explicitly took the experimental design into account performed best.
The Problems of Beginning Special Education Teachers: Exploring the Contextual Factors Influencing Their Work

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to present the preliminary results of a three-year investigation of the problems of practice of beginning special education teachers and the contexts in which they work. Our research study was designed to answer the following research questions: (a) What are beginning special educators' problems of practice? and; (b) What contextual factors facilitate or impede beginning special education Teachers' efforts to solve their problems of practice? The most frequently cited problems were related to insufficient curricular materials, dealing with behavior management/discipline, and obstacles to collaboration with general educators. The most significant sources of support were from other special education teachers; in general, novice special education teachers perceived themselves as segregated from the general education community, isolated from their general education peers and administrative staff. Discussion and implications regarding novice teacher induction programs and teacher education curriculum are presented.
BVOC ecosystem flux measurements at a high latitude wetland site

Abstract. In this study, we present summertime concentrations and fluxes of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) measured at a sub-arctic wetland in northern Sweden using a disjunct eddy-covariance (DEC) technique based on a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). The vegetation at the site was dominated by Sphagnum, Carex and \textit{Eriophorum} spp. The measurements reported here cover a period of 50 days (1 August to 19 September 2006), approximately one half of the growing season at the site, and allowed to investigate the effect of day-to-day variation in weather as well as of vegetation senescence on daily BVOC fluxes, and on their temperature and light responses. The sensitivity drift of the DEC system was assessed by comparing H3O+-ion cluster formed with water molecules (H3O+(H2O) at m37) with water vapour concentration measurements made using an adjacent humidity sensor, and the applicability of the DEC method was analysed by a comparison of sensible heat fluxes for high frequency and DEC data obtained from the sonic anemometer. These analyses showed no significant PTR-MS sensor drift over a period of several weeks and only a small flux-loss due to high-frequency spectrum omissions. This loss was within the range expected from other studies and the theoretical considerations. Standardised (20 °C and 1000 μmol m−2 s−1 PAR) summer isoprene emission rates found in this study of 329 μg C m−2 (ground area) h−1 were comparable with findings from more southern boreal forests, and fen-like ecosystems. On a diel scale, measured fluxes indicated a stronger temperature dependence than emissions from temperate or (sub)tropical ecosystems. For the first time, to our knowledge, we report ecosystem methanol fluxes from a sub-arctic ecosystem. Maximum daytime emission fluxes were around 270 μg m−2 h−1 (ca. 100 μg C m−2 h−1), and during most nights small negative fluxes directed from the atmosphere to the surface were observed.
The PAX 3-FKHR Fusion Protein Created by the t ( 2 ; 13 ) Translocation in Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcomas Is a More Potent Transcriptional Activator than PAX 3

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas are pediatric solid tumors with a hallmark cytogenetic abnormality: translocation of chromosomes 2 and 13 [t(2;13) (q35;q14)]. The genes on each chromosome involved in this translocation have been identified as the transcription factor-encoding genes PAX3 and FKHR. The NH2-terminal paired box and homeodomain DNA-binding domains of PAX3 are fused in frame to COOH-terminal regions of the chromosome 13-derived FKHR gene, a novel member of the forkhead DNA-binding domain family. To determine the role of the fusion protein in transcriptional regulation and oncogenesis, we identified the PAX3-FKHR fusion protein and characterized its function(s) as a transcription factor relative to wild-type PAX3. Antisera specific to PAX3 and FKHR were developed and used to examine PAX3 and PAX3-FKHR expression in tumor cell lines. Sequential immunoprecipitations with anti-PAX3 and anti-FKHR sera demonstrated expression of a 97-kDa PAX3-FKHR fusion protein in the t(2;13)-positive rhabdomyosarcoma Rh30 cell line and verified that a single polypeptide contains epitopes derived from each protein. The PAX3-FKHR protein was localized to the nucleus in Rh30 cells, as was wild-type PAX3, in t(2;13)-negative A673 cells. In gel shift assays using a canonical PAX binding site (e5 sequence), we found that DNA binding of PAX3-FKHR was significantly impaired relative to that of PAX3 despite the two proteins having identical PAX DNA-binding domains. However, the PAX3-FKHR fusion protein was a much more potent transcriptional activator than PAX3 as determined by transient cotransfection assays using e5-CAT reporter plasmids. The PAX3-FKHR protein may function as an oncogenic transcription factor by enhanced activation of normal PAX3 target genes.
Eight new tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for the agile frog (Rana dalmatina)

We describe eight new polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite loci isolated from the agile frog (Rana dalmatina). In 25 individuals from the Nature Reserve Lüneburger Heide (Lower Saxony, Germany), the number of alleles per locus ranged from four to nine and average observed heterozygosities from 69.1% to 80.7%. No evidence for linkage disequilibrium was found and none of the loci showed significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg expectations. These microsatellite DNA markers are suitable tools for addressing population genetics issues in this endangered species.
University spin-off firms: Lessons from ten years of experience in Europe

This paper advances our understanding of university spin-off creation and development in environments outside the high-tech cluster of the USA. It adopts a multi-level approach in its examination of this phenomenon in diverse institutional environments. In particular, units of analysis involving universities, technology transfer offices, spin-off firms, finance providers and individual entrepreneurs and teams are analysed. Policy implications are analysed and recommendations are proposed for current policy on university spin-offs. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.
A scale to assess board member motivations in nonprofit organizations

The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for identifying the motivations of board members in nonprofit organizations. Building on previous work of board member motivations (Searle, 1989; Inglis, 1994) and motivations of direct service volunteers (Clary and others, 1998), the results of the current study support a framework consisting of six components: Enhancement of Self-Worth, Learning Through Community, Helping the Community, Developing Individual Relationships, Unique Contributions to the Board, and Self-Healing. We discuss contributions by the panel of experts who reviewed the instrument and by the respondents who offered additional reasons for joining the board in view of how they can add validity to scale development. Frameworks such as the one reported in this article are valuable for understanding the complex involvement of attitudes and motivations as they relate to individuals' decisions to join boards. These insights may be applied in areas such as board member recruitment, training and development, and retention.
A managerial approach to positioning and branding: eponymous or efficient.

The purpose of this research is to examine the relative positioning of eight Mediterranean destinations using seven attributes that measure objective destination competitiveness. These attributes can be used to develop a brand identity for each destination. Using the data provided by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) on those seven competitiveness indicators for each destination, a positioning map was generated using a correspondence analysis technique. The positioning map revealed the closely competitive destinations, how competitiveness indicators cluster together, and competitive strengths and weaknesses of each destination. The key contribution of this research is the use of cost-saving secondary data that are more under the control of the manager, especially in a government organization. Some of the critical advantages of the approach presented include: low cost of data, times savings, managerial control, and ease of analysis and interpretation. The destination manager knows where to go to solve the branding concerns in the market place.
Regulating time commitments in healthcare organizations: managers' boundary approaches at work and in life.

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to explore managers' boundary setting in order to better understand their handling of time commitment to work activities, stress, and recovery during everyday work and at home. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The paper has qualitatively-driven, mixed method design including observational data, individual interviews, and focus group discussions. Data were analyzed according to Charmaz' view on constructivist grounded theory. FINDINGS A first step in boundary setting was to recognize areas with conflicting expectations and inexhaustible needs. Second, strategies were formed through negotiating the handling of managerial time commitment, resulting in boundary-setting, but also boundary-dissolving, approaches. The continuous process of individual recognition and negotiation could work as a form of proactive coping, provided that it was acknowledged and questioned. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS These findings suggest that recognition of perceived boundary challenges can affect stress and coping. It would therefore be interesting to more accurately assess stress, coping, and health status among managers by means of other methodologies (e.g. physiological assessments). PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS In regulating managers' work assignments, work-related stress and recovery, it seems important to: acknowledge boundary work as an ever-present dilemma requiring continuous negotiation; and encourage individuals and organizations to recognize conflicting perspectives inherent in the leadership assignment, in order to decrease harmful negotiations between them. Such awareness would benefit more sustainable management of healthcare practice. ORIGINALITY/VALUE This paper highlights how managers can handle ever-present boundary dilemmas in the healthcare sector by regulating their time commitments in various ways.
Multi-bias equivalent circuit for MOSFET modelling

We report on the characterization and modelling of a microwave MOSFET. We have characterized the tested on-wafer transistor by measuring DC characteristics and multi-bias scattering parameters up to 40 GHz. Furthermore, we have analytically extracted a small-signal equivalent circuit model that has been extensively and successfully validated against experimental data.
Incorporating quantum dots into polymer microspheres via a spray-drying and thermal-denaturizing approach

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) microspheres incorporated with CdTe quantum dots (QDs) have been prepared via a spray-drying and thermal-denaturizing approach. The results show that the morphology of the composites obtained was greatly affected by the inlet temperature and the initial concentration of BSA in the precursor. Most of the composites prepared with 0.6 mM BSA in the precursor at 40 °C were spherical in shape and hollow. The thermal-denaturized microspheres were water-insoluble, and separated from each other after dispersing in water. Each microsphere had bright fluorescence with pure colour. The microspheres without thermal-denaturation dissolved easily in water, and released nanospheres (>8 nm) that consisted of many CdTe nanoparticles (<3 nm). This approach opens the possibility of rapidly preparing QDs microspheres with controlled fluorescence intensity or with separated multiemission peaks for biomedical applications.
Cluster-based senone selection for the efficient calculation of deep neural network acoustic models

In this paper, we propose a cluster-based senone selection method to speed up the computation of deep neural networks (DNN) at the decoding time of speech recognition. In DNN-based acoustic models, the large number of senones at the output layer is one of the main causes that lead to the high computation complexity of DNNs. Inspired by the mixture selection method designed for the Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-based acoustic modeling, only a subset of the senones at the output layer of DNNs are selected to calculate the posterior probabilities in our proposed method. The senone selection strategy is derived by clustering the acoustic inputs according to their linear outputs at the top hidden layer. Experimental results show that the number of senones need to be calculated can be reduced by 63% without significant performance loss after applying our proposed method. As a result, the overall speed of the recognition process can be accelerated by 13% compared to the baseline.
The Contingent Value of Inward Technology Licensing on the Performance of Small High-Technology Firms

As competition intensifies and the pace of technological change accelerates, many firms often adopt inward technology licensing (ITL) to improve performance. However, previous studies investigating the effect of ITL on firm performance have not focused their samples on small high-technology firms. Furthermore, whereas past research has emphasized the moderating effect of internal research and development (R&D) on the use of external technology, relatively little research has examined such an effect. This study examines the effect of ITL on the performance of small high-technology firms, exploring the moderating role of internal R&D on the relationship between ITL and firm performance. In total, 138 small electronics manufacturing firms in Taiwan were sampled during the period of 1998 to 2005. Using a two-way fixed effects model, the analyses suggest that whether ITL has a positive effect on firm performance depends on the level of sustained internal R&D investment. This finding reveals why firms may vary in their ability to improve performance through adopting ITL.
A Hierarchical Model for Multiresolution Surface Reconstruction

Abstract The approximation of topographical surfaces is required in a variety of disciplines, for example, computer graphics and geographic information systems (GIS). The constrained Delaunay pyramid is a hierarchical model for approximating 2 1 2 -dimensional surfaces at a variety of predefined resolutions. Basically, the topographical data are given by a set of three-dimensional points, but an additional set of nonintersecting line segments describing linear surface features like valleys, ridges, and coast lines is required to constrain the representation. The approximation is obtained by computing a constrained Delaunay triangulation for each resolution. The model generalizes the constraints at coarse resolutions. Due to its structure, the constrained Delaunay pyramid efficiently supports browsing and zooming in large data sets stored in database systems underlying the GIS. For very large data sets, a divide-and-conquer approach allows the computation of the constrained Delaunay pyramid on secondary storage.
The Effect of Ownership in NGOs’ Commercial Ventures

Amidst pressure to become self‐financing, Non‐Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have become increasingly involved in profit‐generating business ventures. Because NGOs are traditionally financed by donations with the expectation that they focus on their social mission, the commercialization of NGOs has generated criticism. This paper examines the effect of ownership on investment incentives in NGOs’ commercial ventures, using an incomplete contracts framework. NGO‐ownership helps minimize the tension between primary social mission and managerial decisions. However, external ownership provides better incentives to invest in mission‐enhancing innovations. Finally, because relationships with firms are repeated, NGOs may use relational contracts to align their ventures’ incentives. However, such contracts need to be credible to work.
Frequency-Reconfigurable Archimedean Spiral Antenna

In this letter, a frequency-reconfigurable Archimedean spiral antenna is presented. The proposed antenna consists of a two-arm spiral fed by a coplanar waveguide (CPW) feeding line. A pair of meandered slotlines is implemented at both sides of the CPW-fed slot on the spiral antenna to introduce frequency reconfiguration. This antenna is able to configure operating frequencies from wideband mode (2-8-GHz band) to narrowband mode, which is at 5.8 GHz WLAN band, by switching the p-i-n diode integrated within the radiating antenna surface. Two p-i-n diode switches are located in the meandered slot to achieve frequency reconfigurability. Simulated and measured data are presented to verify the proposed antenna design.
eview xploring viral infection using single-cell sequencing

Single-cell sequencing (SCS) has emerged as a valuable tool to study cellular heterogeneity in diverse fields, including virology. By studying the viral and cellular genome and/or transcriptome, the dynamics of viral infection can be investigated at single cell level. Most studies have explored the impact of cell-tocell variation on the viral life cycle from the point of view of the virus, by analyzing viral sequences, and from the point of view of the cell, mainly by analyzing the cellular host transcriptome. In this review, we
Disclosure by Indian companies following corporate governance reform

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to investigate Indian companies’ compliance with the mandatory and voluntary corporate governance disclosure requirements of the Stock Exchange Board of India’s Clause 49. Design/methodology/approach - – The authors develop a corporate governance disclosure index and sub-indices based on Clause 49. Annual reports of listed Indian companies are scored according to their disclosures in two periods – pre and post amendments to Clause 49. Findings - – Indian companies are highly compliant with corporate governance disclosure requirements of Clause 49. Disclosure increases significantly after amendments to Clause 49 as the penalties for non-compliance increase in severity. Government controlled firms disclose significantly less than privately owned firms. Research limitations/implications - – The findings are consistent with bonding theory and the authors note that the presence of an independent regulator (with powers to take action against violators) provides corporate India with additional incentives to comply with corporate governance reform. Practical implications - – These findings have important implications for policy makers and regulators as they contribute to the debate on the choice between formal corporate governance regulation versus informal self-regulation. The study also has implications for understanding factors associated with the adoption of disclosure practices in general. Originality/value - – This is the first study to examine disclosure compliance in a major developing country pre and post amendments to mandatory corporate governance requirements. Prior evidence indicates a low level of disclosure in India but our results demonstrate an improvement in line with our theoretical predictions that suggests, India is converging towards an Anglo-Saxon model of corporate governance.
HASTA LA VISTA: A COMPARATIVE INSTITUTIONALIST ANALYSIS OF THE RECALL

The recall (the removal of elected representatives following a special election) has received increased attention in recent years. From the 2003 recall of the Governor of California, through failed recall attempts in Romania and Venezuela, the mechanism has been championed by reformers as a means of holding elected politicians to account. Yet no comparative study has been undertaken to empirically test the effect of the provision. Combining qualitative information with quantitative data, this article analyses if the recall has served its function of creating more responsive representatives. There is some (limited) evidence that the recall has improved trust in government in the US and to a degree in British Columbia. But overall the recall has—paradoxically—tended to strengthen politicians who win recall elections.
Practitioner research and professional development in education

Research Traditions in Education Researching Professional Development Professional Identity Who Am I? What Kind of Practitioner Am I? Identifying an Area for Research Finding, Reviewing and Managing Literature Which Research Techniques to Use? Critical Friendship, Critical Community and Collaboration Qualitative Data Analysis Quantitative Data Management, Analysis and Presentation of Questionnaire Surveys Writing up, Reporting and Publishing Your Research Evaluating amd Disseminating Research Resources for Research