Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Processing and Dielectric Properties of Nanocomposite Thin Film “Supercapacitors” for High-Frequency Embedded Decoupling

The embedded decoupling capacitor problem has been pursued by several groups and industry around the world over the past decade. Currently, popular ceramic-polymer composites can only provide limited capacitance, typically within 10 nF/cm2 . With the reliability and processing constraints imposed, the capacitance density would be much lower. Newer capacitor concepts such as supercapacitors can overcome the limitations of existing polymer based capacitors and are now being considered. These concepts rely on nanostructured electrodes for high surface area per unit volume resulting in ultrahigh capacitance densities and unconventional polarization mechanisms such as electrical double layer and interfacial polarization. Supercapacitive structures lead to ultrahigh capacitance densities of the order of hundreds of microfarads. However, manufacturers report that the properties are unstable at high frequencies, typically even at tens of megahertz. To adapt these structures for mid-to-high-frequency decoupling, it is hence essential to systematically characterize the high-frequency dielectric properties of the thin nanocomposite films and nanostructured electrodes. This paper reports complete electrical characterization of a part of such a system, carbon black-epoxy nanocomposites. The high-frequency properties of the cured films were evaluated with a multiline calibration technique by measuring -parameters of transmission lines fabricated on the top of the dielectrics. Though the nanostructured carbon black epoxy composites showed high dielectric constant of 1000 at low frequencies, the high frequency (0.5-4.5GHz) dielectric constant was found to be only up to 10 times that of the base polymer matrix. The measured dielectric constant at gigahertz frequencies increased from 15-30 when the filler content was increased from 3.8% to 6.5%, with excessive leakage currents. Based on these measurements, conduction and polarization relaxation mechanisms will be assessed and the suitability of the thin film supercapacitors for high-frequency decoupling applications will be discussed.
Determining the factors which affect the stock investment decisions of potential female investors in Indonesia

In recent years, the increasing number of career women has become a new phenomenon in Indonesia. Women do not only become housewives, but they can also work to earn additional income for the family. It encouraged Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) to have a special programme to create a promotion for potential female investors, since there have not been many females who have become investors in the stock market. The purpose of this paper is to look for the factors which influence the investments’ intentions, especially for women in Indonesia, by applying the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). This research used the TPB in order to describe more deeply about the relationships between beliefs and behaviour. The theory states that attitudes towards behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, shape an individual’s behavioural intentions altogether. The study used self-administered questionnaires which were distributed to the samples of female lecturers in a university. The data was analysed with multiple regression technique. This result indicated that the intention to buy financial products was influenced by perceived behavioural control and risk preference, but it was not affected by subjective norms and attitudes.
Universalization and Privatization: How Policy Analysis can Help Understand the Development of Brazil’s Health System

Abstract The article addresses the present configuration of Brazil’s health system. Although it is defined as comprising universal access, hegemonic public funding and direct provision of care, today it is fragmented and under private sector hegemony, with strong inequity in health care provision. Comparison between health expenditure indicators in 26 emerging countries shows that state expenditures have been of lesser magnitude, even as compared with other emerging countries. Out-of-pocket expenditures are high and that compromises equity. The failures of Brazil´s health reform are seen as an outcome of the pattern of organization of domestic collective interests. It is argued that, as the Constitution proposed no veto against the market operating in the health sector, interests with greater voice have succeeded in imposing their preferences in decision-making arenas for private health care. The discussion is based on policy analysis literature and health system typologies. The data are analysed by descriptive statistics.
How much are you Willing to Pay to Play the Saint Petersburg Gamble

The Saint Petersburg gamble has an infinite expected payoff but few people would pay more than 32 dollars as an entrance fee to play it. In fact under reasonable conditions the maximum willingness to pay to play the game is much lower at around $ 4, and seems to always converge to a maximum price. This is what emerges from the analysis in this paper. The procedure adopted is by a simulation of 1000 tosses of an honest coin, calculating the expected utility, and solving for the entrance fee that equates this expected utility to the certainty-equivalent utility. As predictable this fee depends positively on initial wealth and negatively on risk aversion. There is evidence that this game is a poor manâ€™s game as will be shown empirically. All these results vindicate the expected utility paradigm, and show that this framework can still be valuable to depict and explain behavior towards risk, and other issues related to risk tolerance.
Maurice Blanchot and Fragmentary Writing: A Change of Epoch

Writing in fragments is often held to be one of the most distinctive signature effects of Romantic, modern, and postmodern literature. But what is the fragment, and what may be said to be its literary, philosophical, and political significance? Few writers have explored these questions with such probing radicality and rigorous tenacity as the French writer and thinker Maurice Blanchot. For the first time in any language, this book explores in detail Blanchot’s own writing in fragments in order to understand the stakes of the fragmentary within philosophical and literary modernity. It attends in detail to each of Blanchot’s fragmentary works (Awaiting Forgetting, The Step Not Beyond, and The Writing of the Disaster) and reconstructs Blanchot’s radical critical engagement with the philosophical and literary tradition, in particular with Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Heraclitus, Levinas, Derrida, Nancy, Mallarme, Char, and others, and assesses Blanchot’s account of politics, Jewish thought, and the Shoah, with a view to understanding the stakes of fragmentary writing in Blanchot and within philosophical and literary modernity in general.
Signalization and cytoskeleton activity through myosin IB during the early steps of phagocytosis in Entamoeba histolytica: a proteomic approach

Phagocytosis of human cells is a crucial activity for the virulence of the human parasite Entamoeba histolytica. This protozoan invades and destroys the intestine by killing and phagocytosing epithelial cells, erythrocytes and cells from the immune system. In this study, we used magnetic beads covered with proteins from human serum as a model system to study the early events involved in phagocytosis by E. histolytica. We validated the system showing that the beads uptake triggered the activation of the actin‐myosin cytoskeleton and involved a PI3‐kinase as previously described for erythrophagocytosis. We purified early phagosomes from wild‐type (WT) amoeba and from parasites that overproduced myosin IB (MyoIB+), the unique unconventional myosin of E. histolytica. The MyoIB+ cells exhibit a slower and more synchronized uptake process than the WT strain. Proteomic analysis by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectroscopy (LC‐MS/MS) of the WT and MyoIB+ phagosomes allowed us to identify, for the first time, molecular actors involved in the early step of the uptake process. These include proteins involved in cytoskeleton activity, signalling, endocytosis, lytic activity and cell surface proteins. Interestingly, the proteins that we found specifically recruited on the phagosomes from the MyoIB+ strain were previously described in other eukarytotic cells, as involved in the regulation of cortical F‐actin dynamics, such as α‐actinin and formins. This proteomics approach allows a step further towards the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in phagocytosis in E. histolytica that revealed some interesting differences compared with phagocytosis in macrophages or Dictyostelium discoideum, and allowed to identify putative candidates for proteins linked to myosin IB activity during the phagocytic process
Clinically Relevant Doses of Candesartan Inhibit Growth of Prostate Tumor Xenografts In Vivo through Modulation of Tumor Angiogenesis

Angiotensin II receptor type 1 blockers (ARBs), widely used antihypertensive drugs, have also been investigated for their anticancer effects. The effect of ARBs on prostate cancer in experimental models compared with meta-analysis data from clinical trials is conflicting. Whereas this discrepancy might be due to the use of supratherapeutic doses of ARBs in cellular and animal models as compared with the clinical doses used in human trials, further investigation of the effects of clinical doses of ARBs on prostate cancer in experimental models is warranted. In the current study, we sought to determine the effects of candesartan on prostate cancer cellular function in vitro and tumor growth in vivo, and characterize the underlying mechanisms. Our analysis indicated that clinically relevant doses of candesartan significantly inhibited growth of PC3 cell tumor xenografts in mice. Interestingly, the same concentrations of candesartan actually promoted prostate cancer cellular function in vitro, through a modest but significant inhibition in apoptosis. Inhibition of tumor growth by candesartan was associated with a decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in tumors and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis, but normalization of tumor vasculature. Although candesartan did not impair PC3 cell viability, it inhibited endothelial-barrier disruption by tumor-derived factors. Furthermore, candesartan significantly inhibited expression of VEGF in PC3 and DU145 cell lines independent of angiotensin II type 2 receptor, but potentially via angiotensin II type 1 receptor inhibition. Our findings clearly demonstrate the therapeutic potential of candesartan for prostate cancer and establish a link between ARBs, VEGF expression, and prostate tumor angiogenesis.
The SARS crisis: reflections of Hong Kong nurses.

BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) exerted a massive toll on Hong Kong's healthcare system in 2003. AIM This research examines front-line nurses' reflections on the time of SARS in Hong Kong in order to articulate: (1) the nature and complexity of their experience, and (2) what lessons can be learned for future disease crises. METHODS Personal reflective essays written in 2004 by seven senior nurses studying a part-time Masters in Nursing degree at a Hong Kong university were analysed using a form of content analysis. FINDINGS The nurses' stories report immense personal costs on nurses, on their families and on the wider community. The analysis of the narratives was used to build a model, indicating how nurses' personal lives were 'sandwiched' between, on the one hand, their commitment to families and local community and, on the other hand, their professional commitment to the needs of a health system in crisis. CONCLUSION In dealing with future health crises, it is imperative that a multilevel approach be taken.
Decomposition of Milk Supply Response into Technology and Price-Induced Effects

An economically relevant aggregate production function and an aggregate profit function are used to decompose milk supply response into technology and price effects. Decomposing milk supply response in this way provides insights into dairy industry efficiency and its impact on the effectiveness of price support programs as well as the extent to which aggregate milk production will expand despite prices motivating supply curtailment. An empirical analysis of supply response decomposition for the state of Washington is presented. Expected market price effects were obtained but were overwhelmed by technology effects resulting in milk output expansion when price signals motivated supply reduction.
Can biological markers replace cystoscopy? An update

Cystoscopy is currently considered the gold standard for the detection of bladder tumors. The role of urine cytology in the initial detection and follow-up of patients is under discussion. New elaborative and rapid assays are available that may circumvent the low sensitivity and poor reproducibility of urine cytology. The methods that have been tested extensively are the nuclear matrix protein (NMP22) assay, the BTA stat assay, and the BTA TRAK enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Both outperform cytology in the detection of low-grade lesions. The specificity of both assays, however, lags behind that of cytology. The data from retrospective analyses are insufficient to justify clinical integration, and the need to replace cystoscopy with these novel assays remains to be proven.
Novel putative SREBP and LXR target genes identified by microarray analysis in liver of cholesterol-fed mices⃞s⃞ The online version of this article (available at http://www.jlr.org) contains one supplemental table. Published, JLR Papers in Press, August 1, 2003. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M300203-JLR200

High-cholesterol diets elicit changes in gene expression via such transcription factors as sterol-regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) and liver X receptors (LXRs). We used Affymetrix microarrays to identify genes in mouse liver regulated by dietary cholesterol (0.0% vs. 0.5% cholesterol wt/wt). Three independent experiments were performed, and data were analyzed with Affymetrix Microarray Suite and ANOVA statistical software. There were 69 unique Unigene clusters consistently regulated by dietary cholesterol (37 downregulated and 32 upregulated). The array results were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR (Q-PCR) for seven of nine downregulated genes and five of six upregulated genes. A time course of dietary cholesterol feeding over 1 week revealed different temporal patterns of gene regulation for these confirmed genes. Six downregulated genes were examined in transgenic mice overexpressing truncated nuclear forms of SREBP-1a and SREBP-2, and all were induced in these mice. A second microarray analysis of mice treated with the LXR agonist TO901317 confirmed that 13 of the 32 cholesterol upregulated genes were also LXR-activated. This array result was confirmed by Q-PCR for three of three genes. In summary, these studies identified and confirmed six novel dietary cholesterol-regulated genes, three putative SREBP target genes (calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 1D, fatty acid binding protein 5, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9), and three putative LXR target genes (a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain 11, apoptosis-inhibitory 6, and F-box-only protein 3).
Characterization of the Denitrification-Associated Phosphorus Uptake Properties of “Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis” Clades in Sludge Subjected to Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal

ABSTRACT To characterize the denitrifying phosphorus (P) uptake properties of “Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis,” a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated with acetate. The SBR operation was gradually acclimated from anaerobic-oxic (AO) to anaerobic-anoxic-oxic (A2O) conditions by stepwise increases of nitrate concentration and the anoxic time. The communities of “Ca. Accumulibacter” and associated bacteria at the initial (AO) and final (A2O) stages were compared using 16S rRNA and polyphosphate kinase genes and using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The acclimation process led to a clear shift in the relative abundances of recognized “Ca. Accumulibacter” subpopulations from clades IIA > IA > IIF to clades IIC > IA > IIF, as well as to increases in the abundance of other associated bacteria (Dechloromonas [from 1.2% to 19.2%] and “Candidatus Competibacter phosphatis” [from 16.4% to 20.0%]), while the overall “Ca. Accumulibacter” abundance decreased (from 55.1% to 29.2%). A series of batch experiments combined with FISH/microautoradiography (MAR) analyses was performed to characterize the denitrifying P uptake properties of the “Ca. Accumulibacter” clades. In FISH/MAR experiments using slightly diluted sludge (∼0.5 g/liter), all “Ca. Accumulibacter” clades successfully took up phosphorus in the presence of nitrate. However, the “Ca. Accumulibacter” clades showed no P uptake in the presence of nitrate when the sludge was highly diluted (∼0.005 g/liter); under these conditions, reduction of nitrate to nitrite did not occur, whereas P uptake by “Ca. Accumulibacter” clades occurred when nitrite was added. These results suggest that the “Ca. Accumulibacter” cells lack nitrate reduction capabilities and that P uptake by “Ca. Accumulibacter” is dependent upon nitrite generated by associated nitrate-reducing bacteria such as Dechloromonas and “Ca. Competibacter. ”
CapNet: A Wireless Management Network for Power Capping in Data Centers

Data center management (DCM) is increasingly becoming a significant challenge for enterprises hosting large scale online and cloud services. Machines need to be continuously monitored, and the scale of operations mandate high reliability and automated management. Reliability in existing wired-based solutions for DCM comes with high cost. In this paper, we propose a new, wireless sensor-based approach that is significantly cost-effective while satisfying the reliability and performance requirements of management functions. Our system implementation, called CapNet, can scale to 100s of 1000s of servers at <10% the cost compared to wired implementation. We show its feasibility for a timecritical DCM application – Power Capping – in a deployment of 80 machines in two different data centers, and also emulate implementation on 480 machines in an operational data center, using 6-month long power traces.
Toward an African theology

Theology John S. Pobee, University of Ghana, draws parallels and differences between African tradition and Christian doctrine. Dr. Pobee urges the development of a Christian theology that is distinctly African. $5.95, paper An Introduction to Old Testament Study Directed specifically to the first-time serious student of the Old Testament, this lucid and well written text offers a thorough introduction to the issues, problems, and approaches in contemporary Old Testament study. Each of the ten chapters includes a bibliography of sources available in English or in translation. John H. Hayes. $10.95, paper
The Effects of Mission‐Oriented Public R & D Spending on Private Industry

This paper addresses the question of how government mission-oriented R & D spending affects private R & D spending and thereby the total investment in technology. The problem is approached within the context of the capital asset pricing model in which the firm views investment projects in terms of their risk and return characteristics. The firm is assumed to produce jointly an established product and an R & D-intensive product, where the latter generates an additional output of technology, or spillover, that is used as an input into the former. By investing in R & D the firm alters its risk and return characteristics in two ways: through the expected profits from the sale of the R & D-intensive good; and through the expected profits from the spillover. In this model, government mission-oriented R & D contracting affects the firm by enabling it to separate to some extent these two sources of risk and return. The main implication of the analysis is that while some public crowding out of private R & D is likely, this is almost certain to be incomplete. The empirical evidence from the U.S. transport industry supports the model and suggests that each dollar of government funding adds around 92 cents to total R & D spending; crowding out private investment by as little as eight percent. PRIVATE COMPANIES IN THE United States perform a great deal of publicly funded R & D contract work, notably in connection with defence, space exploration, energy, and health. This work is generally believed to make two contributions to society: a direct effect of providing technology-intensive public goods, and an indirect or spillover effect into the technology content of the private goods produced by the firms which undertake the government contracts. For example, space technology has produced heart pacemakers alongside cryogenic insulation materials, while automatic instrument landing systems benefit holidaymakers as well as Air Force pilots.
A low power and high accuracy MEMS sensor based activity recognition algorithm

Wearable sensors and smart phones have been used in human activity recognitions and can achieve relative high accuracy however the power consumption is also high. In this paper, we propose an activity recognition approach that can achieve high accuracy with low power consumption. Two strategies have been applied to reduce the power consumption. The first strategy is using the hierarchical support vector machine classification algorithm to reduce the computational complexity. The second strategy is to reduce the sensor data sampling rates. Data collected from sensors in low sampling rate were processed using a wider time window for the feature extraction. The experiment results show that the average recognition accuracy of human activities (sitting, standing, walking, and running) in 1 Hz sampling rate can reach 98.50%. It indicates that the proposed approach can effectively extend the battery lifetime while maintaining high prediction accuracy in activity recognition.
Optimal global pose estimation for consistent sensor data registration

We consider the problem of consistent range data registration in modeling an unknown environment. The problem is expressed as the optimal estimation of pose variables under the maximum likelihood criterion. By treating all the history of robot poses as variables and solving them simultaneously, consistency is enforced. We formulate relative pose constraints from both matched scans and odometry measurements to construct a network of measurements. Then we derive closed-form pose estimates as well as their covariance matrices. Examples of global scan registration using both real and simulated data are presented.
Downside Risk and Long-Horizon Stock Return Reversals

We argue that long-horizon return reversals [Debondt and Thaler (1985)] reflect a premium for downside risk. Consistent with this, we find that downside betas of past losers are significantly greater than downside betas of past winners, and the inclusion of downside beta in Fama-Macbeth regressions subsumes the reversal effect. We note that downside risk offers a theoretical justification for the “distress risk” explanation for long-horizon return reversals of Fama and French (1996). Consistent with this view, we find that downside beta is more highly correlated with firm characteristics associated with distress (dividend reductions and delisting) and explains long-horizon return reversals better than SMB/HML and other proxies for distress risk in the literature.