Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of the Matching Pursuit Method in a Fetal Phonocardiographic Telemedicine System

A novel compact method for fetal home monitoring optimized for long data acquisition time has already been presented [1]. The method involves preprocessing a disturbed acoustic signal received on the maternal abdomen. The present work summarizes phenomena encountered during analysis of the incoming PCG signal, and describes further improvements made to the analysis system already in use including the application of the MP method to determining heartbeat lengths and identifying murmurs between heart sounds.
Residual-based tests forcointegration with gradual switching

In this article, we propose residual-based tests for cointegration in models with gradual switching. The cointegration test proposed by Gregory and Hansen (1996) is employed to consider the structural break. However, this test has not been considered in the case of gradual switching. Therefore, we extend this test by considering gradual switching. We derive the asymptotic distribution and critical values of the test statistics.
Customer Orientation, Learning Orientation, and New Service Development

Although many studies have investigated the role of customer orientation and learning orientation on a firm’s performance in small, medium, and large enterprises, the literature provides little empirical evidence about the role of customer orientation and learning orientation within the hotel industry. This current work investigates the influence of these variables on new service development and their subsequent effect on performance (financial and perceptual). Also, the impact of participating managers’ positive attitude toward change on new service development has been examined. Using data from hotel managers and owners located in Switzerland, several hypotheses have been formulated and tested. The findings not only verify aspects of prior research but also provide a new insight by exploring customer orientation, learning orientation, and new service development simultaneously, revealing how these factors affect the performance of the Swiss hotel industry. Although support for some hypotheses was found, these results need to be evaluated in light of the limitations, which moderate the contribution and also provide areas for further research.
Using an innovative approach to shorten coaching and assessment time when applying the Baldrige Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence in a substance abuse treatment setting

This study reports on an innovative pilot project that implemented the Baldrige Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence in a substance abuse treatment programme, with the immediate goal of producing a Baldrige Feedback Report, and identifying ten specific high-priority Opportunities For Improvement (OFI) action items from among the criteria categories. We have been unable to discover any other literature citations in the application of Performance Excellence to substance abuse treatment services, even though a great body of literature exists for health care services. This experimental project used an innovative approach to shorten significantly the normal coaching and assessment time used by organizations when applying the Baldridge criteria. The Substance Abuse Foundation (SAF) of Long Beach, California, participated in a 10-week intervention to determine the suitability of the Baldrige criteria to substance abuse treatment programmes. A current national Baldrige examiner and a state Baldrige examiner facilitated the sessions. All sessions were tape-recorded, notes were transcribed during each session, and the content analysed used Nvivo qualitative software. Participation was voluntary, and was attended by programme managers and staff from SAF. Participants completed homework assignments between sessions, answering the Baldrige self-assessment questions for each of the seven criteria. The number of participants at each session was (M=18.6, range 14-23). Overall, participants were able to answer the Baldrige self-study questions and rate their programme with respect to conformance to the criteria. The resulting Baldrige feedback report shows strengths, OFI action items, scoring range, item score and points for each category. In the final session, participants use a process of voting to identify the top ten OFI action items. This study demonstrates the potential of using an innovative approach to shorten the coaching and assessment time when applying the Health Care Baldrige criteria within a substance abuse treatment setting.
Efficiency and throughput analysis of delayed-acknowledgement in WPANs

An analytical model for studying the performance of the delayed acknowledgement (Dly-ACK) mechanism in IEEE 802.15. 3 over a fading channel is developed. A three-state Markov channel model is used to approximate both correlated and uncorrelated error processes. Explicit mathematical expressions for the goodput and efficiency of Dly-ACK are derived. It is found that the Dly-ACK mechanism yields higher goodput in a burst error environment than in a random error environment. The goodput tends to increase as the size of the burst increases; however, the amount of increase depends on the underlying delay. Simulations results are given to validate the analytical results.
Retirement savings investment choices in response to the global financial crisis: Australian evidence

This paper examines the retirement savings investment choices of Australian workers over a three-year period, including the global financial crisis (GFC), based on a large sample of members drawn from five superannuation funds. The overwhelming majority of members did not change their investment strategy in response to the GFC. Between October 2006 and March 2009 less than seven per cent of members did so. The likelihood of making a change increased with member balance and contributions levels. During the GFC period women with large balances were more likely to make a change, a result which contrasts with the bulk of prior evidence suggesting males as the more active. The level of change activity did increase during the GFC peaking in October 2008, the month with the largest market downturn, and March 2009, when the market reached its low point. The implications for both members and funds of the observed investment choice behaviour are discussed.
Préférences révélées, bien public local et électeur médian : tests sur données françaises

[fre] Le modele de l’electeur median postule que l’offre de bien public est determinee par la demande de l’electeur median, suppose decisif lors des elections. L’article propose deux nouveaux tests de cette hypothese sur les villes de plus de 10 000 habitants en France. Pour cela, nous developpons deux methodes de test, l’une, non-parametrique, fondee sur la theorie des preferences revelees et l’autre, parametrique, fondee sur la fonction d’utilite en equivalent monetaire. Nous montrons que l’hypothese d’un comportement de depenses publiques des villes conforme a l’hypothese de maximisation de l’utilite de l’electeur median ne peut etre rejetee. En effet, les indicateurs calcules, tant les indices moyens d’efficacite des choix observes que le pourcentage de l’impot de l’electeur median «gaspille » par des choix inefficaces, suggerent que l’offre de bien public local est bien determinee par la demande de l’electeur median. [eng] Revealed Preference, Local Public Goods and the Median Voter Theorem : Tests on Data From France. The median voter theorem holds that the supply of public goods is determined by the median voter’s demand, considered decisive in voting. The paper proposes two new tests of the theorem based on all towns in France with population of over 10,000. The authors develop two test methods, a non-parametric method based on revealed preference theory and a parametric method based on the utility function in monetary equivalent terms. It is shown that the hypothesis that municipal public spending is consistent with median voter utility maximisation cannot be rejected. The indicators computed, the mean efficiency indexes for the observed choices and the percentage of the median voter’s tax “wasted” by inefficient choices, both suggest that the supply of local public goods is indeed determined by median voter demand.
A Contingency Theory of Corporate Social Performance

This article presents a contingency theory of corporate social performance as a function of the fit between the nature of the social issue and its corresponding strategies and structures. In so doing, it integrates elements of the corporate social responsiveness, issues management, and stakeholder management literatures. The conclusion discusses the limitations of the model and suggests directions for future research.
MULTISTAGE GAMES WITH COMMUNICATION

This paper considers multistage games with communication mechanisms that can be implemented by a central mediator. In a communication equilibrium, no player expects ex ante to gain by manipulating his reports or actions. A sequential communication equilibrium is a communication equilibrium with a conditional probability system under which no player could ever expect to gain by manipulation, even after zero-probability events. Codominated actions are defined. It is shown that a communication equilibrium is a sequential communication equilibrium if and only if it never uses codominated actions. Predominant communication equilibria are defined by iterative elimination of codominated actions and are shown to exist.
Incentive Conflicts and Contractual Restraints: Evidence from Franchising*

This study uses agency theory to develop testable implications about three provisions commonly observed in franchise contracts: (1) restrictions on passive ownership, (2) area development plans, and (3) mandatory advertising expenditures. The primary hypothesis is that these provisions are most likely when there are significant externalities among the units within the franchise system. The evidence, based on a large sample of franchise contracts, is generally consistent with this hypothesis. The evidence also suggests that these incentive instruments are complements. In contrast to the theory, most of the results do not support the hypothesis that the percentage of company‐owned units is related to externalities within the system. Franchisee risk aversion and/or wealth constraints appear more important. While the study focuses on franchising, the results provide insights into related provisions in other contracts.
On the effectiveness of the truth-spreading/rumor-blocking strategy for restraining rumors

Spreading truths and blocking rumors are two typical strategies for inhibiting rumors. In practice, a tradeoff between the two strategies, which is known as the TSRB strategy, may achieve a better cost-effectiveness. This paper is devoted to assessing the effectiveness of the TSRB strategy. For that purpose, an individual-level spreading model (the generic URQT model) capturing the interaction between a rumor and the truth is established. Under the model, a set of criteria for the dying out of a rumor is presented. These criteria capture the combined influence of the basic parameters and the network structures on the effectiveness of the TSRB strategy. Experimental results show that, when the rumor dies out, the dynamics of a simplified URQT model (the linear URQT model) fits well with the actual rumor-truth interacting process. Therefore, the generic URQT model and sometimes the linear URQT model provide a proper basis for assessing the effectiveness of the TSRB strategy.
The impact of organizational support on work spirituality, organizational citizenship behaviour and job performance: The case of Zimbabwe’s small and medium enterprises (SME) sector

Notwithstanding the increasing alertness of the importance of organizational support on employees’ job performance in large firms, research efforts on the same and the mediating influence of workplace spirituality and organizational citizenship behaviour focused on the SMEs sector context have largely been scarce particularly in developing countries of Southern Africa. Therefore, the principal objective of this study is to fill this void. Five research hypotheses are posited and a sample data of 320 collected from the SME employees in Zimbabwe is used to empirically test the hypotheses. The results of this study show that, organizational support positively influences SME employees’ workplace spirituality, citizenship behaviour and consequently their job performance in a significant way. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed and limitations and future research directions are indicated.
Effects of variation of inverted-repeat sequences on reactions mediated by the transposase of Tn21

The frequencies of one-ended transposition and normal transposition of derivatives of Tn21 that contain mutant inverted-repeat sequences (IRs) have been measured. In general, there was a linear relationship between the log of the frequency of one-ended transposition of a mutant IR and the log of the frequency of normal transposition of an element flanked by a wild-type IR at one end and by the mutant IR at the other. This implied that one-ended and normal transposition share the rate-limiting step that determines the frequency of transposition and that both IRs are involved in the rate-limiting step in normal transposition. Surprisingly, it was found that only the outer 18 base pairs of the IR of Tn21 engaged accurately in both one-ended and normal transposition, at about 1% of the frequency of the wild-type IR.
Advertising and the US market demand for beer

The US per capita market demand for beer is empirically estimated to determine the effect of advertising on the demand for beer. The empirical results indicate that the most important determinants of demand are the price of beer, the price of substitutes, demographic factors, and a light beer dummy variable. The positive effects of income and lagged consumption appear to be small. Although many have argued that advertising promotes beer consumption, the empirical results of this study do not support this hypothesis.
High-precision Autonomous Flight in Constrained Shipboard Environments

This paper addresses the problem of autonomous navigation of a micro aerial vehicle (MAV) inside of a constrained shipboard environment to aid in fire control, which might be perilous or inaccessible for humans. The environment is GPS-denied and visually degraded, containing narrow passageways, doorways and small objects protruding from the wall, which makes existing 2D LIDAR, vision or mechanical bumper-based autonomous navigation solutions fail. To realize autonomous navigation in such challenging environments, we first propose a fast and robust state estimation algorithm that fuses estimates from a direct depth odometry method and a Monte Carlo localization algorithm with other sensor information in a two-level fusion framework. Then, an online motion planning algorithm that combines trajectory optimization with receding horizon control is proposed for fast obstacle avoidance. All the computations are done in real-time onboard our customized MAV platform. We validate the system by running experiments in different environmental conditions. The results of over 10 runs show that our vehicle robustly navigates 20m long corridors only 1m wide and goes through a very narrow doorway (only 4cm clearance on each side) completely autonomously even when it is completely dark or full of light smoke.
Value Dynamics: Towards a Framework for Analyzing Public Value Changes

This paper presents a preliminary framework for analyzing how values in the public sector change over time. The specific dynamics are conceptualised as three types of change mechanisms: a teleological, a conflictual and a value-internal change mechanism. Choice of governance systems – hierarchy, clan, network or market - is an example of designing control systems to promote particular values. Another change mechanism is rooted in conflicts between values and the actors carrying these values leading to various organisational responses. Finally, influenced by basic properties of a value changes may follow several distinct patterns such as life cycles, pendulum dynamics, enlargement of scope, refinement and turbulence. The possible outcomes of value dynamic processes are basically changes in value configurations: crowding out, sedimentation, the core-periphery hypothesis, division of labour, and re-interpretation. The paper uses examples from a Danish context, but argues that the value dynamics identified have a more universal scope.
Multi Agent Conflict Partition Scheduling for Coordinated Space Systems

The Conflict Partition Scheduling (CPS) is a methodology that builds solutions by repeatedly identifying bottlenecks and posting constraints to solve them. As a result, a temporally flexible schedule is gained, that offers an envelope of executable legal behaviours. CPS has been focused to single agent (e.g. a single rover or spacecraft) scenarios so far, according to a centralized scheduling strategy. The growing interest on space missions composed by coordinated space systems (e.g. spacecraft flotillas and rover teams) makes distributed scheduling technologies even more attractive to develop. The paper extends the CPS approach to a distributed multi-agent scheduling environment. Running isolated and parallel CPSs processes does not guarantee the consistency of inter-agent constraints. The here proposed methodology concerns with controlling the bottleneck conflict partition of each agent through a negotiation mechanism. In particular, each sequencing constraint becomes an agent proposal to negotiate according to a specific strategy. Negotiation mechanism models a majority voting system and reduces the ongoing conflict partitions to propose. The constraint propagations are performed in a Distributed Simple Temporal Network (DisSTN) to keep temporal consistency of the agent society. An analysis on differently sized problems and the results of a two rovers scenario are also offered.
Relaying operation in 3GPP LTE: challenges and solutions

With the ever growing demand of data applications, traditional cellular networks face the challenges of providing enhanced system capacity, extended cell coverage, and improved minimum throughput in a cost-effective manner. Wireless relay stations, especially when operating in a halfduplex operation, make it possible without incurring high site acquisition and backhaul costs. Design of wireless relay stations faces the challenges of providing backward compatibility, minimizing complexity, and maximizing efficiency. This article provides an overview of the challenges and solutions in the design of relay stations as one of the salient features for 3GPP LTE advanced.
Frailty is strongly associated with increased risk of recurrent falls among older HIV-infected adults: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE Both frailty and falls occur at earlier than expected ages among HIV-infected individuals, but the contribution of frailty to fall risk in this population is not well understood. We examined this association among participants enrolled in AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) A5322. DESIGN A prospective, multi-center cohort study of HIV-infected men and women ≥40 years. METHODS Frailty assessment included a 4-meter walk, grip strength, and self-reported weight loss, exhaustion, and low physical activity. Multinomial logistic regression assessed the association between baseline frailty, grip, and 4-meter walk and single and recurrent (2+) falls over the next 12 months; logistic regression assessed effect modification by several factors on association between frailty and any (1+) falls. RESULTS Of 967 individuals, 6% were frail, 39% pre-frail, and 55% non-frail. Eighteen percent had ≥1 fall, and 7% had recurrent falls. In multivariable models, recurrent falls were more likely among frail (OR = 17.3; 95% CI = 7.03-42.6) and pre-frail (OR = 3.80; 95% CI = 1.87-7.72) than non-frail individuals. Significant associations were also seen with recurrent falls and slow walk and weak grip. The association between frailty and any falls was substantially stronger among individuals with peripheral neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS Aging HIV-infected pre-frail and frail individuals are at significantly increased risk of falls. Incorporation of frailty assessments or simple evaluations of walk speed or grip strength in clinical care may help identify individuals at greatest risk for falls. Peripheral neuropathy further increases fall risk among frail persons, defining a potential target population for closer fall surveillance, prevention, and treatment.
The Consumer Price Equation in the Post War British Economy: An Exercise in Equation Specification Testing

After a general discussion of alternative formulations of the Almon distributed lag (as in Fair and Jaffee (1971), Godfrey and Poskitt (1975), Robinson (1970), Trivedi and Pagan (1976)), particularly the problem of choosing the maximum lag, the paper uses this in discussing a price equation for the British economy. This is based on a normal-costs assumption similar to that used by Godley-Nordhaus (1972), and the paper can be regarded as an attempt to test a specification similar to that of these authors by considering a wide range of alternative specifications.
Forward curve dynamics in the Nordic electricity market

The forward curve dynamics in the Nordic electricity market is examined. Six years of price data on futures and forward contracts traded in the Nordic electricity market are analysed. For the forward price function of electricity, we specify a multi‐factor term structure models in a Heath‐Jarrow‐Morton framework. Principal component analysis is used to reveal the volatility structure in the market. A two‐factor model explains 75 per cent of the price variation in our data, compared to approximately 95 per cent in most other markets. Further investigations show that correlation between short‐ and long‐term forward prices is lower than in other markets. We briefly discuss possible reasons why these special properties occur, and some consequences for hedging exposures in this market.
Stability despite Reforms: Structural Asymmetries in Dutch Local Policy Networks

Abstract This article addresses the development of local policy networks in the Netherlands in the period 1996–2005. It is argued that there is a surprising stability in such networks seen from the perspective of local policymakers. Those working inside city hall as politicians and as members of the local administration remain the core members of the inner circle in policy networks, while societal groups remain outsiders and political party groups are absent from local policy networks. This conclusion is based on three identical standardised surveys among local politicians and top administrators at the local level, which were conducted in 1996, 2000 and 2005. This outcome is surprising, because it is contrary to the high expectations arising from numerous institutional reforms taking place in this period, aimed, among other things, at diminishing the gap between citizens and policymakers; the numerous experiments in co-production, public-private partnerships, and interactive policy processes; and the wide.
Time--frequency analysis of biosignals

The wavelet transform has a powerful time-frequency analysis and signal-coding tool suitable for use in the manipulation of complex nonstationary signals. This article provides an overview of the emerging role of wavelet-transform analysis in biomedical signal processing and analysis. It also provides a brief overview of the theory of the transform in its two distinct and very different forms: continuous and discrete. In conclusion, it has been shown that the wavelet transform is a flexible time-frequency decomposition tool that can form the basis of useful signal analysis, and coding schemes. It is envisaged that the future will see further application of the wavelet transform to biomedical signal analysis, as the emerging technologies based on them are honed for practical purposes.