Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low triiodothyronine (T3) state: a predictor of outcome in respiratory failure? Results of a clinical pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Various low triiodothyronine (T3) states have been described in severe nonthyroidal diseases and associated with a poor prognosis in cardiovascular disease patients. We assessed thyroid function in patients with severe respiratory failure from pulmonary disorders, and needing invasive or noninvasive mechanical ventilation, in order to evaluate the prognostic value of nonthyroidal illness syndrome. METHODS We studied 32 consecutive patients with acute or acute-on-chronic respiratory failure. Measured variables upon admission included APACHE II score, the ratio of the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood to the fraction of oxygen in inspired gas (PaO(2)/FiO(2)), and plasma levels of free T3 (fT3) and free thyroxine (fT4), and TSH levels. Thyroid function was further evaluated at discharge. RESULTS Plasma levels of fT3 were below normal in 17 patients (53%). Plasma fT3 was correlated with PaO(2)/FiO(2) (P<0.001), and with APACHE II score (P=0.003). In four patients (12.5%) who died, fT3 levels were significantly lower (P=0.002) than in patients who survived. In univariate logistic regression analysis, fT3 was the only factor significantly associated with an increased risk of death (odds ratio, 64.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.78-2316.86, P=0.023). Normalization of thyroid function was observed at discharge with a significant correlation between the percent increase in both fT3 and PaO(2)/FiO(2) (P=0.015). P values were calculated using Spearman's Correlation Coefficient. CONCLUSION Our preliminary data suggest that the low T3 state is a predictor of outcome in pulmonary patients with respiratory failure.
Another Look at Price Promotion

Weekly sales at retail stores exhibit several patterns that the literature on price promotion does not fully capture. In this paper we develop a simple symmetric model where duopoly manufacturers distribute through a monopoly retailer to serve consumers with heterogeneous reservation prices. We show that the heterogeneity in consumers' reservation prices coupled with the retailer's market power is sufficient to resolve the deficiency in the literature. We then show that, while pricing patterns under this model differ significantly from those under a model where the retailer has no market power, the manufacturers' expected profits are the same in both cases.
An intelligent management of community water and electricity based on wireless sensor network

In order to improve the automatic control of water and electricity resource, an intelligent resource management system for community based on a sensor network is presented for the reason that sensor network has the advantage of low-power transmission. It is provided by a number of experiments that this system has successfully achieved the automatic control goal by rotational solar-energy heater, mechanical control techniques and the intelligent management of the entire system. The overall architecture for electrical control and mechanical control of the system is introduced in order to describe the intelligent management of the system. Finally, the theoretical and experimental analyses are presented to support the validity and advances of this system.
Seeing Reversals in Ambiguous Images: To Know or Not to Know?

The present study is an attempt to replicate the 1992 findings of Rock and Mitchener that knowing about the ambiguity in ambiguous images is necessary for seeing reversals. In contrast to Rock and Mitchener's study, the present study used a between-subjects design, in which 190 participants were randomly assigned to either an uninformed or an informed condition, and saw 12 images, 6 ambiguous and 6 unambiguous. The findings show that participants in the informed condition were significantly more likely to see reversals in the ambiguous images than were those in the uninformed condition. In contrast to Rock and Mitchener's findings, knowledge of ambiguity did not ensure that all informed participants saw all six reversals; there were spontaneous reversals in the uninformed condition for most of the images. These findings are discussed in terms of suggesting that seeing a reversal in an ambiguous image is a complex process that requires consideration of the interplay of visual perception and higher order cognition.
STEM Employment in the New Economy: A Labor Market Segmentation Approach.

The present study examined the extent to which the U.S. STEM labor market is stratified in terms of quality of employment. Through a series of cluster analyses and Chisquare tests on data drawn from the 2008 Survey of Income Program Participation (SIPP), the study found evidence of segmentation in the highly-skilled STEM and non-STEM samples, which included workers with a subbaccalaureate diploma or above. The cluster analyses show a pattern consistent with Labor Market Segmentation theory: Higher wages are associated with other primary employment characteristics, including health insurance and pension benefits, as well as full-time employment. In turn, lower wages showed a tendency to cluster with secondary employment characteristics, such as part-time employment, multiple employment, and restricted access to health insurance and pension benefits. The findings also suggest that women have a higher likelihood of being employed in STEM jobs with secondary characteristics. The findings reveal a far more variegated employment landscape than is usually presented in national reports of the STEM workforce. There is evidence that, while STEM employment may be more resilient than non-STEM employment to labor restructuring trends in the new economy, the former is far from immune to secondary labor characteristics. There is a need for ongoing dialogue between STEM education (at all levels), employers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to truly understand not only the barriers to equity in employment relations, but also the mechanisms that create and maintain segmentation and how they may impact women, underrepresented minorities, and the foreign-born.
Inflation and Relative Price Variability

The paper develops a natural measure of the amount of relative price variability. The variance of relative price change is shown to be correlated with the rate of change in the price level using data for consumer goods in both the Netherlands and the United States. This association has been noted in other data for a variety of countries. Using a multisectoral supply-and-demand framework, the paper goes on to show how changes in relative prices and ultimately the variance of relative price changes are related to supply conditions changes in real income and the amount of unanticipated inflation. The model is used as the basis for an analysis of movements in the prices of consumer goods in the United States for the period 1929-75. The amount of unanticipated inflation (measured as the difference between the actual rate and a time-series predictor) is a more important determinant of relative price variability than the rate of inflation.
Soft-matter sensor for proximity, tactile and pressure detection

Efforts in soft-matter sensing with liquid metal (LM) have largely focused on pressure, strain, and bend sensing by measuring changes in capacitance or resistance of LM circuits embedded in a soft elastomer. Here, we show that LM electronics can be used to combine pressure sensing with proximity detection and remote finger tracking — sensing modalities not previously demonstrated in a soft electronic skin (E-Skin). This is accomplished with a novel architecture composed of 9 capacitive sensors arranged in two layers and placed below a spiral-shaped pressure transducer. The E-skin is composed of eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) LM alloy and Pt-cured EcoFlex 0030 elastomer. The multi-modal sensor is able to detect the proximity and motion of a finger as it moves above the sensor and is able to detect touch and pressure once the finger comes into contact. Proximity sensing and contact pressure are distinguish by comparing changes in capacitance and resistance of the embedded LM circuitry. Measurements on a cm-scale prototype suggest proximity sensing with a range of 8.7 cm and maximum contact pressure of 110 kPa.
The 5 A projection structure of the transmembrane domain of the mannitol transporter enzyme II.

The uptake of mannitol in Escherichia coli is controlled by the phosphoenolpyruvate dependent phosphotransferase system. Enzyme II mannitol (EIIMtl) is part of the phosphotransferase system and consists of three covalently bound domains. IICMtl, the integral membrane domain of EIIMtl, is responsible for mannitol transport across the cytoplasmic membrane. In order to understand this molecular process, two-dimensional crystals of IICMtl were grown by reconstitution into lipid bilayers and their structure was investigated by cryo-electron crystallography. The IICMtl crystals obey p22121 symmetry and have a unit cell of 125 Ax65 A, gamma=90 degrees. A projection structure was determined at 5 A resolution using both electron images and electron diffractograms. The unit cell contains two IICMtl dimers with a size of about 40 Ax90 A, which are oriented up and down in the crystal. Each monomer exhibits six domains of high density which most likely correspond to transmembrane alpha-helices and cytoplasmic loops.
Developmental Effects of Family Environment on Outcomes in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients

Objective To examine and compare the family environment of preschool- and school-age children with cochlear implants and assess its influence on children’s executive function and spoken language skills. Study Design Retrospective between-subjects design. Setting Outpatient research laboratory. Patients Prelingually deaf children with cochlear implants and no additional disabilities and their families. Intervention(s) Cochlear implantation and speech-language therapy. Main Outcome Measures Parents completed the Family Environment Scale and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (or the preschool version). Children were tested using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 and either the Preschool Language Scales-4 or the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals–4. Results The family environments of children with cochlear implants differed from normative data obtained from hearing children, but average scores were within 1 standard deviation of norms on all subscales. Families of school-age children reported higher levels of control than those of preschool-age children. Preschool-age children had fewer problems with emotional control when families reported higher levels of support and lower levels of conflict. School-age children had fewer problems with inhibition but more problems with shifting of attention when families reported lower levels of conflict. School-age children’s receptive vocabularies were enhanced by families with lower levels of control and higher levels of organization. Conclusion Family environment and its relation to language skills and executive function development differed across the age groups in this sample of children with cochlear implants. Because family dynamics is one developmental/environmental factor that can be altered with therapy and education, the present results have important clinical implications for family-based interventions for deaf children with cochlear implants.
Policy Learning Processes in International Committees

Abstract In spite of their long history and extensive activities, the international committees of the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) have not hitherto been subject to scholarly examination. This article analyses for the first time policy learning among civil servants and experts in this international organization. Using the Advocacy Coalition Framework as the starting point, a number of exploratory hypotheses on policy learning in the NCM committees are tested. The aim is to investigate the processes of policy learning between countries in international committees, a subject which has hitherto only been dealt with in very few studies. In this analysis, a methodology for measuring policy learning is also proposed. Among other things, it is concluded that policy learning in these international committees increases when they avoid fragmentation into coalitions, are open to public opinion, when participants in committees are driven by a sense of purpose rather that material interest, when empirical data are made available to committees, when a neutral presidency is present in order to act as an authoritative persuader, and when neutral experts participate, although not experts from consultancy firms.
Impairing somatosensory working memory using rTMS

Numerous studies in animals and humans have related central aspects of somatosensory working memory function to neural activity in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). However, as previous studies have almost exclusively used correlational analyses, the question whether sustained neural activity in the IFG is causally involved in successful maintenance of somatosensory information remains unanswered. We used an online repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protocol to disrupt neuronal activity in the IFG while participants were maintaining tactile information throughout the delay for later comparison against a probe stimulus. rTMS impaired participants’ performance in the working memory task, but not in a physically matched perceptual control task. Targeting the IFG in either hemisphere led to comparable working memory impairment. Our results show that the neural activity in the IFG plays a causal role in successful maintenance of somatosensory information.
The global burden of anxiety disorders in 2010

Background Despite their high prevalence, the global burden of anxiety disorders has never been calculated comprehensively. The new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study has estimated burden due to morbidity and mortality caused by any anxiety disorder. Method Prevalence was estimated using Bayesian meta-regression informed by data identified in a systematic review. Years of life lived with disability (YLDs) were calculated by multiplying prevalent cases by an average disability weight based on severity proportions (mild, moderate and severe). Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were then calculated and age standardized using global standard population figures. Estimates were also made for additional suicide mortality attributable to anxiety disorders. Findings are presented for YLDs, DALYs and attributable burden due to suicide for 21 world regions in 1990 and 2010. Results Anxiety disorders were the sixth leading cause of disability, in terms of YLDs, in both high-income (HI) and low- and middle-income (LMI) countries. Globally, anxiety disorders accounted for 390 DALYs per 100 000 persons [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 191–371 DALYs per 100 000] in 2010, with no discernible change observed over time. Females accounted for about 65% of the DALYs caused by anxiety disorders, with the highest burden in both males and females experienced by those aged between 15 and 34 years. Although there was regional variation in prevalence, the overlap between uncertainty estimates means that substantive differences in burden between populations could not be identified. Conclusions Anxiety disorders are chronic, disabling conditions that are distributed across the globe. Future estimates of burden could be further improved by obtaining more representative data on severity state proportions.
CMOS class-E power amplifier (1.8-GHz) with an additional thin-film technology

A 1.8-GHz power amplifier is implemented using the 0.18-μm Radio Frequency (RF) Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) process. An additional thin-film technology on a separate substrate is used to design the output matching network for high efficiency. To minimise the number of bond-wires, a single differential power stage is used. The output matching network was completed with the proposed load impedance transformer and an Metal Insulator Metal (MIM) capacitor using additional thin-film technology. The amplifier achieved a drain efficiency of 50.5 μ at a maximum output power of 31.6 μdBm at 1.81 μGHz.
Realization of Space Vector Modulation Technique in a Single FPGA Chip for Induction Motor Drive

This paper proposes the circuit realization of Space Vector Modulation (SVM) algorithm using a single Altera Flex 10k chip (EPFlOK70RC240-4). An SVM integrated circuit (IC) has been designed and developed to improve the vector control of the three-phase voltage source inverter (VSI). The design of SVM IC is downloaded to the Altera UP2 Board and tested with the inverter circuit to drive a 3-phase induction motor. The experimental results for 33Hz and 50Hz fundamental frequency and inverter switching frequency of 8.19 kHz are recorded.
The Management Game

year. The faculty has used, and will use, this instructional mode as a vehicle to pull together the diverse concepts, ideas, and theories developed in the students’ previous years in the program. While the case method has been the traditional method of achieving this focus, the management game&mdash;in this case CRASE&mdash;takes this curricular summary one step further. By virtue of its replication of reality, and by the influence the participants exert on the outcome, the management game provides a
A highly sensitive x-ray imaging modality for hepatocellular carcinoma detection in vitro

Innovations that improve sensitivity and reduce cost are of paramount importance in diagnostic imaging. The novel x-ray imaging modality called spatial frequency heterodyne imaging (SFHI) is based on a linear arrangement of x-ray source, tissue, and x-ray detector, much like that of a conventional x-ray imaging apparatus. However, SFHI rests on a complete paradigm reversal compared to conventional x-ray absorption-based radiology: while scattered x-rays are carefully rejected in absorption-based x-ray radiology to enhance the image contrast, SFHI forms images exclusively from x-rays scattered by the tissue. In this study we use numerical processing to produce x-ray scatter images of hepatocellular carcinoma labeled with a nanoparticle contrast agent. We subsequently compare the sensitivity of SFHI in this application to that of both conventional x-ray imaging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although SFHI is still in the early stages of its development, our results show that the sensitivity of SFHI is an order of magnitude greater than that of absorption-based x-ray imaging and approximately equal to that of MRI. As x-ray imaging modalities typically have lower installation and service costs compared to MRI, SFHI could become a cost effective alternative to MRI, particularly in areas of the world with inadequate availability of MRI facilities.
A new optimization approach for indoor location based on Differential Evolution

The growth of Location Based Services and Location Aware Services in indoor environments has focused the attention of the research community on indoor location systems, especially on those based on WLAN networks and Received Signal Strength (RSS). Despite the advances reached, the development of reliable, accurate and low-cost indoor location systems still remains as an open problem. In this work, we focus on a specific class of location methods where the position of a Mobile Station (MS) is estimated by optimizing a cost function. As far as we know, the optimization models for indoor location proposed so far, only consider the current RSS measurements to estimate the position. In this paper, we propose an optimization approach that uses both current and past measurements to estimate the MS location. To solve the underlying optimization problem we use a Dierential Evolution algorithm. The experimentation done over a simulated and a real scenario shows, on the one hand, that using past and current measurements we obtain more accurate and robust position estimations, and on the other hand, that our proposal is competitive versus other high-performing location methods proposed in the literature.
Presidential Succession and Democratic Transitions

Why might presidential succession in partly- and non-democratic regimes render the probability of democratic transition more likely? Many presidential regimes in developing world are highly personalist and their stability depends on the strength of their rulers. Transitions are often initiated and driven by elite splits, and the process of presidential succession triggers these splits and uncertainty along the chain of command. Building upon previous work on liberalizing elections (Howard and Roessler 2006), I find that presidential designated successors lose elections more often than the long-standing incumbents, which increases the probability of democratic change, since the former compete against the pro-democratic opposition in a recent, 1990-2004 period. I also find that the presence of hegemonic parties mitigates these effects.
CAN INSTITUTIONS HAVE QUALITY PROGRAMMING WITHOUT UTILIZING A SYSTEMATIC OUTCOMES-BASED ASSESSMENT PROCESS?

The researchers explored whether implementation of a systematic outcomes-based assessment process is necessary for demonstrating quality in service learning programs at a two-year and a four-year institution. The findings revealed that Western Com munity College and the University of the Coast maintained quality service-learning programs, which met their established learning goals and reflected the community’s needs, by incor porating numerous components of a systematic outcomes-based assessment process, even though this process had not been established.
Store loyalty, bargaining power and the private label production issue

One of many explanations offered for the rise of private labels (PLs) is that they increase the bargaining power of the retailer. The prior question of the PL production assignment has not been analysed in an economic framework. The retailer can either entrust the production of his PL to the national brand (NB) manufacturer at a low unit cost, with the disadvantage that both products (NB and PL) are held by the same agent, or he can choose a firm from the competitive fringe with a higher unit production cost. In a framework where loyalty (presence of store-switching and brand-switching consumers) and bargaining strength count, we show that the retailer will assign his PL production to the NB manufacturer when the latter's bargaining power is low. However, a higher consumer loyalty for the NB can reverse the retailer's decision. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
On approximating line spectral frequencies to LPC cepstral coefficients

We propose an approximation of the line spectral frequencies (LSFs) to the LPC cepstral coefficients (LPCCs). A direct relationship between LPCC and LSF is derived, and new parameters, named pseudo-cepstral coefficients, are obtained by reducing some factors in the relationship. We also address the statistical properties of the pseudo-cepstral coefficients and show their useful application to speech recognition.