Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Globalization, government spending and taxation in the OECD

This article assesses the impact of globalization on welfare state effort in the OECD countries. Globalization is defined in terms of total trade, imports from low wage economies, foreign direct investment, and financial market integration. Welfare effort is analyzed in terms both of public spending (and separately on social service provision and income transfer programs) and taxation (effective rates of capital taxation and the ratio of capital to labor and consumption taxes). Year-to-year increases in total trade and international financial openness in the past three decades have been associated with less government spending. In contrast, integration into global markets has not been associated either with reductions in capital tax rates, or with shifts in the burden of taxation from capital to consumption and labor income. Moreover, countries with greater inflows and outflows of foreigndirect investment tend to tax capital more heavily.
Positive Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Depression, Anxiety and Stress of Family Caregivers of Patients with Prostate Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: The family caregivers of patients with cancer mightexperience various physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, the neglect of which can causeseriousproblems for theentirefamily. If caregivers are left without appropriate treatment and intervention, their level of physical and mental health will substantially decrease-they will, in other words, become “hidden patients. ” Materials and Methods: The current study is a clinical trial of 80 family caregivers of patients with prostate cancer, who were allocated to control and experimental groups. The experimental group received 10 sessions of group cognitive behavioral therapy. The 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were completed before the intervention as well4 and 8 weeks after. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) andvariousstatistical tests. Results: The results showed thatthecognitivebehavioral intervention reduceddepression, anxiety, and stress among familycaregivers. Conclusion: Because of the positive impact of this intervention, its implementation in clinical care by nurses is recommended.
A PSNR-Controllable Data Hiding Algorithm Based on LSBs Substitution

There are more and more systems using mobile devices to perform sensing task, but it increases the risk of leakage of personal privacy and data. Data hiding is one of the important ways for information security. Even many data hiding algorithms have worked on providing more hiding capacity or higher PSNR, there are few algorithms that can achieve effective control on PSNR while ensuring hiding capacity. In this paper, we first propose a novel encoding plan for data hiding with controllable PSNR based on LSBs substitution (PCDH). In PCDH, we use remainder algorithm to calculate the hidden information, and hide the secret information in the last x LSBs of every pixel. Theoretical proof shows that this method can control the variation of stego image from cover image and then control PSNR by adjusting parameters in remainder calculation. Then, we design the encoding and decoding algorithms with low computation complexity. Experimental results show that PCDH can control the PSNR in a given range while ensuring high hiding capacity. In addition, it can resist well some teganalysis. Compared to other algorithms, PCDH achieves better tradeoff among PSNR, hiding capacity, and computation complexity.
A Least Error Squares Technique For Determining Power System Frequency

An algorithm for measuring frequency at a power system bus is presented in this paper. The algorithm is based am the least error squares curve fitting technique and uses digitized samples of voltage at a relay locaticn. Mathematical developnent of the algorithm is presented and the effects of key parameters, that affect the performance of the algorithm, are discussed. The algorithm was tested using simulated data and data recorded fran a dynamic frequency source. Results of sample tests are also presented in this paper.
Incidence of pneumococcal endocarditis: A regional health register-based study in Denmark 1981–1996

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of pneumococcal endocarditis in 3 Danish counties. By linking the National Hospital Discharge Registry to regional blood culture registries maintained by the Department of Clinical Microbiology and autopsy registries from the Department of Pathology, a total of 31 cases of pneumococcal endocarditis was identified in the 3 counties during a period of 16 y (1981–1996). One patient experienced 2 independent episodes as determined by serotyping. The annual incidence increased approximately 4-fold during the study period, giving an overall incidence rate of 0.15 per 100,000 inhabitants. Pneumococcal endocarditis was diagnosed in 1.2% of cases of pneumococcal bacteraemia. Some cases may have remained undetected, and this underlines the need for clinical attention to this diagnosis. The study confirms that linkage of health registries is a valid method of conducting surveys of uncommon diseases.
Two-Fund Separation and HARA Utility Reconsidered

The requirement of existing utility with positive first derivative only makes it possible to derive a restricted two-fund separation theorem for portfolio selection problems with HARA utility replacing the original separation theorem of Cass and Stiglitz (1970). We use our findings for a brief re-examination of the asset allocation puzzle of Canner et al. (1997), of the bias-in-beta problem in mutual funds performance evaluation and of the relevance of the standard CAPM without borrowing restrictions. We also present empirical evidence from performance evaluation for investment funds for the only limited validity of the restricted separation theorem.
Implementing Game Elements into Didactic Process: A Case Study

This article discusses the impact of implementing the gaming elements such as points and leader boards into the learning process on the technical university. The pros and cons of the discussed solution are presented. The discussion is supported by results of the case study: students were divided into two groups. The study path of the first group was enriched with gaming elements, while the other was taught using the traditional didactic methods. After the whole semester the results of both groups – attendance, number of additional tasks completed, the grade average and so on were collected and analysed.
Dynamic light scattering investigations of human erythrocyte spectrin.

Dynamic light scattering measurements were performed on spectrin from human erythrocytes in 25 mM Tris buffer at pH 7.6 with 100 mM NaCl and 5 mM EDTA. Measurements were made on spectrin solutions prepared as dimers and tetramers over the temperature range from 23 to 41 degrees C, as a function of the square of the scattering vector (K2) over the range of 0.7 x 10(10) cm-2 less than or equal to K1 less than or equal to 20 x 10(10) cm-2. Analysis of the autocorrelation functions collected for these solutions revealed the presence of two predominant motional components over the entire range of K2. Plots of the diffusion coefficients (D20) of these components, with viscosity and temperature corrected to water at 20 degrees C, as a function of K2 indicated three rather distinct regions, flat regions at low and high K2 joined by a sloping intermediate region. At small K2 (less than or equal to 4 x 10(10) cm-2) the D20 values were (7.3 +/- 2.0) x 10(-8) cm2/s for the slow component and (20.3 +/- 2.0) x 10(-8) cm2/s for the fast component. At large K2 (greater than or equal to 10 x 10(10) cm-2) the values increased to (13.0 +/- 2.0) x 10(-8) cm2/s for the slow component and (39.4 +/- 2.0) x 10(-8) cm2/s for the fast component. In the intermediate K2 region, D20 is a linear function of K2 and appears as a transition between the low and high K2 regions. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
15-Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenase Generation of Electrophilic Lipid Signaling Mediators from Hydroxy Ω-3 Fatty Acids*

Background: 15-Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15PGDH) catalyzes the oxidation of hydroxylated polyunsaturated fatty acids to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl-containing electrophiles. Results: Hydroxylated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) metabolites are substrates for 15PGDH, yielding electrophilic oxoDHA products that are anti-inflammatory. Conclusion: Hydroxylated Ω-3 fatty acid species are conferred with cell signaling capabilities after oxidation by 15PGDH. Significance: Formation of biologically active metabolites by 15PGDH contributes to the salutary signaling actions of Ω-3 fatty acids. 15-Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15PGDH) is the primary enzyme catalyzing the conversion of hydroxylated arachidonic acid species to their corresponding oxidized metabolites. The oxidation of hydroxylated fatty acids, such as the conversion of prostaglandin (PG) E2 to 15-ketoPGE2, by 15PGDH is viewed to inactivate signaling responses. In contrast, the typically electrophilic products can also induce anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative responses. This study determined that hydroxylated docosahexaenoic acid metabolites (HDoHEs) are substrates for 15PGDH. Examination of 15PGDH substrate specificity was conducted in cell culture (A549 and primary human airway epithelia and alveolar macrophages) using chemical inhibition and shRNA knockdown of 15PGDH. Substrate specificity is broad and relies on the carbon position of the acyl chain hydroxyl group. 14-HDoHE was determined to be the optimal DHA substrate for 15PGDH, resulting in the formation of its electrophilic metabolite, 14-oxoDHA. Consistent with this, 14-HDoHE was detected in bronchoalveolar lavage cells of mild to moderate asthmatics, and the exogenous addition of 14-oxoDHA to primary alveolar macrophages inhibited LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokine mRNA expression. These data reveal that 15PGDH-derived DHA metabolites are biologically active and can contribute to the salutary signaling actions of Ω-3 fatty acids.
Sentiment, Asset Prices, and Systemic Risk

Regulators charged with monitoring systemic risk need to focus on sentiment as well as narrowly defined measures of systemic risk. This chapter describes techniques for jointly monitoring the co-evolution of sentiment and systemic risk. To measure systemic risk, we use Marginal Expected Shortfall. To measure sentiment, we apply a behavioral extension of traditional pricing kernel theory, which we supplement with external proxies. We illustrate the technique by analyzing the dynamics of sentiment before, during, and after the global financial crisis which erupted in September 2008. Using stock and options data for the S&P 500 during the period 2002–2009, our analysis documents the statistical relationship between sentiment and systemic risk.
Rescaling the balanced scorecard for local government

Kaplan and Norton's ‘Balanced Scorecard’ model has gained worldwide interest from managers in private and public organisations. The four perspectives of the model aim to communicate the strategic priorities of the organisation by measuring and setting stretch targets for them. However, the model, which was developed in ‘for-profit’ organisations, may not be suitable in ‘not-for-profit’ organisations. A possible solution is the use of the Australian Business Excellence Framework categories to determine the perspectives to be used.
Evidence for decreased interaction and improved carotenoid bioavailability by sequential delivery of a supplement

Abstract Despite the notable health benefits of carotenoids for human health, the majority of human diets worldwide are repeatedly shown to be inadequate in intake of carotenoid‐rich fruits and vegetables, according to current health recommendations. To address this deficit, strategies designed to increase dietary intakes and subsequent plasma levels of carotenoids are warranted. When mixed carotenoids are delivered into the intestinal tract simultaneously, competition occurs for micelle formation and absorption, affecting carotenoid bioavailability. Previously, we tested the in vitro viability of a carotenoid mix designed to deliver individual carotenoids sequentially spaced from one another over the 6 hr transit time of the human upper gastrointestinal system. We hypothesized that temporally and spatially separating the individual carotenoids would reduce competition for micelle formation, improve uptake, and maximize efficacy. Here, we test this hypothesis in a double‐blind, repeated‐measure, cross‐over human study with 12 subjects by comparing the change of plasma carotenoid levels for 8 hr after oral doses of a sequentially spaced carotenoid mix, to a matched mix without sequential spacing. We find the carotenoid change from baseline, measured as area under the curve, is increased following consumption of the sequentially spaced mix compared to concomitant carotenoids delivery. These results demonstrate reduced interaction and regulation between the sequentially spaced carotenoids, suggesting improved bioavailability from a novel sequentially spaced carotenoid mix.
Optimal Defects-Per-Unit Acceptance Sampling Plans Using Truncated Prior Distributions

Optimal sampling inspection plans for defects per unit with fixed acceptance numbers and limiting quality levels are developed to provide the appropriate protection to customers when the number of nonconformities per sampled item follows a Poisson distribution. The best inspection scheme assures the customer, who has to judge the quality of the submitted material, that a supplier's lot is released only when there is conclusive evidence that it is satisfactory. The underlying integer nonlinear programming problem is formulated and solved in the frequentist setting, and a practically exact approximation to the minimum sample size is presented. Because there is often no reason to assume that the process average is constant, the classical perspective is then extended to those situations in which there is substantial prior information on the supplier's process. A family of generalized truncated gamma models and several restricted maximum entropy distributions satisfying typical constraints are adopted to describe the stochastic fluctuations in the process average. Optimal defects-per-unit acceptance plans are determined by solving the corresponding constrained minimization problems. Lower and upper bounds on the required sample size are deduced in closed-forms. A general procedure based on Taylor series expansions of the operating characteristic function around the mean quality level of the rejectable lots is proposed to derive an explicit, accurate, easily computable approximation to the smallest sample size that provides the required average customer protection. This procedure greatly simplifies the determination of optimal plans from defect or failure count data and prior knowledge, and also requires little prior information, namely the prior mean and variance of the quality level of the rejectable lots, which could be estimated from past data and expert opinions. The suggested methodology is applied to the manufacturing of paper and glass for illustrative purposes. Our approach allows the practitioners to incorporate into the quality analysis a reduced parameter space for the process average. Furthermore, the proposed sampling plans are reasonably insensitive to small disturbances in the prior knowledge on the process average, and the effective use of the available information on the supplier's process provides a more realistic assessment of the actual customer protection, as well as considerable savings in testing time and sample size.
Trend in injury-related mortality and morbidity among adolescents across 30 countries from 2002 to 2010.

BACKGROUND The aim was to examine temporal trends in injury mortality and morbidity across 30 countries in Europe and North America, and the impact of regional geography and adolescent risk behaviours (including substance use and physical fighting) on such trends. METHOD s: Data were obtained for 30 countries in 2002, 2006 and 2010. Mortality data were obtained from the World Health Organization's (WHO) Health for all database. Trends over time were described by WHO Regions using standardized rates comparisons and Poisson regression analyses. RESULTS Injury-related mortality, but not morbidity, declined over time across all countries (from 10 to 8 deaths per 100 000 between 2001 and 2010), with notable differences observed by Regions (e.g. from 48 to 39 deaths in Russia). Risk behaviours included in the models were consistently and significantly associated with injury morbidity, with substance increasing the risk for injury by 1.15 to 1.36 among girls, and physical fighting increasing the risk by 1.21 to 1.31 among boys across WHO Regions. Risk behaviours did not explain the observed temporal trends. CONCLUSIONS Injury mortality and morbidity represent different health phenomena. Efforts that have been made to make societies safer for children have seemed to be successful in reducing injury morbidity.
Monocular 3D Head Tracking to Detect Falls of Elderly People

Faced with the growing population of seniors, Western societies need to think about new technologies to ensure the safety of elderly people at home. Computer vision provides a good solution for healthcare systems because it allows a specific analysis of people behavior. Moreover, a system based on video surveillance is particularly well adapted to detect falls. We present a new method to detect falls using a single camera. Our approach is based on the 3D trajectory of the head, which allows us to distinguish falls from normal activities using 3D velocities
Measurement Error in Self-reported Health Variables

Measurement error may be an important source of bias in studies using self-reported health indicators to explain work behavior. As a test of measurement error, the tetrachoric correlation coefficient is used to examine the relationship between two alternative measures of arthritis, a standard self-reported measure and a simulated clinical measure. While the two measures are highly correlated, measurement error is found. Regression analysis demonstrates that it varies systematically across different socioeconomic groups. In particular, individuals who are not working tend to report their health incorrectly, perhaps owing to social pressure to justify not having a job. Coauthors are Richard V. Burkhauser, Jean M. Mitchell, and Theodore P. Pincus. Copyright 1987 by MIT Press.
Recombination and evolutionary dynamics of human echovirus 6

Enterovirus (EV) infections are associated with a wide array of often severe disease presentations including aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, and acute flaccid paralysis. Surveillance for polioviruses and other EVs is therefore important as a public health measure both for patient management and epidemiological studies. From 1988 to 2008, echovirus (E) 30 was the predominant genotype in Spain (33.7% of the total typed EVs). E6 was also endemic throughout this period although isolated less frequently (12.5%). In 2009, however, a substantial increase in the incidence of E6 was detected (60%), displacing E30 type (2%). To investigate the evolution and recombination in the epidemiology and transmission of E6 in Spain, a genetic analysis in VP1 and 3Dpol regions of 67 Spanish strains collected during the period 2004–2010 was performed. All VP1 sequences clustered monophyletically in the assigned genogroup C, subgroup 9, currently the predominant circulating strains identified in Europe and elsewhere in the last 10 years. 3Dpol sequences were interspersed with other species B EVs resulting from several recombination events that generated at least 12 different recombinant forms (RFs) among study samples. These showed typically minimal divergence in VP1. The co‐circulation of different lineages of E6 in the same geographical area associated with its mainly endemic pattern of transmission may have contributed to the extremely short estimated half‐life of E6 RFs (0.87 years). This pattern contrasts markedly with other species B EVs and EV71 where VP1 lineage expansion and extinction occurred in step with defined recombination events and periodic changes in incidence. J. Med. Virol. 86:857–864, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The impact of syndromic treatment of sexually transmitted diseases on genital shedding of HIV-1

Objectives: To examine the impact of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) syndromic treatment on genital shedding of HIV and the impact among women in whom STD treatment was not successful. Design: Seventy-one HIV-infected women were included; 60 had symptomatic STD [72% with genital discharge syndrome (GDS) and 28% with genital ulcer syndrome (GUS)] and 11 controls did not have symptomatic STD. Cervical HIV load in 94% women was measured at baseline and after STD treatment. Results: Cervical HIV load at entry was significantly higher in women with symptomatic STD than in controls [median, 3.15; interquartile range (IQR), 1.90–3.34 versus median, 1.90; IQR, 1.90–2.19 log10 RNA copies/swab, respectively; P = 0.024]. Women with STD were also more likely to have detectable cervical HIV RNA (68% versus 27%; P = 0.016). Cervical HIV load was significantly higher in women with GUS than in those with GDS (median 3.46; IQR, 2.84–4.18 versus median, 2.83; IQR, 1.90–3.31 log10 copies/swab; P = 0.019). There was no significant reduction in genital HIV shedding after syndromic treatment of GDS or GUS. However, significant decreases were limited to only those with clinical improvement (median, 2.91; IQR, 1.90–3.45 versus median, 2.25; IQR, 1.90–3.08 log10 RNA copies/swab, respectively; P = 0.006). GUS was significantly associated with treatment failure, independent of plasma HIV RNA load and CD4 T-cell count (odds ratio, 4.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.32–17.46). Conclusions: The fact that STD syndromic treatment impacts very little in reducing genital HIV shedding underscores the need for appropriate validation of STD syndromic diagnosis and management to control heterosexual transmission of HIV.
Monetary Incentives vs. Monitoring in Addressing Absenteeism: Experimental Evidence

Exploiting two unexpected variations in sickness absence policy for civil servants in Italy, this paper assesses the relative importance of monitoring and monetary incentives in determining a basic measure of effort: presence at work. When stricter monitoring was introduced together with an average 20% cut in replacement rates for civil servants on short sick leave, sickness absence decreased by 26.4%, eliminating the wedge in absence rates with comparable private sector workers. The impact substantially decreased when a subsequent policy change brought back monitoring to the pre-reform level, while leaving monetary incentives untouched. Results are confirmed by a variety of robustness checks and are not driven by the presence of attenuation bias. No shift is detected in other types of absence as a consequence of the reforms. Given that sickness absence rates are higher in the public than in the private sector in the US and Western Europe as well, these results provide useful insights on how to draw a successful strategy for addressing absenteeism.
Cyclical Properties of a Real Business Cycle Model

This paper tests the well-known real business cycle model of Kydland and Prescott (1988), using spectral methods for linear filters. Model spectra, coherencies, phase shifts, and correlations are tested against U.S. post-war data using both asymptotic and small-sample distributions. Compared with the model, the data have shorter business cycles, smaller co-movements of different macro variables, and less of a leading role for output. Copyright 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.