Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro liver model using microfabricated scaffolds in a modular bioreactor

Hepatocyte function on 3‐D microfabricated polymer scaffolds realised with the pressure‐activated microsyringe was tested under static and dynamic conditions. The dynamic cell culture was obtained using the multicompartment modular bioreactor system. Hepatocyte cell density, glucose consumption, and albumin secretion rate were measured daily over a week. Cells seeded on scaffolds showed an increase in cell density compared with monolayer controls. Moreover, in dynamic culture, cell metabolic function increased three times in comparison with static monolayer cultures. These results suggest that cell density and cell‐cell interactions are mediated by the architecture of the substrate, while the endogenous biochemical functions are regulated by a sustainable supply of nutrients and interstitial‐like flow. Thus, a combination of 3‐D scaffolds and dynamic flow conditions are both important for the development of a hepatic tissue model for applications in drug testing and regenerative medicine.
On-line estimation of synchronous generator parameters using PRBS perturbations

Summary form only given, as follows. This paper proposes a technique for the online determination of the model parameters of synchronous generators, using pseudo-random binary sequence perturbations applied to the reference input of the automatic voltage regulator (AVR). First-order circuit models and the associated mathematical relationships are given for d-axis and q-axis representations of the generator, and the parameter estimation algorithm and implementation thereof are discussed. Experimental results are given for a 5 kVA round rotor synchronous generator. The estimated parameter values are compared with manufacturer's data and are also validated by comparing measured and simulated time-domain responses for the d-axis and q-axis currents and the field current. The technique yields good results, particularly for the magnetizing inductances, winding resistances and the field to stator transformation ratio.
CMOS correlation receiver for UWB pulse radar

A correlator-based receiver of an UWB radar for cardio-pulmonary monitoring is presented. It consists of Low Noise Amplifier, analog Multiplier and Integrator. The UWB LNA shows a measured −3 dB band close to 5 GHz, from 3.56 and 8.46 GHz, a transducer gain of 22.7 dB at 5.2 GHz, an input reflection coefficient lower than −10.5 dB in −3 dB band, and a input-referred 1-dB compression point of −19.7 dBm, in excellent agreement with the post-layout simulation results. The Multiplier shows a direct conversion gain (GC) equal to 4.3 at 5 GHz, and implements the analog multiplication with a good linearity. The Integrator (i.e. OTA) shows a −3 dB band of 40 Hz, a voltage gain of 32 dB and a phase margin of 90 degree with an input linear range of 100 mV. In the linear range the OTA is characterized by a THD of about −38 dB.
Decreased surface albedo driven by denser vegetation on the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has fundamental ecological and environmental significance to China and Asia through its influence on regional and continental climates. In recent years, climate warming has caused unprecedented changes to land surface processes on the TP, which would unavoidably undermine the ecological and environmental functions of the TP. Among the numerous land surface processes potentially impacted by climate warming, the effect of vegetation greenness on surface energy balance is one of the most critical, but has been long ignored. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of land surface albedo (LSA) on the TP and evaluated the vegetation greenness in relation to patterns of LSA. We found that LSA has been decreasing in most of the vegetated grasslands on the TP from 2000 to 2013, as compared to a flat trend for desert area. The regions where LSA has been decreasing were spatially correlated to areas of increased vegetation greenness. Along rising altitude, LSA decreasing rate exhibited an overall decreasing trend. Across the TP, elevated vegetation greenness in grasslands acted as a primary factor pulling down LSA. The driving effects of vegetation greenness on LSA vary with grassland types, as revealed by a more significant relationship between vegetation greenness and LSA for the sparsely vegetated zone (i.e. steppe) than the more densely vegetated zone (i.e. meadow). Furthermore, the driving effect of vegetation greenness on LSA exhibited an obvious dependence on altitude as effects with rising altitude were relatively strong up to 3000 m, then weakened from 3500 m to 5000 m, and then the effects again increased from 5000 to 6000 m. The growing season LSA trend revealed in this study emphasizes the need to give greater attention to the growing season LSA flux in future surface energy balance studies.
Long- and Short-Term Cost Efficiency Frontier Evaluation: Evidence from Spanish Local Governments

This paper analyses the efficiency of Spanish local governments using non-convex frontier methods. More specifically, it analyses the total cost inefficiency and proposes its decomposition into three additive components: short-term variable cost inefficiency; capacity utilisation of fixed inputs; and scale inefficiency. The second and third components correspond to the long-term cost efficiency notion. The proposition is applied to a sample of Spanish municipal councils (municipalities with over 2,000 inhabitants located in Catalonia, the Spanish north-eastern region). The results confirm the existence of significant cost inefficiency coefficients related to both the long and short term.
Local public management reforms in the Netherlands: fads, fashions and winds of change

Compared to other continental European countries, especially Germany and Switzerland, which have experimented with New Public Management (NPM) in local government, The Netherlands has been relatively quick in following trends stemming from Anglo-Saxon management thinking, but also relatively quick in redressing its course. The rise of the New Public Management in Dutch local government has been relatively swift and strong but also relatively superficial and non-committal. The dominant picture that emerges is one of an administrative system that, while responsive to the latest trends, is also surprisingly stable. Management reforms, forcefully advocated in the 1980s, were decisively revised and redressed in the 1990s, with the city of Tilburg, celebrated for its ‘Tilburg Model’, a case in point. The Werdegang of NPM (that is, how things developed) in Dutch local government, detailed in this article, can be understood only partially as a result of changing economic and budgetary constraints. The article shows that endogenous features of the Dutch politico-administrative system – more specifically: the compact, dense and decentralized pattern of the intergovernmental network, the administrative tradition of pragmatism, dynamic conservatism and the comparatively technocratic character of local government – have also strongly influenced the reception, effect and correction of NPM in Dutch local government.
Exclusionary Equilibria in Health-Care Markets

We have demonstrated that when providers of health insurance are perceived to be differentiated by consumers, circumstances may arise under which they find it advantageous to restrict the set of health-care providers that they approve to their customers. Even if all health-care providers are equally qualified and efficient, payers may choose to contract with a selected subset of them in order to secure more favorable contract terms. Moreover, in a concentrated health-care market that consists of two health insurance companies (payers) and two health-care providers (hospitals), both payers may choose to contract with only one of the hospitals while excluding the other completely from the market. When consumers' valuation of an extended choice of providers is small in comparison with the extent of differentiation that exists between the payers, such an exclusionary outcome is the unique equilibrium of the game. Copyright (c) 1997 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
A Rule-Based Dynamic Decision-Making Stock Trading System Based on Quantum-Inspired Tabu Search Algorithm

Heuristic methods or evolutionary algorithms (such as genetic algorithms and genetic programs) are common approaches applied in financial applications, such as trading systems. Determining the best time to buy or sell stocks in a stock market, and thereby maximizing profit with low risks, is an important issue in financial research. Recent studies have used trading rules based on technique analysis to address this problem. This method can determine trading times by analyzing the value of technical indicators. In other words, we can make trading rules by finding the trading value of technique indicators. An example of a trading rule would be, if one technical indicator's value achieves the setting value, then either buy or sell. A combination of trading rules would become a trading strategy. The process of making trading strategies can be formulated as a combinational optimization problem. In this paper, we propose a novel method for applying a trading system. First, the proposed method uses the quantum-inspired Tabu search algorithm to find the optimal composition and combination of trading strategies. Second, this method uses a sliding window to avoid the major problem of over-fitting. The experiment results of earning money show much better performance than other approaches, and the proposed method outperforms the buy and hold method (which is a benchmark in this field).
The Integrity of the Corpus Callosum Mitigates the Impact of Blood Pressure on the Ventral Attention Network and Information Processing Speed in Healthy Adults

Hypertension is a risk factor for cognitive impairment in older age. However, evidence of the neural basis of the relationship between the deterioration of cognitive function and elevated blood pressure is sparse. Based on previous research, we speculate that variations in brain connectivity are closely related to elevated blood pressure even before the onset of clinical conditions and apparent cognitive decline in individuals over 60 years of age. Forty cognitively healthy adults were recruited. Each received a blood pressure test before and after the cognitive assessment in various domains. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) data were collected. Our findings confirm that elevated blood pressure is associated with brain connectivity variations in cognitively healthy individuals. The integrity of the splenium of the corpus callosum is closely related to individual differences in systolic blood pressure. In particular, elevated systolic blood pressure is related to resting-state ventral attention network (VAN) and information processing speed. Serial mediation analyses have further revealed that lower integrity of the splenium statistically predicts elevated systolic blood pressure, which in turn predicts weakened functional connectivity (FC) within the VAN and eventually poorer processing speed. The current study sheds light on how neural correlates are involved in the impact of elevated blood pressure on cognitive functioning.
Facial biometrics and applications

Faces carry a lot of information to distinguish different individuals. In this context, biometrics-based verification systems play a major role in terms of recognizing (or confirming) an individual identity, relying on physiological and/or behavioral characteristics among a set of individual biometric traits. In particular, facial recognition is important because it has a relatively low cost (i.e., it can be carried out using standard cameras) and is one of the least intrusive biometric modalities available, since it does not require physical contact like fingerprint recognition or retina scanning.
Returning to work after maternity leave

In the UK, the implementation of flexible working is seen as a key strategy in retention of nurses in the National Health Service (NHS) once they have children. However, Preference Theory argues that the majority of women returners are driven by motivations other than career or work, and that part-time workers are not as committed as full-timers, a perception held by some managers in the NHS. This article examines the motivations of 112 nurse returners after their first child, the differences between nurses returning part time or full time and between nurses preferring to work full time, part time or not at all.The findings suggest that neither hours worked nor preferred hours are good indicators of whether nurses are committed to work or a career, except for respondents who prefer not to work. The main differences are between nurses who would prefer not to work and all others.The findings that nurses returning part time at their preferred hours are motivated by their work and career challenge the view that they are not committed.The policy implications point to the importance of NHS organizations providing both flexible working and flexible career and training opportunities to retain returners’ commitment to nursing.
Isolation of a Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolate of Sequence Type 258 Producing KPC-2 Carbapenemase in Korea

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing K. pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPC) were first reported in the USA in 2001, and since then, this infection has been reported in Europe, Israel, South America, and China. In Korea, the first KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 11 strain was detected in 2010. We report the case of a patient with a urinary tract infection caused by KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae. This is the second report of a KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae infection in Korea, but the multilocus sequence type was ST258. The KPC-2-producing isolate was resistant to all tested β-lactams (including imipenem and meropenem), amikacin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but was susceptible to gentamicin, colistin, polymyxin B, and tigecycline. The KPC-2-producing isolate was negative to phenotypic extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC detection tests and positive to modified Hodge test and carbapenemase inhibition test with aminophenylboronic acid.
Wealth effects of REIT property-type focus changes: evidence from property transactions and joint ventures

Using a sample of 678 property portfolio changes (acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures) of the US Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) during 1990–2009, we investigate how investors react to changes in a REIT’s property-type focus. We find a significant negative market reaction to acquisition and acquisitional Joint Venture events that decrease property-type focus. We also find some statistically insignificant evidence of a wealth benefit from dispositional events that increase property-type focus. Overall, our findings are consistent with explanation for the lack of diversification in REITs; investors prefer to make their own diversification decisions using narrowly focused REITs.
PVD: A new pathological voice dataset for intra-speaker recognition research interest

In this paper, a pathological voice dataset (PVD) is introduced. The dataset contains recordings of 14 speakers (9 female and 5male) and two health states: normal and unhealthy. Each speaker pronounces fixed words, prompted digits, reads sentences and gives free talking. These materials cover all the phonemes in Chinese. The dataset also considerate the channel variability and is recorded through three channels simultaneously for each speaker: mobile phone, microphone and digital voice recorder. This corpus is constructed for prosodic and linguistic investigation of pathological voice variability in Mandarin. It can also be used for recognition of speakers in unhealthy state. Furthermore, speaker recognition baseline experiments are performed on this database.
Molecular Characterization of a Broad Selectivity Neutral Solute Channel*

In all living cells, coordination of solute and water movement across cell membranes is of critical importance for osmotic balance. The current concept is that these processes are of distinct biophysical nature. Here we report the expression cloning of a liver cDNA encoding a unique promiscuous solute channel (AQP9) that confers high permeability for both solutes and water. AQP9 mediates passage of a wide variety of non-charged solutes including carbamides, polyols, purines, and pyrimidines in a phloretin- and mercury-sensitive manner, whereas amino acids, cyclic sugars, Na+, K+, Cl−, and deprotonated monocarboxylates are excluded. The properties of AQP9 define a new evolutionary branch of the major intrinsic protein family of aquaporin proteins and describe a previously unknown mechanism by which a large variety of solutes and water can pass through a single pore, enabling rapid cellular uptake or exit of metabolites with minimal osmotic perturbation.
Telework: a challenge to knowledge transfer in organizations

Over the last decade, teleworking has gained momentum. While it has been portrayed as both employer- and employee-friendly, we question the positive normativity associated with teleworking by showing how it may endanger an organization's knowledge base and competitive advantage by threatening knowledge transfer between teleworkers and non-teleworkers. Drawing on the literature on knowledge we present the cognitive and relational components of organizational socialization as key facilitators of knowledge transfer and we demonstrate that teleworking may negatively affect these cognitive (shared mental schemes, language and narratives, and identification with goals and values) and relational (quality of relationships) components, depending on its frequency, location(s), and perception. Finally, we suggest some managerial avenues for addressing these potential negative side effects of teleworking.
Broader, Deeper and Greener: European Union Environmental Politics, Policies, and Outcomes

The European Union (EU) is influential in environmental politics and policy-making across its 28 member states, around its periphery, and globally. Building on a diverse analytical and empirical literature, this article's seven sections each highlights important research findings and outcomes from more than four decades of EU environmental governance. These include (a) a substantial transfer of legal authority from member states to the supranational level; (b) a growing involvement of EU bodies, advocacy groups, and civil society in regional goal-setting and decision-making; (c) the development of elaborate governance systems and mechanisms for making, implementing, and enforcing policy; (d) EU exercise of considerable influence over countries seeking membership before and after joining the Union; (e) increased EU participation and influence in international fora; (f) a mixed record of uneven implementation and varied environmental outcomes in Europe and across the world; and (g) continuing challenges in .
The True Impact of Voting Rule Selection on Condorcet Efficiency

We provide representations giving the Condorcet Efficiency of Weighted Scoring Rules in three-alternative elections by considering the Modified Impartial Anonymous Culture condition (MIAC). This assumption only considers voting situations for which all Weighted Scoring Rules do not elect the same winner. It is concluded that the selection of a voting rule has a clear impact on the resulting Condorcet Efficiency. This makes a significant difference in what can be concluded from earlier studies.
Timing Jitter and Modulation Profile Extraction for Spread-Spectrum Clocks

This paper presents a built-in jitter measurement approach for measuring the timing jitter of spread-spectrum clocks (SSCs) and a jitter estimation method for validating the approach. Because of the lack of dedicated measurement instruments for SSC timing jitter measurement, the jitter estimation method is proposed to correlate SSC and non-SSC jitter. A 1.2-GHz eight-phase SSC generator with the jitter measurement circuit is designed and fabricated using the 0.18-¿m complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology. The measured results are validated by the proposed estimation method, which is the key contribution of this paper. The experimental results show that the proposed built-in measurement approach has an error of less than 0.0026 UI.
Seventy‐five percent accuracy in protein secondary structure prediction

In this study we present an accurate secondary structure prediction procedure by using a query and related sequences. The most novel aspect of our approach is its reliance on local pairwise alignment of the sequence to be predicted with each related sequence rather than utilization of a multiple alignment. The residue‐by‐residue accuracy of the method is 75% in three structural states after jack‐knife tests. The gain in prediction accuracy compared with the existing techniques, which are at best 72%, is achieved by secondary structure propensities based on both local and long‐range effects, utilization of similar sequence information in the form of carefully selected pairwise alignment fragments, and reliance on a large collection of known protein primary structures. The method is especially appropriate for large‐scale sequence analysis efforts such as genome characterization, where precise and significant multiple sequence alignments are not available or achievable. Proteins 27:329–335, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The development and validation of the Healthy Computing Questionnaire for Children (HCQC).

BACKGROUND School children may be at risk of physical health problems associated with desktop, laptop and tablet computer use. There are some interventions designed to educate children about ergonomic practices when using computers. A common limitation of past intervention studies has been the lack of a valid and reliable questionnaire to determine effectiveness of the intervention. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable self-report measure to assess primary school children's knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to healthy computer use. METHODS A mixed methods approach was used to develop the questionnaire and test its psychometric properties. A convenience sample of 440 primary school children in Year 5 (aged 9-11 years) was used in the development and validation of the questionnaire. RESULTS The final questionnaire comprised 56 items across the three subscales of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. The questionnaire was shown to have good content validity and adequate test-retest reliability. Internal consistency was adequate for the attitude items, but low for the knowledge items. CONCLUSIONS This study produced a valid and reliable tool, using a health promotion framework, for measuring primary school children's knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to healthy computing.
On the Empirical Relevance of St. Petersburg Lotteries

Expected value theory has been known for centuries to be subject to critique by St. Petersburg paradox arguments. And there is a traditional rebuttal of the critique that denies the empirical relevance of the paradox because of its apparent dependence on existence of credible offers to pay unbounded sums of money. Neither critique nor rebuttal focus on the question with empirical relevance: Do people make choices in bounded St. Petersburg games that are consistent with expected value theory? This paper reports an experiment that addresses that question.