Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The limits of China's growth

Purpose – Despite the global economic slowdown, China's economy continues to grow at astonishing rates. This has led some observers to conclude that China must lead the rest of world out of the doldrums, and that China's rise to become the pre‐eminent economy is imminent. The purpose of this paper is to offer a countervailing view. China's rise, while impressive, masks some serious deficiencies in its economic structure. In particular, its growth is largely input driven, and this will constrain the rate of future growth.Design/methodology/approach – Statistics were gathered from a number of sources to make the case that China will face limited growth in the near future. A scenario analysis was performed to model possible outcomes for China vis‐a‐vis the US economy.Findings – In the most realistic scenario, China will close the gap with the USA from its current position of 61.5 percent of the US economy, as measured by 2009 purchasing power parity gross domestic product figures to nearly 88 percent by the .
Multi-objective control design for turbocharged spark ignited air system: A switching Takagi-Sugeno model approach

This paper proposes a linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach to the multi-objective synthesis of switching Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) controller. The design objectives of the closed-loop system include the robustness performance w.r. t model uncertainties and bounded disturbance, the convergence speed, and the constraints on the control input. All objectives are derived from the Lyapunov approach and they are formulated as LMI conditions. Thus, controller design task amounts to solving a LMI optimization problem. The air system control problem of a turbocharged spark ignited (TCSI) engine is used to illustrate the validity of the proposed method.
Host Genetics, Steatosis and Insulin Resistance among African Americans and Caucasian Americans with Hepatitis C Virus Genotype-1 Infection

Hepatic steatosis is the accumulation of fat in liver cells. Insulin resistance (IR) occurs when normal amounts of insulin do not stimulate insulin activity in cells. Both conditions have been described in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and are thought to be biologically related. This study examined the association of genetic variants with steatosis and IR among 167 African Americans and 184 Caucasian Americans with HCV genotype-1. Steatosis was defined as at least 5% of fat in cells on liver biopsy. IR was quantified as a score greater than 2 from the Homeostasis Model Assessment, version 2.2 (HOMA2-IR). Associations were investigated by estimating odds ratios separately by race. Statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) were observed for variants in interleukin-10 (IL10), leptin receptor (LEPR), interleukin-6 (IL6) and transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) for both outcomes. Some significant interactions were observed between IL10,LEPR and TGF-β1 polymorphisms and HOMA2-IR scores when examining steatosis. The interaction of HOMA2-IR and IL10 was consistent in both races whereas for LEPR and TGF-β1 the interactions were statistically significant in only one of the racial groups.These results could imply that some IL10,LEPR and TGF-β1 polymorphisms may modify an association between steatosis and IR.
Effects of emphysema and lung volume reduction surgery on transdiaphragmatic pressure and diaphragm length.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of emphysema and lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) on diaphragm length (Ldi) and its capacity to generate transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi). DESIGN Prospective clinical trial with a parallel group design. SETTING Laboratory investigations in normal volunteers recruited by advertisement and in emphysema outpatients being evaluated for elective LVRS. STUDY POPULATION Thirteen normal subjects and 13 emphysema patients matched for age and sex. Six emphysema patients underwent LVRS. MEASUREMENTS Ldi and maximal Pdi during static inspiratory efforts (PdiMax) were measured at three different lung volumes (LVs). Pdi during maximal bilateral phrenic nerve twitch stimulation (PdiTw) was measured at functional residual capacity (FRC). All measurements were repeated at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS Ldi, PdiMax, and PdiTw were lower in emphysema patients than in normal subjects at their respective LVs. PdiMax and PdiTw at FRC returned within the normal range after LVRS in emphysema patients. The relationships between PdiMax and LV or Ldi were shifted respectively to higher LV and shorter Ldi in emphysema patients relative to normal subjects, both before and after LVRS. LVRS effected craniad displacement of the diaphragm but no change in rib cage dimensions. Improvements in dyspnea and quality of life after LVRS correlated with changes in LV and Ldi but not with changes in airway caliber. CONCLUSION Adaptive mechanisms, consistent with sarcomere deletion, tend to restore diaphragm strength in emphysema patients at FRC, which are fully expressed after LVRS. Lung remodeling by LVRS may alter pleural surface pressure distribution, causing a sustained change in chest wall shape.
Effect of calpain on the composition and structure of postsynaptic densities

Endogenous calcium‐activated proteases, the calpains, are thought to play a role in the regulation of postsynaptic function. Here we characterize some biochemical and morphological effects of calpain on isolated postsynaptic densities (PSDs). When a PSD preparation from rat forebrain was treated with exogenous calpain, many proteins, including spectrin, tubulin and the α‐subunit of calcium calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase (α‐CaM kinase), were proteolyzed at varying rates, while another major protein, actin, remained intact. The selectivity of calpain action became more apparent in experiments designed to achieve limited proteolysis by using a lower calpain‐to‐protein ratio; it was possible to obtain extensive breakdown of spectrin with no decrease in the levels of either tubulin, α‐CaM kinase, or actin. Electron microscopy of freeze‐substituted preparations showed that limited calpain action caused a partial unraveling of the PSD, in which the characteristic central dense lamina became wider and less dense. We interpret these changes as due to calpain‐mediated breakdown of cross‐bridging elements, leading to a partial unraveling of the central PSD lamina. Opening up of the PSD structure following limited calpain action could facilitate exposure of previously occluded functional sites within the PSD and contribute to the modification of the synaptic function. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America .
Tall Cell Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Children

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), tall cell (TC) variant, is exceptional in children. In adults it represents about 20% of PTCs, featuring a high-risk neoplasm, with a 4-fold risk of relapse and a 20-fold relapse-related risk of death. Out of 42 cases of pediatric PTCs, we found 3 cases of PTC-TC (7%) with clinical data at onset and follow-up up to June 2014. They were 3 females aged 13, 15, and 15 years. Local extrathyroid extension was present in 2 cases. Neither nodal nor distant metastases were found. Two patients underwent hemithyroidectomy and 1 patient a total thyroidectomy, followed in all cases by life-long suppressive hormonal therapy. On follow-up, the patients were alive and well after 29, 24, and 29 years, respectively. The rarity of PTC-TC in children was confirmed. The behavior was indolent after a median follow-up of about 29 years, following treatment with hemithyroidectomy in 2 cases and controlled by suppressive hormonal therapy. The results of this series, albeit small, suggest that TC morphology in PTC does not carry the same negative prognostic significance in children as it does in adults. A conservative approach should therefore be considered for these ‘pediatric type’ cases of this tumor type.
The Effect of Unions on Productivity in a Multinational Manufacturing Firm

This paper examines the effect of unions on productivity in 31 plants of a large multinational firm in the years 1975–82. The plants, 60 percent of which are unionized, all produce a similar line of products using material-intensive, labor-intensive, low-technology methods. Results obtained by estimating a translog production function indicate that unionization's overall effect on productivity is positive. Specific findings are that unionization increases the capital-labor ratio and improves management performance, but it also raises the absenteeism rate. A net positive effect on productivity remains even when these channels of union influence are controlled for, a result that, the author suggests, may reflect an improved labor relations climate or improved labor quality associated with unionization.
A study of network performance with application to Adaptive HTTP Streaming

We present a study of the performance of Adaptive HTTP Streaming over different access networks. Adaptive HTTP Streaming is on the verge of becoming the de-facto standard for multimedia streaming over the Internet and standards exist for its implementation. However, important aspects like media bitrate, segment duration and buffer requirements are not specified. We simulated characteristical HTTP streaming sessions over typical networks like DSL, WLAN and UMTS in order to classify the impact of these aspects on the overall performance of a streaming system. The measurements have shown a frequency of late segments between 7.88% for cellular networks and 17.72% for wireless LAN connections with more than 50% of the segments still arriving in less than 50% of the respective segment duration. The influence of different segment durations was not significant. The results prove the high variability of these access technologies and thus the immediate need for adaptivity in an HTTP streaming system.
Public Goods Game Experiments in Thailand: Social Capital and Other Determinants of Contributions

This paper is one of the first papers studying public good game experiments in Thailand. Three experiment games were studied: basic public goods game, public goods game with endowment inequality and finitely repeated public goods game. In all three games, we find that an increase in personal spending decreases public goods contributions. Doing volunteer jobs increases contributions. Except volunteering, other social capital measures such as trust and friendship are not robust in predicting contributions across games. In the game with endowment inequality, subjects with high endowment contribute more than those with low endowment. Moreover, we find that men contribute significantly more than women in the finitely repeated game.
SELF-EMPLOYMENT IN BRAZIL AND ITS DETERMINANTS: A SPATIAL ANALYSIS

In this paper, we intend to identify some factors underlying the different rates of participation of self-employed workers in Brazilian municipalities. In contrast with previous analysis, our study is sensitive to the spatial dimension of self-employment in Brazil. Relying on geo-referenced data from areal units, our approach avoids the restrictive assumptions of independence between area effects. Two different approaches to spatial analysis are exploited, Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) and Spatial Econometrics. We show that substantial geographical heterogeneity in rates of self-employment exists within Brazil. The results point to the presence of clusters of municipalities with similar rates of participation of self-employment in the economy. The fitting of a spatial lag model to the data demonstrates that significant part of variation in self-employment is explained by spatial dependence. In addition, the municipality's degree of urbanization, rate of employment in the secondary sector as well as GDP per capita among others, indeed influences its rate of self-employment. We conclude that spatial analysis can provide useful insights in analyzing self-employment in Brazil.
Put Option Values of Thrifts in the 1980s: Evidence from Thrift Stock Reactions to the FIRREA

Abstract The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 limited thrift goodwill that could be counted as regulatory capital. This paper infers the significance of the thrift put option value from the relationship between thrift goodwill and stock returns. The ability to count goodwill as regulatory capital might have resulted in large put option values by allowing many thrifts to hold low capital and risky assets before the legislation. Tightened regulation may have reduced put option values and hence the wealth of thrift shareholders. Goodwill had a large negative effect on stock returns of low capital thrifts in 1989 and the negative effect persisted in the following two years. These findings suggest that many thrifts had large put option values before the FIRREA and the elimination of put option values was largely responsible for the stock price decline.
Body awareness in persons diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis

Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) poses physiological and psychological demands on a person. RA is a autoimmune disease that can cause pain, disability, and suffering. The ability to notice bodily inner sensations and stimuli (body awareness, BA) is described in the literature in ways that could have either a positive or a negative impact on a person's health. The concept of BA is complex and a thorough understanding is needed about what BA means from the patient's perspective. This study was therefore conducted to acquire greater insight into this phenomenon. The study is grounded in a phenomenological life-world perspective. Eighteen narrative interviews were conducted in patients (age range 23–78 years) with RA. The interviews were analyzed using the Empirical Phenomenological Psychological method. General characteristics were found running through all 18 interviews, indicating that the disease resulted in a higher degree of negatively toned BA. BA was either a reactive process of searching or controlling after disease-related symptoms or a reactive process triggered by emotions. BA was an active process of taking an inventory of abilities. All participants had the ability to shift focus from BA to the outside world. Four typologies were identified: “A reactive process on symptoms,” “A reactive process on emotional triggers,” “An active process of taking an inventory of abilities,” and “A shifting from BA to the outside world. ” In conclusion, because BA can be both positively and negatively toned, health care professionals must have a good understanding of when BA is positive and when it is negative in relation to the patient. RA had caused a higher degree of negatively toned BA. Thus, the ability to shift attention from BA to activity in the outside world could sometimes be beneficial for the patient's general health.
Risk‐Neutral Parameter Shifts and Derivatives Pricing in Discrete Time

We obtain a large class of discrete-time risk-neutral valuation relationships, or "preference-free" derivatives pricing models, by imposing a simple restriction on the state-price density process. The risk-neutral stock-return and forward-rate dynamics are obtained by changing only a location parameter, which can be determined independent of the preference and true location parameters. The Gaussian models of Rubinstein (1976) , Brennan (1979) , and Câmera (2003) , and the gamma model of Heston (1993) are all special cases. The model provides simple relationships between expected returns and state-price density parameters analogous to the diffusion case. Copyright 2004 by The American Finance Association.
A Critical Lens on Learning Communities: An International Comparative Study of Higher Education Practice

The term 'learning community' can be defined either broadly or narrowly depending on its context. It is a term now widely used in Education settings as varied as in schools and universities; or, in other institutions, e.g., business work places, by many researchers (see, for example, Brown & Duguid, 1991; Dufour et al., 2006; Huffman & Hipp, 2003; Wenger et al., 2002). A review of the Literature has demonstrated a significant change in the meaning of the term 'learning community' and this evolution in its usage has reinforced the need to investigate how participants in different contexts understand their situation if it is described as a learning community. As understood now 'learning community' is more than just a group of people who simply work together in the same space. This cross-cultural study addressed inter alia the question: how do academics in Australia and China perceive their work places as 'learning communities'? It sought to do so by examining the constituent issues of (i) the perceptions of shared mission, vision, values and goals; (ii) the demonstration of commitment to continuous improvement; (iii) initiatives that develop and sustain a collaborative culture and collective enquiry; (iv) feelings of supportive and shared leadership; (v) perceived freedom of group membership and (vi) the descriptions of interaction, proximity and mutual engagement. The unique data presented in this paper attempts to fill a gap that was evident from the literature search where learning community studies have focused primarily on a single case whereas here the study explored learning communities operating in two university academic departments in Australia and China respectively. The study also examined the way academics valued their work contexts as learning communities and their perception of team work, sharing and flexibility of role relationships. Data collection methods included a mix of qualitative and quantitative techniques consisting of document analysis, a questionnaire and a face-to-face interview with volunteers. Among the important findings from the study was that the role of national culture, reflecting historic- socio-political influences, was central in understanding respondent's perceptions of the six constituent elements listed above. The paper will present some of these data and locate it within the literature. This paper will be of interest to researchers in education, particularly in higher education, but also those interested in academics' work lives and policy development and implementation and more generally those who have utilised the term 'learning community' in their own teaching or research.
A 22–31 GHz Distributed Amplifier Based on High-Pass Transmission Lines Using 0.18 $\mu{\rm m}$ CMOS Technology

This letter demonstrates a 22-31 GHz CMOS distributed amplifier (DA) based on high-pass transmission lines. Unlike the low-pass DA, the circuit can be smaller since it does not need extra drain bias circuits. This DA has a maximum output power of 12 dBm, a maximum OP1dB of 6.5 dBm, and a small signal gain of 6.4 dB. The chip occupies a miniature area of 0.28 mm2 including the pads and the core area is only 0.17 mm2.
Non‐rigid calcium phosphate cement containing hydrogel microbeads and absorbable fibres seeded with umbilical cord stem cells for bone engineering

The need for bone repair has increased as the population ages. Non‐rigid calcium phosphate scaffolds could provide compliance for micro‐motions within the tissues and yet have load‐supporting strength. The objectives of this study were to: (a) develop a non‐rigid calcium phosphate cement (CPC) with microbeads and fibre reinforcement; and (b) investigate human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUCMSC) proliferation, osteodifferentiation and mineralization on non‐rigid CPC for the first time. Non‐rigid CPC was fabricated by adding extra tetracalcium phosphate in the traditional CPC and by incorporating chitosan, absorbable fibres and hydrogel microbeads. The non‐rigid CPC–microbead scaffold possessed a strain‐at‐failure of 10.7%, much higher than the traditional CPC's strain of 0.05% which is typical for brittle bioceramics. Flexural strength of non‐rigid CPC–microbead was 4‐fold that of rigid CPC–microbead scaffold, while work‐of‐fracture (toughness) was increased by 20‐fold. The strength of non‐rigid CPC–microbead–fibre scaffold matched that of cancellous bone. hUCMSCs on non‐rigid CPC proliferated from 100 cells/mm2 at 1 day to 600 cells/mm2 at 8 days. Alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and collagen gene expressions of hUCMSCs were greatly increased, and the cells synthesized bone minerals. hUCMSCs on non‐rigid CPC–microbead–fibre constructs had higher bone markers and more mineralization than those on rigid CPC controls. In conclusion, this study developed the first non‐rigid, in situ‐setting calcium phosphate–microbead–fibre scaffold with a strain‐at‐failure exceeding 10%. hUCMSCs showed excellent proliferation, osteodifferentiation and mineralization on non‐rigid CPC scaffold. The novel non‐rigid CPC‐hUCMSC construct with good strength, high strain‐at‐failure and toughness, as well as superior stem cell proliferation, osteodifferentiation and mineralization, is promising for load‐bearing bone regeneration applications. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spectral Coexistence in radar using Xampling

This paper presents a spectrum sharing technology enabling interference-free operation of a surveillance radar and communication transmissions over a common spectrum. A cognitive radio (CRo) receiver senses the spectrum using very low sampling and processing rates. The radar is also modeled as a cognitive system that employs a Xampling-based receiver and transmits in several narrow bands. Our main contribution is the alliance of two previous ideas, CRo and cognitive radar (CRr), and their adaptation to solve the spectrum sharing problem. Finally, we present a hardware realization of our system and demonstrate the SPEctral Coexistence via Xampling (SpeCX) technology through real-time experiments.