Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ESM-based national innovation policy influence analysis with the panel data of listed Chinese electronic SMEs

This study uses the Event Study Methodology (ESM) to evaluate the influence of national innovation policies on small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in high-tech industries. Originally, ESM was employed in the field of finance, and gradually it has been applied in many other fields to study the impact of a specific issue or event on organizational behaviors, including impact identification and impact duration for an event. ESM is regarded as an effective empirical research method because of its specific procedures for identifying event consequences and its explicit statistical analysis for investigating relationships among complex factors. Traditionally, most ESM applications are single event applications. However, innovation policies must be treated as a series of multiple relevant events at irregular time intervals. Employing ESM to study the impacts of innovation policies has not been attempted until now. In this paper, we use ESM to investigate the impacts of one specific type of Chinese innovation policy, namely, the tax preference policies for enterprises during the period of 2006–2010. For this study, tax preference policies have been treated as input variables and the market values of electronic companies listed on Shenzhen SMEs Stock Exchange have been selected as output variables. ESM-based empirical analysis shows that these policies have substantial impacts on enterprise performance. More specifically, the upward trends of the Average Abnormal Return and Cumulative Average Abnormal Returns are both significant for companies taking advantage of these policies, and as a result, the enactment of the policies demonstrates a positive influence on the market values of the relevant companies. This study indicates that enforcing tax preference policies is an effective approach for Chinese government to promote the development of high-tech industries by influencing innovation behaviors of individual companies.
Quality of life in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with dose-dense chemotherapy is only affected temporarily

(R)-CHOP-14 has substantially improved outcome in DLBCL, but may have increased morbidity and reduced quality of life (QoL). Our aim was to evaluate QoL during (R)-CHOP-14-based chemotherapy. Twenty-six patients participated (small single-center study). EORTC QLQ-C30 was completed pre-treatment, mid-treatment, 14 days post-treatment, and 3 months post-treatment. Scores were compared to a reference population, and analyzed separately. Pre-treatment, global health status (p = 0.004), physical functioning (p = 0.036), role functioning (p = 0.017), and emotional functioning (p = 0.040) were reduced, and fatigue (p = 0.009) and appetite loss (p = 0.007) increased compared to the reference population. During treatment, physical functioning and role functioning decreased significantly, whereas emotional functioning, fatigue, and diarrhea increased. Three months post-treatment, scores were generally equivalent to those of the reference population, and lower for nausea/vomiting (p < 0.001) and constipation (p < 0.001). Disease-related symptoms were frequent in high-risk DLBCL. Treatment-related symptoms were normalized 3 months post-treatment. In conclusion, QoL is only temporarily affected during (R)-CHOP-14-based chemotherapy, and the treatment regimen is therefore feasible.
Contrasting effects of a mixed-methods high-intensity interval training intervention in girl football players

ABSTRACT Little is known about the responses of girl athletes to training interventions throughout maturation. This study evaluated group and individual responses to an 8-week, mixed-methods, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) programme in girl football players. Thirty-seven players (age 13.4 ± 1.5 years) were tested for 20-m speed, repeated-sprint ability, change-of-direction speed and level 1 yo-yo intermittent recovery (YYIR). Players were subcategorised into before-, at- and after-PHV (peak height velocity) based on maturity offset. Very likely moderate (25%; ±90% confidence limits = 9.2) improvements occurred in YYIR, but data were unclear in players before-PHV with moderate individual differences in response. Decrements in repeated-sprint ability were most likely very large (6.5%; ±3.2) before-PHV, and likely moderate (1.7%; ±1.0) at-PHV. Data were unclear after-PHV. A very likely moderate (2.7%; ±1.0) decrement occurred in change-of-direction speed at-PHV while there was a very likely increase (−2.4%; ±1.3) in after-PHV players. Possibly small (−1.1%; ±1.4) improvements in 20-m speed occurred before-PHV but the effect was otherwise unclear with moderate to large individual differences. These data reflect specific responses to training interventions in girls of different biological maturity, while highlighting individual responses to HIIT interventions. This can assist practitioners in providing effective training prescription.
Relation of Memory and Linguistic Fields and ICT Tools for Memory and Language Comprehension

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of human memory in language comprehension and specifically to examine the relationship between the function of working memory and the fields of linguistic analysis which are phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. Working memory -as one of the most important cognitive skills of human brain- comprises a system with specific functions with which the information from the external environment are being transferred, encoded, stored and retrieved. The present study is an attempt to explore which specific function of working memory is activated in order to decode each linguistic field of analysis. Furthermore, it features the current scientific achievements on the ICTs processes and tools, which exploit the cognitive skill of memory and they are applied in the assessment of difficulties in text comprehension, intervention and training of the language comprehension ability.
Self-Determination and Compliance in Directly Observed Therapy of Tuberculosis Treatment in the Kingdom of Lesotho

Abstract Public health officials have created directly observed therapy, short course (DOTS) to treat tuberculosis (TB) and to guarantee that drugs are taken in the right combination and for the appropriate duration. The World Health Organization (WHO) uses supervisors (nurses, nursing assistants, and community health workers [CHWs], as well as community members and relatives), to watch the patient take his or her TB medication. This article explores the observation component of DOTS, and how DOTS supervisors enhance patients' ability to comply with TB treatment by providing enablers, education, and supportive relationships. It also explores how supervisors can achieve the balance between patients' right to self-determination and a community's need for social accountability. Social work can contribute to the efficacy of TB treatment by helping public health officials understand the importance of balancing patients' rights and society's needs in determining the allocation of program resources. The results of this study are based on data gathered from 71 researcher-administered questionnaires and 25 semi-structured interviews in seven of the Kingdom of Lesotho's 19 health service areas. It was found that by providing enablers, education, and supportive relationships, DOTS supervisors ameliorate some of the logistical problems that prevent compliance. Noncompliance for patients is often an institutional/managerial problem that denies patients access to services and resources and should not be blamed on them.
Single stage buck-boost DC-AC neutral point clamped inverter

This paper proposes a new single stage buck-boost DC-AC neutral point clamped inverter topology which integrates the cascaded configurations of recently introduced inductor-capacitor-capacitor-transformer impedance source network (by Adamowicz) and classic NPC configuration. As a consequence, it has enhanced buck-boost functionality and low output voltage distortions compared to the traditional Z-source inverter; it has continuous input current which reduces the source stress and inverter noise; it also contains two built-in capacitors which can block the DC current in the transformer windings thus preventing the core from saturation; lowers the voltage stresses and power losses of inverter switches and reduces the sizes of filtering devices and as well as obtains better output performance compared to the original two-level Z-source inverters. A phase disposition pulse width modulation technique with minimum switching counts is implemented for the proposed topology. Simulation results as well as experimental results are presented to verify the behaviors of proposed configuration.
Simulation of field electron emission of C and SiC nanotubes

We study the field emission current density of carbon nanotubes and silicon carbide nanotube using first-principles methods. The simulation and analysis of the field emission are carried out based on density-functional theory using a hybrid functional B3LYP and 6-31g basis set for initial approximation. The structures considered are the ideally open (3, 0), (3, 3), (5, 5) nanotubes. Ideal models have been optimized in terms of the total energy, forming closed or deformed structures. Calculated field emission properties of individual nanotubes are compared.
Effects of prenatal music stimulation on state/trait anxiety in full-term pregnancy and its influence on childbirth: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background: Many researchers have pointed out the strong relationship between maternal psychological well-being and fetal welfare during pregnancy. The impact of music interventions during pregnancy should be examined in depth, as they could have an impact on stress reduction, not only during pregnancy but also during the course of delivery, and furthermore induce fetal awareness. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of music on maternal anxiety, before and after a non-stress test (NST), and the effect of music on the birthing process. Material and method: The four hundred and nine pregnant women coming for routine prenatal care were randomized in the third trimester to receive either music (n = 204) or no music (n = 205) stimulation during an NST. The primary outcome was considered as the maternal state anxiety score before and after the NST, and the secondary outcome was the birthing process. Results: Before their NST, full-term pregnant women who had received music intervention were found to have a similar state-trait anxiety score to those from the control group, with 38.10 ± 8.8 and 38.08 ± 8.2, respectively (p = .97). After the NST, the mean state-trait anxiety score of each group was recorded, with results of 30.58 ± 13.2 for those with music intervention, and 43.11 ± 15.0 for those without music intervention (p < .001). In the control group, the NST was followed by a statistically significant increase in the state-trait anxiety score (38.08 ± 8.2 versus 43.11 ± 15.0, p < .001). However, listening to music during the NST resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the state-trait anxiety score of the study group (38.10 ± 8.8 versus 30.58 ± 13.2, OR = 0.87, p < .001). Furthermore, the first stage of labor was shorter in women who received music stimulation (OR = 0.92, p < .004). They also presented a more natural delivery beginning (spontaneous) and less medication (stimulated and induced) than those who were not stimulated musically, with statistically significant differences (p < .01). Conclusions: Prenatal music intervention could be a useful and effective tool to reduce anxiety in full-term pregnant women during an NST and improve the delivery process by reducing the first stage of labor in nulliparous women.
Medication errors involving continuously infused medications in a surgical intensive care unit

ObjectiveTo document the incidence of medication errors related to medications administered by continuous infusion. DesignObservational study. SettingSixteen-bed surgical intensive care unit. Measurements and Main ResultsAll continuous infusions in the surgical intensive care unit were evaluated at least once daily for correct flow-sheet charting, concentration, infusion rate, and dose administered, as well as patients’ heights and weights (actual, ideal, and “dry”). Collected information was examined to determine the error rate, types of errors occurring, and weight used for dose calculation. Variations inpatient weight measures were compared. Seventy-one patients with 202 total infusions were observed. Errors involving continuously infused medications in our surgical intensive care unit occurred at a rate of 105.9 per 1,000 patient days. For nonweight-based infusions, 94% of doses were delivered correctly. Slightly >10% of the doses administered for weight-based infusions (dose based on dry body weight) were incorrect. Significant differences were found between the weight measurements recorded, but this did not translate into statistically significant differences in the apparent calculated doses delivered. ConclusionsMedications delivered by continuous infusion, particularly those that are weight based, can contribute to medication errors in the intensive care unit. A large proportion (87.6%) of doses for weight-based infusions was calculated based on estimated or unreliable admission weights. There were no severe consequences resulting from the errors observed in this 1 month investigation; however, depending on the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug being administered, there is a potential to deliver artificially low or high doses resulting in subtherapeutic or adverse effects.
WordNet and Cosine Similarity based Classifier of Exam Questions using Bloom's Taxonomy

Assessment usually plays an indispensable role in the education and it is the prime indicator of student learning achievement. Exam questions are the main form of assessment used in learning. Setting appropriate exam questions to achieve the desired outcome of the course is a challenging work for the examiner. Therefore this research is mainly focused to categorize the exam questions automatically into its learning levels using Bloom’s taxonomy. Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques such as tokenization, stop word removal, lemmatization and tagging were used before generating the rule set to be used for this classification. WordNet similarity algorithms with NLTK and cosine similarity algorithm were developed to generate a unique set of rules to identify the question category and the weight for each exam question according to Bloom’s taxonomy. These derived rules make it easy to analyze the exam questions. Evaluators can redesign their exam papers based on the outcome of the evaluation process. A sample of examination questions of the Department of Computing and Information Systems, Wayamba University, Sri Lanka was used for the evaluation; weight assignment was done based on the total value generated from both WordNet algorithm and the cosine algorithm. Identified question categories were confirmed by a domain expert. The generated rule set indicated over 70% accuracy.
On Observer-based Passive Robust Impedance Control of a Robot Manipulator

This paper studies the passive impedance control of a robot manipulator with model uncertainty to perform manipulation tasks while interacting with dynamic environment. Impedance control is a powerful approach for the robot to perform mechanical tasks while interacting with dynamic environment. However, in our previous research, it was clarified that, the time varying impedance center as well as the robot’s model uncertainty influences the robot’s passivity, which may lead to serious safety problem for both the robot as well as its environment. In order for the robot to keep its passivity as well as to realize desired objective impedance, in this paper, a novel observer based control design is proposed. Computer simulations of a 2-link manipulator interacting with a dynamic wall show the effectiveness of our control approach.
The Effect of Weight Loss on the Muscle Proteome in the Damara, Dorper and Australian Merino Ovine Breeds

Seasonal Weight Loss (SWL) is an important constraint, limiting animal production in the Tropics and the Mediterranean. As a result, the study of physiological and biochemical mechanisms by which domestic animal breeds respond to SWL is important to those interested in animal breeding and the improvement thereof. To that end, the study of the proteome has been instrumental in gathering important information on physiological mechanisms, including those underlying SWL. In spite of that, little information is available concerning physiological mechanisms of SWL in production animals. The objective of this study was to determine differential protein expression in the muscle of three different breeds of sheep, the Australian Merino, the Dorper and the Damara, each showing different levels of tolerance to weight loss (low, medium and high, respectively). Per breed, two experimental groups were established, one labeled “Growth” and the other labeled “Restricted. ” After forty-two days of dietary treatment, all animals were euthanized. Muscle samples were then taken. Total protein was extracted from the muscle, then quantified and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis were conducted using 24 cm pH 3–10 immobiline dry strips and colloidal coomassie staining. Gels were analyzed using Samespots® software and spots of interest were in-gel digested with trypsin. The isolated proteins were identified using MALDI-TOF/TOF. Results indicated relevant differences between breeds; several proteins are suggested as putative biomarkers of tolerance to weight loss: Desmin, Troponin T, Phosphoglucomutase and the Histidine Triad nucleotide-binding protein 1. This information is of relevance to and of possible use in selection programs aiming towards ruminant animal production in regions prone to droughts and weight loss.
Difference between single-tone and multi-tone excitations in RF channel measurement

For inspecting on the nonlinearity of RF channel, measurements with novel multi-tone excitations are developed based on a vector network analyzer (VNA) and a multi-tone generator. Many differences have been found in both statistical averages and variances of the transmission function. These differences between statistical averages reflect the nonlinearity of RF channel, and the differences between variances suggest multitone excitation for a proper choice when a time-varying characteristic is of importance. Improvement of the excitations for nowadays channel measurement is discussed in the end.
c-Myc Programs Fatty Acid Metabolism and Dictates Acetyl-CoA Abundance and Fate*

Background: Cells lacking c-Myc demonstrate metabolic abnormalities marked by reduced glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, and proliferation. Results: These cells preferentially utilize fatty acids as energy-generating substrates and reprogram other pathways to maximize acetyl-CoA and ATP production. Conclusion: Despite these compensatory changes, basal levels of acetyl-CoA and ATP remained low. Significance: Therapies that limit acetyl-CoA availability might represent novel ways of inhibiting tumor cell growth. myc−/− rat fibroblasts (KO cells) differ from myc+/+ (WT) cells and KO cells with enforced Myc re-expression (KO-Myc cells) with respect to mitochondrial structure and function, utilization of glucose and glutamine as energy-generating substrates, and ATP levels. Specifically, KO cells demonstrate low levels of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, dysfunctional mitochondria and electron transport chain complexes, and depleted ATP stores. We examined here how these cells adapt to their energy-deficient state and how they differ in their uptake and utilization of long- and medium-chain fatty acids such as palmitate and octanoate, respectively. Metabolic tracing of these molecules showed that KO cells preferentially utilize them as β-oxidation substrates and that, rather than directing them into phospholipids, preferentially store them as neutral lipids. KO cell transcriptional profiling and functional assays revealed a generalized up-regulation of pathways involved in fatty acid transport and catabolism as well as evidence that these cells attempt to direct acetyl-CoA into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for ATP production rather than utilizing it for anabolic purposes. Additional evidence to support this idea included the finding that AMP-dependent protein kinase was constitutively activated in KO cells. The complex control of pyruvate dehydrogenase, which links glycolysis to the TCA cycle, was also maximized to ensure the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA. Despite these efforts to maximize acetyl-CoA for energy-generating purposes, its levels remained chronically low in KO cells. This suggests that tumor cells with Myc deregulation might be susceptible to novel therapies that limit acetyl-CoA availability.
Algorithmic problems in power management of computing systems. (Problèmes algorithmiques dans les systèmes informatiques sous contraintes d'énergie)

This thesis is focused on energy-efficient algorithms for job scheduling problems on speed-scalable processors, as well as on processors operating under a thermal and cooling mechanism, where, for a given budget of energy or a thermal threshold, the goal is to optimize a Quality of Service criterion. A part of our research concerns scheduling problems arising in large-data processing environments. In this context, we focus on the MapReduce paradigm and we consider problems of energy-efficient scheduling on multiple speed-scalable processors as well as classical scheduling on a set of unrelated processors.First, we propose complexity results, optimal and constant competitive algorithms for different energy-aware variants of the problem of minimizing the maximum lateness of a set of jobs on a single speed-scalable processor. Then, we consider energy-aware MapReduce scheduling as well as classical MapReduce scheduling (where energy is not our concern) on unrelated processors, where the goal is to minimize the total weighted completion time of a set of MapReduce jobs. We study special cases and generalizations of both problems and propose constant approximation algorithms. Finally, we study temperature-aware scheduling on a single processor that operates under a strict thermal threshold, where each job has its own heat contribution and the goal is to maximize the schedule's throughput. We consider the case of unit-length jobs with a common deadline and we study the approximability of the problem.
A low pregnancy body mass index is a risk factor for an offspring with gastroschisis.

A mother's prepregnancy obesity has been suggested as a risk factor for having offspring with an abdominal wall defect. We evaluated this hypothesis among 104 cases of gastroschisis--a severe birth defect of the abdominal wall most prevalent in infants of young women--and 220 controls with no defect. Using Quetelet's index (QI = weight in kg/height in m2) as a measure of body mass, we found a higher risk of gastroschisis (odds ratio (OR) = 3.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4-7.3) for underweight mothers (QI<18.1 kg/m2) and a lower risk (OR = 0.2; 0.05-0.9) for overweight mothers (QI>28.3 kg/m2) as compared with mothers of normal weight. As QI was correlated to height, with the correlation varying according to mother's ethnicity and age, we adjusted for these factors in the analysis; the adjusted values approximated the unadjusted values. Evaluation of QI as a continuous variable showed that, for every unit increase in QI, the risk for gastroschisis decreased by about 11%. Sociodemographic, pregnancy, and nutrient factors did not confound the association. These results suggest that low prepregnancy body mass rather than obesity is a risk factor for gastroschisis.