Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE MODEL OF UPSTREAM INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO IN THE MATURE REGIONS

Portfolio models can serve as an assessment tool for the optimal assignment of capital between the potential investment projects in the various conditions for upstream companies. This process is crucial for any company if it wants to balance the short-term goals and seeks to maximize long-term value of the company. The paper aims to present a practical model of forming oil upstream company’s portfolio. The unique feature of this model is an individual approach to investment plan forming in a context of three types of projects: exploration, oil production and infrastructure projects. This is due to the individual approach which is used for comparison of all projects by using of universal set of indicators. Suggested model uses the multi-criteria selection mechanism by means of aggregating the key estimating indicators into the final project rank score. In that way the task of forming investment project’s portfolio of upstream company is a linear programming problem that is solved by simplex method. In the paper the model forms consolidated investment portfolio that takes into account decision makers’ preferences in setting of limits for resources.
Original Article: Epidemiology Is diabetes a coronary risk equivalent? Systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims To determine whether patients with diabetes without prior myocardial infarction (MI) have the same risk of total coronary heart disease (CHD) events as non-diabetic patients with previous myocardial infarction. Methods Using MEDLINE , EMBASE , Cochrane and MeSH in this systematic review and meta-analysis, extensive searching was carried out by cross-referencing from original articles and reviews. The study consisted of cohort or observational studies with hard clinical endpoints, including total CHD events (fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction), stratified for patients with diabetes but no previous myocardial infarction, and patients without diabetes but with previous myocardial infarction. Studies with less than 100 subjects, follow-up of less than 4 years and/or without provisions for calculating CHD event rates were excluded. The review of articles and data extraction was performed by two independent authors, with any disagreements resolved by consensus. Results Thirteen studies were included involving 45 108 patients. The duration of follow-up was 5–25 years (mean 13.4 years) and the age range was 25–84 years. Patients with diabetes without prior myocardial infarction have a 43% lower risk of developing total CHD events compared with patients without diabetes with previous myocardial infarction (summary odds ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.53–0.60). Conclusion This meta-analysis did not support the hypothesis that diabetes is a ‘coronary heart disease equivalent’. Public health decisions to initiate cardio-protective drugs in patients with diabetes for primary CHD prevention should therefore be based on appropriate patients’ CHD risk estimates rather than a ‘blanket’ approach of treatment.
Access to Five Nonprimary Health Care Services by Homebound Older Adults: An Integrative Review

Globally, the number of homebound older adults is rising exponentially as the aging population increases. Homebound older adults have complex medical and psychological issues for which many receive home-based primary care services. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify, analyze, and synthesize the existing literature regarding homebound older adults’ need for, use of, and access to five nonprimary health care services. They are dental, nutritional, optical, pharmacy, and psychological services. The integrative review was conducted using a database search of CINAHL, Health Source: Nursing Education, PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, and Cochrane, that was supplemented by a hand search. Little research was found addressing the five nonprimary health care services. Five themes emerged from the 10 studies. They were (1) complex and interrelated health problems require more health care services; (2) perceived unimportance of nonprimary health care services; (3) barriers to use of and access to nonprimary health care services; (4) the impact of socioeconomic and demographical factors on access to services; and (5) the impact of psychological factors (depression and social isolation) on the use and access to health care services. These findings suggest further inequity and barriers to health care services by homebound older adults. Future research is needed with nonprimary health care providers to examine the clinical outcomes and costs of providing the services to homebound older adults.
Simulating U.S. Business Cash Flow Taxation in a 17-Region Global Model

This paper uses the Global Gaidar Model to simulate replacing a territorial corporate income tax with a wealth tax imposed in the form of a destination-based Business Cash Flow Tax. According to the model, the reform produces, over a decade, increases in the capital stock, GDP, and pre-tax wages for high- and low-skilled workers of 20.5 percent, 6.8 percent, 6.3 and 7.5 percent, respectively. Young workers benefit greatly from the change, and welfare loss for retirees is limited. The initially revenue neutral tax reform raises enough additional revenue over time to permit a reduction in personal income tax rates.
An Object-Oriented Relational Algebra Query Language

This paper describes an object-oriented query language that allows database instructors to teach Relational Algebra (RA) programming using a familiar object-oriented syntax. Instead of using mathematical notation to express queries, students write programs that instance RA table objects and call RA table methods to perform query operations. We show how writing object-oriented RA (OORA) programs can help teach RA concepts. We also present our special OORAQ query processing software that executes OORA instructions interactively, allowing students to view intermediate query results step-by-step. The database to be queried can be in any Microsoft Access MDB file. Using the OORA language and OORAQ software, students can learn Relational Algebra by writing object-oriented code and watching it run (similar to how they learn in other programming courses).
The Future of Yogad: An Appreciative Inquiry on Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Classroom Practices in the Philippines

This study centers on the present practices found across several top-performing public schools listed under the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) program in the Philippines, more than five years after its implementation. Explored through the narratives of Ilokano and Ibanag educators in Isabela, this inquiry examined their teaching approaches, classroom strategies, and instructional materials, among others. Using a two-level inductive analysis method, themes related to indigenous ways of teaching and learning were determined, in order to create a potential model for other heritage languages in the area, such as Yogad. Cooperative learning, stakeholder partnerships, as well as contextualized and localized materials dominated the discussion. Implications and recommendations were made, to promote the continued success of the nation's ongoing educational mandate. Keywords: mother tongue education, multilingualism, indigenous education, appreciative inquiry
Preliminary development of the World Health Organisations Quality of Life HIV instrument (WHOQOL-HIV): analysis of the pilot version. WHOQOL-HIV Group.

The assessment of quality of life (QoL) is central to understanding how people’s lives are affected by HIV infection. A reliable and valid measurement tool developed for cross-cultural use will be important in evaluating the global impact of the disease. This paper reports on the development and preliminary assessment of the WHOQOL-HIV pilot instrument that is designed for use with the WHOQOL-100 for persons living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). In this study 900 people with a mean age of 32 from six culturally diverse sites completed the WHOQOL-100 along with 115 HIV specific items. Respondents were HIV asymptomatic (23%) HIV symptomatic (23%) had AIDS (20%) or were well (34%). Analyses to select the best items from the piloted instrument resulted in the inclusion of 33 items covering 12 new facets for a field trial version of the WHOQOL-HIV instrument; e.g. symptoms of HIV body image social inclusion death and dying and forgiveness. The results indicate excellent internal consistency for the scale (a = 0:98) and its domains (a = 0.87-0.94). For PLWHA pain and discomfort positive feelings dependence on medication sexual activity financial resources and spiritual connection were particularly poor indicating that the severest impact of HIV extends beyond physical well-being to the psycho–social–spiritual and environmental areas of QoL. Comparisons using ANOVA showed that persons who are at later stages of HIV infection or are currently ill report poorer QoL than those that were well (p 30) reported lower negative feelings and better social inclusion spiritual connection forgiveness and spiritual experience than younger persons. Finally those with no education or only primary education showed some of the poorest means. It is concluded that these new items and facets add value for measurement of QoL in PLWHA. (authors)
Local evolutionary search enhancement by random memorizing

For the calibration of laser induced plasma spectrometers robust and efficient local search methods are required. Therefore, several local optimizers from nonlinear optimization, random search and evolutionary computation are compared. It is shown that evolutionary algorithms are superior with respect to reliability and efficiency. To enhance the local search of an evolutionary algorithm a new method of random memorizing is introduced. This method is applied to one of the most simple evolutionary algorithm, the (1+1)-Evolution Strategy. It leads to a substantial gain in efficiency for a reliable local search. Finally, laser induced plasma spectroscopy and the calibration of a real example are sketched.
ACL Injuries in Active Girls and Women

n the past three decades, the number of girls and women participatI ing in competitive and recreational sports and fitness and wellness activities has increased dramatically. The extended media coverage of the Olympic Games and national competitions in a variety of sports has estab lished athleticism as a desirable attribute for females. Today we see more young girls and women of all ages committed to attaining and maintaining a state of fitness. For example, studies by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) indicated a 10 percent increase in female participation in all NCAA athletic programs from 1989 to 1993 (Arendt & Dick, 1995). In addition, Higdon and Higdon (1985) reported that the number of mature women running in master's events had more than doubled since the 1970s. As the number of women participating in physical activity increased, a greater appreciation of health issues specific to the female athlete has evolved. For example, the knee has the highest incidence of injury in sports (Hutchinson & Ireland, 1995). With higher sports participation rates, one would therefore expect an increase in sports-related knee injuries in females. Yet this increase in knee injuries in female athletes has been disproportionately high compared to the injury rate of their male counterparts. According to the results of a five-year study conducted by the NCAA (1994), the average knee-injury rate for women was 2.4 times higher than that for men. Specifically, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur three to five times more frequently in female athletes (Ireland &Wall, 1989; McLean, Neal, & Myers, 1999). The ACL helps stabilize the knee while one is running and changing directions. The instability caused by an ACL injury can be devastating, with serious implications for both shortand long-term recovery. Along with the collateral ligaments and the postenor cruciate ligament, the ACL stabilizes the knee by controlling forward gliding of the tibia and lateral mobility in extension and flexion (Kreighbaum, 1996; see figure 1). The surrounding musculature plays an integral role in providing additional support for the knee, which is the largest and most vulnerable joint in the body (Gench, Hinson, & Harvey, 1999).
Design of Food Temperature and Humidity Monitoring System based on Wireless Multimedia Sensor Network

This study takes wireless multimedia sensor network as the breakthrough point, by means of the interpretation of the characteristics of wireless sensor network, analyzed the structure of food temperature and humidity monitoring system and analyzed the configuration of hardware and software of the monitoring system, moreover, it puts forward the relevant strategies of extending the working life of the food temperature and humidity monitoring network.
Simultaneous emission and transmission imaging for PET-MRI using time-of-flight information

Objectives: Attenuation correction is one of the major challenges in the development of simultaneous PET-MR scanners. Predicting attenuation values from MR images is difficult because in most MRI sequences, air and bone do not produce any signal, while the attenuation coefficients are completely different. Different groups have proposed to combine MRI images with information from atlases or to use slow sequences like UTE. Here we propose to obtain the necessary transmission information simultaneously with the emission data using a TOF-PET system. Using a fast MR image as priori information we can limit the effect of low statistics due to short transmission time. Methods: The transmission scan was simulated using GATE simulator by placing a hollow cylinder (100 MBq) of FDG inside the GEMINI TOF-PET scanner. The lung region of the NCAT phantom was scanned (4 minutes). The TOF information was used to separate the coincidences coming from the patient and the transmission cylinder. The object scan was compared to the blank scan to derive the attenuation values in the 3D projections. We implemented an iterative reconstruction algorithm using a segmented image from the NCAT phantom as a-priori knowledge to derive the attenuation coefficients at 511 Kev. Results: The reconstruction algorithm was able to assign 5 tissue types (lung, body, liver, spine and bone) to the correct segment in the reference image. Even with limited timing resolution (600 ps) only 0,16% of the coincidences coming from the patient are misclassified. On the other hand 0,51% of the cylinder activity was classified as patient activity. Conclusions: By using TOF information we can acquire the transmission and emission data simultaneously using the PET system. Additional knowledge from MR-images can be used to limit the effect of low statistics in the short transmission scan during reconstruction
Pagamentos por Serviços Ambientais na Mata Atlânica: lições aprendidas e desafios.

O conteudo e apresentado em seis capitulos: Capitulo 1 - Introducao; Capitulo 2 - Por que Pagamentos por Servicos Ambientais / Susan Edda Seehusen e Ingrid Prem; Capitulo 3 - Iniciativas de PSA de Carbono Florestal na Mata Atlântica / Peter H. May; Capitulo 4 - Iniciativas de PSA de Conservacao dos Recursos Hidricos na Mata Atlântica / Fernando Veiga e Marina Gavaldao; Capitulo 5 - Iniciativas de PSA de Protecao da Biodiversidade na Mata Atlântica / Susan Edda Seehusen, Andre A. Cunha e Arnaldo Freitas de Oliveira Jr; Capitulo 6 - O PSA na Mata Atlântica - Situacao Atual, Desafios e Recomendacoes / Fatima Becker Guedes e Susan Edda Seehusen.
A web collaboration system for content-based image retrieval of medical images

Building effective content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems involves the combination of image creation, storage, security, transmission, analysis, evaluation feature extraction, and feature combination in order to store and retrieve medical images effectively. This requires the involvement of a large community of experts across several fields. We have created a CBIR system called Archimedes which integrates the community together without requiring disclosure of sensitive details. Archimedes' system design enables researchers to upload their feature sets and quickly compare the effectiveness of their methods against other stored feature sets. Additionally, research into the techniques used by radiologists is possible in Archimedes through double-blind radiologist comparisons based on their annotations and feature markups. This research archive contains the essential technologies of secure transmission and storage, textual and feature searches, spatial searches, annotation searching, filtering of result sets, feature creation, and bulk loading of features, while creating a repository and testbed for the community.
New Mode of Cinema: How Digital Technologies are Changing Aesthetics and Style

This article delves intrinsically into how the characteristics of digital cinema, its equipment, software and processes, differ from film and therefore afford new aesthetic and stylistic modes, changing the nature of mise-en-scene and the language of cinema as it has been defined in the past. Innovative filmmakers are exploring new aesthetic and stylistic possibilities as the encumbrances of film, which delimited a certain mode of cinema, are released. The article makes the case that the camera as part of a computer system has enabled a more cooperative relationship with the filmmaker going beyond Alexandre Astruc’s prediction of the camera-pen (camere-stylo) to become a camera-computer. The technology of digital cinema makes the natural indexicality of film and the cut simply options amongst others and permits new forms of visual aesthetics not premised on filmic norms, but based on other familiar audiovisual forms like video games and computer interface. Voir le resume francais a la fin de l’article
A calibration technique for high-speed high-resolution A/D converters

Digital calibration has become essential to meet challenging A/D converter specifications for future telecommunication systems. Next generation apparatuses will require converters with resolution as high as 12 bit and very high linearity (>90 dB) at more than 40 MHz sampling rate. This paper proposes a correction technique suitable for off-line operation. A statistical method determines the ADC actual transfer characteristic and a digital look-up table performs the subsequent correction. Extensive experimental results show an average improvement of 12 dB (2 bit) in the converter linearity permitting commercial components to satisfy specifications of emerging telecommunication architectures. Performances are maintained over a significant temperature range and with ageing.
Identifying relationship between patient acuity indicators and nurse workload

Patient classification systems are commonly used in nursing units to assess how many nursing care hours are needed to care for patients. In current practice, these systems utilize several patient acuity indicators to produce a single number for given patient, which is called the acuity score. These systems then provide staffing recommendations for a given patient census based on these acuity scores. Our new approach offers a mathematical model which uses patient acuity indicators data from a commercial patient classification system called AcuityPlus and a nurse workload survey from two nursing units at the University of Missouri Hospital. The model distributes workload calculated as a function of patient acuity indicators and nurses' perceived workload among nurses in a balanced way. More specifically, we consider nurses' preferences by conducting a survey in order to determine how much the workload of a nurse increase for each indicator. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of patient acuity indicators as a mean of balancing workload of nurses, and suggest nurse staffing and assignment models to aid decision-making. Our numerical results suggest that the proposed nurse-patient assignment models achieve a more balanced assignment of workload among nurses compared to assignment based on acuity scores from the commercial patient classification system.
Lecture Notes on Online Learning DRAFT

These lecture notes contain material presented in the Statistical Learning Theory course at UC Berkeley, Spring'08. Various parts of these notes have been discovered together with 4 Bandit problems 29 5 Minimax Results and Lower Bounds 31 6 Variance Bounds 33 7 Stochastic Approximation 35 CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The past two decades witnessed a surge of activity on prediction and learning methods in adversarial environments. Progress on this topic has been made in various fields, with many methods independently discovered and rediscovered. In their recent book,Nicoì o Cesa-Bianchi and Gábor Lugosi [5] collected and organized many of these results under a common umbrella. We are indebted to this book for our own interest in the field, which seemed very fragmented beforeNicoì o and Gábor's effort. That being said, we feel that it might be beneficial to organize the ideas in a manner different from [5]. The purpose of these lecture notes is to stress the role of regularization as a common umbrella for some of the known online learning methods. While many of the results mentioned here are not novel, we hope to give the reader a fresh perspective through a very natural formulation. We start with the time-varying potential method of Chapter 11.6 of [5], which, we feel, is one of the most general results of the book. The versatility of the method is diminished by the fact that it is hidden in the middle of a chapter on " linear pattern recognition ". In contrast, we would like to bring out this result in a generic setting of convex loss functions and show how various other algorithms arise from this formulation. Another motivation for this note is the realization that the time-varying potential method is nothing more than a sequence of regularized empirical error minimizations. The latter is the basis for most of the batch machine learning methods, such as SVM, Lasso, etc. It is, therefore, very natural to start with an algorithm which minimizes the regularized empirical loss at every step of the online interaction with the environment. This provides a connection between online and batch learning which is conceptually important. We also point the reader to the recent thesis of Shai Shalev-Shwartz [9, 10]. The primal-dual view of online updates is illuminating and leads to new algorithms; however, the focus of these notes is slightly different. Let K ⊆ R n , the set of …
Comunicación no verbal y comunicación eficaz

En este articulo se presenta la comunicacion no verbal, los signos y sistemas que la integran, y su funcionamiento, bajo la perspectiva de estudio que se interesa por los signos no verbales como unidades comunicativas que intervienen en cualquier acto de comunicacion humana y conllevan una porcion variable del aporte comunicativo. Los signos no verbales son determinantes para la eficacia comunicativa; como muestra de ello, explicamos e ilustramos la incidencia que tienen en la produccion e interpretacion de fenomenos pragmatico-discursivos como la ironia y la atenuacion, utilizados con el proposito basico de comunicar, y en la estructuracion de la conversacion y el desarrollo discursivo, empleados, asi, con el proposito de regular.