Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lead complications, device infections, and clinical outcomes in the first year after implantation of cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapy-pacemaker.

AIMS The decision to implant a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) system with (defibrillator, CRT-D) or without (pacemaker, CRT-P) cardioverter defibrillator should weigh its benefits and risks. This study examined the (i) incidence of loss of capture and infectious complications and (ii) 1-year clinical outcomes of 402 CRT-D and CRT-P recipients enrolled in the MASCOT study. METHODS AND RESULTS The indications for CRT-D or CRT-P were posed by the implanting physicians. All (i) losses of atrial and right and left ventricular capture, (ii) system-related infections, and (iii) clinical outcomes, including hospitalizations for worsening heart failure (HF) and deaths from all causes, were recorded up to 1 year of follow-up. Cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator was implanted in 228 (57%) and CRT-P in 174 (43%) patients. The incidence of loss of capture was greater in CRT-D with 21 patients (9.2%) than in CRT-P with 6 patient (3.5%) recipients (P = 0.01), while the infection rates were 1.3% (3 patients) and 1.2% (2 patients), respectively (ns). In the CRT-D group, 42 of 228 patients (18.4%) died or were hospitalized for HF, compared with 38 of 174 patients (21.8%) in the CRT-P group (ns). In the CRT-D group, 23 patients (10.1%) were hospitalized for worsening HF and 20 (8.8%) patients died, vs. 22 (12.6%) and 19 (10.9%) patients, respectively, in the CRT-P group (ns for both comparisons). CONCLUSIONS Cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator was implanted in 57% of candidates for CRT. Within 1 year after device implant, the incidence of loss of capture at any lead was nearly three-fold greater among CRT-D than among CRT-P recipients. System-related infections were infrequent and clinical outcomes were similar in both groups.
Traveler Use of Visitor Information Centers: Implications for Development in Illinois

A key goal of tourism marketing is to use information to modify travelers' behavior to increase the number of days spent in a state as well as the level of visitor expenditures. Many tourism promoters are concerned about the efficiency of alternative locations and forms of tourist information centers in meeting the information needs of visitors traveling in the state. Consistent with previous studies, results indicate the large majority of respondents stopped to use restrooms, stretch and exercise, and obtain refreshments. However, almost 32 % of the respondents indicated they stopped to pick up travel and tourist information. Ease of access, availability of restrooms, and convenience were the most common reasons for stopping at the tourist information center rather than leaving the interstate. Fifty-two percent of the respondents appear willing to consider alternative off-interstate tourist information locations. The service setting is the single most important aspect affecting respondents' decisions concerning off-interstate locations; access (being located on a frontage road next to the interstate) is the second most important element. The findings indicate the tourist information center acts as one of the most important communication channels with which to attract and educate travelers about the benefits of visiting the state. The results also provide encouraging support for locating and developing an alternative system for meeting the information needs of visitors to the state.
Balancing the Federal Budget Over the Business Cycle

Balancing the Federal government’s budget has long been a controversial issue with a Balanced Budget Amendment nearly passing Congress in 1997. It has been argued that it would be better to attempt to balance the budget over the course of the business cycle instead of attempting to balance the budget on an annual basis because balancing the budget annually leads to procyclical policies. The inherent uncertainty concerning the duration and severity of the phases of the business cycle makes this approach difficult to accomplish in practice. In this paper we utilize a Markov switching regression to model, in a probabilistic sense, the expansion-contraction behavior of Federal tax revenue growth. This allows us to construct a probability distribution of the revenue shortfall the government is likely to confront during recessions. It also allows us to construct savings rate rules based on the uncertainty in both expansions and contractions in order to save enough during expansions (run large enough surpluses) to finance deficits during recessions.
Direct cyber-power interdependency study on microgrid control

The control of a microgrid relies on intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) that continuously monitor the control system and run optimization algorithms to find the optimal stable condition. If any IED or communications network fails, the reliability of the microgrid is impacted. A cyber-power network is a combination of two heterogeneous networks, cyber and power, which are interconnected at certain points to create interdependencies. This paper discusses what happens when a control system fails and quantitatively evaluates the impact on microgrid reliability. Numerical results are presented to show the concept of interdependencies and to illustrate the impact of control system failure on the reliability of the microgrid.
Refining a definition of reflection for the being as well as doing the work of a physician

Abstract Background: Reflection is core to professional competency and supports the active, constructive process of professional identity formation. Aims: Medical educators thus grapple with operationalizing and effectively integrating reflection as a foundational construct within health care professions education and practice. Methods: Core elements of reflection including role of emotions and awareness of self, other and situation, do not appear within various working definitions of reflection. Results: This observation as well as noted recent shift in medical education toward emphasis on the “being” as well as “doing the work” of a physician led to the author’s proposed refining of Sandars’ reflection definition and expansion of Nguyen et al.’s reflection model. Conclusions: A refined reflection definition is offered for a more inclusionary approach. A caveat regarding potential for expected reflective learning outcomes (given reflection as a process) is provided and the integral role of mentor-enhanced reflection is discussed. Reflection as a continuum is highlighted and exemplified within Wald et al.’s REFLECT rubric and Nguyen et al.’s reflection model.
Home Style : House Members in Their Districts

Each chapter concludes with "Conclusion. " Foreword 1. Preparations of the Constituency. The Geographical Constituency: The District. The Reelection Constituency: The Supporters. The Primary Constituency: The Strongest Supporters. The Personal Constituency: The Intimates. 2. Home Style: Allocation of Resources. Home Style. The Allocation of Resources: Time and Staff. 3. Home Style: Presentation of Self I. The Presentation of Self. 4. Home Style: Presentation of Self II. The Presentation of Self. Presentation of Self: Summary Speculations. 5. Home Style: Explanation of Washington Activity. Explanation and Member Goals. Explaining Power. Explaining Policy. Explanation and Presentation. Explanatory Consistency. Explanation as Legitimation. Explanation as Education. 6. Constituency Careers and Stylistic Change. The Stages of a Constituency Career. Expansionism and Protectionism. Stylistic Constraints. Stylistic Change: Individual. Stylistic Change: Aggregate. 7. Home and Washington: Linkage and Representation. Linkage: Constituency Career and Washington Career Linkage: Home Style and Washington Style. Representation: Summary Speculation. Appendix. Notes on Method: Participant Observation. Method and Project. The "Sample. " Access. Rapport. The Observer and the Observed. Data. Evolution. Index.
Long-Run Common Stock Returns following Stock Splits and Reverse Splits

The authors examine one-three-year performance of common stocks following 5,596 stock split and 76 reverse split announcements made during the period 1976-91. For stock splits, on average, the one- and three-year buy-and-hold abnormal returns after the announcement month are 7.05 percent and 11.87 percent, respectively. For reverse splits, the corresponding abnormal returns are -10.76 percent and -33.90 percent. The results suggest that the market underreacts to both the stock split and the reverse split announcements. The authors also find that the announcement period and the long-run abnormal returns are both positively associated with an increase in dividends. Copyright 1997 by University of Chicago Press.
Directors' Remuneration and Performance in Australian Banking

This paper explores the relationship between directors' pay and performance within Australian banking, using panel data for the 1992-2005 period. The relationship between CEO pay and performance is investigated also. Several earnings models are estimated, using different dependent variables, alternate measures of performance and different estimation techniques. The results indicate an absence of a contemporaneous relationship between directors' pay and bank performance, and no association with prior year performance. However, there is a more distant pay-performance relationship, with total directors' pay having a robust positive association with earnings per share lagged two years, as well as with ROE lagged two years. The other key determinants of directors' pay in Australian banking are bank specific managerial policies, lags in the administration of pay, bank size, directors' age and directors' stock ownership. In contrast to total directors' pay, the evidence confirms a strong positive and direct association between CEO remuneration and prior year bank performance. The pay-performance association is stronger and more direct for CEO remuneration than it is for total directors' remuneration. The responsiveness of CEO pay with respect to bank performance appears to have increased over time.
An Analysis of Competitive Bidding on BART Contracts

The purpose of this study is to analyze the competitive bidding on the heavy construction projects of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District. We develop an analytic model that is appropriate to the study of the BART bidding experience and use it to derive a number of propositions concerning the bidding behavior of the participating contractors. Given that we have data pertaining to 77 BART construction projects, we are in the position of being able to test statistically many of the propositions we derive. There are at least two reasons which prompted us to undertake this study. First, because of a lack of data, the empirical study of bidding environments has lagged the development of theoretical bidding models. Not only will our study help to remedy this situation, but it also serves to isolate data requirements for future empirical studies. Second, the theoretical treatment of bidding problems has tended to focus on developing strategies to be followed by the individual bidders; little attention has been given to the problems faced by the procuring agency itself. Our study identifies certain variables that affect the outcome of the bidding process and in this regard provides the agency with information as to how to control the bidding environment. The paper is organized as follows: In Section II, the BART bidding environment is described. In Section III, an analytic model of bidding behavior relevant to the BART bidding experience is developed. Using this model, we derive a number of propositions concerning the contractors. In Section IV, we discuss the nature of the data base used in our empirical tests. Then in Section V, we describe the empirical model used and present the results of our tests. Finally, in Section VI we summarize the findings of our study.
Pre-cooking the European Constitution? The role of government representatives in EU reform

ABSTRACT This paper sheds light on an unexplored phase and a neglected actor in EU constitutional politics: the preparation of Treaty reform by the Group of Government Representatives. Striving to explain whether and under which conditions constitutional decisions in Europe were de facto taken by officials, the paper proceeds in three steps. First, possible functions of preparation in complex negotiations are conceptualized and two conditions for effective preparation are proposed: a preparatory body's issue and process resources as well as consensual pre-agreement. A second section introduces the role of government representatives in preparing EU reform, checks their collective resources against the criteria developed in section 1 and assesses their preparatory agency as strong. Third, I analyse the effectiveness of preparing for Amsterdam, using the negotiations on free movement and flexibility as plausibility probes. The analysis demonstrates that officials play a key role even in the bastion of high politics that is Treaty reform, where the final European Council is only the ‘tip’ of a long-term negotiation process.
Accelerating video and image processing design for FPGA using HDL coder and simulink

Video and Image Processing solution requiring high throughput rate are often implemented in a dedicated hardware such as FPGA. The design process traditionally uses Verilog and VHDL for synthesizing and validating the hardware. These design process are technically complex and time consuming. In this paper, we present an alternative approach using a model based design framework based on HDL Coder, Vision HDL Toolbox and Simulink to accelerate the design of video and image solution. Several important issues in this framework are discussed namely, Pixel Streaming Design, Co-simulation and FPGA in the Loop (FIL). Based on this framework, a video of human walking are processed to extract out two features which are the human height and edge. The design is implemented in an Altera DE2-115 FPGA board. The goal of this paper is to tackle the technical complexity and reduce development time of traditional FPGA design.
Finding a balance: companies, seafarers and family life

Separation from partner and family has been found to be one of the most significant causes of stress for seafarers, with separation from the family one of the most important ‘stress’ factors influencing a decision to reduce planned sea service. Drawing on in-depth interviews with seafarers' partners in the UK, China and India, this paper focuses on the impact of seafaring on family life, with particular attention given to the effects of differing conditions of service and the range of company support available to seafarers and their partners. The paper concludes that the negative consequences of seafaring can be minimized by such policies as shorter trips, continuous employment (rather than employment by voyage) and opportunities for partners and families to sail. Whilst these measures may have financial costs, these can be off-set by improved retention of seafarers and the avoidance of stress-related illnesses. Indeed, at a time when there is a projected shortfall of well-trained seafarers, such steps may be sound company policy
Model predictive current control of a five-phase induction motor

Model predictive control (MPC) of a multiphase induction motor drive is elaborated. A vector controlled, inverter fed five-phase induction motor is chosen as the platform for verification of the developed algorithm. Indirect rotor field oriented control (IRFOC) is implemented using MPC algorithm for current control, with the idea of achieving fast current response and current ripple minimization. The emphasis in the paper is placed on the optimization of the weighting factor of the x,y-plane current errors in the MPC cost function. For this purpose all 32 possible switching states of the inverter are considered as available input and the impact of the weighting factor on the RMS of the ripple of stator current components and on the triggered inverter states is investigated as a function of the fundamental frequency. It is shown that at different stator fundamental frequencies different weighting factors lead to minimum current ripples. Using weighting factor values, determined in this manner, speed, current and torque performance, achieved using MPC within the IRFOC, are illustrated.
Survival of patients with multidrug-resistant TB in Eastern Europe: what makes a difference?

Background The quality of care for patients with TB in Eastern Europe has improved significantly; nevertheless drug resistance rates remain high. We analysed survival in a cohort of patients with multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant (MDR-/XDR-) TB from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Bucharest city. Methods Consecutive adult new and retreatment patients with culture-confirmed pulmonary MDR-TB registered for treatment in 2009 (and in 2007 in Latvia) were enrolled; prospective survival information was collected. Results A total of 737 patients were included into the cohort. Of all MDR-TB cases, 46% were newly diagnosed; 56% of all MDR-TB cases had no additional resistance to fluoroquinolones or injectable agents, 33% had pre-XDR-TB and 11% XDR-TB. Median survival was 5.9 years in patients with MDR-TB and XDR-TB; 1.9 years in patients coinfected with HIV. Older age, male gender, alcohol abuse, retirement, co-morbidities, extrapulmonary involvement and HIV coinfection independently worsened survival. Inclusion of fluoroquinolones and injectable agents improves survival in patients with MDR-TB. Pre-XDR and XDR status did not significantly shorten survival as long as fluoroquinolones and injectable agents were part of the regimen. Moxifloxacin seems to improve survival in ofloxacin-susceptible patients when compared with older generation fluoroquinolones. Conclusions The burden of additional resistances in patients with MDR-TB is high likely due to primary transmission of resistant strains. Social and programmatic factors including management of alcohol dependency, expansion of HIV testing and antiretroviral treatment need to be addressed in order to achieve cure and to interrupt transmission. The role of last generation fluoroquinolones and injectable agents in treatment of patients with pre-XDR and XDR-TB needs to be further investigated.
Plastic Surgery: Quo Vadis? Current Trends and Future Projections of Aesthetic Plastic Surgical Procedures in the United States

Background: The objective of this article was to evaluate past and current trends regarding aesthetic operations in the United States and to project future changes regarding such procedures. Methods: Cosmetic surgery statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery from 1997 to 2012 were analyzed by sex, age, and ethnic group. Then, using population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau based on the 2010 census, two projection scenarios of the expected number of aesthetic plastic surgery procedures were generated. The scenarios included the presumed occurrence and nonoccurrence of a recession like that which occurred in 2007. Results: Aesthetic procedures are expected to grow from 1,688,694 in 2012 to 3,847,929 by 2030, representing an average annual growth rate of 7.1 percent. Should another recession of similar degree to the one in 2007 occur, procedures would increase to only 2,086,994, displaying an average annual growth percentage rate of 1.3 percent. Because the age distribution of the patient population will change, preferences for specific procedures according to age influence—and thus are reflected in—future demand for those procedures. Furthermore, the ethnic profile of patients will change significantly, with 32 percent of all procedures being performed on patients other than Caucasians by 2030. Conclusions: Demand for aesthetic plastic surgical procedures is expected to continue to grow, while depending on the economic performance at the macro level and changing demographic dynamics of the U.S. population. Considering all investigated factors and trends among all patients, the most commonly requested procedures by 2030 are likely to be (1) breast augmentations, (2) lipoplasties, and (3) blepharoplasties.
Farm level effects of EU policy liberalization: Simulations based on an EU-wide agricultural sector model and a supply model of the German agricultural sector

The impact of sectoral or economy wide policy scenarios is often of strong political and public interest, yet it is a scientific challenge. When analyzing different levels of aggregation, the use of single models may not be sufficient. In this paper we establish an interface between the European Simulation Model (ESIM) and the Farm Modelling Information System (FARMIS). The linkage of the two models allows us to quantify adjustment processes both at the sectoral level and at the farm group level for the German agricultural sector. Different liberalization scenarios are presented and compared to a reference scenario. The abolishment of market price support leads to a reduction of farm incomes, especially if direct payments are also reduced. The low absolute level of return to labor, particularly in grazing livestock farms, suggests strong changes in farm structure as well as the farm input industry in Germany under the full liberalization scenario.
Examing the relationship between website visits and purchase intentions for internet shoppers: implications for international marketers

This paper examines possible determinants of the frequency with which consumers visit websites for high-involvement products. A path model of website visit frequency is tested using Amos 4.0. The main predictors in the model were purchase intentions and social motives. Social motives refer to desires to gather pertinent information about a product that will enable the browser to socialise with others. Analyses of the results suggest that social motives have a greater affect than purchase intentions on the frequency with which consumers visit websites.
Emotion recognition following early psychosocial deprivation

Abstract An important function of the brain is to scan incoming sensory information for the presence of relevant signals and act on this information. For humans, the most salient signals are often social in nature, such as the identity and the emotional expression of the faces we encounter in our everyday lives. It can be argued that our survival as a species depends in large measure on these skills.
Culture Surprises in Remote Software Development Teams

Technology has made it possible for organizations to construct teams of people who are not in the same location, adopting what one company calls "virtual collocation. " Worldwide groups of software developers, financial analysts, automobile designers, consultants, pricing analysts, and researchers are examples of teams that work together from disparate locations, using a variety of collaboration technologies that allow communication across space and time.
The Nordic Welfare Model in the Twenty-First Century: The Bumble-Bee Still Flies!

The Nordic countries are admired for high employment, low levels of poverty and inequality, encompassing welfare states, and peaceful industrial relations. Yet the model is criticised for hampering the employment opportunities of vulnerable groups. The literature identifies several potential mechanisms of exclusion. Compressed wage structures may make employers reluctant to hire certain workers for fear that their productivity is too low to justify the cost. Second, generous benefits lower individuals’ incentive to work. Third, businesses increasingly specialise in high-skill activities. We explore these arguments comparatively by considering the employment chances of two vulnerable groups: disabled persons and migrants. The Nordic countries are compared with other rich democracies that take different approaches to social protection and wage dispersion. The Nordic countries do not perform systematically worse than other ‘varieties of capitalism’. In line with recent research, we also find that there is considerable intra-Nordic variation, which calls for further study.