Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ability of three motor measures to predict functional outcomes reported by stroke patients after rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE This investigation examined the demographic characteristics along with 3 measures of motor function in determining outcomes in activities of daily living (ADL) after distributed constraint-induced therapy (dCIT). METHODS The study recruited 69 stroke patients who received 3 weeks of dCIT for 2 hours daily, 5 days a week. The self-reported outcome measures for daily function were the Motor Activity Log (MAL) including the amount of use (AOU) and quality of movement (QOM), Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire (NEADL), and the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS). Age, sex, onset, side of stroke, Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), and Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) were the potential predictors. RESULTS The ARAT grasp-grip-pinch score was the most dominant predictor for MAL-AOU and NEADL (P< 0.05), and the ARAT total score for the subscore of the ADL/instrumental ADL section of the SIS (P< 0.05). The FMA wrist-hand score was a significant predictor for MAL-QOM (P< 0.05). Age was the only demographic factor that significantly predicted NEADL performance (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION Among the 3 commonly used measures of motor function after stroke, ARAT was the strongest determinant in predicting MAL-AOU, MAL-QOM, and SIS-ADL/instrumental ADL after dCIT.
YopT, a new Yersinia Yop effector protein, affects the cytoskeleton of host cells

Extracellular Yersinia disarm the immune system of their host by injecting effector Yop proteins into the cytosol of target cells. Five effectors have been described: YopE, YopH, YpkA/YopO, YopP and YopM. Delivery of these effectors by Yersinia adhering at the cell surface requires other Yops (translocators) including YopB. Effector and translocator Yops are secreted by the type III Ysc secretion apparatus, and some Yops also need a specific cytosolic chaperone, called Syc. In this paper, we describe a new Yop, which we have called YopT (35.5 kDa). Its secretion required an intact Ysc apparatus and SycT (15.0 kDa, pI 4.4), a new chaperone resembling SycE. Infection of macrophages with a Yersinia, producing a hybrid YopT–adenylate cyclase, led to the accumulation of intracellular cAMP, indicating that YopT is delivered into the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. Infection of HeLa cells with a mutant strain devoid of the five known Yop effectors (ΔHOPEM strain) but producing YopT resulted in the alteration of the cell cytoskeleton and the disruption of the actin filament structure. This cytotoxic effect was caused by YopT and dependent on YopB. YopT is thus a new effector Yop and a new bacterial toxin affecting the cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells.
Women in Banking: A Comparative Perspective on the Integration Myth

Compares American and Turkish women professionals in the banking industry with reference to their perception of discrimination, their attitudes towards their work, the nature of support they receive and their levels of job satisfaction. Reports a questionnaire survey of two different samples representing women professionals in the banking industry. Results indicate that bank organizations are still not ready for the integration of women professionals into the industry, either in Turkey or in the USA.
Social Security and Social Welfare Indicators

The proportion of its total resources that a society devotes to social welfare is a useful general measure related to social policy. In fiscal 1976, the United States spent 21 percent of Gross National Product (GNP) for public social welfare programs, including health and education as well as social insurance (the largest segment) and assistance. Program developments, inflation, population growth, and the level of economic activity affect trends. The United States spends relatively less for social security than most industrial countries. Income maintenance programs now touch most families in the United States. More than 90 percent of all persons over age 65 get social security benefits. The extent of social security protection for survivors and disabled persons, the relative importance of private pensions, social security benefit replacement rates (the relation to previous earnings), and the income situation of aged persons are reviewed. There is brief reference to sickness insurance, unemployment insurance, and public assistance. Some possible directions of future change are noted. The interweaving of social welfare objectives and systems into the fabric of modern life cannot be undone. The attempt to develop clearer indicators of need and accomplishment is worth pursuing.
An evolutionary multiobjective based approach to improve robustness in directional overcurrent relay coordination

The coordination of electrical power system protection relays is a hard problem to solve, due to its discrete/nonlinear nature and its complex constraint structure. A multiobjective algorithm to coordinate directional overcurrent relays is proposed in this work. Two objective functions are considered: minimization of the sum of relay operation times, and; maximization of the minimum coordination time interval between relay pairs (primary and backup). The second objective is novel, and we prove to be very useful to improve the coordination robustness. The search for efficient solutions is performed by a matheuristic algorithm, which combines Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II, Differential Evolution and Mathematical Programming formulations. Results for four case studies from the literature suggest that the proposed approach is able to generate solutions that are equivalent, or even better, than the ones obtained with mono-objective approaches. In addition, the proposed algorithm can find some solutions that are considerably more robust taking into account variations in system conditions.
A Synthesis of security valuation theory and the role of dividends, cash flows, and earnings*

Abstract. The paper reviews and synthesizes modern finance valuation theory and the ways it relates to the valuation of firms and accounting data. These models permit uncertainty and multiple dates, and the concept of intertemporal consistency in equilibria becomes critical. The key conclusions are (1) the basic theoretical insight derives from a powerful condition of no arbitrage; there is no role for complete markets in basic valuation theory; (2) only anticipated dividends can serve as a generically valid capitalization (present value) attribute of a security; (3) the notion of risk is general, and models such as the CAPM occur only as special cases; (4) the notion that one can capitalize cash flows rather than dividends requires additional (relatively stringent) assumptions; (5) existing theory of â€œpureâ€ earnings under uncertainty lacks unity regarding their meaning and characteristics. It is argued that only one concept of â€œpureâ€ earnings makes economic sense. In this case earnings are sufficient to determine a security's payâ€ off, price plus dividends, consistent with some prior research but inconsistent with others. RA©sumA©. L'auteur procA¨de A l'examen et A la synthA¨se de la thA©orie moderne de l'A©valuation financiA¨re et de la faA§on dont elle se rapporte A l'A©valuation des entreprises et des donnA©es comptables. Les modA¨les utilisA©s prA©voient les cas d'incertitude et de dates multiples, et la notion d'uniformitA© intertemporelle en situation d'A©quilibre revAat une importance critique. Les principales conclusions de l'auteur sont les suivantes: 1) le principe thA©orique fondamental dA©rive d'une forte situation de nonâ€ arbitrage; 2) seuls les dividendes anticipA©s peuvent servir d'attribut de capitalisation (valeur actualisA©e) valide d'un titre sur le plan gA©nA©rique; 3) la notion de risque est gA©nA©rale, et les modA¨les tels que le modA¨le d'A©quilibre des marchA©s financiers ne se vA©rifient que dans des cas particuliers; 4) la notion de capitalisation des flux monA©taires plutA´t que des dividendes nA©cessite des hypothA¨ses supplA©mentaires (relativement rigoureuses); 5) la thA©orie existante des bA©nA©fices Â« purs Â» en situation d'incertitude manque d'unitA© en ce qui a trait au sens et aux caractA©ristiques de ces bA©nA©fices. L'auteur affirme que la revue qu'il a effectvA©e de travaux antA©rieurs l'amA¨ne A conclure qu'un seul concept de bA©nA©fices Â« purs Â» se justifie sur le plan A©conomique pour dA©terminer le produit d'un titre qui comprenne A la fois le prix et les dividendes.
InAlGaAs/InP-Based Laser Photovoltaic Converter at  $\sim 1070$  nm

Interest in single-junction III-V-based semiconductor photovoltaic (PV) devices under monochromatic illumination has been renewed in recent years due to their potential to produce high conversion efficiencies. We have designed a PV converter for monochromatic power conversion at ~1070 nm, which would be ideal for Nd-/Yb-doped solid-state laser sources emitting from 1030 to 1070 nm. A single-junction PV converter is developed on InP platform using quaternary InAlGaAs Q1.1 eV as absorption material. The front grid is designed for the Gaussian nature of the incident laser beam to achieve the optimum power conversion. Preliminary tests are performed on devices under a 1070-nm laser. An open circuit voltage of 0.79 V, the current density up to 5.7 A/cm2, and the fill factor of 0.79 have been achieved. Efficiency up to 40.7% has been achieved at an incident intensity of ~0.16 W/cm2. Efficiency of these devices can be further improved by design optimization and suppressing series resistance.
RotaTeq™: a three-dose oral pentavalent reassortant rotavirus vaccine

Rotavirus (RV) is a leading cause of diarrhea worldwide, and will infect every child by their 5th birthday. The 3-dose oral pentavalent RV vaccine (RotaTeq™), consisting of serotypes G1, G2, G3, G4 and P1A[8], was licensed in the USA in 2006. The first dose should be administered between the ages of 6 and 12 weeks and the third dose should be given before the age of 32 weeks (USA) or 26 weeks (Europe). In a large clinical trial, the vaccine prevented 74% of cases of RV gastroenteritis, and 98% of cases of severe RV gastroenteritis (based on a symptomatology scoring scale) in the first rotavirus season. Vaccine efficacy in the second season was 62.6% against any RV gastroenteritis and 88% against severe disease. Vaccine efficacy in reducing hospitalizations and emergency department visits was 94.5% up to 2 years after vaccination. Results from a large clinical trial, as well as ongoing postmarketing surveillance, indicate that the vaccine is safe and well tolerated, without evidence of increased risk of intussusception. Further research is needed to establish vaccine efficacy in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. Dissemination efforts should focus on ensuring the vaccine reaches the poorest children in whom disease morbidity and mortality is the highest.
FPGA's middleware for software defined radio applications

The division in several layers of the implementation of systems is a solution adopted to avoid complexity, provide flexibility and improve portability and code reusability through different hardware. Middleware (intermediate layer between two other layers) implementations are based on the use of increasingly high-level languages and application programming interfaces (API). The field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) world can also apply this approach to produce building blocks independent from hardware platforms and devices. This paper presents details of the implementation of a middleware, called platform and hardware abstraction layer (P-HAL) when applied to FPGA devices. It was specially designed for radio applications and allows designing specific functions independently of the hardware context where they are applied, thus providing flexibility to the so-called software radios employing FPGA devices.
Zum Aufbau eines Systems von Haushaltsstichproben in der amtlichen Statistik / Problems of Coordination of Household Statistics in Germany

Zusammenfassung Arbeiten zu Haushaltsstichproben in der amtlichen Statistik beziehen sich in Deutschland zur Zeit auf die Koordination von Mikrozensus, Laufenden Wirtschaftsrechnungen und Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe. Die beiden letztgenannten sollen zukünftig über die Zeit als rollierende Stichproben organisiert werden; der 1 %-Mikrozensus könnte in Form eines Access- Panels die Datengrundlage liefern. Hinsichtlich der rollierenden Stichprobe werden Hochrechnungsprobleme diskutiert, wobei weniger modellgestützte Verfahren, sondern einfache Regressionsschätzungen empfohlen werden, die durch Verfahren ergänzt werden, die eine getrennte Anpassung an die Randverteilung der Merkmale erlauben. Summary Household Surveys of the official statistics refer actually in Germany on a coordination of Mikrozensus, Laufende Wirtschaftsrechnungen and Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe. The two last mentioned surveys should be organised as a rolling sample; the Mikrozensus, a 1 %- sample of the population, would be the database from which an access-panel is drawn. As to the rolling sample calibration problems are discussed and “simple” regression estimates are recommended (instead of model assisted procedures) combined with separate adjustments of the marginals.
Ocular manifestations of vitamin B-complex deficiency.

VERMA(1942) sawseveral hundred cases ofnutritional amblyopia andblepharoconjunctivitis inMadras, andreports fromtheprisoner ofwarcampsintheFar Eastshowed thatblindness canoccurasaresult ofvitamin B-complex deficiency. Theuseofrice mills instead oftheprimitive hand-pounding method, bywhichonly thehuskwasremoved, andthedecreased consumption ofmillet inurban areas have caused ahighincidence ofB-complex deficiency amongrice-eating Indians. The white bread produced inIndia also lacks vitamin B. Withfewexceptions theresulting ocular lesions cannot bedefinitely ascribed toa deficiency ofanyparticular vitamin, andinmostcases all theB-complex factors are deficient. (1)Angular Conjunctivitis andBlepharo-conjunctivitis Lesions ofthelidmargin similar tothose ofthelips inriboflavin deficiency are common.Inearly cases thelesions appear inthemedial andlateral canthi and extend overthewholethickness oftheintermarginal strip andsomeportion ofthe skin nearit.Inmoderately severe cases whereangular stomatitis isassociated with cheilosis, thewholelength ofthelidmargins isulcerated, producing typical blepharo-conjunctivitis which extends overtheintermarginal strip ofbotheyelids and thesurface oftheskinandconjunctiva andevenoverthenaso-labial folds; the lesion maybe05to10cm.deepwithraised andpigmented edges sometimes resembling arodent ulcer. A caseofriboflavin deficiency isshowninFig. 1.
Aberrations of tumor‐suppressor genes (p53, apc, mcc and Rb) in esophageal squamous‐cell carcinoma

Loss of heterozygosity at 4 tumor‐suppressor gene loci (p53, apc, mcc and Rb) was investigated using polymerase chain reactions, in 49 esophageal squamous‐cell carcinoma specimens from patients who had undergone curative resection. Mutations in the p53 gene within exons 5 to 8 were also examined. LOH was detected in 9 (43%) of 21 p53 genes, 16 (55%) of 29 apc genes, 10 (48%) of 21 mcc genes, and 13 (52%) of 25 Rb genes for which heterozygosity could be determined. Mutations in the p53 gene were detected in 18 (36%) of 49 cases and were significantly more frequent in stage‐III tumors and in tumors exhibiting DNA aneuploidy. In 5 cases where heterozygosity could be determined for all the loci, all had 2 or more aberrations. Additionally, a heterozygous deletion of p53 gene was associated with a mutation of the remaining allele in 8 (89%) of 9 cases. Short‐term relapse within 3 to 12 months occurred significantly more frequently in patients having tumors with both p53 aberrations (p < 0.05). Thus, aberration of tumor‐suppressor genes was a frequent occurrence in esophageal squamous‐cell carcinoma and inactivation of the p53 gene may contribute to the progression of this tumor. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Beyond mistrust and competition - the role of social and personal bonding processes in sustaining livelihoods of rural tourism businesses: a case of the Peak District National Park.

This paper theorises the significance of social and personal bonding processes in promoting sustainable resource-use and equitable tourism development using research on personal and social bonding process and relationship marketing. By looking at small, rural tourism businesses in the Peak District National Park (PDNP) it discusses how in intricate ways, individual business owners/managers are utilising social and kinship ties to increase their visual presence and competitive position in contemporary markets. The paper describes the significance of social and personal bonds as the respondents discuss how their informal affiliations have enabled them to tap into additional resources and develop products embedded in locally specific conventions that are more attractive to visitors, and are also assisting them to monitor each others' progress through informal forms of regulation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrative Functions of the Nervous System

T central nervous system (CNS) receives sensory stimuli from the body and the outside world and processes that information in neural networks or centers of integration to mediate an appropriate response or learned experience. Centers of integration are hierarchical in nature. In a caudal-to-rostral sequence, the more rostral it is placed, the greater the complexity of the neural network. This chapter considers functions integrated within the diencephalon and telencephalon, where emotionally motivated behavior, appetitive drive, consciousness, sleep, language, memory, and cognition are coordinated.
Specialization and Human Capital

Incentives for specialization, trade, and the production of comparative advantage through investment are shown to arise from increasing returns to utilization of human capital. Indivisibilities imply fixed-cost elements of investment that are independent of subsequent utilization. Hence the rate of return is increasing in utilization and is maximized by utilizing specialized skills as intensively as possible. Identically endowed individuals have incentives to specialize their investments in skills and trade with each other for this reason, even if production technology exhibits constant returns to scale.
Statistical image modeling for semantic segmentation

Semantic image segmentation (SIS) is one of the most crucial steps toward image understanding. In this paper, a novel framework to enable SIS is proposed by modeling images automatically. The statistical model for an image is automatically obtained by using a finite mixture model to approximate the underlying class distributions of image pixels. To accurately characterize the principal visual properties of the underlying dominant image compounds, a novel improved Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm is presented to select model structure and estimate model parameters simultaneously. Experiments were conducted and convincing results are obtained.
Pigou's Dividend Versus Ramsey's Dividend in the Double Dividend Literature

This paper deals with the welfare analysis of green tax reforms. The aims of this paper are to highlight misinterpretations of policy assessments in the double dividend literature, to specify which of the efficiency costs and benefits should be ascribed to each dividend, and then, to propose a definition for the first dividend and the second dividend. We found the Pigou's dividend more appropriate for policy guidance, in contrast to the Ramsey's dividend usually found in mainstream literature. Therefore, we take up some authors' recent claims about the need of unambiguous and operative definitions of these dividends both for empirical purposes, and political advice. Finally, the paper analyzes a green tax reform for the US economy to illustrate the advantages of our definitions for policy assessment. The new definitions proposed in this paper i) overcome some shortcoming of the mainstream current definitions in the literature regarding overestimation of the efficiency costs; and, ii) provide information by themselves and not as a partial view of the whole picture.
Timing of Urinary Pad Exchanges Was the Most Important Factor Affecting Quality of Life in the Early Postoperative Period After Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy.

PURPOSE The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of pad use for postprostatectomy incontinence on urinary quality of life (QoL) after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) in the early postoperative period. METHODS Ninety patients underwent RARP simultaneously completed International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and modified pad use questionnaire that evaluated pad use and urinary QoL and a 24-hour pad test. Pad use was also assessed by pad form, pad size, the number of pad exchanges per day, and the timing of pad exchanges (i.e., to what extent the pad was wet when the patients exchanged it.). The investigation involved patients visiting the outpatient clinic for the first time after RARP. The association between pad use and urinary QoL was investigated. RESULTS The mean frequency of pad exchanges was 2±2/day. The mean 24-hour pad test was 139±193 g/day. Multivariate analyses revealed the timing of pad exchanges was significantly associated with QoL on the ICIQ-SF and the modified pad use questionnaire (P=0.007 and P<0.001, respectively) and the number of pad exchanges per day was significantly associated with QoL on the ICIQ-SF (P=0.01); QoL worsened with pad wetness and increasing frequency of pad exchange. The other factors relating to pad use were not significantly associated with aggravation of QoL. CONCLUSIONS In the early postoperative period after RARP, the timing of pad exchanges was the most important factor affecting QoL. Namely, patients with postprostatectomy incontinence should wear the appropriate size of pad according to the volume of urinary incontinence and exchange pads when the pad is not too wet. On the other hand, pad form, pad size, and volume of urinary incontinence were not associated with decreased QoL.
Stuxnet and the Limits of Cyber Warfare

Stuxnet, the computer worm which disrupted Iranian nuclear enrichment in 2010, is the first instance of a computer network attack known to cause physical damage across international boundaries. Some have described Stuxnet as the harbinger of a new form of warfare that threatens even the strongest military powers. The influential but largely untested Cyber Revolution thesis holds that the internet gives militarily weaker actors asymmetric advantages, that offense is becoming easier while defense is growing harder, and that the attacker's anonymity undermines deterrence. However, the empirical facts of Stuxnet support an opposite interpretation; cyber capabilities can marginally enhance the power of stronger over weaker actors, the complexity of weaponization makes cyber offense less easy and defense more feasible than generally appreciated, and cyber options are most attractive when deterrence is intact. Stuxnet suggests that considerable social and technical uncertainties associated with cyber operations may significantly blunt their revolutionary potential.