Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Declining Price of Personal Computers the Question of When to Invest

When should a manager invest in new technology? This paperprovides guidelines for deciding when to invest inmicrocomputers. The authors argue that the technology andmarketplace of micros today fits the conditions of thedeclining cost paradox observed by Eden and Ronen (1988). Under these conditions, a decision to defer purchasingequipment until the future to take advantage of hardwareprice decreases may lead to higher overall costs. The paperconcludes with recommendations for the manager confrontedwith the decision of when to purchase microcomputertechnology.
A study of 3D audio rendering by headphones

An efficient implementation of a three-dimensional audio rendering system (3D-ARS) system over headphones is presented and its ability to render natural spatial sound is analyzed. In its most straightforward implementation spatial rendering is achieved by convolving a monophonic signal with the Head related transfer function (HRTF). Several methods were proposed in the literature to improve the naturalness of the spatial sound and the ability of the headphones' wearer to localize sound sources. Among these methods, externalization, by incorporation of room reflections, personalization to the anthropometric attributes of the user, and the introduction of head movements, are known to yield improved performance. This work provides a unified and flexible platform incorporating the various optional components together with software tools to statistically analyze their contribution. Preliminary statistical analysis suggests that the additional components indeed contribute to the overall localization ability of the user.
A comparative study of dexmedetomidine and fentanyl as adjuvants to levobupivacaine for caudal analgesia in children undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery

Background: Levobupivacaine is an effective local anesthetic agent with less systemic toxicity than racemic bupivacaine, but it has short postoperative analgesic duration. Dexmedetomidine and fentanyl are promising adjuncts to provide excellent and prolonged postoperative caudal analgesia. This study compared the effects of caudal levobupivacaine plus dexmedetomidine and levobupivacaine plus fentanyl for postoperative analgesia and sedation in children undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery. Patients and Methods: Ninety children, whose age ranged from 1 to 7 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II, undergoing orthopedic lower limb surgery under general anesthesia received caudal block for postoperative analgesia. The children were randomly allocated into three groups: Group L (control) received 0.75 ml/kg levobupivacaine 0.25% diluted in saline; Group LD received 0.75 ml/kg levobupivacaine 0.25% with dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg; and Group LF received 0.75 ml/kg levobupivacaine 0.25% with fentanyl 1 μg/kg. Following the administration of the drugs; hemodynamic variables, the total anesthesia time, sedation score, Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability score, duration of analgesia, and side effects were recorded. Results: Demographically, all the groups were comparable, both the baseline and the intraoperative hemodynamic profile were similar in all groups. The mean duration of analgesia and the mean sedation score in the Group LD were significantly greater as compared to both the other groups. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine may be a better additive to levobupivacaine than fentanyl for caudal postoperative analgesia, arousable sedation with comparable hemodynamic and side effect profile in children.
Calcium-activated Potassium Channels in Vasculature in Response to Ischemia-Reperfusion

Abstract Based on the genetic relationship, single-channel conductance, and gating mechanisms, calcium-activated potassium (KCa) channels identified in vasculature can be divided into 3 groups including large-conductance KCa, small, and intermediate conductance KCa. KCa channels in smooth muscle and endothelial cells are essential for the regulation of vascular tone. Vascular dysfunction under ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) or hypoxia-reoxygenation (H-R) conditions is associated with modulations of KCa channels that are attributable to multiple mechanisms. Most studies in this regard relied on the change of relaxation components sensitive to certain channel blockers to indicate the alteration of KCa channels under I-R conditions, which however provided conflicting results for the effect of I-R. The possible mechanisms involved in KCa channel modulation under I-R/H-R include overproduction of reactive oxygen species such as superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and peroxynitrite, increase of intracellular H+ ion, and lactate accumulation, etc. However, more studies are necessary to further understand the discrepancies in the sensitivity of KCa channels to I-R injury in different vascular beds.
Differential, age‐dependent MEK‐ERK and PI3K‐Akt activation by insulin acting as a survival factor during embryonic retinal development

Programmed cell death is a genuine developmental process of the nervous system, affecting not only projecting neurons but also proliferative neuroepithelial cells and young neuroblasts. The embryonic chick retina has been employed to correlate in vivo and in vitro studies on cell death regulation. We characterize here the role of two major signaling pathways, PI3K‐Akt and MEK‐ERK, in controlled retinal organotypic cultures from embryonic day 5 (E5) and E9, when cell death preferentially affects proliferating neuroepithelial cells and ganglion cell neurons, respectively. The relative density of programmed cell death in vivo was much higher in the proliferative and early neurogenic stages of retinal development (E3–E5) than during neuronal maturation and synaptogenesis (E8–E19). In organotypic cultures from E5 and E9 retinas, insulin, as the only growth factor added, was able to completely prevent cell death induced by growth factor deprivation. Insulin activated both the PI3K‐Akt and the MEK‐ERK pathways. Insulin survival effect, however, was differentially blocked at the two stages. At E5, the effect was blocked by MEK inhibitors, whereas at E9 it was blocked by PI3K inhibitors. The cells which were found to be dependent on insulin activation of the MEK‐ERK pathway at E5 were mostly proliferative neuroepithelial cells. These observations support a remarkable specificity in the regulation of early neural cell death. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 67:1777–1788, 2007
Mortality Change and Forecasting

Abstract Prospects of longer life are viewed as a positive change for individuals and as a substantial social achievement but have led to concern over their implications for public spending on old-age support. This paper makes a critical assessment of knowledge about mortality change. It is oriented toward the problem of forecasting the course of mortality change and the potential of existing work to contribute to the development of useful forecasts in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. We first examine broad patterns in the historical decline in death rates in the three countries, the effect of these on trends in life expectancy, and the epidemiological transition. Next we review theories of the age pattern and evolution of mortality, including graduations, evolutionary theory, reliability models, dynamic models, and relational models. The analysis and forecasting of mortality change have been shaped largely by some key historical lessons, which we summarize next. We emphasize issues that have been or are like.
Annual Review Article 1991

This paper reviews a number of themes or subject areas in British industrial relations which attained a particular level of prominence in 1991. The leading themes covered are wage determination in the context of recession, public-sector industrial relations, union recognition and derecognition developments, training, HRM competitive strategy and international joint ventures. Among the personal observations and comments made are that derecognition is far from being the most important indicator of management opposition to unions, that some criticisms of HRM are rather misplaced, and that the growth of international joint ventures warrants more attention from industrial relations researchers.
Commerce et géographie : la mondialisation selon Paul Krugman

Theoricien inventif et brillant, Paul Krugman est notamment le principal architecte des nouvelles theories du commerce international. L’introduction de la concurrence imparfaite dans ce corpus a permis de montrer que le commerce international pouvait emerger sans avantages comparatifs, et de comprendre les motivations et les implications des echanges intra-branches entre pays similaires. Surtout, les analyses de Paul Krugman ont definitivement rapproche les theories du commerce des analyses de l’economie geographique, ce qui a modifie en profondeur notre vision de la mondialisation.
FAST TRACK: A syndrome of lipoatrophy, lactic acidaemia and liver dysfunction associated with HIV nucleoside analogue therapy: contribution to protease inhibitor-related lipodystrophy syndrome

Background: Lipodystrophy (LD; peripheral lipoatrophy, central adiposity) hyperlipidaemia and insulin resistance often complicate protease inhibitor-containing antiretroviral therapy. Lipoatrophy and abdominal distension were observed in protease inhibitor-naive nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) recipients with lactic acidaemia and hepatic impairment, which are known NRTI-induced mitochondrial toxicities.
Electronic monitoring of adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy changes medication-taking behaviour?

We hypothesize that PI may also reduce vitamin D catabolism by the inhibition of CYP3A4. Retinoic acid signaling induces in the cells both biosynthesis and apoptosis. The alteration of retinoic acid signaling and the inhibition of cytochrome P450, both related to PI, can induce complex changes in protein synthesis of the bone. This effect could be accelerated or inhibited in relation to the different effects of each PI on cytoplasmic retinoic acid binding protein type 1 activity and on CYP enzymes.
Endogenous Growth Cycles in Continuous Time

The endogenous dynamics of a closed constant returns multi-market economy are examined in which agents face downward sloping demand. The trigger for growth in this model is a technological change that warrants costly adjustment in input quantities by agents. In the resulting dynamic game, relative prices within markets remain constant. Consequently, all own price elasticities are constant. In markets characterized by lower cost of capital the unique outcome is collusion in which agents do not incur adjustment cost and there is no adoption of new technology. But in other markets a unique non-cooperative equilibrium exists in which agents do incur the cost of adopting the new technology. Only three specifications of adjustment costs are feasible. Output increases along an S-shaped time path with or without a non-explosive cyclical component.
The Serum Cortisol:Cortisone Ratio in the Postoperative Acute-Phase Response

Objective: In a previous cross-sectional pilot investigation, an increase in the ratio of active cortisol to inactive cortisone in serum has been found as a general phenomenon during the acute-phase response. The aim of the present study was to further characterize this alteration of cortisol metabolism in patients undergoing elective cardiac bypass surgery. Methods: Cortisol and cortisone were quantified by use of liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in sera that were sampled preoperatively and on the first 4 postoperative days (POD) from 16 patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass grafting (7.00 a.m.). Results: The median serum cortisol concentration peaked on the first POD and then decreased statistically significantly until the end of the observation period: preoperatively, 245 nmol/l (IQR 198–331); 1st POD, 532 nmol/l (IQR 409–678 ); 4th POD, 373 nmol/l (IQR 306–493); p for trend = 0.019. In contrast, the cortisol:cortisone ratio was constantly increased approximately twofold on all POD compared to preoperative sampling: preoperatively, 5.4 (IQR 5.0–7.2); 1st POD, 11.3 (IQR 9.2–13.6); 4th POD, 9.9 (IQR 7.7–11.0), with no significant trend of normalization. Conclusion: Following major surgery, the substantial increase in the serum cortisol:cortisone ratio – reflecting a shift in the overall set-point of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity – is more sustained than the increase in serum cortisol; the increase in the cortisol:cortisone ratio seems to be a long-term phenomenon of the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system by surgical stress and systemic inflammation.
Taxation and Centralised Wage Setting: The Case of Endogenous Labour Supply

The implications of centralised wage setting for the relationship between taxation, wages and employment are studied allowing for endogenous adjustment in work hours. We show that centralisation promotes wage moderation, makes wages and employment less sensitive to changes in wage taxation and reduces the hours worked. With an individual supply of working hours, a wage tax can even improve employment if wage setting is centralised and marginal utility from a public good is sufficiently high. Moreover, if a profit tax is used to finance public expenditure, higher tax reduces wages and improves employment.
Knowledge management in tourism – the application of Grant's knowledge management model to Austrian tourism organizations

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the pertinent issues of knowledge management in tourism using the example of tourism organizations in Austria.Design/methodology/approach – The paper undertakes a review of the relevant literature before applying Grant's model of knowledge management to Austrian tourism organizations. Data are gathered by means of a standardized online questionnaire.Findings – The results of the study show that the majority of Austrian tourism organizations have implemented knowledge management according to Grant's model. However, there is potential for development and further improvement.Practical implications – The implications for knowledge management in tourism organizations are provided in terms of general prerequisites for knowledge management as well as practical implications and suggestions relating to the identification, measurement, storage, sharing and integration of knowledge.Originality/value – The use of knowledge has long been of interest to academics and practitioners, .
Acid Attack and Cathepsin K in Bone Resorption Around Total Hip Replacement Prosthesis

Normal bone remodeling and pathological bone destruction have been considered to be osteoclast‐driven. Osteoclasts are able to attach to bare bone surface and produce an acidic subcellular space. This leads to acid dissolution of hydroxyapatite, allowing cathepsin K to degrade the organic type I collagen‐rich osteoid matrix under the acidic condition prevailing in Howship lacunae. Using a sting pH electrode, the interface membrane around a loosened total hip replacement prosthesis was found to be acidic. Confocal laser scanning disclosed irregular demineralization of the bone surface in contact with the acidic interface. Cathepsin K, an acidic collagenolytic enzyme, was found in interface tissue macrophages/giant cells and pseudosynovial fluid. Tissue extracts contained high levels of cathepsin K messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein. These observations suggest the presence of an acid‐ and cathepsin K‐driven pathological mechanism of bone resorption, mediated not by osteoclasts in subosteoclastic space, but rather by the uncontrolled activity of macrophages in extracellular space.
Ancient starch: Cooked or just old?

Henry et al. (1) argued for greater sophistication in Neanderthal diets on the basis of the identification of ancient starch granules, some of which—according to changes in morphology—displayed “clear evidence of cooking. ” Despite the emphasis on morphology and morphological change, there is no attempt to apply any statistical rigor to their morphology-based identifications (cf. ref. 2); nor is there any attempt to independently confirm that any of the observed structures are indeed composed of starch. Biochemical tests, such as digestion with Bacillus licheniformis 1,4-α-d-glucan-glucanohydrolase (3), can confirm the presence of starch and may give some insight into diagenesis. Similar characterization of other ancient biomolecules (proteins, lipids, lignocellulose, and DNA) has revealed a general truth that the older a sample is, the more degraded it is. The authors do consider that chewing may have altered the morphology of some granules (their Supporting Information) but do not consider a more prosaic explanation—namely that granules were not cooked, but merely old.
Explaining European Short-term Interest Rate Differentials: An Application of Tobin's Portfolio Theory

This paper seeks to identify potential determinants of short interest rate differentials across European countries. We rely on the portfolio theory of Tobin to choose our set of risk factors and then assess the ability of these macroeconomic variables to influence both the conditional mean and volatility of interest rate differentials. The macroeconomic variables employed in the analysis may be loosely considered to reflect both domestic government fiscal and monetary policy and international influences.We find significant ARCH-in-mean effects, implying that the conditional volatility of the interest rate differential exerts an important influence in the determination of its mean value. There are also significant short-run contagion effects whereby volatility in the macroeconomic factors is transmitted to the overall riskiness of the differential which in turn impacts upon the level of the differential.
Draft Genome Assembly of Bordetella bronchiseptica ATCC 10580, a Historical Canine Clinical Isolate

ABSTRACT We present the scaffolded genome of Bordetella bronchiseptica ATCC 10580, assembled into 98 contigs. This 5.1-Mb assembly (68.2% G+C content) contains 4,870 coding regions. The strain was originally isolated from canine lung tissue and is used in quality control testing.
640-Gbit/s Data Transmission and Clock Recovery Using an Ultrafast Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate Device

This paper presents the first demonstration of the use of a periodically poled lithium niobate device for signal processing at 640 Gbit/s. Clock recovery is performed successfully using the lithium niobate device, and the clock signal is used to control a nonlinear fiber-based demultiplexer. The full 640-Gbit/s system gives error-free performance with no pattern dependence and there is less than 1-dB power penalty after 50-km fiber transmission.
Reply-On Comment on Aggregate Safety Stock Levels and Component Part Commonality

Reply-On "Comment on Aggregate Safety Stock Levels and Component Part Commonality" McClain, J. O. , W. L. Maxwell, J. A. Muckstadt, L. J. Thomas, E. N. Weiss. 1984. Note-Comment on "Aggregate safety stock levels and component part commonality". Management Sci.30 6 772-773.
Essays in applied economics

This dissertation is composed of three chapters, the first demonstrates that natural gas violates many of the simplifying assumptions frequently used in modeling its behavior. Careful analysis of futures contracts written on gas suggests that gas prices are seasonal while returns are non-Gaussian and evidence stochastic volatility. In addition, examination of options prices indicates the intermittent presence of jumps. We find that models which disregard these properties struggle to recover options prices with any precision. Thus, we propose an alternative nonparametric approach to gas options pricing that captures these salient features while also shedding light on the nature of risk aversion embedded in gas markets. The second chapter presents new estimates and approaches to estimating the home bias puzzle. It uses micro-level data to calculate households' foreign equity exposure as a function of wealth. We find simple estimates have significant errors-invariables problems and we construct an estimator using grouping to account for this issue. Our estimates still imply low aggregate investment in foreign equity. Finally, we disaggregate the investment decision by incorporating two step decisions that allow households to forgo participating in the market. As a result of the decoupling, we find foreign equity levels closer to that of standard portfolio theories. The final chapter considers principal-agent models in which the principal cannot measure the output nor the effort level of agents. To model this situation, we use utility models that include identity, justified partly by empirical results from peer-effects, and apply these extended utility functions. In the single agent case, introducing identity amounts to modifying the utility function and does not lead to dramatic results. In the multiple agent case, we find that the addition of identity can lead to more efficient outcomes than cases where identity is ignored. The addition of identity, however, can also lead to counter-intuitive results due to the interactions among agents and may produce second-best outcomes that are worse than the case without identity. Finally the addition of identity can help explain some empirical results that may be difficult to explain with standard models. Thesis Supervisor: Roberto Rigobon Title: Associate Professor of Economics Thesis Supervisor: Robert Gibbons Title: Sloan Distinguished Professor of Organizational Economics and Strategy
Benefits and risks of protection and commercialization of academic research: an essential discussion

The research university worldwide has been undergoing considerable internal transformation. The reasons are manifold ranging from changes in publishing behaviour triggered by evaluation and research systems, to social and government pressure on the set up of research agendas, to the difficulty in maintaining adequate infrastructure and qualified human resources up to the newly created mechanisms for protection and commercialization of research results. The latter is the focus of this article, which analyses the diverse and conflicting views of the impact of the patenting and licensing process (IPRs) of 26 Rodrigo Maia de Oliveira e Léa Velho Ensaio: aval. pol. públ. Educ. , Rio de Janeiro, v. 17, n. 62, p. 25-54, jan./mar. 2009 academic research results on the traditional activities carried out by universities, namely research and teaching. It argues that the benefits of IPRs must be weighted against the risks involved in this process. The article suggests questions and approaches for new studies that could contribute to monitor and assess Brazilian universities and to design Science and Technology and Higher Education policies.
An Alternative Perspective on Global Imbalances and International Reserve Currencies

The stability of the international reserve currency’s purchasing power is less a question of what serves as that currency and more a question of the international adjustment mechanism, as well as the compatibility of export-led development strategies with international payment balances. According to Senior Scholar Jan Kregel, export-led growth and free capital flows are the real causes of sustained international imbalances. The only way out of this predicament is to shift to domestic demand–led development strategies—and capital flows will have to be part of the solution.