Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fundamentals of Time-and Frequency-Domain Analysis of Signal-Averaged Electrocardiograms

The mathematical framework established for the computer-aided analysis of linear systems has been used both to generate and to study signal-averaged ECGs. In this context a system is a mathematical model for any physical operation or transformation that takes an input and produces an output. A system is linear if the output due to two inputs delivered simultaneously is the sum of the outputs due to the two inputs delivered individually, i.e., superposition and proportionality apply. There is a powerful and extensive methodology in place for analyzing and designing digital systems which are both linear and time invariant [1-20]. One of the reasons for the large body of techniques developed for such a system is that a linear, time-invariant system is fully characterized by either its impulse response or by its frequency response. The impulse response of a system is the time-domain waveform produced when an impulse is its input. A system’s frequency response is its gain and phase shift at each possible frequency of a sinusoid used as system input. In addition to characterizing the system, either of these two descriptions can be used to determine the output of the system. In this selective review three fundamental aspects of discrete-time, linear-system analysis applied to signalaveraged ECGs are examined. First, to illustrate the concepts of impulse and frequency response, the signalaveraging process itself is cast within the linear-system framework to determine the effect of misalignment in the averaging process on the frequency content of the resultant signal-averaged ECG. Second, in order to design filters to extract features of interest in a given cardiac condition, it is imperative first to determine the frequencies which distinguish that condition. Basic methods of spectral analysis are reviewed. Third, the design and implementation of filters to uncover the time-domain behavior of frequency components of interest are discussed.
Linking public issues with private troubles: panel studies in developing countries

Accompanying the call for increased evidence-based policy the developed world is implementing more longitudinal panel studies which periodically gather information about the same people over a number of years. Panel studies distinguish between transitory and persistent states (e.g. poverty, unemployment) and facilitate causal explanations of relationships between variables. However, they are complex and costly. A growing number of developing countries are now implementing or considering starting panel studies. The objectives of this paper are to identify challenges that arise in panel studies, and to give examples of how these have been addressed in resource-constrained environments. The main issues considered are: the development of a conceptual framework which links macro and micro contexts; sampling the cohort in a cost-effective way; tracking individuals; ethics and data management and analysis. Panel studies require long term funding, a stable institution and an acceptance that there will be limited value for money in terms of results from early stages, with greater benefits accumulating in the study's mature years. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DNA Binding by the ETS Protein TEL (ETV6) Is Regulated by Autoinhibition and Self-association*

The ETS protein TEL, a transcriptional repressor, contains a PNT domain that, as an isolated fragment in vitro, self-associates to form a head-to-tail polymer. How such polymerization might affect the DNA-binding properties of full-length TEL is unclear. Here we report that monomeric TEL binds to a consensus ETS site with unusually low affinity (Kd = 2.8 × 10−8 m). A deletion analysis demonstrated that the low affinity was caused by a C-terminal inhibitory domain (CID) that attenuates DNA binding by ∼10-fold. An NMR spectroscopically derived structure of a TEL fragment, deposited in the Protein Data Bank, revealed that the CID consists of two α-helices, one of which appears to block the DNA binding surface of the TEL ETS domain. Based on this structure, we substituted two conserved glutamic acids (Glu-431 and Glu-434) with alanines and found that this activated DNA binding and enhanced trypsin sensitivity in the CID. We propose that TEL displays a conformational equilibrium between inhibited and activated states and that electrostatic interactions involving these negatively charged residues play a role in stabilizing the inhibited conformation. Using a TEL dimer as a model polymer, we show that self-association facilitates cooperative binding to DNA. Cooperativity was observed on DNA duplexes containing tandem consensus ETS sites at variable spacing and orientations, suggesting flexibility in the region of TEL linking its self-associating PNT domain and DNA-binding ETS domain. We speculate that TEL compensates for the low affinity, which is caused by autoinhibition, by binding to DNA as a cooperative polymer.
Modelo de Gestión de un Plan de Desarrollo Productivo Local: El Caso de Nova Friburgo, Brasil

The present research looks to analyze the impacts of innovations on the deficiencies listed in the development plan of the Local Productive Arrangement (LPA) of Moda Intima, located in the city of Nova Friburgo, according the perception of the LPA governance. The main ideas of the LPA governance about innovations and management of innovation were initially investigated, firstly in terms of how innovations can improve the performance of the factors which influence the LPA development and secondly in terms of how these factors explain the deficiencies observed in the LPA. Five member of the governance were submitted to two structured questionnaires. Their responses, captured in numeric format, originated a relative impact indicator which was used to asses the impact of innovations on the mentioned deficiencies. The results of the research suggest that the LPA process of innovation is underperformed and therefore has a low impact in alleviating the LPA deficiencies.
Sex matters! Interactions of sex and polymorphisms of a cholinergic receptor gene (CHRNA5) modulate response speed

Acetylcholine influences the speed of information processing. We examined the effect of the rs3841324 polymorphism (L/S) and the rs16969968 (G/A) polymorphism on response speed in the Stroop task and the Negative priming task. These polymorphisms are located in the gene that encodes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor &agr;5-subunit (CHRNA5). Male carriers of the rs3841324 S/S genotype and the rs16969968 G/G genotype were faster than male carriers of at least one L allele or one A allele. In contrast, female carriers of the rs3841324 S/S genotype and the rs16969968 G/G genotype were slower than female carriers of at least one L allele or one A allele. These results indicate that the minor alleles of both polymorphisms modulate response speed in a sex-dependent, diametrically opposed manner.
To have and to hold: congressional vows on marriage and sex.

Despite some history together Marriage First and Then Sex were divorced in 1960 the year the Pill went to market. Traditional marriage has not been the same since. In some measure this is because the effective use of contraceptive technology put women on a more level playing field with men-that is they could participate in sex without the risk of getting pregnant. The technology trumped but did not dump the marriage tradition. Along with other cultural changes the new contraceptive technology helped transform the institution. Marriage now occurs later (the average age of first marriage has risen significantly) is shorter (divorce is commonplace) and frequently does not happen (cohabiting couples including those with children have increased dramatically). Recently marriage has moved into the political arena. In 1996 Congress passed a law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) which created welfare block grants for states. PRWORA promotes traditional marriage in two ways. He block grants allow states to choose to spend welfare funds on marriage-related programs for welfare and non-welfare recipients alike. PRWORA also includes separate funding for states for abstinence-unless-married programs that teach marriage first and then sex. (excerpt)
WAGE INEQUALITY IN SPAIN: A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE *

This study examines wage inequality in the Spanish labour market from a regional perspective, drawing on stochastic dominance techniques. The main findings are, firstly, that wage inequality exhibits a significant regional heterogeneity and, secondly, that the reduction of wage inequality in the Spanish labour market in recent years is a general phenomenon. It is also observed that regional differences in workforce heterogeneity and the mix of jobs and workplaces and their returns are influential factors in the explanation of regional heterogeneity in the levels of wage inequality.
Joint Channel and Data Estimation for Wireless Sensor Networks

A wireless sensor network monitoring a target signal source by distributed sensors is considered and the effects of imperfect channel state information at the sensor node receivers are studied. The sensor nodes are assumed to have independent observations of the target signal which are sent to a common fusion center through reliable links. If the channel gains between the target and the sensors (channel state information) are known exactly, the estimation problem reduces to least-squares estimation. If the channel gains are only known in distribution and by pilot-assisted training (imperfect channel state information), least-squares estimation is inefficient. This work investigates the properties of the optimum estimator with imperfect channel state information and assesses its performance versus suboptimum least-squares estimation and perfect channel state information (genie-aided) estimation.
From Prisons to Penthouses: The Changing Images of High-Rise Living in Melbourne

The high-rise housing market in Melbourne has been undergoing dramatic growth in the last ten years. This emerging housing style is in stark contrast to the familiar traditional low-density suburban dwelling scouring Australian metropolitan cities. This paper traces the representations of high-rise housing since its first appearance in the 1960s to today. Discourses of high-rise housing that have seen this housing type change from one characterised by urban decay and family disorganisation to that which unproblematically glorifies this new housing form will be explored. These new and inviting images of high-rise living today are juxtaposed with the understandings of high-rise public housing that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. High-rise public housing was once seen as a solution to housing the impoverished and arresting the spread of slum conditions. High-rise housing today is being celebrated amongst government, developers, planners and occupiers as saving the inner city from decay and indicative of a re-vitalised CBD.
Effect of cardiopulmonary bypass on urea cycle intermediates and nitric oxide levels after congenital heart surgery.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that cardiopulmonary bypass used for repair of ventricular septal defects and atrioventricular septal defects would decrease availability of urea cycle intermediates including arginine and subsequent nitric oxide availability. STUDY DESIGN Consecutive infants (n = 26) undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass for repair of an unrestrictive ventricular septal defect or atrioventricular septal defect were studied. Blood samples were collected immediately before surgery, immediately after surgery, and 12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after surgery. Urea cycle intermediates, including citrulline, arginine, and ornithine, were measured by amino acid analysis. Nitric oxide metabolites were measured by means of the modified Griess reaction. RESULTS Cardiopulmonary bypass caused a significant decrease in the urea cycle intermediates arginine, citrulline, and ornithine at all postoperative time points compared with preoperative levels. The ratio of ornithine to citrulline, a marker of urea cycle function, was elevated at all postoperative time points compared with preoperative values, indicating decreased urea cycle function. Nitric oxide metabolites were significantly decreased at all postoperative time points except for 48 hours, compared with preoperative levels. CONCLUSIONS Cardiopulmonary bypass significantly decreases availability of arginine, citrulline, and nitric oxide metabolites in the postoperative period. Decreased availability of nitric oxide precursors may contribute to the increased risk of postoperative pulmonary hypertension.
Contemporary and long‐run correlations: A covariance component model and studies on the S&P 500 cash and futures markets

In this article, a multivariate component model for conditional asset return covariance is developed as an extension to the univariate volatility component model of Engle & Lee (1999). The conditional covariance now is decomposed into a long‐run (trend) component and a short‐run (transitory) component. Through the decomposition, relationships like the long‐run correlation and volatility copersistence can be studied solely upon examining the long‐run trend of the conditional covariance. The decomposition also has important implications in studying portfolio hedging problems such as the multi‐period minimum‐variance hedging for long‐term portfolio management. The empirical study in this article focuses on estimating the covariance component structure between the S&P 500 cash and futures markets and their contemporary and long‐run correlation relationship and the volatility copersistence relationship. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 19: 877–894, 1999
Modeling for the 2nd-bit effect of a nitride-based trapping storage flash EEPROM cell under two-bit operation

In this letter, we propose a macromodeling approach for the nitride-based trapping storage Flash EEPROM cell with intriguing 2nd-bit effect. Both unusual I/sub D/-V/sub D/ and I/sub D/-V/sub G/ characteristics of this 2-bit Flash cell can be accurately modeled by the macromodel. It also provides insights into the special device characteristics of the programmed cell. Furthermore, we can use this model to correctly evaluate the read speed degradation resulting from 2nd-bit effect.
ALTERNATIVE SERVICES - NEW SERVICE FOR EVERY CHILD

Every child, for a full and harmonious development of his/her personality, has the right to grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding. This principle is one of the main pillars of foster care service. InAlbania,familyfoster careservice is one of the new forms of social services as an indicator of taken responsibilities by the wellfare state to protect children including children with disabilities, who are deprived of parental care. Foster Care, or as it is called in Albanian Family Code "foster family", is a form of alternative care for children who are not provided with family care by their families.Throughout human history, there are constantly encountered phenomenas of neglect, abuse, intentional murder, sale and abandoning children mainly from ptheir parents.Foster care service was firstly a spontaneous response and then anoficial one, to support children who were vulnerable and deprived of family care. The models of providing foster care services are different from temporary service, the emergency ones, or long-term, and specialized ones. Currently, the Court is the only institution that takes decisions for child guardianship, for his accomodation in asocial care institution or in an alternative family. Basic international obligations in the field of protection of children deprived of parental care are setby the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Albania became party in the CRC on March 28 1992 and in its Optional Protocols "On the involvement of children in armed conflicts" and "On sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography"2 in 2007, these acts being in accordance with the constitutional provisions are now part of the Albanian legal system. In Albania foster care is a special service offered as protection measure for juvenile in the conditions when their parents are unable to exercise their parental responsibility. The reason for this can be the situations when both parents have died or are not known, are declared missing, lack the legal capacity to act, poverty and for any other reason accepted by the court. The goal is that the child be offered a family environment and conditions for the upbringing, such as physical care and emotional support. Such an alternative service was adopted in Albania as a new form of service to improve and increase the efficiency of the delivery of social services in addition to services in social care institutions which provide basic services for each juvenile. By reforming the Social Protection program the Albanian government had two priorities: Prevention of institutionalization of children and the provision of services in a family environment.This service is being extended throughout Albania creating the appropriate environment to treat the children in new forms of care as closed as possible to the family. The state is leading this service supporting it as an alternative to institutionalization to guaranty child upbringing. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n19p286
Nuclear Politics in Sweden

Political problems have plagued nuclear development in Sweden, which imports 75% of its energy and all of its uranium even though it has 12% of the world's known U reserves. Communities have consistently vetoed mining projects, and a 1973 moratorium on nuclear power was passed pending a thorough study and creating an atmosphere that has been directly responsible for the fall of two governments. The 1977 Stipulation Law and subsequent formation of the nuclear fuel safety (KBS) plan requires new nuclear power plants to deal with reprocessing and radioactive waste diposal prior to licensing. The author describes the plan's operation and the use of scientific mediation to interpret opposing arguments. He describes the Rydberg--Winchester review in detail. Some shortcomings in the plan are noted, specifically the emphasis on nuclear waste isolation and reliance on uncertain data.
Network embeddedness as a predictor of performance for New Technology-Based Firms

The logic of network embeddedness has been widely used in the technology entrepreneurship literature in recent years, yet its operationalisation and use are neither well understood nor agreed upon. This paper reviews the logic of network embeddedness as it has been invoked and operationalised to predict the performance of New Technology-Based Firms (NTBFs). We find network embeddedness to be a useful predictor for NTBF performance when operationalised at both the dyad and network levels and when interaction effects or contingency factors that account for environmental conditions and firm constraints are included.
Interest Rates and Real Business Cycles in Emerging Markets

We study the quantitative effects of interest rates on the business cycles of emerging markets. The real business cycle model featured in Neumeyer and Perri (“Business cycles in emerging economies: The role of interest rates.” Journal of Monetary Economics, March 2005, 52 (2), 345-380. ) is calibrated to match Turkish data. Fluctuations in country spread account for only less than 9 percent of output volatility, less than one-third of the value found in Neumeyer and Perri. We show that their result critically depends on the magnitude of the working capital parameter, the persistence of productivity shocks, and the factor shares. Our simulations highlight the importance of country spreads for the volatility of investment and the cyclicality of net exports. We also discuss the effect of correlated shocks on the countercyclicality of real interest rate and net exports.
Job Creation and Job Destruction in Manufacturing Industry in Australia

This paper studies properties of employment flows between disaggregated sectors of manufacturing industry in Australia for 1978-79 to 1991-92. Measures of job creation, job destruction, and employment reallocation are calculated and the magnitude, correlation, and cyclicality of these measures of employment flows are examined. An analysis of the sources of aggregate employment reallocation considers the effects of inter- and intrasectoral employment flows, and of aggregate and sectoral-level factors. The consequences of employment reallocation for unemployment outcomes in Australia are also examined. Copyright 1996 by The Economic Society of Australia.
Progression-free survival in children with optic pathway tumors: dependence on age and the quality of the response to chemotherapy--results of the first French prospective study for the French Society of Pediatric Oncology.

PURPOSE To evaluate a strategy aimed at avoiding radiotherapy during first-line treatment of children with progressive optic pathway tumors (OPT), by exclusively administering multiagent chemotherapy during 16 months. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 1990 and 1998, 85 children with progressive OPT were enrolled onto this multicenter nationwide trial. Chemotherapy alternating procarbazine plus carboplatin, etoposide plus cisplatin, and vincristine plus cyclophosphamide was given every 3 weeks. At the time of relapse or progression, second-line chemotherapy was authorized before recourse to radiotherapy. RESULTS Objective response rate (partial response [PR] + complete response [CR]) to chemotherapy was 42%. Five-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival rates were 34% and 89%, respectively. The 5-year radiotherapy-free survival rate was 61%. In the multivariate analysis of the 85 patients that entered onto the study, factors associated with the risk of disease progression were age younger than 1 year at diagnosis (P =.047) and absence of neurofibromatosis type 1 (P =.035). In the multivariate analysis of the 74 patients that remained on study after the first cycle of chemotherapy, factors associated with the risk of disease progression were age younger than 1 year at diagnosis (P =.0053) and no objective response to chemotherapy (P =.0029). Three-year PFS was 44% in infants < or = 1 year versus 66% in children older than 1 year. Three-year PFS was 53% in the absence of an objective response to chemotherapy versus 68% after a PR or CR. CONCLUSION A significant proportion of children with OPT can avoid radiotherapy after prolonged chemotherapy. Deferring irradiation with chemotherapy protocols did not compromise overall survival of the entire population or visual function.
Gut feelings in general practice

Reason and feeling closely cooperate in general practitioners’ diagnostic thinking. GPs sometimes experience gut feelings in the patient contact. Researchers from the universities of Maastricht and Antwerp showed that most GPs take those feelings seriously and that these feelings can direct their diagnostic actions. Also medical disciplinary committees take the gut feelings seriously, witness the fact that in the Netherlands they reproached GPs en specialists regularly in the past ten years for not listening to their gut feelings. The researchers have established an international research agenda to further study and improve the diagnostic meaning of the gut feelings.