Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anchor Global Position Accuracy Enhancement Based on Data Fusion

The location information of sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks is crucial for various applications such as emergency rescue operations, environmental monitoring, home automation, and traffic control. In this paper, a new method to improve the anchor location accuracy in wireless sensor networks is proposed based on fusion of Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements and anchor-to-anchor parameter estimates. Novel algorithms are derived to increase the accuracy of anchor locations using both anchor-to-anchor distance and angle-of-arrival (AOA) estimates for both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS (NLOS) scenarios. When using anchor-to-anchor distance estimates in LOS conditions, an optimization-based algorithm is developed. The Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived to benchmark positioning accuracy in 3-D environments with both GPS measurements and anchor-to-anchor parameter estimates, which has not been studied in the literature. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms can substantially improve anchor position accuracy, and the performance of the proposed algorithms approaches the CRLB.
Public School Reform: Policy Talk and Institutional Practice

The essay explores the complex relation between policy talk and institutional change in educational reform. It suggests problems with conventional divisions of history into "reform periods" and contrasts bursts of reform rhetoric with long-term trends in practice. Such trends are by no means easy to determine, for statistics are spotty. Reforms often go through distinct phases, penetrate different types of school districts at different rates, and have different impacts on various social groups. There are some major institutional trends that can be tracked over long periods of time, whatever the prevailing policy talk, and a linked set of reforms called "reorganization" provide an illustration. Finally, the essay probes policy talk and institutional practice by asking why some reforms stick, some ebb and flow, and some appear and disappear like fireflies.
Impact of hepatitis C virus coinfection on response to highly active antiretroviral therapy and outcome in HIV-infected individuals: a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND Coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1-infected patients may decrease the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy. We determined the impact of HCV infection on response to highly active antiretroviral therapy and outcome among Danish patients with HIV-1 infection. METHODS This prospective cohort study included all adult Danish HIV-1-infected patients who started highly active antiretroviral therapy from 1 January 1995 to 1 January 2004. Patients were classified as HCV positive (positive HCV serological test and/or HCV PCR results [443 patients [16%]]), HCV negative (consistent negative HCV serological test results [2183 patients [80%]]) and HCV-U (never tested for HCV [108 patients [4%]]). The study end points were viral load, CD4+ cell count, and mortality. RESULTS Compared with the HCV-negative group, overall mortality was significantly higher in the HCV-positive group (mortality rate ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-3.0), as was liver disease-related mortality (mortality rate ratio, 16; 95% CI, 7.2-33). Furthermore, patients in the HCV-positive group had a higher risk of dying with a prothrombin time <0.3, from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related disease, and if they had a history of alcohol abuse. Although we observed no difference in viral load between the HCV-positive and HCV-negative groups, the HCV-positive group had a marginally lower absolute CD4+ cell count. CONCLUSIONS HIV-HCV-coinfected patients are compromised in their response to highly active antiretroviral therapy. Overall mortality, as well as mortality from liver-related and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related causes, is significantly increased in this patient group.
Comparative Analysis of Bidirectional Three-Level DC–DC Converter for Automotive Applications

In battery/ultracapacitor electric vehicles, a bidirectional dc/dc converter is employed to process the power according to the power references obtained from the energy management controller. The selection of this converter is of critical importance for the overall system efficiency and size. This study proposes using a three-level dc/dc converter and provides a comprehensive comparison with the conventional two-level and interleaved bidirectional buck/boost converters in terms of magnetic component size/weight and overall efficiency. Unlike the comparative studies presented in the literature, where the efficiency comparison of converters is conducted based on given fixed input and output parameters, power references obtained from a wavelet-transform-based energy management strategy with varying energy source voltages and traction power are considered in this paper. The results of the analyses show that a three-level converter exhibits higher overall efficiency and has smaller size inductor. A 1-kW bidirectional three-level dc/dc converter is designed as a proof of concept, which exhibits 93.2% peak efficiency at 200-kHz switching frequency.
Modeling and classical control of unidirectional Vienna rectifiers

Operation of a unidirectional Vienna rectifier is described in the paper using basic electrical circuit laws only without referring to the space vector theory, typically employed in the literature. An average model is derived for a general unbalanced load and classical control theory is employed to construct the control laws for a three-loop control structure. Simulation results are given to validate the presented approach.
Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome and its relationship with psychological stress status in Chinese university students

Background and Aims: Although irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder in the West, information on the prevalence of IBS in university students is relatively scant, especially in Asia. The aims of the present study were to investigate the prevalence and pattern of symptoms of IBS and its relationship with psychological stress status in Chinese university students.
Engineers and economic development in Greece

Examines the relationship between engineers and economic development in a less developed southern European country, Greece, where the post‐war construction boom promoted the importance of the engineer. However, by the early 1980s, as a result of the decline in building activity, economic crises, and a lack of investment in technology, the fortunes of engineers reversed significantly. Data for the late 1970s and the late 1980s document this increase, then a decline, pointing to the dire consequences associated with not investing in technology and not making proper use of highly skilled human resources. Also shows that the national System of Innovation is deficient in Greece, thereby contributing to the underdeveloped conditions of technology.
Die DFG-Strategie „Integriertes Informationsmanagement“ und ihre Wirkung

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Vor fast 10 Jahren verdichteten sich die Eindrücke in der DFG Kommission für IT-Infrastruktur (KfR), dass an den deutschen Hochschulen das IT-Management unter dem Begriff „Integriertes Informationsmanagement“ neu auszurichten sei. 2002 und 2003 folgten entsprechende Ausschreibungen. Die Geförderten Projekte wie auch einige Vorhaben, die ohne Förderung vorangetrieben wurden, haben seitdem gezeigt, dass der Ansatz realisierbar ist – aber nur innerhalb einer längerfristigen gezielten Entwicklung. Die Initialisierung der Entwicklung und deren nachhaltige Durchführung kann, trotz aller auftretenden Schwierigkeiten – so haben die Projekte gezeigt – nur gelingen, wenn die Hochschulleitungen die Projekte tatkräftig unterstützen und ihr internes IT- Management wie in der Industrie strategisch ausrichten. Die strategische Ausrichtung erfolgt durch unterschiedlich konstruierte Chief Information Offices oder Officer (CIO), die als Einrichtungen der Hochschulleitung fungieren. Die verantwortliche Wahrnehmung der IT-Strategie durch ein Mitglied der entsprechenden Leitung erscheint nach den Beispielen der letzten Jahre eine unabdingbare Voraussetzung für die Modernisierung zu sein. IT-Verantwortliche und Leiter von Rechenzentren für sich können allein nicht die Fortentwicklung realisieren.
Between Protection and Activation: People with Disabilities in the Social Investment State

Federal and provincial employment and income policies in the field of disability within the evolution of Quebec’s welfare state are reviewed from the analytical perspective of the social investment state. The use of the social investment state concept allows the authors to reflect on the paradoxes associated with the demands of the disability movement and the responses of the state. The authors demonstrate that the logic of social investment and activation of the workforce yielded gains consistent with the disability movement’s claims, allowing people with disabilities to use their potential and find fulfillment in the labor market while often improving their financial conditions. However, it is argued that the social investment perspective offers a less suitable response for those permanently excluded from the labor market, especially Social Solidarity Program recipients who benefit only from meager financial protection. While early impact analyses of measures designed to equalize opportunities and activate the workforce do not really show the expected results, the latest statistics available for people with disabilities reflect moderate, but tangible results in terms of reducing the number of members of a household living beneath the low-income cut-off and increasing the employment rate for persons with disabilities.
Immunohistochemical expression of IGF‐I and GSK in the spinal cord of Kii and Guamanian ALS patients

Insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) is a potent survival factor for motor neurons in animals, and glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK‐3β) is suspected to play roles in apoptosis and tau phosphorylation. Here we report the immunological expression of IGF‐I, GSK‐3β, phosphorylated‐GSK‐3α/β (p‐GSK‐3α/β) and phosphorylated‐tau in the spinal cord and hippocampus of Kii and Guam amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. Sixteen ALS patients (10 Japanese sporadic, 3 Kii and 3 Guam ALS) and 14 neurological controls (10 Japanese and 4 Guamanian) were examined. The immunoreactivity for each antibody was rated by the percentages of positive neurons to total anterior horn neurons in each patient and was analyzed statistically. Many normal‐looking neurons from Japanese sporadic ALS, Kii ALS and Guam ALS patients, as well as from Japanese and Guam controls, were positive for anti‐IGF‐I antibody. A positive correlation between IR scores for anti‐IGF‐I antibody and clinical durations of Japanese sporadic ALS patients was found in this study (P < 0.0001). This suggested that IGF‐I might have a protective effect against ALS degeneration. In Japanese sporadic ALS patients, abnormal as well as normal‐looking neurons showed significant high IR scores for anti‐GSK‐3β antibody than those of controls. Anterior horn neurons from Guam and Kii ALS patients characteristically showed weak staining for anti‐GSK‐3β antibody but were markedly positive for anti‐pGSK‐3α/β antibody compared to those from both Japanese controls and Japanese sporadic ALS patients, and showed the co‐localization of IGF‐I and p‐GSK‐3α/β. This suggested that the IGF‐I signaling pathway in Guam and Kii ALS patients might function to phosphorylate GSK‐3β to protect neurons from ALS degeneration. Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the hippocampus and spinal cord from Kii and Guam ALS patients showed the co‐localization of PHF‐tau and p‐GSK‐3α/β by a confocal laser scanning technique. The predominant expression of p‐GSK‐3α/β compared to GSK‐3β in spinal motor neurons and the co‐localization of p‐GSK‐3α/β and PHF‐tau in NFT‐laden neurons in the hippocampus and spinal cord were characteristic findings of Kii and Guam ALS patients.
Reduced quality of life among multiple sclerosis patients with sexual disturbance and bladder dysfunction

Objective: Physical disability explains only part of the reduced quality of life found among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Bladder dysfunction and sexual disturbance are frequent and distressing problems for MS patients. We therefore estimated the relationship between the presence and degree of sexual disturbance/bladder dysfunction and the patients' quality of life as measured by the SF-36 Health Survey. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of all individuals with the onset of MS between 1976 and 1986 in Hordaland County, Norway. The disease duration at examination was 9-19 years; 194 patients (94%) participated. Results: Fifty-three per cent of the patients with low physical disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)≤44.0) reported disease-related sexual disturbance and 44% had bladder dysfunction according to the Incapacity Status Scale. The corresponding figures for the patients with a high physical disability (EDSS>44.0) were 86 and 81% respectively. The patients with sexual disturbance had markedly and significantly reduced scores on all eight SF-36 scales, this was after adjustment for disease development measured by the EDSS. The patients without sexual disturbance scored 0.5 s.d. lower than a normal population on the social functioning scale, whereas those with marked sexual disturbance scored 1.5 s.d. lower. Similar results were found for the patients with bladder dysfunction. Conclusion: Bladder and sexual problems are associated with a marked reduction in the quality of life, also among patients with otherwise low disability. This underlines the need for identifying and treating these problems.
Clearance of Giardia muris infection in mice deficient in natural killer cells

Immunocompetent C57BL/6J mice and beige mice (which are deficient in natural killer cells) were infected with Giardia muris. Both types of mice cleared G. muris infection at similar rates. This observation suggests that clearance of G. muris parasites from the mouse intestine is not mediated by natural killer cells.
Do information and communication technologies (ICTs) contribute to development

This editorial introduces the three papers in this Policy Arena on the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to development. Contribution in terms of technology diffusion and use - especially of mobile phones - is easy to detect. But focus has only recently shifted along the 'ICT-for-development value chain' from these indicators of ICT readiness and availability, to the question of development impact. In part, the absence or poor quality of ICT impact assessment to date derives from its lack of conceptual foundations. This editorial maps out the intellectual roots of the emerging sub-discipline of 'development informatics' to show where such foundations may come from. It also summarises the conceptualised contributions made by each of the Policy Arena papers. The papers draw on models of enterprise value chains, empowerment and Sen's capability theory to demonstrate ICTs' contribution to conceptions of development as economic growth, as sustainable livelihoods, and as freedom. Of course, not all ICT initiatives succeed, and the editorial provides a good practice summary drawn from experiences of success and failure. It moves beyond the perennial call for practitioners and policy makers to incorporate impact assessment as part of this good practice. First, by identifying the need to address motivational and structural issues around impact assessment. Second, by calling on policy makers to be more aware of the transformational potential of ICTs in development; so-called 'Development 2.0'. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Observability analysis of sensorless synchronous machine drives

This paper studies the local observability of synchronous machines using a unified approach. Recently, motion sensorless control of electrical drives has gained high interest. The main challenge for such a technology is the poor performance in some operation conditions. One interesting theory that helps understanding the origin of this problem is the observability analysis of nonlinear systems. In this paper, the observability of the wound-rotor synchronous machine is studied. The results are extended to other synchronous machines, adopting a unified analysis. Furthermore, a high-frequency injection-based technique is proposed to enhance the sensorless operation of the wound-rotor synchronous machine at standstill.
Equivalent circuit modeling of symmetric composite right/left-handed coplanar waveguides

The composite right/left-handed (CRLH) coplanar waveguide (CPW) consisting of the series interdigital capacitor (IDC) and the shunt meandering short-circuited stub inductor (SSI) in symmetric configuration is investigated theoretically and experimentally. To characterize this structure, the equivalent circuit model composed of inductances, capacitances, and resistances to represent the left-handed (LH), right-handed (RH), and lossy characteristics is established. These equivalent circuit elements are extracted simultaneously from S-parameters based on effective medium theory. The extraction method is to examine both the CRLH microstrip line and the CRLH CPW to illustrate the versatility of the formulation. The application of the CRLH CPW in the compact short circuited stub is presented to highlight the unique feature of the CRLH CPW. Compared to the conventional CPW short-circuited stub, the 51.4% length reduction of the case using the CRLH CPW is achieved at 5 GHz.
The Missing Monitor in Corporate Governance: The Directors' & Officers' Liability Insurer

This article reports the results of empirical research on the monitoring role of directors' and officers' liability insurance (DO second, monitoring provides benefits to shareholders who might not otherwise need the risk distribution that DO and third, the "bonding" provided by risk distribution gives insurers a comparative advantage in monitoring. Nevertheless, we find that D&O insurers neither monitor corporate governance during the life of the insurance contract nor manage litigation defense costs once claims arise. Our findings raise significant questions about the value of D&O insurance for shareholders as well as the deterrent effect of corporate and securities liability. After exploring various explanations for these findings, we conclude that the absence of monitoring is due, at least in part, to the agency problem in the corporate context. Our analysis thus suggests that the existing form of corporate D&O insurance both results from and contributes to the relatively weak constraints on corporate managers. Corporate managers buy D&O coverage for self-serving reasons, and the coverage itself, because it does not control moral hazard, reduces the extent to which shareholder litigation aligns managers' and shareholders' incentives.
Trade Regime Bias and the Response to Trade Liberalisation in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper investigates the relative importance of trade policy and 'natural' sources of export 'taxation' in the African region. Using case study evidence for Uganda, it argues that natural barriers are a greater source of export taxation than trade policy. This may be one factor in the limited export supply response in Africa to trade policy liberalization. There is, however, scope for further industry trade regime bias in the region by increasing the competitiveness and efficiency of transport and financial services. Greater importance needs to be attached to sectoral and infrastructural reforms in the design of structural adjustment programs. Copyright 1998 by WWZ and Helbing & Lichtenhahn Verlag AG
Conclusions of segregation analysis for family data generated under two-locus models.

Susceptibility to a disease may involve the interactive effect of two genes. What conclusions will be drawn by segregation analysis in such a case? To answer this question, we considered a set of two-locus models and the corresponding exact distribution for 300 families. We investigated the conclusions and parameter estimations obtained for this sample, by comparing the likelihood expectations of the unified model and of more restricted models. In many cases, segregation analysis leads to the conclusion of a major gene effect, with or without a polygenic component--usually without a polygenic component in multiplicative models (i.e., where two genes have a multiplicative effect) and with such a component in nonmultiplicative models. For all the models considered, existence of a major gene effect is supported by transmission probability tests; there is evidence for transmission and agreement with the hypothesis of Mendelian transmission. Accordingly, there is no means of detecting that the effect of a major gene, with or without a polygenic component, does not correspond to the correct model. In addition, the parameter estimates for the major gene do not correspond to the characteristics of either of the two genes of the true model. This may substantially affect further linkage analysis.
The role of non-CO2 greenhouse gases in cost-effective strategies to reduce pollution by dairy cattle in the Czech Republic

Agriculture is an important source of greenhouse gases, including methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). In addition, it is a source of compounds contributing to other environmental problems such as acidification, terrestrial and aquatic eutrophication, tropospheric ozone formation, and human health problems. These compounds include, for instance, ammonia (NH3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM) volatile organic compounds or nitrate ( ). In this article, we address the question how we can reduce the overall environmental impact (OEI) of agriculture at least costs, and what the role of non-CO2 greenhouse gases in these optimal solutions is. We present results of the DAIRY model, an optimization model for the Czech dairy production sector. The model distinguishes between nine study regions defined according environmental and agriculture characteristics and calculates emissions, their potential impact and OEI at regional and national level. We show that in cost-effective scenarios the model tends to select measures to reduce emissions contributing to climate change and aquatic eutrophication first. This is in contrast with current policies in the Czech Republic, which is aiming at reduction of emissions causing acidification and eutrophication. We also show that reducing greenhouse gas emissions plays a modest role in optimal strategies to reduce the OEI of dairy production.
WORKING WOMEN AND FAMILY

Sejumlah besar wanita yang masuk dan berpartisipasi dalam angkatan kerja adalah suatu fenomena baru dan menarik. Hal ini menjelaskan tekanan baru pada pekerja-pekerja wanita dan keluarga mereka. Terdapat banyak konsekuensi bagi masyarakat sebagaimana yang terjadi pada kehidupan keluarga dan individu yang bersangkutan. Makalah ini mencoba melihat mengapa wanita masuk dalam lingkungan kerja, karakteristik mereka, perubahan-perubahan konsepsi yang terjadi, dan apakah konsekuensinya. Makalah ini juga mengajukan beberapa cara untuk menyeimbangkan wanita-wanita yang bekerja dan keluarga.