Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Short progressive muscle relaxation or motor coordination training does not increase performance in a brain-computer interface based on sensorimotor rhythms ( SMR )

Brain computer interfaces (BCIs) allow for controlling devices through modulation of sensorimotor rhythms (SMR), yet a profound number of users is unable to achieve sufficient accuracy. Here, we investigated if visuomotor coordination (VMC) training or Jacobsen's progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) prior to BCI use would increase later performance compared to a control group who performed a reading task (CG). Running the study in two different BCI-labs, we achieved a joint sample size of N = 154 naïve participants. No significant effect of either intervention (VMC, PMR, control) was found on resulting BCI performance. Relaxation level and visuomotor performance were associated with later BCI performance in one BCI-lab but not in the other. These mixed results do not indicate a strong potential of VMC or PMR for boosting performance. Yet further research with different training parameters or experimental designs is needed to complete the picture.
Contribution of polymorphisms in the endothelial protein C receptor gene to soluble endothelial protein C receptor and circulating activated protein C levels, and thrombotic risk

Summary Endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR) enhances the generation of activated protein C (APC) by the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex. A soluble form of EPCR (sEPCR), which is generated by metalloprotease activity, is present in plasma. The distribution of sEPCR levels in healthy populations is bimodal. Previously, we described two polymorphisms in exon 4 of the EPCR gene, 4600A/G that encodes the substitution of Ser219 by Gly in the transmembrane region of EPCR and 4678G/C in the 3’-UT region. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between these two polymorphisms and plasma sEPCR and APC levels and risk of venous thrombosis. We genotyped 401 healthy controls from the Spanish population and measured their plasma sEPCR and APC levels. Carriers of the 4600AG genotype had significantly higher sEPCR levels than those with the AA genotype, while the 4678CC genotype was associated, to a lesser extent, with elevated APC levels. To assess the effect of these polymorphisms on the risk of thrombosis, we genotyped 405 patients with venous thromboembolism. The frequency of the 4600AG genotype was very similar in patients and controls (p=0.975), whereas the 4678CC genotype was significantly more frequent in controls than in patients (p=0.008). In multivariate analysis, carriers of the 4678CC genotype had a decreased risk of thrombosis (OR=0.61, p=0.009). These data indicate that individuals carrying the 4600AG genotype have high sEPCR levels but do not have an increased risk of thrombosis, whereas individuals carrying the 4678CC genotype have higher APC levels and lower risk of venous thromboembolism.
Fair Value Disclosures for Investment Securities and Bank Equity: Evidence from SFAS No. 115

This paper examines whether the intent-based fair value disclosures by security type under SFAS No. 115 explain the value of bank equity. Focusing on available-for-sale (AFS) and held-to-maturity (HTM) securities, we find both AFS and HTM value differences (fair less book values) explain the value of bank equity. The AFS value differences also explain raw stock returns and abnormal returns, while the HTM value differences explain only the raw returns. The AFS value differences have greater explanatory power than those of the HTM. The explanatory power of the securities' value differences increases when they are considered as separate (AFS and HTM) variables rather than in aggregation. Also, the AFS value differences explain one-year-ahead bank earnings, while the HTM value differences do not. These results remain robust across the different model specifications examined. Overall, they are consistent with our hypotheses and with the view of SFAS No. 115 on the relevance and usefulness of the fair value disclosures to investors.
The Role of the Local State in China's Transitional Economy

All states have a role in development, but this varies widely. The spectrum is defined at one end by the laissez faire minimalist state whose role is limited to ensuring a stable and secure environment so that contracts, property rights and other institutions of the market can be honoured. At the opposite end are the centrally planned Leninist states that directly replace the market with bureaucratic allocation and planning. Between these two extremes are the capitalist developmental states of Japan and the East Asian Newly Industrializing Countries (NICs) that are neither Communist nor laissez faire, but exhibit characteristics of both. The state plays an activist, rather than a minimalist, role; there is planning, but it is geared toward creating maximum competitive and comparative advantage for manufacturers within a market economy.
Evidencia empírica de la relación entre la inversión de la empresa industrial española y las variables financieras

De acuerdo con los resultados de este trabajo, en el que se ha estimado un modelo de inversion a partir de un panel de datos de empresas no financieras, con cotizacion en el Mercado de Valores Espanol en el periodo 1990 1995, la hipotesis de la jerarquia financiera, derivada de una imperfeccion tecnica en el proceso de canalizacion del ahorro hacia la inversion, se manifiesta como una mejor explicacion de la sensibilidad de la inversion a las variables financieras que la hipotesis del flujo de caja libre, basada en la imperfeccion de los mecanismos de control sobre el capital.
Executive Power and Media Freedom in Central and Eastern Europe

Political executives often influence how effectively citizens can monitor them, yet the link between executives and government transparency is not well developed in the literature. I begin filling that void by illuminating the relationship between media freedom—one dimension of transparency—and executive power. I theorize that politicians prefer to avoid monitoring and negative publicity, and that both presidents and prime ministers often can do something about it via their constitutional powers and influence accrued through partisan support. Using new panel data on Central and Eastern European prime ministers and presidents, I find that proactive legislative powers for both executive types and increased partisan support for prime ministers negatively affect media freedom. My model explains most of the variation in Central and Eastern European media freedom, predicts high press freedom in Western Europe, and has important implications for the broader relationships between executive power, transparency, and accountability.
Work‐life balance, travel‐to‐work, and the dual career household

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the underlying conflicts associated with current work‐life balance and travel‐to‐work policies, as employed in organisations in the UK.Design/methodology/approach – A mixed method approach is used to ascertain whether professional work‐group cultures limit the effectiveness of work‐life balance policy, and the extent to which spill‐over is present between work‐life balance and transport preferences, especially car use. These concerns are explored empirically using an in‐depth local level quantitative‐qualitative case study of Greater Nottingham (a regional employment centre in the East Midlands region of England). Findings – The evidence presented in this paper suggests: work‐group cultures prevent employees, especially women, from achieving work‐life balance; there is spill‐over between work and non‐work activities, creating time allocation challenges, and stress, for dual career households attempting to achieve desired work‐life balance; and specific c.
Daytime depression in tree stem CO2 efflux rates: is it caused by low stem turgor pressure?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Daytime CO2 efflux rates (FCO2) from tree stems are often reported to be lower than expected from the exponential relationship between temperature and respiration. Explanations of daytime depression in FCO2 have focused on the possible role of internal CO2 transport in the xylem. However, another possible cause that has been overlooked is the daily dynamics of the water status in the living stem tissues and its influence on stem growth rate and thus respiration. The objective of this study was to assess the daily dynamics of stem water status and growth rate and to determine the extent to which they may be linked to daily variations in stem FCO2. METHODS FCO2 of young beech and oak stems were measured under controlled conditions. Relative stem turgor pressure (Psi(p)), obtained from simulations with the 'RCGro' model, was used as an indicator of the water status in the living stem tissues. Daily dynamics of stem growth were derived from Psi(p): growth was assumed to occur when Psi(p) exceeded a relative threshold value. KEY RESULTS There was a strong correspondence between fluctuations in FCO2 and simulated Psi(p). The non-growth conditions during daytime coincided with depressions in FCO2. Moreover, FCO2 responded to changes in Psi(p) in the absence of growth, indicating also that maintenance processes were influenced by the water status in the living stem tissues. CONCLUSIONS Daytime depressions in stem FCO2 correlate with the daily dynamics of turgor, as a measure of the water status in the living stem tissues: it is suggested that water status of tree stems is a potentially important determinant of stem FCO2, as it influences the rate of growth and maintenance processes in the living tissues of the stem.
Monetary policy before the crisis

Many observers argue that excessively expansionary monetary policy led to the recent global financial crisis. On the day of Ben Bernanke’s speech in Jackson Hole, this column agrees with the Fed chair that monetary policy was not the main cause. It argues that nonmonetary forces drove down real interest rates and lowering nominal rates was the correct response. But central bankers and other regulators vastly underestimated the risks accompanying low short-term interest rates.
Structure of the exosporium and sublayers of spores of the Bacillus cereus family revealed by electron crystallography

We report on the first step in mapping out the spatial location of structural proteins within the exosporium, namely a description of its three‐dimensional architecture. Using electron microscopy and image analysis, we have characterized crystalline fragments from the exosporium of Bacillus cereus, B. thuringiensis and B. anthracis strains and identified up to three distinct crystal types. Type I and type II crystals were examined in three dimensions and shown to form arrays of interlinked crown‐like structures each enclosing a cavity ∼26–34 Å deep with threefold symmetry. The arrays appear to be permeated by tunnels allowing access from one surface to the other, possibly indicating that the exosporium forms a semi‐permeable barrier. The pore size of ∼23–34 Å would allow passage of the endospore germinants, alanine or inosine but not degradative enzymes or antibodies. Thus the structures appear compatible with a protective role for the exosporium. Furthermore the outermost crystalline layer must act as a scaffold for binding the BclA protein that contributes to the ‘hairy nap’ layer. The array of crowns may also act as a matrix for the binding or adsorption of other proteins that have been identified in the exosporium such as GroEL, immune inhibitor A and arginase.
Fundamental mode colpitts VCOs at 115 and 165-GHz

Two fundamental mode voltage controlled oscillators (VCO) at 115 and 165 GHz manufactured in a fT/fmax=280/435-GHz SiGe Bipolar technology are presented. A differential Colpitts topology is used in both VCO designs, and the phase noise optimization is discussed. Without on-chip buffer, the 115-GHz VCO delivers −6.6-dBm output power with a 1.6-GHz tuning range and a −80 dBc/Hz phase noise at 100-kHz offset, and the 165-GHz VCO provides −15 dBm power with a 7.6-GHz tuning range and a −79 dBc/Hz phase noise at 500-kHz offset. Two VCOs consume 30 mW and 46 mW from a 3-V and a 4.6-V power supply respectively.
Thrombus formation at the neck of cerebral aneurysms during treatment with Guglielmi detachable coils.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Thromboembolic events are a common source of complications during Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC) treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Thrombus formation at the coil-parent artery interface is not commonly reported but is an important potential source of emboli. We describe nine cases in which thrombus propagated from GDCs into the parent artery during coil therapy of cerebral aneurysms and subsequent treatment of the thrombus. METHODS A retrospective review of a procedural database was performed to identify cases in which thrombus occurred during GDC treatment of cerebral aneurysms during a 30-month period. All images were reviewed at the time of the procedure. Nine cases of thrombus forming at the coil-parent artery interface and five cases of distal emboli were identified among 210 cases. All patients underwent anticoagulation with heparin during GDC treatment procedures. RESULTS Thrombus was identified at the coil-parent artery interface during GDC treatment in nine (4.3%) of 210 cases. In each case, the thrombus was recognized before distal embolic complication occurred and was successfully treated with heparin alone (five patients) or with heparin plus a glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitor (four patients). CONCLUSION Potential clinical complications can be avoided by early recognition of thrombus at the coil-parent artery interface and by administering appropriate medical therapy.
Housing Careers, Life Cycle and Residential Mobility: Implications for the Housing Market

The concept of a housing career provides a useful way of integrating the residential mobility and filtering literatures in understanding the operation of the housing market. Using data from a survey in Adelaide, the paper examines these careers in terms of moves to and from both rental accommodation and home ownership. It shows how the progression of households through the stock is influenced by the circumstances that prompt moves, economic resources, and stage in the family life cycle. The results suggest that acceleration and postponement of advancement along housing careers provide the principal mechanisms by which household demand adjusts to available housing supply over the short term.
Incontinence and Troublesome Behaviors Predict Institutionalization in Dementia

Factors predicting the early institutionalization of demented patients were studied in 143 outpatients using univariate and multivariate life-table methods. Four types of factors were evaluated for prognostic value: severity of functional impairment, behavioral disorders, individual patient characteristics, and type of caregiver. After follow-up of 19 ± 12 months, 51 patients had been institutionalized. Increased global severity of dementia, the presence of troublesome and disruptive behaviors, and incontinence increased the likelihood of institutionalization. The best predictors of institutionalization were paranoia, aggressive behavior, and incontinence. Neither individual patient characteristics (age, education, and gender) nor caregiver relationship to the patient (male spouse, female spouse, and male or female child) influenced institutionalization. Since troublesome behavioral disorders are potentially treatable aspects of dementia leading to institutionalization, their management should be a major focus of therapy in dementia. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1992;5:45–52).
Effect of Outsourcing Public Sector Audits on Cost-Efficiency

This study compares the cost-efficiency of ‘in-house’ and outsourced to private sector audit supplier arrangements to deliver financial audits in the public sector by examining audit cost-efficiency within the context of the public sector arrangement at one state in Australia (Western Australia). The results for 178 public agencies show that outsourced audits are, in general, more costly than in-house audits, but this result is conditional on the type and size of public agency. Specifically, outsourced audits are more costly than in-house audits for small statutory authority audits, whereas for specialist audits (i.e. hospitals) and large and complex statutory authority audits, the in-house supply is equally efficient as the outsourced service.
Transcriptomic signature for drug-induced steatosis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects almost one third of adults in European countries. A well-known factor of influence is overnutrition and insulin resistance (Farrell and Larter, 2006). In contrast, much less attention is given to drug induced steatosis (Chen et al., 2014). It is crucial that steatosis inducing compounds are detected and excluded early in drug development (Hewitt et al., 2007; Hengstler et al., 2000; Vitins et al., 2014; Fisher et al., 2008; Rogiers et al., 1997). Recently, Marta Benet and colleagues from Barcelona and Valenica in Spain have published a transcriptomic signature to identify compounds with an increased risk of inducing steatosis (Benet et al., 2014). Numerous mechanisms can cause steatosis. Many steatosis-inducing drugs impair fatty acid beta-oxidation (FAO) by inhibiting involved enzymes or by blocking the transport of fatty acids into mitochondria. Moreover, compromising the mitochondrial respiratory chain or mitochondrial potential may indirectly cause steatosis (Benet al., 2014; Donato and Gomez-Lechon, 2012; Fromenty and Pessayre, 1995). One possibility to study the potential to induce steatosis is to quantify the levels of neutral lipids, e.g. by BODIPY or oil red O staining. However, these techniques have been reported to be relatively insensitive (Benet et al., 2014). In their recent publication Benet and colleagues (2014) have established a common signature of three transcription factors: FOXA1, HEX and SREBP1C. Totally, 25 well-characterized compounds were studied in HepG2 cells. Using the aforementioned transcription factors as biomarkers, 92 % of the test compounds were correctly classified (Benet et al., 2014). Currently much effort is invested in research on hepatotoxic mechanisms (Onami et al., 2014; Campos et al., 2014; An, 2012; Fang et al., 2012; Monteiro et al., 2013) and in vitro systems to predict hepatotoxicity (Godoy et al., 2015, 2013, 2009; Zellmer et al., 2010; Ghallab, 2014a, b). In this context the identification of the steatogenic FOXA1/HEX/SREBP1C signature by Benet and colleagues (2014) represents an important progress and should be included into predictive studies in future.
Demographic Assessment of a Marbled Murrelet Population from Capture‐Recapture Data

Abstract: Population size is a fundamental variable of interest in most conservation programs, as are the demographic processes underlying variation in numbers. The Marbled Murrelet ( Brachyramphus marmoratus ) is a seabird nesting in coastal old‐growth forest in North America and is at the heart of a controversy concerning forest management. Despite the urgent need for a careful assessment of the demographic state of populations, the species is so secretive that its life history is poorly known and reliable estimates of the required vital rates are rare or missing. Here we present the first survival estimates obtained through capture‐recapture data from a population in British Columbia, Canada. This population is in a site that has been heavily logged in the last 50 years and continues to be logged. Survival estimates ( 0.8289 and 0.9289 based on different samples corresponding to two capture techniques ) fell within the range specified for small alcids, indicating that neither mortality nor emigration out of the study area is particularly high in the population. We used capture‐recapture data to estimate the realized population growth rate ( λ ) from 1991 to 2000. λ^ was < 1 ( 0.9851 ), but the confidence interval was large and included 1 ( stationary population ). This estimate was obtained using part of the data ( the sample with the higher survival rate ) to meet the assumptions of the analytical approach. This lambda value might not reflect the growth rate of the overall population but may be specific to the segment of the population that successfully bred. The hypothetical value of λ corresponding to a survival probability of 0.8289 was 0.8593, which suggests that the population may be declining if the local survival rate based on the combined samples is closer to the true value. Because of our low recapture rates and poor precision of estimates, there is still uncertainty regarding the health of this population. Development of field techniques and achievement of higher detection probability should reduce uncertainty in future demographic studies of Marbled Murrelets and allow refined assessment of the conservation status of populations.
La Dolce Vita: Hedonic Estimates of Quality of Life in Italian Cities

Colombo E. , Michelangeli A. and Stanca L. La dolce vita: hedonic estimates of quality of life in Italian cities, Regional Studies. This paper investigates quality of life in Italian cities using the hedonic approach. It analyses micro-level data for housing and labour markets to estimate compensating differentials for local amenities within four domains: weather, environment, services and society. Large compensating differentials in housing markets are found, whereas the effects on wages are relatively small. Quality of life varies substantially across space and is generally better in large and medium-sized cities of the Centre–North. Services and social conditions are strongly related to overall quality of life. It is also found that, across cities, quality of life is positively and significantly related to subjective well-being.
Secondary School Principals' Perceptions of the School Librarian's Instructional Role

play a key role in the effectiveness of the library program. At the same time, findings from studies in numerous states demonstrate the positive impact that the school library media specialist (SLMS) has on student achievement. This descriptive study explored Virginia secondary school principals‘ perceptions of the role of the SLMS as teacher and as instructional partner. Findings demonstrate that principals support the instructional role of the SLMS, that they expect the SLMS to be the primary initiator of collaboration with classroom teachers at both the individual teacher and school levels, and that they gain their knowledge of the instructional role of the SLMS from SLMSs with whom they work as teachers and as administrators. These findings have significant implications for the field—in the K–12 environment for practicing SLMSs and in the higher education environment for SLMS preparation programs.