Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Equilibrium Welfare Impacts of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments in the Los Angeles Area

This study develops a discrete choice locational equilibrium model to evaluate the benefits of the air quality improvements that occurred in the Los Angeles area following the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA). The discrete choice equilibrium approach accounts for the fact that air quality improvements brought about by the 1990 CAAA will change housing choices and prices. The study provides the first application of the discrete choice equilibrium framework (Anas, 1980, Bayer et al., 2005) to the valuation of large environmental changes. The study also provides new evidence for the distributional welfare impacts of the 1990 CAAA in the Los Angeles area. Households’ location choices are modeled according to the random utility framework of McFadden (1973) and the differentiated product specification of Berry, Levinsohn and Pakes (1995). Findings suggest that the air quality improvements that occurred in the Los Angeles area between 1990 and 2000 provided an average equilibrium welfare benefit of $1,800 to households. In contrast, average benefits are $1,400 when equilibrium price effects are not accounted, demonstrating that ignoring equilibrium effects will likely underestimate the benefits of large environmental changes. In addition, we find that the equilibrium welfare impacts of the 1990 CAAA in the Los Angeles area varied significantly across income groups.
Development of note-taking support system with speech interface

This paper describes a note-taking support system with a speech interface. To solve problems with existing note-taking methods, we implemented a speech interface consisting of a combination of a touch panel and graphical user interface in a note-taking support system. As a system user listens to a speech, the content of the speech is recognized and displayed on the system's screen. Users can take notes by simply touching or tracing the words automatically displayed on the screen. In addition, the system can support keyboard and handwritten input to cope with speech recognition errors. The developed system was experimentally compared with another note-taking method, a text editor on a personal computer. Most of the subjects could take a note more quickly using the system than using the text editor. The effectiveness of the system was demonstrated in the experiment.
Capital-Skill Complimentarity: Evidence from Manufacturing Industries in Ghana

Using U.S. manufacturing data, Griliches (1969) found evidence suggesting that capital equipment was more substitutable for unskilled than skilled labor. Griliches formulated this finding as the capital-skill complementarity hypothesis. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the capital-skill complementarity framework holds for Ghana manufacturing plants in industry and aggregate level. We use an unbalanced panel of plant-level data for manufacturing firms in Ghana during the 1991 and 1997 in four industries (food-bakery, textiles-garments, wood-furniture and metal-machinery). Our findings suggest that capital-skill complementarity holds in aggregate level and wood-furniture sector in Ghana. However, we reject the capital-skill complementarity hypothesis for food-bakery, textile-garment and metal-machinery sectors.
Characterization of the tyrosine kinase Tnk1 and its binding with phospholipase C-gamma1.

Tnk1 is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase cloned from CD34+/Lin-/CD38- hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. The cDNA predicts a 72-kDa protein containing an NH(2)-terminal kinase, a Src Homology 3 (SH3) domain, and a proline-rich (PR) tail. We generated rabbit antiserum to a GST-Tnk1(SH3) fusion protein. Affinity-purified anti-Tnk1 antibodies specifically recognized a 72-kDa protein in Tnk1-transfected COS-1 cells and cells which express Tnk1 mRNA. Western blot analysis indicated that Tnk1 is expressed in fetal blood cells, but not in any other hematopoietic tissues examined. Tnk1 immunoprecipitated from cell lysates possessed kinase activity and was tyrosine phosphorylated. In binding experiments with a panel of GST-fusion constructs, only GST-PLC-gamma1(SH3) interacted with in vitro translated Tnk1. GST-protein precipitations from cell lysates confirmed that GST-PLC-gamma1(SH3) associated with endogenously expressed Tnk1. Conversely, GST-Tnk1(PR) protein constructs complexed with endogenously expressed PLC-gamma1. The association of Tnk1 with PLC-gamma1 suggests a role for Tnk1 in phospholipid signal transduction.
Evidence for short‐patch mismatch repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Recombination events between non‐identical sequences most often involve heteroduplex DNA intermediates that are subjected to mismatch repair. The well‐characterized long‐patch mismatch repair process, controlled in eukaryotes by bacterial MutS and MutL orthologs, is the major system involved in repair of mispaired bases. Here we present evidence for an alternative short‐patch mismatch repair pathway that operates on a broad spectrum of mismatches. In msh2 mutants lacking the long‐patch repair system, sequence analysis of recombination tracts resulting from exchanges between similar but non‐identical (homeologous) parental DNAs showed the occurrence of short‐patch repair events that can involve <12 nucleotides. Such events were detected both in mitotic and in meiotic recombinants. Confirming the existence of a distinct short‐patch repair activity, we found in a recombination assay involving homologous alleles that closely spaced mismatches are repaired independently with high efficiency in cells lacking MSH2 or PMS1. We show that this activity does not depend on genes required for nucleotide excision repair and thus differs from the short‐patch mismatch repair described in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
Behavior of Polar Bears with Cubs in the Denning Area

Observations were made on the behavior of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) with cubs of the year in the first post-denning period in a densely populated denning area at Kongsoya, Svalbard. This period has formerly not been studied. During 2 field seasons 3,148 hours of observations on females, and 6,185 hours on cubs, were obtained from 25 family groups. Mean litter size was 1.96, mean breakout date 17-18 March. The bears usually emerged on sunny days. Mean period spent in the area was 14 days. Family groups tolerated each other within certain limits, but no evidence for a social hierarchy was found. Cub motor ability and play intensity increased throughout the period, as did mutual distance within the groups. Females ate vegetation and bear droppings, but the groups were mainly dependent on the females' fat reserves. Females were inactive 93.5% of their total time, cubs 91.6%. The post-denning period is probably of major importance for training and developing the cubs for hard travels on the ice. Int. Conf. Bear Res. and Manage. 5:246-254 The purpose of this study was to investigate activities of female and cub polar bears from the time of emergence from dens until the families left the denning area. This paper describes the methods used and presents some results. Polar bears are born in December-January, and are 3-4 months old by the time of emergence. For a period after this, females with cubs remain close to dens. Estimates of time spent near dens vary from 0.5-7 days (Soviet Union, Uspenski and Kistchinski 1972) to 8-14 days (Svalbard, L6n6 1970) to as much as 1 month (Canadian High Arctic, Harington 1968). No ethological observations have formerly been done on this first post-denning period of polar bears with cubs. The study was initiated in cooperation with Professor Yngve Espmark, Institute of Zoology, University of Trondheim, and biologist Thor Larsen, Norwegian Polar Research Institute. Special thanks to the latter, without whose support it would have been impossible to carry out the project. Financial support was given by the Norwegian Department of Environment, Norwegian Polar Research Institute, the Roald Amundsen Foundation, and the World Wildlife Fund National and International. Transport was made by the Norwegian Air Force 330 squadron. We are also grateful to all persons and institutions, not mentioned here, who gave us help. MATERIALS AND METHODS Undisturbed female polar bears with cubs of the year were observed from 18 March to 17 April 1978 (N = 5) and 13 March to 14 April 1979 (N = 20) in the Bogen denning area at Kongs6ya, Svalbard (Fig. 1).
Influence of optical defocus on peripheral vision.

PURPOSE Peripheral optical corrections are often thought to give few visual benefits beyond improved detection acuity. However, patients with central visual field loss seem to benefit from peripheral correction, and animal studies suggest a role for peripheral vision in the development of myopia. This study was conducted to bridge this gap by systematically studying the sensitivity to optical defocus in a wide range of peripheral visual tasks. METHODS The spatial frequency threshold for detection and resolution in high and low contrast with stationary and drifting gratings were measured off-axis (20° nasal visual field) in five subjects with a peripheral optical correction that was varied systematically ±4 D. RESULTS All visual tasks, except high-contrast resolution, were sensitive to optical defocus, particularly low-contrast resolution with an increase of up to 0.227 logMAR/D. The two myopic subjects exhibited a very low sensitivity to defocus by negative lenses for low-contrast tasks, whereas all subjects were equally affected by myopic defocus. Contrary to expectations, drifting gratings made little difference overall. CONCLUSIONS Optical defocus as low as 1 D has a large impact on most peripheral visual tasks, with high-contrast resolution being the exception. Since the everyday visual scenery consists of objects at different contrast levels, it is understandable that persons with central visual field loss are helped by correction of peripheral refractive errors. The asymmetry in sensitivity to peripheral optical defocus in low-contrast tasks that was experienced by the myopic subjects in this study merits further investigation.
Effects of Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment on Patients’ Health Related Quality of Life: Results from a Follow Up Study

Background At present, within the management of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) much attention is being paid to the traditional microbiological and clinical indicators. Evaluation of the impact of MDR-TB treatment on patients’ Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) has remained a neglected area. Objective To evaluate the impact of MDR-TB treatment on patients HRQoL, and determine the predictors of variability in HRQoL along the course of treatment Methods A prospective follow up study was conducted at the programmatic management unit for drug resistant TB of Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. Culture confirmed eligible MDR-TB patients were asked to self complete SF-36v2 at the baseline visit, and subsequently after the completion of 12 months of treatment and at the end of treatment. A score of <47 norm-based scoring (NBS) points on component summary measures and health domain scales was considered indicative of function impairment. General linear model repeated measures ANOVA was used examine the change and predictors of change in physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores over the time. Results A total of 68 out of enrolled 81 eligible MDR-TB patients completed SF-36v2 questionnaire at the three time points. Patients’ mean PCS scores at the three time points were, 38.2±4.7, 38.6±4.4 and 42.2±5.2 respectively, and mean MCS were 33.7±7.0, 35.5±6.9 and 40.0±6.9 respectively. Length of sickness prior to the diagnosis of MDR-TB was predictive of difference in PCS scores (F = 4.988, Df = 1, 66), whereas patients’ gender (F = 5.638, Df = 1, 66) and length of sickness prior to the diagnosis of MDR-TB (F = 4.400, Df = 1, 66) were predictive of difference in MCS scores. Conclusion Despite the positive impact of MDR-TB treatment on patients' HRQoL, the scores on component summary measures suggested compromised physical and mental health even at the end of treatment. A large multicenter study is suggested to confirm the present findings.
Haptics-assisted Virtual Planning of Bone, Soft Tissue, and Vessels in Fibula Osteocutaneous Free Flaps

Background: Virtual surgery planning has proven useful for reconstructing head and neck defects by fibula osteocutaneous free flaps (FOFF). Benefits include improved healing, function, and aesthetics, as well as cost savings. But available virtual surgery planning systems incorporating fibula in craniomaxillofacial reconstruction simulate only bone reconstruction without considering vessels and soft tissue. Methods: The Haptics-Assisted Surgery Planning (HASP) system incorporates bone, vessels, and soft tissue of the FOFF in craniomaxillofacial defect reconstruction. Two surgeons tested HASP on 4 cases they had previously operated on: 3 with composite mandibular defects and 1 with a composite cervical spine defect. With the HASP stereographics and haptic feedback, using patient-specific computed tomography angiogram data, the surgeons planned the 4 cases, including bone resection, fibula design, recipient vessels selection, pedicle and perforator location selection, and skin paddle configuration. Results: Some problems encountered during the actual surgery could have been avoided as they became evident with HASP. In one case, the fibula reconstruction was incomplete because the fibula had to be reversed and thus did not reach the temporal fossa. In another case, the fibula had to be rotated 180 degrees to correct the plate and screw placement in relation to the perforator. In the spinal case, difficulty in finding the optimal fibula shape and position required extra ischemia time. Conclusions: The surgeons found HASP to be an efficient planning tool for FOFF reconstructions. The testing of alternative reconstructions to arrive at an optimal FOFF solution preoperatively potentially improves patient function and aesthetics and reduces operating room time.
A computational model of affects

Emotions and feelings (i.e. affects) are a central fea- ture of human behavior. Due to complexity and interdisciplinarity of affective phenomena, attempts to define them have often be en unsatisfactory. This article provides a simple logical str ucture, in which affective concepts can be defined. The set of affects de fined is similar to the set of emotions covered in the OCC model (1), but the model presented in this article is fully computationally defined, whereas the OCC model depends on undefined concepts. Following Matthis (2), affects are seen as unconscious, emo- tions as preconscious and feelings as conscious. Affects are thus a superclass of emotions and feelings with regards to consciousness. A set of affective states and related affect-specific behavi ors and strategies can be defined with unconscious affects only. In addition, affects are defined as processes of change in the body state, that have specific triggers. For example, an affe ct of hope is defined as a specific body state that is triggered when t he agent is becomes informed about a future event, that is positive with regards to the agent's needs. Affects are differentiated from each other by types of causing events. Affects caused by unexpected positive, neutral and neg- ative events are delight, surprise and fright, respectively. Affects caused by expected positive and negative future events are hope and fear. Affects caused by expected past events are as follows: satisfac- tion results from a positive expectation being fulfilled, disappoint- ment results from a positive expectation not being fulfilled, fears- confirmed results from a negative expectation being fulfilled, and relief results from a negative expectation not being fulfilled. Pri de is targeted towards a self-originated positive event, and shame towards a self-originated negative event. Remorse is targeted towards a self-originated action causing a negative event. Pity is targeted towards a liked agent experiencing a negative event, and happy-for towards a liked agent experiencing a positive event. Resentment is targeted towards a disliked agent experiencing a positive event, and gloating towards a disliked agent experiencing a negative event. An agent is liked/loved if it has produced a net utility greater than zero, and disliked/hated if the net uti lity is lower than zero. An agent is desired if it is expected to produce a positive net utility in the future, and disliked if the expe cted net utility is negative. The above model for unconscious affects is easily computa- tionally implementable, and may be used as a starting point in building believable simulation models of human behavior. The models can be used as a starting point in the development of computational psychological, psychiatric, sociological and crimi- nological theories, or in e.g. computer games.
Within and Between Cluster Units MCMC Sampling for a Multilevel Model With Nonindependent Residuals

In this article, we discuss the effect of removing the independence assumptions between the residuals in two-level random effect models. We first consider removing the independence between the Level 2 residuals and instead assume that the vector of all residuals at the cluster level follows a general multivariate normal distribution. We demonstrate how this assumption can allow us to fit higher levels of clustering and school competition effects via an example from education. We then consider removing the assumption of independence between Level 1 residuals within clusters. We show how this extension can allow time series type models. Both normal and binary responses are considered.
A complete calculus for the multialgebraic and functional semantics of nondeterminism

The current algebraic models for nondeterminism focus on the notion of possibility rather than necessity and consequently equate (nondeterministic) terms that one would intuitively not consider equal. Furthermore, existing models for nondeterminism depart radically from the standard models for (equational) specifications of deterministic operators. One would prefer that a specification language for nondeterministic operators be based on an extension of the standard model concepts, preferably in such a way that the reasoning system for (possibly nondeterministic) operators becomes the standard equational one whenever restricted to the deterministic operators—the objective should be to minimize the departure from the standard frameworks. In this article we define a specification language for nondeterministic operators and multialgebraic semantics. The first complete reasoning system for such specifications is introduced. We also define a transformation of specifications of nondeterministic operators into derived specifications of deterministic ones, obtaining a “computational” semantics of nondeterministic specification by adopting the standard semantics of the derived specification as the semantics of the original one. This semantics turns out to be a refinement of multialgebra semantics. The calculus is shown to be sound and complete also with respect to the new semantics.
Gaze-Tracking Based on Head-Pose Estimation using Depth Camera

A gaze is an indicator what people focused on. The research purpose is to implement a gaze tracking application so that people know which part of a wide view target is the most interesting. This research uses Kinect Xbox 360 as a tracking device and Visual Studio 2013 as development environment (IDE). The research can be applied in business purpose, such as in advertisement area. This research uses the source code of Face tracking from Microsoft Kinect SDK to get drawings of face models. Furthermore the source code is modified to determine gaze of a person. There are several scenarios used to supervise experiment result with help of volunteers. The research results between 70-80% accuracy in practical experiment scenarios (ideal condition) and 50-60% in real experiment scenario
Inbreeding parents should invest more resources in fewer offspring

Inbreeding increases parent-offspring relatedness and commonly reduces offspring viability, shaping selection on reproductive interactions involving relatives and associated parental investment (PI). Nevertheless, theories predicting selection for inbreeding versus inbreeding avoidance and selection for optimal PI have only been considered separately, precluding prediction of optimal PI and associated reproductive strategy given inbreeding. We unify inbreeding and PI theory, demonstrating that optimal PI increases when a female's inbreeding decreases the viability of her offspring. Inbreeding females should therefore produce fewer offspring due to the fundamental trade-off between offspring number and PI. Accordingly, selection for inbreeding versus inbreeding avoidance changes when females can adjust PI with the degree that they inbreed. In contrast, optimal PI does not depend on whether a focal female is herself inbred. However, inbreeding causes optimal PI to increase given strict monogamy and associated biparental investment compared to female-only investment. Our model implies that understanding evolutionary dynamics of inbreeding strategy, inbreeding depression, and PI requires joint consideration of the expression of each in relation to the other. Overall, we demonstrate that existing PI and inbreeding theories represent special cases of a more general theory, implying that intrinsic links between inbreeding and PI affect evolution of behaviour and intra-familial conflict.
Dual-energy CT for detection of endoleaks after endovascular abdominal aneurysm repair: usefulness of colored iodine overlay.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to evaluate the value of dual-source dual-energy CT with colored iodine overlay for detection of endoleaks after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. We also calculated the potential dose reduction by using a dual-energy CT single-phase protocol. SUBJECTS AND METHODS From November 2007 to November 2009, 74 patients underwent CT angiography 2-7 days after endovascular repair during single-energy unenhanced and dual-energy venous phases. By using dual-energy software, the iodine overlay was superimposed on venous phase images with different percentages ranging between 0 (virtual unenhanced images) and 50-75% to show the iodine in an orange color. Two blinded readers evaluated the data for diagnosis of endoleaks during standard unenhanced and venous phase images (session 1, standard of reference) and virtual unenhanced and venous phase images with colored iodine overlay images (session 2). We compared the effective dose radiation of a single-energy biphasic protocol with that of a single-phase dual-energy protocol. The diagnostic accuracy of session 2 was calculated. RESULTS The mean dual-energy effective dose was 7.27 mSv. By using a dual-energy single-phase protocol, we obtained a mean dose reduction of 28% with respect to a single-energy biphasic protocol. The diagnostic accuracy of session 2 was: 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% negative predictive value, and 100% positive predictive value. Statistically significant differences in the level of confidence for endoleak detection between the two sessions were found by reviewers for scores 3-5. CONCLUSION Dual-energy CT with colored iodine overlay is a useful diagnostic tool in endoleak detection. The use of a dual-energy single-phase study protocol will lower radiation exposure to patients.