Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
1 WAR AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE

I study the consequences of interstate wars for economic growth in a large cross section of countries during the period 1960-89. I find that cross-country differences in economic growth are systematically related to the occurrence and the characteristics of war. In particular, post-war economic performance is positively related to the severity and the duration of war. Moreover, these growth-enhancing effects vary negatively with a country’s level of economic development. Both of these findings suggest that "Phoenix" type of factors (as suggested by Organski and Kugler) are present not only in global, highly destructive, technology creating wars but also in smaller, interstate conflicts.
Correlations between Electrolytes Levels and Heart Rate Variability in Apparently Healthy Subjects

Context: Previous studies correlating electrolytes levels with heart rate variability (HRV) were conducted exclusively in diseased patients and fail to demonstrate significant correlations, except for a few. Whether absence of significant correlations is physiological or hidden by the associated pathologies is uncertain. Aim: To evaluate the effects of electrolytes concentrations on heart rate variability in apparently healthy subjects. Setting and Design: It was a cross-sectional case-control laboratory-based study. Patients and Methods: The study involved twenty-two apparently healthy males and twenty-three females. Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, hemoglobin and random blood glucose levels, weight, height, blood pressures and HRV were measured according to the standards. Possible confounding factors were introduced as a covariate when correlating electrolytes concentrations with HRV indices using partial correlations. Results: The study involved 23(51.1%) females and 22(48.9%) males. The ages of studied subjects range between 20 – 40 years (Mean (M) ± Standard deviation (SD) = 25.24±4.79 years). M±SD of the body mass indices = 24.74±6.13 Kg/m 2 , the mean arterial blood pressures = 90.17±9.78 mmHg, Hemoglobin concentrations =13.00±2.48 g/dl, random blood glucose concentrations = 95.69±16.70 mg/dl. There were no significant correlations between sodium, potassium and calcium concentrations and studied short-term HRV indices. In contrast, there is a significant negative correlation between magnesium concentrations and sympathovagal balance (correlation coefficient (CC) = 0.376, P = 0.020. Conclusion: Sympathetic modulations on heart rate tend to override parasympathetic modulations as magnesium concentration decreases. Otherwise, there were no significant correlations between sodium, potassium and calcium concentrations and HRV indices.
Small-signal analysis of PWM boost converter in CCM with complex impedance load

This paper presents a small-signal analysis of the pulse-width modulated (PWM) boost dc-dc converters operating in continuous-conduction mode (CCM) and subject to complex impedance load. Using the existing knowledge on the small-signal model of the boost converter obtained through the circuit averaging approach, this paper presents an extended analysis of the small-signal transfer functions, under the influence of resistive and inductive load impedances. The expressions for the control-to-output, input-to-output voltage transfer functions, and the output impedance of the boost converter operating in CCM are derived. The characteristics of these transfer functions are analyzed and the effect of the added inductance on the location of poles and zeros is discussed. It is shown that the inherent right-half plane (RHP) zero shifts to the left-half of the s-plane, when the load inductance is increased beyond a specific value. The theoretical results are validated by simulations of a boost converter with suitable design specifications.
Good Speech Recognition and Quality-of-Life Scores after Cochlear Implantation in Patients with DFNA9

Objective: To compare audiometric and quality-of-life results in DFNA9 patients who received a cochlear implant with cochlear implant patients with adult-onset progressive sensorineural hearing loss. Study Design: Prospective comparative design; results were collected cross-sectionally. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Patients: Eleven DFNA9 patients were included in the study as well as a comparative group of 39 postlingually deafened cochlear implant subjects with adult-onset progressive sensorineural hearing loss. Interventions: All patients received a cochlear implant. Subjects were implanted with either the Nucleus 24M/RCS or Med-el Combi 40+ cochlear implant systems implementing the SPEAK, ACE, or CIS+ coding strategies. Mean Outcome Measures: Speech recognition was determined by means of phonetically balanced monosyllabic word lists. The Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults, the Glasgow Benefit Inventory, and the Scale for the Prediction of Hearing Disability in Sensorineural Hearing Loss were used to quantify the quality of life. Results: The results show that the speech perception and the quality of life of the DFNA9 patients do not differ significantly from the control group (p = 0.179; p = 0.56). Conclusion: In spite of the fact that DFNA9 is a disease that is known to involve cochlear dendrites, cochlear implantation is a good option for treatment of deafness in DFNA9.
Indirect Measurement of the Temperature in a Resistive Furnace

The development of an indirect measurement model for electro thermal furnace and its implementation in a reconfigurable architecture are the main issues of this article. The proposed measurement system is based on the system model, the principle of conservation of energy and the laws of thermodynamics are applied to build a model of the thermal system and the Kalman theory is applied for filtering and prediction of the temperatures inside of a resistive furnace. Three setup are established to evaluate the performance of the indirect measurement system: implementation off-line of the algorithm on a test platform, the indirect measurement system is connected on the furnace hardware for standalone and real time operations. The measurement algorithm can be seen as good alternative for temperature indirect measurements systems, due to its effectiveness and simplicity during the performance evaluations
An Economic Appraisal of Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine, Phenytoin and Valproate as Initial Treatment in Adults with Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy

Summary: We undertook an economic appraisal of four drugs used in monotherapy during the first 2 years of treatment for newly diagnosed patients with epilepsy: carbamazepine (CBZ), lamotrigine (LTG), phenytoin (PHT), and valproate (VPA). We adopted the cost‐minimization model because, although no single trial compares all four drugs directly, the clinical trials comparing two or more of these drugs in newly diagnosed cases show no significant difference in efficacy between the drugs in terms of seizure frequency: Considered in the cost analyses were frequency of side effects, retention rates, medical consultations, inpatient and accident and emergency costs, laboratory investigations, and drug changes. A Delphi panel provided the treatment pathways, including frequency of clinical consultations, second‐line monotherapy, and side‐effects management. A sensitivity analysis was performed, varying the assumptions on which the calculations were based. Analysis was completed for a prospective, intention‐to‐treat perspective and also for those patients continuing the initial drug. The direct medical costs of 2‐years therapy (intention‐to‐treat analysis) calculated for each trial were £795–829 for CBZ, £1,525‐2,076 for LTG, £736–768 for PHT, and £868–884 for VPA. A sensitivity analysis provided similar relative estimates. We found that LTG for newly diagnosed patients is significantly more expensive in direct health service costs incurred. This analysis incorporated seizure control, side effects, and tolerability. We recommend that a similar type of analysis be considered as part of all clinical trials of antiepileptic drugs in which efficacy of outcome is similar as a guide to assess optimal cost effectiveness.
A British Medical Association Lecture on Diet and Disease

EIGHTEEN months ago I delivered a British Medical Association Lecture at Bradfordla in whicll I discussed the subject I was activelv investigating at the time-namely, the part played by modern dietar y in the production of disease as found in this country. I should not have chosen the same subject for this eveniing's discourse were it not that it is still being intensively investigated all over the world, with results that only emphasize its importance. Modern exper imental work on animals, backed up by clinical observation, has brouglht to light the fact that the . dietary of the people of this country is defective in two important respects: (1) that it includes too little of the substances-which contain fat-soluble vitamins, and (2) that it con1tains relatively too much cereal. Each of these dietetic mistakes tends, among other things, to bring about a certain pathological defect of structure and function in the body, so that their combined influence in this respect
Smoking habits and tooth loss in Swedish women.

A longitudinal population study of 1462 women, aged 38-60, was started in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1968-69. In univariate analysis of the results from 1968-69, smokers were found to have a significantly lower number of remaining teeth than non-smokers had. The differences between smokers and non-smokers with respect to edentulousness and number of remaining teeth was further accentuated 12 yr later. The mean number of teeth lost during the 12-yr follow-up period was 3.5 among smokers and 2.1 among non-smokers, i.e. 67% higher among smokers than among non-smokers. The associations were independent of age, education, socio-economic group, marital status, frequency of toothbrushing, and frequency of visits to a dentist. It is concluded that smoking seems to play an important role as far as tooth loss is concerned.
Extracellular Enzymatic Activities of Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Various Medicinal Plants

The term endophyte (Greek: endo = within + phyte=plant) include all organism that during a variable period of their life colonies the living internal tissues of their hosts. Endophytic fungi are one among these endophytes living inside the plants without causing any apparent symptoms [1]. Nearly one million endophytic species present ubiquitously in all plants [2]. The Bary mentioned term endophytes for first time in 19 th century [3]. Endophytic fungus was first identified by Freeman in 1904, and was isolated from Lolium persicum (Persian darnel) [4]. Endophytic fungi are relatively unexplored producers of metabolites useful to pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. A single endophyte produce several bioactive metabolites. As a result, the role of endophytes in production of various natural products with greater bioactivity have received increased attention [5]. Endophytes can influence soil stability directly by their mycelia networks in the soil as well as indirectly altering roots and physical conditions of the host plants[6] and also endophytes are the chemical International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 4 Number 3 (2015) pp. 1035-1042 http://www.ijcmas. com
Effectiveness of mobilization therapy and exercises in mechanical neck pain

Abstract Objectives: While studies have looked into the effects of Maitland mobilization on symptom relief, to date, no work has specifically looked at the effects of Mulligan mobilization. The objective of this work was to compare the effectiveness of Maitland and Mulligan’s mobilization and exercises on pain response, range of motion (ROM) and functional ability in patients with mechanical neck pain. Methods: A total sample of 60 subjects (21–45 years of age) with complaints of insidious onset of mechanical pain that has lasted for less than 12 weeks and reduced ROM were randomly assigned to: group I – Maitland mobilization and exercises; group – II Mulligan mobilization and exercises; and group-III exercises only, and assessed for dependent variables by a blinded examiner. Results: Post measurement readings revealed statistical significance with time (p < 0.00) and no significance between groups (p > 0.05) indicating no group is superior to another after treatment and at follow-up. The effect sizes between the treatment groups were small. Conclusion: Our results showed that manual therapy interventions were no better than supervised exercises in reducing pain, improving ROM and neck disability.
Processing units in conversation: A comparative study of French and Mandarin data

Human spoken language production is directed towards communication delivering comprehensible information to recipients. Speech segmentation into small units efficiently enhances a sensible and interpretable discourse structure. Such processing units in real-life communication may be applied to semantic, syntactic, or prosodic structures. Previous studies have proposed various theories of speech segmentation, mainly based on qualitative analyses. The present study utilizes corpus-based quantitative data to examine how conversational speech in French and Mandarin is structured in terms of three different processing units, and how these units interact with one another. Unit completion location was identified by semantic structure (discourse unit), prosodic pattern (prosodic unit), and sequences of parts of speech (chunk). Quantitative analyses for both languages were carried out by applying comparable processing procedures. This article presents our efforts to establish a dataset for two typologically divers.
Immediate and late results of coronary angioplasty in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUND Severe coronary artery disease in patients with a markedly depressed left ventricular function is associated with a poor prognosis. Even though coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has been offered as an alternative to bypass surgery, the role of PTCA in the treatment of patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction has not been well defined. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the immediate and long-term results in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction < or = 35% who underwent PTCA. METHODS One hundred and twenty-five patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 35% who underwent PTCA were analyzed. RESULTS The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 29.7%. Eighty-seven patients (69.6%) had multivessel disease and 41 (32.8%) had previous coronary artery bypass graft. Intra-aortic balloon pumping was used in 12% of cases. Angiographic success was achieved in 96% of patients. Complete revascularization was achieved in 56 patients (44.8%). Major complications occurred in 4% of the population and 2 patients died (1.6%). During the long-term follow-up re-PTCA due to angiographic restenosis was performed in 41 patients (34%); 12 patients (10.4%) died. The only parameter which significantly correlated with death was the presence of an occluded left anterior descending coronary artery not recanalized neither with PTCA nor with coronary artery bypass graft. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that PTCA may be an effective treatment for coronary artery disease in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and is associated with high procedural success rate and low complications; however, the long-term follow-up seems not to be influenced by the PTCA procedure.
Multiband Microstrip Patch Antenna for Microwave Applications

In this paper, we present a fractal shape slot based patch antenna for multiband operations. The fractal shape slot is designed on the rectangular patch and the antenna is fed through a microstrip line. The proposed design and feeding technique allows the antenna to operate at multiple frequencies in the range of 120 GHz. It is demonstrated through simulation that the Return Loss (RL) values occurred at 1.33 GHz, 4.16 GHz, 7 GHz, 9.8 GHz, 12.7 GHz, 15.5 GHz and 18.3 GHz, respectively, having VSWR ≤ 2. It is also observed that the gain of proposed design is higher than the conventional patch antenna. Parametric study is also included to give an overview for the performance of proposed design.
Studies of yeast Kluyveromyces lactis mutations conferring super‐secretion of recombinant proteins

We have isolated mutants responsible for a super‐secretion phenotype in Kluyveromyces lactis using the gene coding for a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens α‐amylase as a marker for secretion. These mutations defined two groups, dominant and recessive. The recessive mutant strain, which secreted the heterologous protein in five‐fold excess compared to the wild‐type strain, was used for the cloning of genes, restraining the super‐secreting phenotype. In screening for genes affecting super‐secreting phenotype, we found that multiple copies of 10 different independently isolated DNA sequences suppressed the super‐secreting phenotype. The first among the genes characterized, named KlSEL1 (‘secretion lowering’) showed homology to Saccharomyces cerevisiae ORF YML013w. The KlSEL1 gene is predicted to encode a polypeptide of 620 amino acid residues containing a putative transmembrane domain and UBX domain, characteristic for the ubiquitin‐regulatory proteins. We demonstrated that the disruption of the SEL1 orthologues in K. lactis and S. cerevisiae conferred the super‐secreting phenotype. SEL1 isolated from S. cerevisiae suppressed the super‐secretion phenotype in K. lactis klsel1 strain, likewise homologous KlSEL1. No other phenotypic features for strains lacking the SEL1 gene were noticed except for the S. cerevisiae mutant growth being notably slower than in a wt strain. No growth changes were observed in the K. lactis klsel1 mutant. The set of genes (suppressors of over‐secreting phenotype) could be attractive for further analysis of gene functions, super‐secreting mechanisms and construction of new strains. This collection could be useful for the expedient construction of reduced yeast genomes, optimized for heterologous protein secretion. The KlSEL1 gene has been assigned EMBL Accession No. AJ488285. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multi-colour stimuli to improve information transfer rates in SSVEP-based brain-computer interfaces

Most brain-computer interface (BCI) systems based on visual evoked potentials (VEPs) rely on the use of a number of flashing stimuli with differences in their frequency or phase characteristics. These repetitive visual stimuli give rise to oscillatory electroencephalographic (EEG) activity which is correlated with the characteristics of the observed stimuli, allowing for target discrimination. The colour of the visual stimuli is also known to affect the elicited steady state VEPs (SSVEPs), and a number of BCI studies have investigated which colours give rise to the strongest SSVEPs. However, none of these studies have considered the possibility of identifying which visual target a user is observing based on the colour of the stimulus. In this work, the use of stimulus colour as a discriminative characteristic for SSVEP-based BCI systems is considered and it is shown that by introducing differently coloured targets in SSVEP setups, the information transfer rate (ITR) of such systems can be enhanced. The common spatial patterns (CSP) and analytic CSP (ACSP) methods were used for feature extraction, and for both methods the results obtained indicate that differently coloured stimuli can be discriminated and used to improve the information transfer rate (ITR) in BCIs.
Late-Onset Depression with Mild Cognitive Deficits: Electrophysiological Evidences for a Preclinical Dementia Syndrome

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is present in up to 60% of patients with late-onset depression and constitutes a major diagnostic problem in geriatric psychiatry. Searching for sensitive markers for the detection of early brain changes suggestive of dementia, we compared this depressive risk population with mildly to moderately demented patients and cognitively unimpaired depressed patients using EEG power and coherence. We found a considerable similarity between Alzheimer’s disease patients and cognitively impaired depressed patients regarding the cognitive profile and EEG pattern. Changes in EEG power and coherence at frontotemporal leads in depressive patients with MCI thereby allowed discrimination from cognitively unimpaired patients with a sensitivity of 88% and a specifity of 81%.
TRACING THE ORPHAN STREAM TO 55 kpc WITH RR LYRAE STARS

We report positions, velocities, and metallicities of 50 ab-type RR Lyrae (RRab) stars observed in the vicinity of the Orphan stellar stream. Using about 30 RRab stars classified as being likely members of the Orphan stream, we study the metallicity and the spatial extent of the stream. We find that RRab stars in the Orphan stream have a wide range of metallicities, from −1.5 dex to −2.7 dex. The average metallicity of the stream is −2.1 dex, identical to the value obtained by Newberg et al. using blue horizontal branch stars. We find that the most distant parts of the stream (40–50 kpc from the Sun) are about 0.3 dex more metal-poor than the closer parts (within ∼30 kpc), suggesting a possible metallicity gradient along the stream's length. We have extended the previous studies and have mapped the stream up to 55 kpc from the Sun. Even after a careful search, we did not identify any more distant RRab stars that could plausibly be members of the Orphan stream. If confirmed with other tracers, this result would indicate a detection of the end of the leading arm of the stream. We have compared the distances of Orphan stream RRab stars with the best-fit orbits obtained by Newberg et al. We find that model 6 of Newberg et al. cannot explain the distances of the most remote Orphan stream RRab stars, and conclude that the best fit to distances of Orphan stream RRab stars and to the local circular velocity is provided by potentials where the total mass of the Galaxy within 60 kpc is M60 ∼ 2.7 × 1011 M☉, or about 60% of the mass found by previous studies. More extensive modeling that would consider non-spherical potentials and the possibility of misalignment between the stream and the orbit is highly encouraged.
Low-frequency radio astronomy engineering in Western Australia

I will discuss low-frequency radio astronomy engineering efforts underway in Western Australia. We carry out this work through the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR)/Curtin University. The frequency range of interest is ∼50 to ∼350 MHz, which is the Low-Frequency Square Kilometre Array (SKA-Low) frequency band. I will describe recent and current work in the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), the Engineering Development Array (EDA) and the Aperture Array Verification System (AAVS). I will also discuss engineering research work in antenna array beam modelling and low-noise amplifier (LNA) noise measurement for low-frequency radio astronomy.