Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Institutions, policies and diverse innovation systems: experiences from the US, Germany and South Korea

ABSTRACT The importance of technological innovation in economic development has been acknowledged, and appropriate approach for building innovative countries needs further studies. The article uses the U.S., Germany and South Korea, three innovative countries, respectively, with three different politico-economic institutions, to explore the influence of institutions on the content and implementation of innovation policies. The similar institutional frameworks of the three countries bring policy convergence, but different government-enterprise relations, labour relations and capital market organizations affect their policy implementations and their final innovation systems. Thus, the compatability between institutions and policies is more critical than the “correctness” of innovation policy models.
Effects of series elasticity and activation conditions on muscle power output and efficiency

SUMMARY The activation of a muscle depends on the function that it is performing and on the architectural properties of that muscle; the two are inextricably linked. Activation conditions such as activation timing, duration and amplitude can be varied throughout a cyclical movement (such as locomotion) and the length change of the whole muscle tendon unit (MTU) can also be varied. Architecturally, muscles have a range of fibre lengths, maximum force-producing capabilities and stiffness of the series elastic element (SEE). In the present work we use a model to explore the relationship between power output and efficiency of a muscle across a range of contraction conditions. We have also examined the mechanical and energetic effects of changing muscle architecture within the model. Our results indicate that whilst there are clear optimal conditions for achieving maximum power output and maximum efficiency, the design of the muscle allows high levels of both to be achieved over a range of activation conditions. This range changes with both SEE compliance and the amplitude of the cyclical length change. The results suggest that a compliant SEE allows a muscle to function closer to the maximum of both power output and efficiency. In addition, by varying the amplitude of the activation level, the efficiency can theoretically remain unchanged, whilst the power output can be modulated.
Inside Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers: Extracting the Refractive Index From Spatial-Spectral Mode Images

We present a method to extract the internal effective refractive index of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) from its transverse mode images. High spatial and spectral resolution mode images of an oxide-guided VCSEL were obtained using an etalon filter and an imaging spectrometer. The refractive index and the oxide radius were extracted from the field intensity distribution and the spectral wavelength of the laser modes. The procedure was repeated at two different currents and both gave a refractive index step of 0.046 plusmn 0.006 with a 14.1-mum oxide diameter. With several degrees of freedom for error available in the refractive index extraction, this method may be extended to ion-implanted, photonic crystal, and noncircular devices
The pathology of invasive breast cancer A Syllabus Derived from Findings of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project (Protocol No. 4)

The inter-relationships of 32 pathologic and 7 clinical parameters encountered in the study of 1000 examples of invasive breast carcinoma have been presented. In some instances the biological significance of these associations is at present unclear. In others it is to be noted that there is no information provided as to the rank of their significance. Nevertheless, the associations that were encountered not only help further characterize the various forms of breast cancer but also provide information regarding the possible biological significance of some of their features. Although it is not our intention to minimize the possible significance of the inter-relationships of pathologic parameters, most emphasis in the summarizing statements which follow has been placed upon those correlations which may relate to prognosis. In this regard reference has been made to short-term treatment failure, vis a vis local recurrence and/or metastases, which may not necessarily accurately reflect patient survival, although generally such a relationship exists. Information in this regard as well as to the rank of the significance of these pathologic features shall be forthcoming when sufficient time has elapsed since the inception of this study to allow for such conclusions, i.e. survival or long-term treatment failure rates. Lastly, it becomes evident that the guidelines followed in the examination of these specimens appear to represent at least the minimum requirements necessary for a meaningful pathologic evaluation of breast carcinoma.
Cu wire bond reliability improvement through focused heat treatment after bonding

Currently, there is a great interest in applying copper material to wire bonding of fine pitch assembly packaging, particularly for cost saving purposes. However, the hardness property of copper is harder compared to the conventional gold wire. The hardness factor of copper, coupled with the work hardening effect of the USG power and force during wire bonding, is a major cause for bond pad crack and pad cratering, especially on sensitive pad devices. Known methods to soften the FAB has been evaluated and discussed. Softening the FAB has proved to play a role in decreasing the bond pad cratering. However, it does not resolve the problem completely. The proposed solution is to introduce heat after wire bonding to enhance the intermetallic adhesion strength between the copper to the Al bond pad.
Nurse‐controlled analgesia (NCA) following major surgery in 10 000 patients in a children’s hospital

Background and Objectives: Patients who received NCA with morphine following major surgery between 1996 and 2008 at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK, were prospectively studied in the postoperative period to determine effectiveness, morphine requirements, incidence of common side effects, and serious adverse events.
Language use in education and primary schooling attainment: evidence from a natural experiment in Ethiopia

The extensive use of foreign languages in schooling might have an important role to play in the poor educational outcomes observed on the African continent. Exploiting the language policy change of 1994 in Ethiopia as a natural experiment, we estimate the effects of provision of mother tongue instruction on the largest ethnic group in the country. Our results suggest that provision of mother tongue education led to an increase of 0.75 to 1 year of primary schooling in the affected cohort. Moreover the entire increase in the years of schooling can be attributed to the intensive margin of education. The language policy change, conditional on enrolment, increased the percentage of people completing 6 years or more of schooling by 31%. Applying our findings to a set of African countries shows that even after accounting for the costs of provision, introduction of mother tongue instruction imply potentially large benefits and increases the percentage of population completing primary schooling by as much as 15% points. These finding have important policy implications at a time when surging enrolment rates and already stretched educational budgets in the African continent imply need for solutions which can increase the quality of education without requiring huge capital or infrastructural outlays.
Testing the Barriers to Healthy Eating Scale

Clarifying barriers to dietary intake may identify factors that place pregnant women at risk for complications. This methodological study assessed the psychometric properties of the Barriers to Healthy Eating Scale. Item generation was based on constructs in Pender’s health promotion model. The instrument was tested in two separate samples of pregnant women. Content validity was assessed, and construct validity testing resulted in an expected negative relationship between scores on the Barriers to Healthy Eating Scale and the Nutrition subscale of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II. Factor analysis resulted in a 5-factor scale that explained 73% of the variance. Alpha coefficients for the total scale ranged from . 73 to . 77, and subscales ranged from . 48 to . 99. Test-retest reliability for the total scale was . 79. The Barriers to Healthy Eating Scale appears to be a reliable and valid instrument to assess barriers that may impede healthy eating in pregnant women.
A Tutorial on the Method of Moments [Testing Ourselves]

The Method of Moments (MoM) is a numerical technique used to approximately solve linear operator equations, such as differential equations or integral equations. The unknown function is approximated by a finite series of known expansion functions with unknown expansion coefficients. The approximate function is substituted into the original operator equation, and the resulting approximate equation is tested so that the weighted residual is zero. This results in a number of simultaneous algebraic equations for the unknown coefficients. These equations are then solved using matrix calculus. MoM has been used to solve a vast number of electromagnetic problems during the last five decades. In addition to the basic theory of MoM, some simple examples are given. To demonstrate the concept of minimizing weighted error, the Fourier series is also reviewed.
Green fluorescent protein–propidium iodide (GFP‐PI) based assay for flow cytometric measurement of bacterial viability

Several staining protocols have been developed for flow cytometric analysis of bacterial viability. One promising method is dual staining with the LIVE/DEAD BacLight bacterial viability kit. In this procedure, cells are treated with two different DNA‐binding dyes (SYTO9 and PI), and viability is estimated according to the proportion of bound stain. SYTO9 diffuses through the intact cell membrane and binds cellular DNA, while PI binds DNA of damaged cells only. This dual‐staining method allows effective separation between viable and dead cells, which is far more difficult to achieve with single staining. Although SYTO9‐PI dual staining is practical for various bacterial viability analyses, the method has a number of disadvantages. Specifically, the passage of SYTO9 through the cell membrane is a slow process, which is significantly accelerated when the integrity of the cell membrane is disrupted. As a result, SYTO9 binding to DNA is considerably enhanced. PI competes for binding sites with SYTO9 and may displace the bound dye. These properties diminish the reliability of the LIVE/DEAD viability kit. In this study, we investigate an alternative method for measuring bacterial viability using a combination of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and PI, with a view to improving data reliability.
Identifying fraud using restatement information

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the restatement information disclosed in the Form 8K and the Press Release. It examines the relationship between manipulating the quantity, quality, manner and timing of restatement information and the probability of committing fraud. Design/methodology/approach The authors used 18 informational indicators developed by BenYoussef and Breton (2016), and applied the prediction methodology based on F-scores, developed by Dechow et al. (2011). Findings Results indicate that the information content of restatement announcements provides significant insights into the likelihood of fraud occurrence. A firm that manipulated previous earnings will continue to do so, and will try to mislead investors by releasing inaccurate and incomplete information in the Form 8K and the Press Release. The model helps identify this manipulation and hence can be used as a tool for fraud detection. Research implications/limitations This paper applies the constructs drawn from Information Manipulation Theory to restatement contexts to detect fraud. Practical implications The paper is of use to regulators, investors and financial crime experts, as it provides insights to better fraud detection. Originality/value The paper is based on proprietary data that were hand collected, and is being used first time to predict fraud.
New Compact Coplanar Bandpass Filter Composed of Serpentine Shape Shunt-Stubs

This paper presents a design of a new compact bandpass filter in coplanar waveguide implementation composed of serpentine shape shunt-stubs. The serpentine shape shunt-stubs allow to increase the inductive loading and thus to reduce the size of the filter. The proposed filter has two transmission zeros on the both sides of the passband. The equivalent circuit model has been proposed to describe the filter behavior. The measured center frequency, bandwidth and insertion loss are 5 GHz, 50 % and 0.5 dB, respectively. The geometrical size of the proposed filter is 20times13.2 mm2. Good agreements between both measured and simulated results have been observed.
Dynamic Analysis of a Boost Topology with Ripple Cancellation and Comparison with the Conventional Boost

The boost topology with ripple cancellation network allows input and output current ripple attenuation, which means the suppression of the input filter and a high reduction of the output filter. However, to achieve the ripple cancellation, the complexity and the number of components of the converter increase compared with the conventional boost. A detailed analysis has been developed to specify the advantages and drawbacks of this topology. This paper presents the averaged model that derives the complex transfer function of the topology. The theoretical transfer function has been obtained. Due to the complexity of the seventh order transfer function obtained, a simplified second order transfer function has been calculated in order to simplify control design calculations. A comparison between the analyzed topology and a conventional boost in terms of weight and losses has been carried out. To estimate input and output current ripple calculation, it is proposed the use of the ripple theorem, which allows an estimation of the efficiency of the cancellation network using the averaged model. A prototype to validate ripple cancellation and the dynamic analysis has been developed. Measured waveforms and bode plots are enclosed. Current ripple cancellation at the input and at the output on both conduction modes of the converter has been validated.
The impact of gene expression analysis on evolving views of avian brain organization

Recent studies have presented data on adult and developing avian brain organization. Jarvis et al. ([2013] J Comp Neurol. 521:3614–3665) identify four pallial and two subpallial gene expression domains and demonstrate that the mesopallium and adjoining divisions of the hyperpallium (hyperpallium intercalatum and hyperpallium densocellulare), have very similar gene expression profiles to each other, distinct from those of the nidopallium, the arcopallium, and the more distant divisions of the hyperpallium (hyperpallium apicale). The study proposes an update of the current nomenclature (Jarvis et al. [2005] Nat Rev Neurosci. 6:151–159). The authors perform densitometric quantifications of the in situ expression of 50 selected genes, use correlations of distances between vectors that represent these gene expression patterns within the 23 avian brain regions of their study, and group them according to similarity in their expression profiles. The generated cluster tree further supports their argument for a new terminology. The authors hypothesize that the mesopallium and adjoining divisions of the hyperpallium have a common developmental origin, and in the accompanying paper (Chen et al. [2013] J Comp Neurol. 521:3666–3701) show that these structures/subdivisions initially form continuous gene expression domains. With subsequent development these domains fold into distinct subdivisions in the dorsal and ventral avian pallium, forming mirror images to each other. Jarvis et al. ([2013] J Comp Neurol. 521:3614–3665) also demonstrate interesting principles of the functional organization of the avian brain by showing that specific sensory stimulation or motor behavior elicits gene expression in functional units perpendicular to the axis of the gene expression reversal and compare their arrangements and cell types with mammalian cortical columns. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:3604–3613, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Corporate Tax Incidence: Is Labor Bearing the Burden of Corporate Tax?

This paper estimates the effect of the difference in the corporate tax rate (difference between the corporate tax rates in Japan and the average corporate tax rate abroad) on capital per worker and the effect of capital per worker on wages per worker based on a VAR model using a time - series data set of the Japanese manufacturing industry. In addition, the paper estimates how the effect of an increase of 1% in the difference in the corporate tax rate on the wage rate changes over a long period (the dynamic multiplier function). The main findings in this paper are as follows. First, the estimation results for the VAR model show that an increase in the average difference in the corporate tax rate over the past three years decreases capital per worker. It is also found that a rise in capital per worker in the previous period increases wages per worker. These findings suggest the presence of the following process of the corporate tax incidence: increase in the difference in the corporate tax rate E decline in capital per worker (decline in labor productivity) E decline in the wage rate. Second, the dynamic multiplier estimation based on VAR models with constraints shows that a rise of 1% in the average difference in the corporate tax rate over the past three years causes wages per worker to decline by only 20,000 to 25,000 yen in total over a 16 - year period. This finding suggests that the corporate tax burden on workers is small.
Genetics of oxacillin resistance in clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae that are oxacillin resistant and penicillin susceptible

It has recently been reported that penicillin-sensitive pneumococci may exhibit reduced susceptibility to oxacillin, resulting in their misclassification as being penicillin resistant by oxacillin disk testing. Intermediate oxacillin resistance (MIC, 1.0 microgram/ml) in three of these apparently unrelated penicillin-susceptible clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in the United Kingdom and in four Spanish isolates was shown to be solely due to the acquisition of a gene encoding an altered penicillin-binding protein (PBP), PBP2X. PBP2X genes cloned from typical penicillin-resistant isolates of S. pneumoniae that possessed high-level oxacillin resistance were shown to be able to transform susceptible isolates of S. pneumoniae to intermediate oxacillin resistance. In all instances, the intermediately oxacillin-resistant PBP2X transformants retained susceptibility to penicillin (MIC, 0.06 microgram/ml). Under appropriate selective pressure, the acquisition of a low-affinity PBP2X by penicillin-susceptible pneumococci could result in an increasing number of false positives for penicillin resistance among isolates of S. pneumoniae screened with oxacillin. Additionally, these intermediately oxacillin-resistant isolates showed reduced susceptibility to cefotaxime, an agent likely to be prescribed in place of penicillin for the treatment of serious infections due to these apparently penicillin-resistant organisms.
Effects of difructose dianhydride (DFA)-IV on in vitro fertilization in pigs

Difructose dianhydride IV (DFA-IV) is produced from levan, which is a natural polysaccharide that belongs to the fructan family, through the activity of levan fructotransferase (LF) derived from microorganisms. Recently, DFA-IV has been expected to have diverse applications in the food and medical industry. Here, we examined the potential application of DFA-IV forin vitro fertilization (IVF) in pigs. In the assessment of acrosomal integrity during incubation, intact acrosomal or viable spermatozoa were highly sustained in 0.1% or 0.25% DFA-IV (69.8%-70.8%,P<0.05). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels during sperm incubation decreased following the addition of DFA-IV, and 0.1%-0.5% DFA-IV in particular significantly decreased ROS production relative to that seen with no addition or 0.75% DFA-IV. Total fertilization (mono+ polyspermic oocyte) rate was significantly higher in the addition of 0.1% DFA-IV (94.2%) than with other concentrations (71.8%-86.7%,P<0.05). When using reduced IVF times and lower sperm numbers, we found that addition of 0.1%–0.5% DFA-IV significantly increased the fertilization rate (P<0.05). Fertilized oocytes treated with 0.1% DFA-IV exhibited higher embryonic development and blastocyst formation than those treated with other concentrations (P<0.05). Consequently, the addition of DFA-IV during IVF improved fertilization and embryonic development, suggesting the possible use of novel sugars for enhancement of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in mammals.
Influence of CYP3A metabolizer status on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of amiodarone.

UNLABELLED The present work was designed to determine whether the individual differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of amiodarone and its N-desethyl metabolite are related to cytochrome CYP3A metabolizer status. METHODS 12 cardiac patients with inducible ventricular tachyarrhythmias during the baseline electrophysiologic study were enrolled in this study. Urinary 24-hour excretion of 6 beta-hydroxycortisol (6 beta-OHC and the ratio of 6 beta-hydroxycortisol to urinary free cortisol (6 beta-OHC/UFC) were measured before the first amiodarone administration. Trough plasma concentrations of amiodarone and N-desethylamiodarone (N-DEA) were measured after 79 +/- 11 days (2nd period) and after 182 +/- 25 days (3rd period). Electrophysiologic effects of amiodarone therapy were established with serial electrophysiologic studies in 9 of these patients at the baseline and after 79 +/- 11 days (during the second period). RESULTS Both the 6 beta-OHC excretion and 6 beta-OHC/UFC ratio varied approximately 6-fold between the patients. We found significant inverse correlation between the 6 beta-OHC excretion and the trough plasma concentrations of amiodarone at the time of the 3rd period (rs = -0.58, p < 0.05). Similarly, there was correlation between the 24-hour urinary 6 beta-OHC excretion and trough plasma concentrations of amiodarone during the 3rd period (rs = -0.64, p < 0.025). We were unable to detect any association between CYP3A activity and amiodarone pharmacodynamics. CONCLUSION This study points toward important information value of CYP3A metabolizer status in the context of therapeutic drug monitoring of amiodarone.