Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Managing Payment Transaction Costs at Multinational Online Retailers

Abstract Providing cost- and credit-efficient payment services to customers in e-commerce is a critical success factor for retailer competitiveness. However, country-specific payment provision strategies for internationally operating retailers are difficult to pinpoint, as existing research on the economics of payment instruments mostly focuses on transactions within one country, neglect electronic payment instruments due to data limitations, or base cost estimations on aggregated statistics or survey data. This article copes with these challenges by using a unique transaction-level data set with more than 29.1 million actual sales transactions, and examines how retailer transaction costs of online payment instruments invoice, credit card, PayPal, and prepayment differ across 14 European countries. Therein, this study identifies transaction cost differences due to country-specific pricing of payment services. Moreover, empirical results reveal that culture difference accounts for variation in customer payment timing and hence, affects retailer transaction costs when offering payment services in e-commerce. The presented research results allow retailers to holistically evaluate the efficiency of their current payment portfolio, and in developing country-specific payment provision strategies in order to reduce transaction costs and working capital requirements.
ROCK-SOIL THERMAL RESPONSE TEST OF TUNNEL HEATING SYSTEM USING HEAT PUMP IN COLD REGION

In order to prevent freezing damage of tunnels in cold region,tunnel heating system using heat pump was introduced for the first time at Linchang tunnel in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China.The rock-soil thermal response test was carried out to study the influence of the inlet temperature,flow rate and pipes distance on extracted heat and the influence of heat exchange on temperature field of surrounding rock and primary lining.It can be found that the extracted heat varies with the inlet temperature linearly and with flow rate exponentially.Although the extracted heat can be improved by increasing the flow rate,there is more resistance to fluid in heat exchange pipes,it will be uneconomical if the flow rate is great;it is suggested that the flow rate is no more than 0.75 m3/h.The affected depth of surrounding rock temperature is 75 cm when the heat exchange pipes distance is 100 cm,and is 100 cm when the heat exchange pips distance is 50 cm.The less the heat exchange pipes distance,the greater the affect depth of surrounding rock temperature and the temperature increment.
Effect of oral creatine supplementation in soccer players metabolism. (Efecto de la ingesta de un suplemento de creatina en el metabolismo de jugadores de fútbol.)

The aim of the present study was to assess whether creatine can alter the metabolism of nitrogen compounds and performance in professional soccer players. The subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental (E; n = 17) and control (C; n = 14). Their initial evaluations included blood tests and nutritional intake. They then received a supplement consisting of 20 individual doses of creatine to be taken orally for 5 days, totaling 0.6 g.Kg-1 body weight per day (group E = 50% creatine + 50% dextrose; group C = 100% dextrose). On day 5, blood was collected from the resting subjects (PRE), and then 10 min (POST10) and 20 min (POST20) after they underwent an ergometric test. Nitrogen compounds and hematocrit were measured in each blood sample. There were no differences among the groups in the results of the physical examination, nutritional state, blood samples or performance. Serum ammonia levels measured after exercise were equal to those at rest. Serum urea increased in POST10 and POST20. In Group E, uremia was lower than in Group C in PRE, POST10 and POST20, indicating retention of protein and nucleotides. Resumen
Characterisation of porcine circovirus type 2 in porcine circovirus disease cases in England and Wales

Confirmed cases of porcine circovirus disease (PCVD) in Great Britain have shown a steady decline since the availability of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccines. However, PCVD is still occasionally diagnosed. The authors carried out a genotyping study to characterise PCV2 associated with confirmed PCVD cases in England and Wales from 2011 to January 2016 (n=65). A partial fragment of PCV2 genome encompassing ORF2 was amplified and sequenced from 45 cases of PCVD. The majority of sequences were genotype PCV2b but four sequences were PCV2d. The significance of the emergence of PCV2d in England and elsewhere in the world is not yet known, although it does appear to represent an ongoing global genotype shift.
Metastasis of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and accounts for approximately 650,000 new diagnoses and 350,000 cancer deaths every year (Parkin, et al., 2005). In the United States, HNSCC accounts for approximately 5% of all cancer cases diagnosed per year. Even with significant advances in operative skills such as reconstructive microvascular free tissue transfer, and in adjuvant therapies such as hyperfractioned radiotherapy and concomitant chemoradiation, the 5-year survival of the HNSCC has not been markedly improved in the past three decades. The number of annually diagnosed cases amounts to over 42,000 individuals and results in more than 12,000 deaths per year in the United States. As is known, HNSCC is a locoregional disease notoriously for regional and distant metastases, representing the leading cause of death in HNSCC patients. Although surgical resection of isolated metastases is beneficial for some patients, the overall efficacy of surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy is still limited. The main reason for the poor 5-year survival may be that the most important prognostic factors for these patients are not only local control, but regional and distant metastases as well.
Tomentosin Induces Telomere Shortening and Caspase‐Dependant Apoptosis in Cervical Cancer Cells

Tomentosin, a natural sesquiterpene lactone purified from of Inula viscosa L. , was investigated for its anti‐proliferative, telomere shortening, and apoptotic effects on human cervical cancer HeLa and SiHa cell lines. Tomentosin was found to inhibit the growth of SiHa and HeLa cell lines in dose and time‐dependent manner (IC50 values of 7.10 ± 0.78 μM and 5.87 ± 0.36 μM, respectively after 96 h of treatment). As evidenced by TTAGGG telomere length assay, tomentosin target specifically the telomeric overhang lengthening. This was confirmed by the evaluation of the cytotoxic effects of tomentosin in the foetal fibroblast Wi38 and JW10 cells which were derived from Wi38 and express hTERT, the telomerase catalytic subunit. We found that JW10 cells are 4.7‐fold more sensitive to tomentosin which argues for telomere as its specific target. Furthermore, we found that tomentosin mediate this cytotoxic effect by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. Morphological features of treated cells, as evidenced by Hoechst 33324 staining, revealed that the cytotoxic effect was due to induction of apoptosis. This was accompanied by pro‐caspase‐3 cleavage, an increase in caspase‐3 activity and a cleavage of poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP). Moreover, tomentosin induced a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), accompanied by a decrease in Bcl‐2 expression. This indicates that tomentosin‐induced apoptosis may involve a mitochondria‐mediated signaling pathway. This study provides the first evidence that tomentosin targets telomere machinery and induces apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. The molecular mechanism underlying tomentosin‐induced apoptosis may involve a mitochondria‐mediated signaling pathway. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1689–1698, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cutaneous metastases from breast carcinoma : calretinin expression and estrogen , progesterone and Her 2 / neu status of the metastases , compared to primary cutaneous apocrine tumors

Recently, it has been demonstrated how apocrine glands, as well as several cutaneous apocrine tumors, do not express calretinin. In the current report, we studied calretinin immunoexpression in 33 cases of cutaneous metastases of ductal breast carcinoma, as well as in seven primary cutaneous apocrine tumors. We also tested the hormonal status of all cases for estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and ERRB2. From the 33 metastases, 26 (78.79%) cases were calretinin-negative and seven cases expressed the marker. Five (15.15%) cases were triple-negative (ER-, PR-, Herceptest-). Of these five cases, three cases were calretinin+ and two cases were calretinin-. Three out of the seven cases that expressed calretinin were triple-negative. From the seven primary cutaneous apocrine tumors, only one showed focal expression of calretinin, and six of them showed a triple-negative immunophenotype. Only the ER+, PR+ case showed morphologic features on an “in situ” apocrine carcinoma. We concluded that our findings support the value of calretinin in the differential diagnosis between a metastasis from breast carcinoma into the skin and a primary cutaneous apocrine carcinoma (CAC), especially in triple-negative cases. However, hormonal markers plus calretinin would not be sufficient to discriminate between both diagnostic possibilities, and they are probably better used when integrated in a wide immunohistochemical panel.
Numerical and experimental investigation of laser induced tube bending

Mechanisms of the process are examined to better understand the deformation characteristics such as slightly protruded shape at the intrados, wall thickness variation, cross-section ovalization, bending radius, and asymmetry. A finite element model is developed and validated by experimental observations. Factors important to characteristics of deformation are experimentally and numerically investigated. Temperature and stress/strain distributions obtained from the simulation models are also used to better understand additional phenomena accompanying the process, and to help devise ways to improve the process such as reducing asymmetry. The process effects on hardness and microstructure variations are also reported.
Perceptual Ranges, Information Gathering, and Foraging Success in Dynamic Landscapes

How organisms gather and utilize information about their landscapes is central to understanding land-use patterns and population distributions. When such information originates beyond an individual’s immediate vicinity, movement decisions require integrating information out to some perceptual range. Such nonlocal information, whether obtained visually, acoustically, or via chemosensation, provides a field of stimuli that guides movement. Classically, however, models have assumed movement based on purely local information (e.g., chemotaxis, step-selection functions). Here we explore how foragers can exploit nonlocal information to improve their success in dynamic landscapes. Using a continuous time/continuous space model in which we vary both random (diffusive) movement and resource-following (advective) movement, we characterize the optimal perceptual ranges for foragers in dynamic landscapes. Nonlocal information can be highly beneficial, increasing the spatiotemporal concentration of foragers on their resources up to twofold compared with movement based on purely local information. However, nonlocal information is most useful when foragers possess both high advective movement (allowing them to react to transient resources) and low diffusive movement (preventing them from drifting away from resource peaks). Nonlocal information is particularly beneficial in landscapes with sharp (rather than gradual) patch edges and in landscapes with highly transient resources.
Associations of non-symbolic and symbolic numerical magnitude processing with mathematical competence: a meta-analysis.

Many studies have investigated the association between numerical magnitude processing skills, as assessed by the numerical magnitude comparison task, and broader mathematical competence, e.g. counting, arithmetic, or algebra. Most correlations were positive but varied considerably in their strengths. It remains unclear whether and to what extent the strength of these associations differs systematically between non-symbolic and symbolic magnitude comparison tasks and whether age, magnitude comparison measures or mathematical competence measures are additional moderators. We investigated these questions by means of a meta-analysis. The literature search yielded 45 articles reporting 284 effect sizes found with 17,201 participants. Effect sizes were combined by means of a two-level random-effects regression model. The effect size was significantly higher for the symbolic (r = .302, 95% CI [.243, .361]) than for the non-symbolic (r = .241, 95% CI [.198, .284]) magnitude comparison task and decreased very slightly with age. The correlation was higher for solution rates and Weber fractions than for alternative measures of comparison proficiency. It was higher for mathematical competencies that rely more heavily on the processing of magnitudes (i.e. mental arithmetic and early mathematical abilities) than for others. The results support the view that magnitude processing is reliably associated with mathematical competence over the lifespan in a wide range of tasks, measures and mathematical subdomains. The association is stronger for symbolic than for non-symbolic numerical magnitude processing. So symbolic magnitude processing might be a more eligible candidate to be targeted by diagnostic screening instruments and interventions for school-aged children and for adults.
Response of porcine epithelial rests of Malassez to stimulation by interleukin‐6

AIM To investigate the proliferation and migration of epithelial cell rests of Malassez (ERM) after stimulation with IL-6. METHODOLOGY Porcine-derived ERM were seeded on Dulbecco's modified Eagle's Medium, and IL-6 (100 pg mL-1 ) was incorporated into the culture medium. The WST-1 assay was performed to evaluate cell proliferation, and absorption was measured at 450 nm. A wound-healing assay and immunofluorescence assay for integrin α3 were conducted to investigate migration. The Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney U-test with Bonferroni correction were used to analyse data of WST-1 and wound-healing assays. RESULTS Cell proliferation following the stimulation by IL-6 increased over time, with a significant increase being observed at 6 h (P < 0.05), but not in a concentration-dependent manner. Cell proliferation was significantly greater in IL-6-treated ERM than in nontreated ERM (P < 0.05). The results of the wound-healing assay revealed earlier closure in IL-6-treated ERM (P < 0.05). In the immunofluorescence assay, integrin α3 was detected at the edge of cell processes adjacent to the wound area. A neutralized antibody abrogated the effects of the IL-6 stimulation in cell proliferation and migration. CONCLUSION IL-6 promoted the proliferation and migration of porcine ERM in vitro.
ACTION OF COMPLEMENT IN HEREDITARY ANGIONEUROTIC EDEMA: THE ROLE OF C'1-ESTERASE.

The tendency to have severe attacks of localized alngioneurotic edema may be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait (1-7). The hereditary form of angioneurotic edema is also distinguishable by a biochemical abnormality in that affected persons lack detectable serum inhibitor of an enzyme derived from the first component of complement (C'1-esterase) (8). This serum deficiency is detectable before the onset of symptoms, which may appear at any time from 1 year of age to adult life. Although serum inhibitor of C'1esterase is constantly absent from sera of patients, attacks of edema are episodic and self-limited and affect only circumscribed areas of the body. The present studies were undertaken to define changes in C'1-esterase and the components of complement in serum of patients during attacks of edema and during asymptomatic intervals. Affected members of a family reported earlier (9) had no inhibitor of C'1-esterase in their se~rum, whereas sera from unaffected relatives contained normal amounts. Affected persons also developed C'1-esterase activity in their serum, but relatives and other normal individuals did not. When patients were free of swelling, there
A descriptive analysis of drugged driving among rural DUI offenders

ABSTRACT Objective: Although driving under the influence (DUI) arrests occur at higher rates in rural areas and previous studies have shown more extensive drug use histories, little is known about how this relates to the prevalence and frequency of drugged driving. The present study examined drug use and drugged driving patterns among a sample of rural DUI offenders. Methods: Convicted rural DUI offenders (N = 118) completed a one-time, confidential research interview focused on drug use and drugged driving. A descriptive analysis was performed to examine the lifetime and past-year prevalence and frequency of drugged driving while under the influence of different drugs. Results: Approximately three fourths of the sample (77%) reported driving after illicit drug use in their lifetime and more than half of the sample (60%) reported doing so in the past year. Similar percentages of lifetime (86%) and past-year (81%) illicit drug users reported driving under the influence of at least one illicit drug. Illicit drug users reported a median of 240 lifetime and 16 past-year drugged driving episodes. Among those who reported ever driving after illicit drug use, marijuana (65%), prescription opioids (49%), and sedatives/tranquilizers/barbiturates (45%) were the most prevalent drugs involved in participants' drugged driving episodes. Conclusions: Findings suggest that rural DUI offenders have extensive illicit drug use histories and frequently engage in drugged driving, posing a significant threat to public safety. Additional research on the characteristics of rural drugged drivers and their drug use and driving patterns is needed to inform the development of targeted interventions.
A framework for the impact of IT on organizational performance

Purpose – Despite the constant stream of research investigating information technology (IT) business value, IT capabilities, and competitive advantage, researchers are calling for a more coherent understanding of the firm‐level impacts of IT, and how those firm‐level impacts can be measured. The purpose of this study is to investigate the multitude of organization‐level studies of the impact of IT.Design/methodology/approach – Meta‐analysis of IS literature from 2001‐2009.Findings – The findings are synthesized into an overarching framework of the impact of IT at the organization level. The framework categorizes measures of the impact of IT into productivity, profitability, and intangible benefits, while the antecedents of IT impact are categorized into IT resources, IT capabilities, IT/business alignment and external factors.Originality/value – The research framework proposed provides a comprehensive snapshot of IS studies on organizational performance.
Does gradual change in head positioning affect cerebrovascular physiology?

We studied cerebral blood velocity (CBV), and associated hemodynamic parameters during gradual changes in head positioning in a nonstroke group. CBV (transcranial Doppler ultrasound), beat‐to‐beat blood pressure (BP, Finometer), and end‐tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2, capnography) were recorded between lying flat (0°) and sitting up (30°) head positions, in 18 volunteers (10 female, mean age, 57 ± 16 years), at two visits (12 ± 8 days). A significant reduction was found between 5‐min FLAT (0°) and 5‐min SIT (30°) positions in CBV (visit 1: 4.5 ± 3.3%, P = 0.006; visit 2: 4.1 ± 3.5%, P = 0.003), critical closing pressure (CrCP; visit 1: 15.5 ± 14.0%, P = 0.0002; visit 2: 14.1 ± 7.8%, P = 0.009) and BP (visit 1: 8.3 ± 7.4%, P = 0.001; visit 2: 11.0 ± 11.3%, P < 0.001). For 5 min segments of data, the autoregulation index and other hemodynamic parameters did not show differences either due to head position or visit. For 30 sec time intervals, significant differences were observed in the following: (BP, P < 0.001; dominant hemisphere (DH) CBV, P < 0.005; nondominant hemisphere (NDH) CBV, P < 0.005; DH CrCP, P < 0.001; NDH CrCP, P < 0.001; DH resistance area product (RAP), P = 0.002; NDH RAP, P = 0.033). Significant static changes in BP, CBV and CrCP, and large transient changes in key hemodynamic parameters occur during 0° to 30°, and vice versa, with reproducible results. Further studies are needed following acute ischemic stroke to determine if a similar responses is present.
Myosin light chain kinase (MYLK) coding polymorphisms modulate human lung endothelial cell barrier responses via altered tyrosine phosphorylation, spatial localization, and lamellipodial protrusions

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a potent bioactive endogenous lipid that signals a rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton via the regulation of non-muscle myosin light chain kinase isoform (nmMLCK). S1P induces critical nmMLCK Y464 and Y471 phosphorylation resulting in translocation of nmMLCK to the periphery where spatially-directed increases in myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and tension result in lamellipodia protrusion, increased cell-cell adhesion, and enhanced vascular barrier integrity. MYLK, the gene encoding nmMLCK, is a known candidate gene in lung inflammatory diseases, with coding genetic variants (Pro21His, Ser147Pro, Val261Ala) that confer risk for inflammatory lung injury and influence disease severity. The functional mechanisms by which these MYLK coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affect biologic processes to increase disease risk and severity remain elusive. In the current study, we utilized quantifiable cell immunofluorescence assays to determine the influence of MYLK coding SNPs on S1P-mediated nmMLCK phosphorylation and translocation to the human lung endothelial cell (EC) periphery . These disease-associated MYLK variants result in reduced levels of S1P-induced Y464 phosphorylation, a key site for nmMLCK enzymatic regulation and activation. Reduced Y464 phosphorylation resulted in attenuated nmMLCK protein translocation to the cell periphery. We further conducted EC kymographic assays which confirmed that lamellipodial protrusion in response to S1P challenge was retarded by expression of a MYLK transgene harboring the three MYLK coding SNPs. These data suggest that ARDS/severe asthma-associated MYLK SNPs functionally influence vascular barrier-regulatory cytoskeletal responses via direct alterations in the levels of nmMLCK tyrosine phosphorylation, spatial localization, and lamellipodial protrusions.
Comparison of machine learning techniques for the estimation of climate missing mata in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Climate prediction is a relevant activity for humanity and, for the success of the climate forecast, a good historical database is necessary. However, because of several factors, large historical data gaps are found at different meteorological stations, and studies to determine such missing weather values are still scarce. This paper describes a study of a combination of several machine learning techniques to determine missing climatic values. This study produced a computational framework, formed by four different methods: linear regression, neural networks, support vector machines and regression bagged trees. A statistical study is conducted to compare these four methods. The study statistically demonstrated that the regression bagged trees technique was successful in obtaining missing climatic values for the state of Minas Gerais and can be widely used by the responsible agencies to improve their historical databases, consequently, their climate forecasts.