Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Efficient Algorithm for Calculating Drainage Accumulation in Digital Elevation Models Based on the Basin Tree Index

Calculating drainage accumulation in a digital elevation model (DEM) is a common requirement for hydrology and terrain analysis. This letter presents a basin tree index (BTI) algorithm to improve the efficiency of this calculation, achieving the time complexity of $O(N)$ and the input–output efficiency of $O(\hbox{Scan}(N))$. We have developed a BTI to guide the calculation sequence, allowing us to avoid invalid and repeat manipulation and to reduce random scattered data access. The BTI provides a one-to-one correspondence between a basin and an outlet, and it maintains cells orderly in terms of both the elevation and the spatial distribution, as it is built by tracing the drainage path from the outlet to the source directly. This is achieved according to the drainage direction for each basin extracted from the DEM, where basins are divided based on watersheds. Therefore, the drainage accumulation can be calculated by traversing the BTIs from their leaves to roots linearly and simultaneously. These BTIs divide the entire study area into several basins that can be processed in isolation, reducing the search scope for basins and allowing the algorithm to efficiently utilize the main memory and decrease the data swapping between the main memory and the disk. A DEM for the Zhejiang Province in China was used to validate the results and compare the processing speeds. The results show that the algorithm provides the same calculation result as alternative algorithms but becomes more efficient as the volume of the DEM data increases. Furthermore, the BTI algorithm in this letter is easy to implement.
Cloning the differences between two complex genomes

The analysis of the differences between two complex genomes holds promise for the discovery of infectious agents and probes useful for genetic studies. A system was developed in which subtractive and kinetic enrichment was used to purify restriction endonuclease fragments present in one population of DNA fragments but not in another. Application of this method to DNA populations of reduced complexity ("representations") resulted in the isolation of probes to viral genomes present as single copies in human DNA, and probes that detect polymorphisms between two individuals. In principle, this system, called representational difference analysis (RDA), may also be used for isolating probes linked to sites of genomic rearrangements, whether occurring spontaneously and resulting in genetic disorders or cancer, or programmed during differentiation and development.
Portfolio capital flows : hot or cold?

A distinction is often made between short-term and long-term capital flows: the former are deemed unstable hot money and the latter are deemed stable cold money. Using time-series analysis of balance of payments data for five industrial and five developing countries, we find that in most cases the labels "short-term" and "long-term" do not provide any information about the time-series properties of the flow. In particular, long-term flows are often as volatile as short-term flows, and the time it takes for an unexpected shock to a flow to die out is similar across flows. Long-term flows are also at least as unpredictable as short-term flows, and knowledge of the type of flow does not improve the ability to forecast the aggregate capital account. Copyright 1995 by Oxford University Press.
Comparison of Voltage-Source and Current-Source Shunt Active Power Filters

In recent years, active power filters have been widely studied. The research has mainly concentrated on voltage-source active filters, but some attention has also been paid to an alternative-to current-source active filters. Since voltage-source pulsewidth modulation (PWM) technology is widely used in industrial applications, this has also been more common in active filter use. In addition, current-source technology has been said to have drawbacks compared to voltage-source systems, such as high on-state losses in the PWM bridge and inefficient inductive energy storage element on the dc side of the bridge. In the paper, the two active filter topologies are compared. First, the main circuits and space-vector modulation techniques used are studied and the digital control systems are presented. The filtering performances of the systems with different kinds of nonlinear load are examined and finally the power losses of the active filters are studied. The comparison is based on measurements with the prototypes built. The results clearly show the properties of the active filters examined. In addition, the results prove that current-source active filters also offer a considerable choice for harmonic filtering
RIsearch2: suffix array-based large-scale prediction of RNA–RNA interactions and siRNA off-targets

Abstract Intermolecular interactions of ncRNAs are at the core of gene regulation events, and identifying the full map of these interactions bears crucial importance for ncRNA functional studies. It is known that RNA–RNA interactions are built up by complementary base pairings between interacting RNAs and high level of complementarity between two RNA sequences is a powerful predictor of such interactions. Here, we present RIsearch2, a large-scale RNA–RNA interaction prediction tool that enables quick localization of potential near-complementary RNA–RNA interactions between given query and target sequences. In contrast to previous heuristics which either search for exact matches while including G−U wobble pairs or employ simplified energy models, we present a novel approach using a single integrated seed-and-extend framework based on suffix arrays. RIsearch2 enables fast discovery of candidate RNA–RNA interactions on genome/transcriptome-wide scale. We furthermore present an siRNA off-target discovery pipeline that not only predicts the off-target transcripts but also computes the off-targeting potential of a given siRNA. This is achieved by combining genome-wide RIsearch2 predictions with target site accessibilities and transcript abundance estimates. We show that this pipeline accurately predicts siRNA off-target interactions and enables off-targeting potential comparisons between different siRNA designs. RIsearch2 and the siRNA off-target discovery pipeline are available as stand-alone software packages from http://rth.dk/resources/risearch.
Selective delivery of therapeutic agents for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer

Research activity aimed towards achieving specific and targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics has expanded tremendously in the last decade, resulting in new ways of directing drugs to tumours, as well as new types of drugs. The available strategies exploit differences in the nature of normal and cancer cells and their microenvironment. The discovery and validation of cancer-associated markers, as well as corresponding ligands, is pivotal for developing selective delivery technology for cancer. Although most current clinical trials are either monoclonal antibody- or gene-based, methodological advances in combinatorial libraries of peptides, single chain variable fragments and small organic molecules are expected to change this scenario in the near future. Nanotechnology platforms today allow systematic and modular combinations of therapeutic agents and tumour-binding moieties that may generate novel, personalised agents for selective delivery in cancer. This paper discusses recent developments and future prospects of targeted delivery technologies in the management of cancer.
Economic and political liberalisation in the Middle East:the Muslim brotherhood and the politics of succession in Egypt

This thesis explores the process of economic and political reform in Egypt, by taking into consideration the role of the Muslim Brotherhood and the politics of succession in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood is arguably the most important political actor in Egypt, and by looking at how the Muslim Brotherhood developed strength over the decades through a process of change in its shape and character, it will allow an understanding of how it was able to pose a challenge to the Egyptian government at a time of economic reform in 1991 and the consequences, which followed for the process of political change in Egypt. Also, a look at the process of political succession in Egypt, which has risen to the surface over the last 6 years, will allow an understanding into the actors and forces involved in the politics of succession and the consequences, which emerge for the future process of reform, in particular political reform in Egypt.
Role of Adipose Tissue Insulin Resistance in the Natural History of Type 2 Diabetes: Results From the San Antonio Metabolism Study

In the transition from normal glucose tolerance (NGT) to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the role of β-cell dysfunction and peripheral insulin resistance (IR) is well established. However, the impact of dysfunctional adipose tissue has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of resistance to the antilipolytic effect of insulin (adipose tissue IR [Adipo-IR]) in a large group of subjects with NGT, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and T2DM. Three hundred two subjects with varying glucose tolerance received an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and euglycemic insulin clamp. We evaluated Adipo-IR (fasting and mean OGTT plasma free fatty acid [FFA] × insulin concentrations), peripheral IR (1/[Matsuda index] and (M/I)−1 value), and β-cell function (calculated as the ratio of the increment in plasma insulin to glucose [OGTT/IR (ΔI/ΔG ÷ IR)]). Fasting Adipo-IR was increased twofold in obese subjects with NGT and IGT versus lean subjects with NGT (8.0 ± 1.1 and 9.2 ± 0.7 vs. 4.1 ± 0.3, respectively) and threefold in subjects with T2DM (11.9 ± 0.6; P < 0.001). Progressive decline in ΔI/ΔG ÷ IR was associated with a progressive impairment in FFA suppression during OGTT, whereas the rise in mean plasma glucose concentration only became manifest when subjects became overtly diabetic. The progressive decline in β-cell function that begins in individuals with NGT is associated with a progressive increase in FFA and fasting Adipo-IR.
Explanatory Factors of Integrated Sustainability and Financial Reporting

The complexity of the business world has led to growing demands being made of companies regarding the information provided on their financial performance, corporate governance and contribution to developing sustainability. In response, some leading companies have begun to publish integrated reporting, in the form of a document providing a coherent summary of this information, thus facilitating stakeholder engagement. This paper examines the validity of the hypotheses of the theories of agency and of signalling, and analyses the political costs and those borne by owners in voluntarily developing this new type of business document. More specifically, in order to determine their prevalence among the suggested reasons for these paradigms, we analyse the effect of industry concentration, together with other factors, in the development of integrated reporting. The analysis of a non-balanced sample of 1590 international companies for the years 2008–2010, in which a logistic regression methodology is applied to panel data, reveals the negative impact of industry concentration on the development of a more pluralist report, simultaneously taking into account stakeholders, sustainability and the long-term viewpoint, as well as questions of responsible investment, business ethics and transparency. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Randomised controlled trial of CDP571 antibody to tumour necrosis factor-alpha in Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) is thought to have a central role in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. We tested the hypothesis that CDP571, a genetically engineered human antibody to TNF alpha, is effective in modifying disease activity in patients with moderately active Crohn's disease. METHODS In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 31 patients were randomly assigned to CDP571 (n = 21) or placebo (n = 10). The primary endpoint was change in Crohn's disease activity index 2 weeks after a single infusion of CDP571 (5 mg/kg), or human albumin as placebo. One patient who attended no follow-up assessments was excluded from the analyses (CDP571 group). FINDINGS The median Crohn's disease activity index fell from 263 (IQR 186.5-323.5) at baseline to 167 (137.5-294.0) at 2 weeks in the CDP571-treated patients (p = 0.0003); the change in the placebo group (253 [240-334] to 247 [183-256]) was not significant. In the treated group, there were also significant differences between baseline and 2 weeks in Harvey-Bradshaw score (p = 0.0005), key symptom score (p = 0.049), alpha 1-glycoprotein concentration (p = 0.012), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.01); concentrations of C-reactive protein fell, but not significantly (p = 0.067). Six patients achieved remission (Crohn's disease activity index < or = 150) and three others had activity indices of 156 or lower. There were no significant changes in the placebo group. INTERPRETATION A single 5 mg/kg infusion of CDP571 reduced disease activity in Crohn's disease at 2 weeks. These data suggest that antibody neutralisation of TNF alpha is a potentially effective strategy in the management of Crohn's disease. The use of CDP571 in Crohn's disease requires further study.
Study on age and education level and their relationship with fall-related injuries in Shanghai, China.

OBJECTIVE To study age and educational level and their relationship with fall-related injuries in Shanghai and to analyze the relevant costs. METHODS Multistage cluster sampling was used for the selection of participants and standardized questionnaires were used for the information collection in 2006. Information on cases and deaths caused by fall-related injuries were obtained from 494 hospitals as well as from the mortality registry systems from 2001 till 2010. RESULTS Of 45 857 participates, 674 suffered from fall-related injuries with the largest proportion among all injuries. The fall-related mortality increased from 10.63 per 100 000 in 2001 to 14.11 per 100 000 in 2010. The under-five mortality rate was the highest among children aged 0-14 years. Mortality increased dramatically among those aged 55 or above for the female and aged 60 or older for the male. Individuals with an educational level under the primary school were more likely to suffer fall-related injuries, accounting for 72.66% of all deaths and 49.24% of nonfatal cases respectively. The annual burden of fall-related injuries equated to 25.90% of the share of GDP for the healthcare, social security and welfare industries in 2006. CONCLUSION Fall-related injuries were inversely related to victims' educational level. Children under the age of 5, women over 55 years old and men over 60 years old with an educational level lower than the primary school are the most risky groups of populations for intervention measures.
Effects of ambiguity in market experiments

Prior studies have shown that individuals are averse to ambiguity in probability. Many decisions are, however, made in market settings where an individual's decision is influenced by decisions of others participating in the market. In this paper, we extend the previous research to evaluate the effect of ambiguity on individual decisions and the resulting market price in market settings. We therefore examine an important issue: whether ambiguity effects persist in the face of market incentives and feedback. Two different market organizations, the sealed bid auction and the double oral auction, were employed. The subjects in the experiments were graduate business students and bank executives. Our results show that the individual bids and market prices for lotteries with ambiguous probabilities are consistently lower than the corresponding bids and market prices for equivalent lotteries with well-defined probabilities. The aversion to ambiguity therefore does not vanish in market settings. Our results provide insights into what a manager can expect in bidding situations where the object of the sale oil leases, mineral rights involves ambiguity in probability due to, for example, lack of information or prior experience. The results may also be useful in understanding some phenomena in insurance and equity markets.
Intellectual capital – does it create or destroy value?

Taking into account the transformation in economic reality towards a knowledge economy it seems logical that we treat IC as a resource, equal to that land, physical assets, and financial capital. This means that it is not anymore treated as a cost but as an investment. In order for the new system to be consistent we have to define a new index, namely the value creation efficiency of intellectual capital. Its empirical applications shows that while revenue, profit and GDP may indicate successful performance, IC efficiency may indicate the opposite, that value is being destroyed and not created.
Chloride Is Essential for Capacitation and for the Capacitation-associated Increase in Tyrosine Phosphorylation*

After epididymal maturation, sperm capacitation, which encompasses a complex series of molecular events, endows the sperm with the ability to fertilize an egg. This process can be mimicked in vitro in defined media, the composition of which is based on the electrolyte concentration of the oviductal fluid. It is well established that capacitation requires Na+, \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{HCO}_{3}^{-}\) \end{document}, Ca2+, and a cholesterol acceptor; however, little is known about the function of Cl– during this important process. To determine whether Cl–, in addition to maintaining osmolarity, actively participates in signaling pathways that regulate capacitation, Cl– was replaced by either methanesulfonate or gluconate two nonpermeable anions. The absence of Cl– did not affect sperm viability, but capacitation-associated processes such as the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation, the increase in cAMP levels, hyperactivation, the zona pellucidae-induced acrosome reaction, and most importantly, fertilization were abolished or significantly reduced. Interestingly, the addition of cyclic AMP agonists to sperm incubated in Cl–-free medium rescued the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation and hyperactivation suggesting that Cl– acts upstream of the cAMP/protein kinase A signaling pathway. To investigate Cl– transport, sperm incubated in complete capacitation medium were exposed to a battery of anion transport inhibitors. Among them, bumetanide and furosemide, two blockers of Na+/K+/Cl– cotransporters (NKCC), inhibited all capacitation-associated events, suggesting that these transporters may mediate Cl– movements in sperm. Consistent with these results, Western blots using anti-NKCC1 antibodies showed the presence of this cotransporter in mature sperm.
Financial deepening and business cycle volatility in Korea

This article investigates the role of financial market development on business cycle volatility in the economy of Korea, using time-series data for the period 1967 to 2010. The financial market development and business cycle volatility are measured by three different variables of financial deepening and a moving-average SD of real GDP, respectively. We construct a long-run causality index, as suggested by Granger and Lin (1995), in the context of cointegrated systems and vector error correction model. The estimates indicate that the measures of financial deepening, related to the role of financial institutions, mitigate cyclical fluctuations in the long run, whereas the reverse impacts are rarely evidenced. However, ‘the ratio of M2 to nominal GDP’ as a measure of financial deepening has an intensifying effect on business cycle. Based on the findings, we can infer that financial market reforms will not decrease business cycle volatility quickly.
Corporate Liquidity, Dividend Policy and Default Risk: Optimal Financial Policy and Agency Costs

We study the simplest discrete-time finite-maturity model in which default arises when the firm is not able to pay its debt obligation using the current cash-flow plus the corporate liquidity. An important distinction is made between liquidity and solvency of the firm. The corporate financial policy is simultaneously defined by the dividend policy, and the leverage policy (the coupon and the principal of the bond). When the corporate financial policy implies no default risk and no taxes, we show that the corporate financial policy is irrelevant and this irrelevance result holds for any probability measure. When the corporate financial policy implies now some default risk, we show that the value of the firm is a piecewise decreasing function of the dividend policy for any leverage policy, so that dividend policy affects the value of the firm. However, shareholders may not always have the incentives to implement this optimal dividend policy. We show that when the value of the assets is low, shareholders have an incentive to deviate from this optimal dividend policy, and we also study the resulting agency costs. We finally compare the resulting quantities of our model to the base case suggested by Huang and Huang (2003).
Leukocyte and endothelial cell interactions in sepsis: Relevance of the protein C pathway

Objective:To give an overview of leukocyte and endothelial cell interactions in sepsis and to explore the role of the protein C pathway in modulating the innate immune response via its anti-inflammatory properties. Data Source:Novel in vitro data and a MEDLINE search for the terms “activated protein C,” “recombinant human activated protein C,” “inflammation,” “leukocyte adhesion,” and “sepsis” were used, along with clinical trial databases from the PROWESS trial and a phase I human endotoxin trial evaluating recombinant human activated protein C (drotrecogin alfa [activated]). Data Extraction and Synthesis:The protein C pathway is positioned at the interface between the endothelium and the leukocyte response of the innate immune system. Activated protein C (APC) possesses profibrinolytic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties, acting as an endothelial cell and microvascular modulator in opposition to thrombin and the proinflammatory cytokines. Distribution of the receptor for APC, endothelial protein C receptor, was detected on effector cells of the innate immune response. This suggests a further role for the protein C pathway in regulating inflammation. In neutrophils and eosinophils, an endothelial protein C receptor–mediated APC response leads to reduced migration in response to cytokine gradients. Endothelial protein C receptor may also suppress the apoptotic response in monocytes and enhance the expression of the adhesion integrin CD11b in granulocytes. The microvascular, anti-inflammatory influence of APC in sepsis is supported by suppression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules and the ability of APC to protect the endothelium from inflammatory insult. Conclusions:The coordinated effects of the protein C pathway on the endothelium and the leukocyte response of the innate immune system are supported by potential restriction of endothelial protein C receptor expression to cells of the innate immune system and by suppression of adhesion molecule expression on the endothelium by APC. Reduced neutrophil migration in response to cytokines is also mediated by endothelial protein C receptor. Further clinical studies will be needed to define the intrinsic role of the protein C pathway in coordinating the innate immune response in endothelium-based inflammation.