Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energy, Knowledge, and Demo-Economic Development in the Long Run: A Unified Growth Model

This article provides a knowledge-based and energy-centred unified growth model of the transition from limited to sustained economic growth. We model the transition between: (i) a pre-modern organic regime defined by limited growth in per capita output, high fertility, low levels of human capital, technical change generated by learning-by-doing, and rare general purpose technology (GPT) arrivals; and (ii) a modern fossil regime characterized by sustained growth in per capita output, low fertility, high levels of human capital, technical change generated by profit-motivated R&D, and increasingly frequent GPT arrivals. The associated energy transition results from the endogenous shortage in the availability of renewable resources, and the arrival of new GPTs that, together, redirect technical change towards the exploitation of previously unprofitable exhaustible energy. A calibrated version of the model replicates the historical experience of Great Britain from 1700 to 1960. Counterfactual simulations are performed to characterize the impact of the energy transition on the timing and magnitude of the British economic take-off. Another simulation exercise compares the different trajectories of Western Europe and Eastern Asia to determine which parameters of our model are the most crucial to reflect the diverging dynamics of these two world regions.
Epstein-Barr Virus Primary Mismatching and HLA Matching: Key Risk Factors for Post Lung Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease

Background: Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) in lung transplant recipients (LTRs) is potentially lethal with considerable morbidity. The role of donor (D)/recipient (R) HLA matching is unknown. Method: We reviewed our LTRs from January 1994, when routine D/R Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serologic screening was begun, through to January 2000. We examined whether D/R HLA match status influenced the risk of PTLD in EBV D+/R− mismatched LTRs. Results: There were 16 D+/R− EBV-mismatched LTRs, 5 (31%) of whom developed PTLD (from a total of 237 LTRs; 218 survived >30 days). There were only two other cases of PTLD among the non-EBV primary mismatched patients. All patients received baseline immunosuppression of cyclosporine, azathioprine, and prednisolone without cytolytics and ganciclovir prophylaxis if “at risk” from cytomegalovirus. The five PTLD cases were diagnosed 81 to 734 (median 116) days from transplantation; three involved the lung allograft and two others involved lymph nodes. All PTLD patients seroconverted for EBV, whereas 7 of the 11 remaining EBV-mismatched patients who did not develop PTLD did not seroconvert. In the 16 EBV primary mismatched patients, there were 4 of 66 HLA allele matches in the 11 PTLD-free patients versus 15 of 30 matches in the 5 PTLD patients (P<0.001). This resulted in 2 or more HLA (A/B/DR) matches in 4 of 5 patients with PTLD versus 0 of 11 in the PTLD-free group (P=0.003). All PTLD patients were treated with reduced immunosuppression and antiviral therapy. Only two of the five LTRs who developed PTLD died, one with progressive disease despite chemotherapy and the other from chronic allograft rejection. Conclusion: A high degree of HLA matching in D/R EBV-mismatched LTRs significantly increases the risk of PTLD.
Kanglaite injection combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Kanglaite (KLT) injection combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) by meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Electronic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases was conducted to select studies about KLT injection combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in the treatment of advanced NSCLC. The pooled risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for objective response rate (ORR), Karnofsky (KPS) score improvement and nausea and vomiting were calculated by Stata11.0 statistical software. RESULT Finally, we included 34 clinical trials in this meta-analysis. The pooled results suggested that KLT injection combined with systematic chemotherapy can significantly increase the objective response rate (ORR) [RR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.23-1.48, (Z = 6.43, P = 0.000)], the quality of patients' life (KSP improvement) [RR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.79-2.33, (Z = 10.57, P = 0.000)] and decrease the risk ratio of gastrointestinal reaction [RR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.42-0.66, (Z = 5.53, P = 0.000)] compared with chemotherapy alone. CONCLUSION KLT injection combined with chemotherapy can improve the short-term efficacy, performance status and decrease the risk of gastrointestinal reaction compared with systematic chemotherapy alone.
Mitomycin-C in dacryocystorhinostomy: From experimentation to implementation and the road ahead: A review

Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is the procedure of choice in patients with epiphora due to primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The evolution of surgical tools, fiber-optic endoscopes, effective anesthesia techniques, and the adjunct use of antimetabolites intraoperatively; namely mitomycin-C (MMC) have significantly contributed to the advancement of DCR surgery. MMC is a systemic chemotherapeutic agent derived from Streptomyces caespitosus that inhibits the synthesis of DNA, cellular RNA, and protein by inhibiting the synthesis of collagen by fibroblasts. Even the cellular changes in the human nasal mucosal fibroblasts induced by MMC at an ultrastructural level have been documented. There, however, seems to be a lack of consensus regarding MMC: The dosage, the route of delivery/application, the time of exposure and subsequently what role each of these variables plays in the final outcome of the surgery. In this review, an attempt is made to objectively examine all the evidence regarding the role of MMC in DCR. MMC appears to improve the success rate of DCR.
Folate food source, usual intake, and folate status in Korean adults

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The purposes of the study were to investigate folate intakes and plasma folate concentrations as well as estimate folate status in Korean healthy adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS A total of 254 healthy 19- to 64-year-old adults (68 men and 186 women) living in Seoul metropolitan area, Gumi, and Kwangju, Korea participated. Three consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls, information on folate supplementation, and fasting blood samples were collected from the subjects. RESULTS The mean dietary folate intakes were 587.4 and 499.2 µg dietary folate equivalent (DFE)/day for men and women, respectively. The median dietary intakes of men and women were 566.6 and 474.6 µg DFE/day, respectively. Forty subjects (16.7% of total) less total folate than the estimated average requirement (EAR). Folate intakes of 23.3% of men and 34.8% of women aged 19–29 years did not meet the EAR for folate. Major food sources consumed for dietary folate were baechukimchi (Chinese cabbage kimchi), rice, spinach, eggs, and laver, which provided 44% of dietary folate intake for the subjects. Plasma folate concentrations were 23.4 nmol/L for men and 28.3 nmol/L for women, and this level was significantly lower in men than in women. Approximately 13% of men and 3% of women were folate-deficient, and the percentages of subjects showing folate concentrations lower than 10 nmol/L were 27.9% of men and 6.4% of women. CONCLUSIONS Folate intakes of Korean adults in this study were generally adequate. However, one-third of young adults had inadequate folate intakes.
Adaptive Calibration Scheme for Quantification of Nutrients and Byproducts in Insect Cell Bioreactors by Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy

Spectroscopic methods are gaining in popularity in biotechnology because of their ability to deliver rapid, noninvasive measurements of the concentrations of multiple chemical species. Such measurements are particularly necessary for the implementation of control schemes for cell culture bioreactors. One of the major challenges to the development of spectroscopic methods for bioreactor monitoring is the generation of accurate and robust calibration models, particularly because of the inherent variability of biological processes. We have evaluated several methods of building calibration models, including synthetic calibrations and medium spiking methods. The approach that consistently produced reliable models incorporated samples removed from a bioreactor that were subsequently altered so as to increase the sample variation. Several large volume samples were removed from a bioreactor at varying time points and divided into multiple aliquots to which were added random, known amounts of the analytes of interest. Near‐infrared spectra of these samples were collected and used to build calibration models. Such models were used to quantify analyte concentrations from independent samples removed from a second bioreactor. Prediction errors for alanine, glucose, glutamine, and leucine were 1.4, 1.0, 1.1, and 0.31 mM, respectively. This adaptive calibration method produces models with less error and less bias than observed with other calibration methods. Somewhat more accurate measurements could be attained with calibrations consisting of a combination of synthetic samples and spiked medium samples, but with an increase in calibration development time.
Emphysematous cholecystitis due to Clostridium perfringens successfully treated by cholecystectomy

Abstract Emphysematous Cholecystitis is life threatening if left untreated. It is associated with arteriosclerosis, embolic events, and diabetes mellitus. In this report, a patient was presented with an early diagnosis of Emphysematous Cholecystitis and was treated by cholecystectomy without complications. A 46-year-old male presented at the emergency department. Laboratory results as well as the abdominal ultrasound showed no abnormalities. One day after admission, infection parameters started rising. A computed tomography (CT) showed cholecystitis with a circular gas pattern in bile ducts and gallbladder. After treatment with cholecystectomy and antibiotics, the patient recovered uneventfully. The gallbladder mucosa was denaturized with signs of necrosis. The bile culture was positive for Clostridium perfringens. Treatment was based on preoperative antibiotic treatment combined with cholecystectomy. This resulted in early clinical improvement of the patient and normalization of infection parameters. Therefore, the patient was discharged from the hospital four days postoperatively.
Modeling and analysis of droop based hybrid control strategy for parallel inverters in islanded microgrids

The well-known active power-frequency and reactive power-voltage amplitude droop scheme is widely used in islanded microgrids to automatically share load power and regulate output voltage of parallel voltage-controlled inverters (VCIs) in microgrids. However, droop controlled VCIs tend to lose stability as droop slopes increasing. Meanwhile, parameter discrepancies extend synchronization time between VCIs which degrade system dynamic performance. In order to compensating above limitations of traditional method, this paper proposed a droop based hybrid control strategy by exploiting advantages from both voltage-controlled and current-controlled inverters. Capturing the detail of inner control loops, a small-signal state-space model is derived to analyze characteristics of the overall parallel system. Comparing to traditional method, eigenvalues of the hybrid control strategy indicate better stability and dynamic performance. In agreement with theoretical analysis, both simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the advantages of this proposed strategy.
Clinical and demographic characteristics predictive of treatment outcomes for certolizumab pegol in moderate to severe Crohn's disease: analyses from the 7‐year PRECiSE 3 study

Clinical factors were previously identified as predictors of short‐term treatment efficacy in Crohn's disease (CD). The PRECiSE 3 (P3) 7‐year trial provides an opportunity to study predictors of short‐ and long‐term clinical remission among CD patients treated with certolizumab pegol (CZP).
The use of optical coherence tomography in neuro-ophthalmology

Purpose of review In the last decade, with the advances of optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology, different imaging protocols and analysis algorithms have been introduced to maximize the potential of this diagnostic tool in the evaluation of different eye diseases. This review aims to provide an update on these additional features, with respect to the management of a diverse range of neuro-ophthalmologic conditions. Recent findings Macular ganglion cell complex (mGCC) analysis has been shown to be superior to peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) analysis in certain settings, such as differentiating Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy from functional visual loss; monitoring neurodegenerative diseases or multiple sclerosis; and predicting visual loss in nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy. mGCC analysis also demonstrates high correlation with perimetry and might serve as an early structural indicator of irreversible neuronal loss. Compared to pRNFL, retinal thickness analysis of the optic nerve head demonstrates better correlation with the severity of papilledema, thus enabling its possible application in detecting raised intracranial pressure, especially in the pediatric group. Upcoming research on emerging OCT technologies including OCT-angiography, enhanced depth imaging, retinal single-layer analysis and portable systems will hopefully further enhance the utility of OCT in the field. Summary It is crucial for neuro-ophthalmologists to be updated and familiar with these newer OCT imaging protocols and to make appropriate choices for different clinical scenarios, in order to optimize the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.
Analyzing the Influence of Wet Biomass Changes in Polarimetric Differential SAR Interferometry at L-Band

The displacement estimated with differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) might not be unique when more than one polarization channel is available. For the case of agricultural areas, these ambiguities have been mainly related to complex vegetation dynamics, i.e., vegetation growth. This study intends to explore the potential of a synergistic use of DInSAR with SAR Polarimetry (PolDInSAR) in tracking changes within agricultural vegetation covers. The connection between the PolDInSAR observables (i.e., herein, the DInSAR phases at various polarization channels and/or their linear combinations) with wet biomass and soil water content changes is empirically investigated with linear regression techniques. This is done in the frame of an L-band airborne DInSAR dataset. The impact of vegetation vigor differs depending on the type of crop analyzed. For those crops exhibiting a birefringent electromagnetic propagation (i.e., barley, wheat, and rapeseed), the influence of wet biomass is particularly pronounced in the VV DInSAR phase but also in the HH–VV phase difference. Contrarily to the former, the latter shows also a scarce sensitivity to changes in soil water content. Therefore, this PolDInSAR observable is used to generate biomass maps of the analyzed test site. The predicted biomass variations are in good agreement with the collected in situ measurements, i.e., the coefficient of determination varies between 0.8 and 0.9.
Antimicrobial peptides in the pathogenesis of psoriasis

One characteristic abnormality of lesional skin in psoriasis is the excessive production of antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs). AMPs typically are small (12–50 amino acids), have positive charge and amphipathic structure, and are found in all living organisms including mammals, insects, plants and invertebrates. These peptides are best known for their integral role in killing pathogenic microorganisms; however, in vertebrates, they are also capable of modifying host inflammatory responses by a variety of mechanisms. In psoriatic lesions, many AMPs are highly expressed, and especially the associations between psoriasis and cathelicidin, β‐defensins or S100 proteins have been well studied. Among them, a cathelicidin peptide, LL‐37, has been highlighted as a modulator of psoriasis development in recent years. AMPs had been thought to worsen psoriatic lesions but recent evidence has also suggested the possibility that the induction of AMPs expression might improve aspects of the disease. Further investigations are needed to uncover a previously underappreciated role for AMPs in modulating the immune response in psoriasis, and to improve disease without the risks of systemic immunosuppressive approaches.
Understanding the Role of Languages and Cultures in Shaping Identities: The Case of Plurilingual/ Pluricultural Students from West African (Ivory Coast) Heritage

This short study explores the lived experiences of two plurilingual pupils of West African heritage (Ivory Coast), focusing upon the role they perceived languages and cultures have played in shaping aspects of their identities. Two 19 years-old female pupils were interviewed and the data was analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Adopting a phenomenological perspective, key concepts of the Lifeworld (spatiality, temporality, embodiment and intersubjectivity) were also used as part of the heuristic process. Three overarching themes were identified in the participants’ narratives: ‘language and empowerment’, ‘Feeling stigmatised as foreign’ and ‘Feeling divided, on the wrong side of the fence’. Participants generally expressed a positive attitude towards plurilingualism, a desire to maintain and expand their linguistic skills as a means to increase their life choices. While the impact of European languages acquired through schooling or migration was perceived as overwhelmingly positive and empowering, heritage language seems to have been associated with less successful experiences overall, and impacted negatively on the participants’ sense of self. In conclusion, plurilingualism, despite its many advantages, can also have a negative impact on one’s sense of self. Some strategies need to be in place in order to overcome problematic situations and potential identity threat arising from being plurilingual. Background and research question With the end of the decolonisation and the redefinition of borders within Europe, twenty-first century western societies have become increasingly multicultural, and the proportion of their population that is plurilingual (able to communicate, to varying degrees, in several languages) and pluricultural (has experience of several cultures and is able to take part in intercultural interaction) is on the rise. In this context, the role that languages and cultures play in relation to one’s sense of self, appears more complex to grasp than ever. The relationship between language and identity has been the focus of a
Forecasting using mixed-frequency VARs with time-varying parameters

We extend the literature on economic forecasting by constructing a mixed-frequency time-varying parameter vector autoregression with stochastic volatility (MF-TVP-SVVAR). The latter is able to cope with structural changes and can handle indicators sampled at different frequencies. We conduct a real-time forecast exercise to predict US key macroeconomic variables and compare the predictions of the MF-TVP-SV-VAR with several linear, nonlinear, mixed-frequency, and quarterly-frequency VARs. Our key finding is that the MF-TVPSV-VAR delivers very accurate forecasts and, on average, outperforms its competitors. In particular, inflation forecasts benefit from this new forecasting approach. Finally, we assess the models’ performance during the Great Recession and find that the combination of stochastic volatility, time-varying parameters, and mixed-frequencies generates very precise inflation forecasts.
Universal Pre-Ejection Period Estimation Using Seismocardiography: Quantifying the Effects of Sensor Placement and Regression Algorithms

Seismocardiography (SCG), the measurement of local chest vibrations due to the heart and blood movement, is a noninvasive technique to assess cardiac contractility via systolic time intervals such as the pre-ejection period (PEP). Recent studies show that SCG signals measured before and after exercise can effectively classify compensated and decompensated heart failure patients through PEP estimation. However, the morphology of the SCG signal varies from person to person and sensor placement making it difficult to automatically estimate PEP from SCG and electrocardiogram signals using a global model. In this proof-of-concept study, we address this problem by extracting a set of timing features from SCG signals measured from multiple positions on the upper body. We then test global regression models that combine all the detected features to identify the most accurate model for PEP estimation obtained from the best performing regressor and the best sensor location or combination of locations. Our results show that ensemble regression using extreme gradient boosting with a combination of sensors placed on the sternum and below the left clavicle provide the best RMSE = 11.6 ± 0.4 ms across all subjects. We also show that placing the sensor below the left or right clavicle rather than the conventional placement on the sternum results in more accurate PEP estimates.
Corruption and satisfaction with democracy: the conditional role of electoral disproportionality and ballot control

Existing literature has analysed the relationship between electoral systems and either corruption or satisfaction with democracy (SWD) focussing on the traditional distinction between majoritarian and proportional systems. This paper, instead, investigates if and how specific aspects of electoral systems moderate the negative effects of corruption perceptions on SWD. We argue that two mechanisms act simultaneously but at different levels. The first mechanism is the relationship between voters and the national government, while the second links single representatives to their constituents. We advance conditional hypotheses that postulate an attenuating effect of disproportionality and a reinforcing impact of personal vote. Empirical results from 35 elections in 33 democracies, using both individual and aggregate-level data, confirm the research hypotheses. More disproportional electoral systems weaken the impact of citizens’ perceived corruption on their democratic satisfaction, while this is strengthened by systems in which the ballot control is mostly in the hand of the voters.