Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Periods of Cusp forms and elliptic curves over imaginary quadratic fields

In this paper we explore the arithmetic correspondence between, on the one hand, (isogeny classes of) elliptic curves E defined over an imaginary quadratic field K of class number one, and on the other hand, rational newforms F of weight two for the congruence subgroups , where n is an ideal in the ring of integers R of K. This continues work of the first author and forms part of the Ph.D. thesis of the second author. In each case we compute numerically the value of the L-series at and compare with the value of which is predicted by the Birch-Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, finding agreement to several decimal places. In particular, we find that whenever has a point of infinite order. Several examples are given in detail from the extensive tables computed by the authors.
To analyse the suitability of a set of soical and economic indicators that assesses the impact on SI enhancing advanced technological inputs by farming households in Punjab Pakistan

Increase in agricultural production in industrialized and developing countries are based on the adoption of new and improved technologies. Farming household's social and economic conditions greatly determines the adoption of new technologies. Particularly in developing countries majority of farming community comprises by small farming households. Pakistan is very interesting case in developing countries as its economy is based on agriculture and smallholder's production system is the salient characteristics of its farming community. The study in hand is conducted to examine the role of social and economic indicators which assesses the adoption of sustainable intensification-enhancing advance technologies in Pakistan. The study was conducted in Punjab province because it is the major contributor in agricultural GDP. The logit model is employ for the empirical findings of initial survey. A logit estimate shows that both social and economic indicators have statistically significant association with the adoption decision.
Smoker's Paradox in Patients With ST‐Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background Prior studies have found that smokers undergoing thrombolytic therapy for ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction have lower in‐hospital mortality than nonsmokers, a phenomenon called the “smoker's paradox. ” Evidence, however, has been conflicting regarding whether this paradoxical association persists in the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods and Results We used the 2003–2012 National Inpatient Sample databases to identify all patients aged ≥18 years who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare in‐hospital mortality between smokers (current and former) and nonsmokers. Of the 985 174 patients with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention, 438 954 (44.6%) were smokers. Smokers were younger, were more often men, and were less likely to have traditional vascular risk factors than nonsmokers. Smokers had lower observed in‐hospital mortality compared with nonsmokers (2.0% versus 5.9%; unadjusted odds ratio 0.32, 95% CI 0.31–0.33, P<0.001). Although the association between smoking and lower in‐hospital mortality was partly attenuated after baseline risk adjustment, a significant residual association remained (adjusted odds ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.58–0.62, P<0.001). This association largely persisted in age‐stratified analyses. Smoking status was also associated with shorter average length of stay (3.5 versus 4.5 days, P<0.001) and lower incidence of postprocedure hemorrhage (4.2% versus 6.1%; adjusted odds ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.80–0.83, P<0.001) and in‐hospital cardiac arrest (1.3% versus 2.1%; adjusted OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.76–0.81, P<0.001). Conclusions In this nationwide cohort of patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction, we observed significantly lower risk‐adjusted in‐hospital mortality in smokers, suggesting that the smoker's paradox also applies to ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.
Role of Defensins in Corneal Epithelial Barrier Function against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Traversal

ABSTRACT Studies have shown that epithelium-expressed antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), e.g., β-defensins, play a role in clearing bacteria from mouse corneas already infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Less is known about the role of AMPs in allowing the cornea to resist infection when healthy. We previously reported that contact lens exposure, a major cause of P. aeruginosa keratitis, can inhibit the upregulation of human β-defensin 2 (hBD-2) by corneal epithelial cells in response to P. aeruginosa antigens in vitro. Here, we studied the role of AMPs in maintaining the corneal epithelial barrier to P. aeruginosa penetration using both in vitro (human) and in vivo (mouse) experiments. Results showed that preexposing human corneal epithelial multilayers to bacterial antigens in a culture supernatant (known to upregulate AMP expression) reduced epithelial susceptibility to P. aeruginosa traversal up to 6-fold (P < 0.001). Accordingly, small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of any one of four AMPs expressed by human epithelia promoted P. aeruginosa traversal by more than 3-fold (P < 0.001). The combination knockdown of AMPs further enhanced susceptibility to bacterial traversal by ∼8-fold (P < 0.001). In vivo experiments showed that the loss of murine β-defensin 3 (mBD-3), a murine ortholog of hBD-2, enhanced corneal susceptibility to P. aeruginosa. The uninjured ocular surface of mBD-3−/− mice showed a reduced capacity to clear P. aeruginosa, and their corneal epithelia were more susceptible to bacterial colonization, even when inoculated ex vivo to exclude tear fluid effects. Together, these in vitro and in vivo data show functional roles for AMPs in normal corneal epithelial cell barrier function against P. aeruginosa.
Protein aggregation processes: In search of the mechanism

Amyloid formation typically follows a time course in which there is a long lag period followed by a rapid formation of fibrils. In this review, I show that the standard mechanisms of polymerization need to be expanded to consider that the monomeric proteins/peptides involved in amyloid formation are intrinsically disordered and exist as an ensemble of disordered‐collapsed states. The review focuses primarily on events which occur in the long lag period defining these as protein folding issues, coupled with formation of oligomers. Experimental methods to explore folding and oligomerization issues over a wide range of protein concentrations using primarily fluorescence and 19F‐NMR methods are discussed.
A matching simulation to assess additional housing capacity in Auckland

ABSTRACT The current policy focus to improve housing affordability in New Zealand is reflected in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity (NPSUDC), which prescribes that local governments must ensure there is sufficient housing capacity to meet demand. Though some households may benefit because of better purchase conditions, additional capacity may not have a significant impact on improving affordability. In this paper, I explore how additional housing capacity is matched with demand by setting up a housing allocation model to simulate competition between potential buyers as they bid for any additional unit. I found that rate of take-up differs across scenarios, and households that manage to buy a house have median incomes that are more than double than the median household income in Auckland. Hence, overall affordability does not improve for medium or low-income households. The model and results provide insights about the outcomes of the NPSUDC and support the development of other housing programs.
Spectrum of tumor angiogenesis in the bone marrow of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

It has been shown that solid tumors progress in concert with an induction of tumor angiogenesis. It is not known, however, whether a similar phenomenon occurs in leukemia. Angiogenesis was characterized immunohistochemically by factor VIII staining of bone marrow biopsies and quantified by assessment of microvessel density using previously described techniques. We evaluated bone marrow biopsies from 40 children with newly diagnosed, untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In 22 of the patients, we also evaluated angiogenesis after the completion of remission induction chemotherapy. Control specimens were obtained from children undergoing staging evaluations at the time of diagnosis of solid tumors and lymphomas. Microvessels were counted throughout the entire core specimen in consecutive x 200 fields, and a median count per field (cpf) was calculated. In addition, the number of microvessels in the single x 200 field with the highest microvessel density was designated as the "hot spot. " Biopsies from children with leukemia and from controls showed median microvessel densities of 42 and 6 counts per field, respectively (P < or = 0.0001). Microvessel density of the hot spots of leukemia specimens and controls were also significantly different, 51 and 8, respectively (P < or = 0.0001). A computer-aided three-dimensional reconstruction model of bone marrow vascularity showed a complex, arborizing branching of microvessels in leukemic specimens compared with single, straight microvessels without branching in controls. Urinary basic fibroblast growth factor, a potent angiogenic factor, was measured in 22 of the children with newly diagnosed leukemia and in 39 normal, age-matched controls. Urinary basic fibroblast growth factor levels were increased in all 22 patients before treatment, were variable during induction chemotherapy, and demonstrated statistically insignificant decreases at the time of complete remission. These findings suggest that leukemia cells induce angiogenesis in the bone marrow and that leukemia might be angiogenesis dependent and raise the possibility for a role of antiangiogenic drugs in the treatment of leukemia.
Diacylglycerol activates the influx of extracellular cations in T-lymphocytes independently of intracellular calcium-store depletion and possibly involving endogenous TRP6 gene products.

In Jurkat and human peripheral blood T-lymphocytes, 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG), a membrane-permeant analogue of diacylglycerol, activated the influx of Ca(2+), Ba(2+) and Sr(2+). OAG also caused plasma-membrane depolarization in Ca(2+)-free media that was recovered by the addition of bivalent cation, indicating the activation of Na(+) influx. OAG-induced cation influx was (i) mimicked by the natural dacylglycerol 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonyl-sn-glycerol, (ii) not blocked by inhibiting protein kinase C or in the absence of phospholipase C activity and (iii) blocked by La(3+) and Gd(3+). Differently from OAG, both thapsigargin and phytohaemagglutinin activated a potent influx of Ca(2+), but little influx of Ba(2+) and Sr(2+). Moreover, the influx of Ca(2+) activated by thapsigargin and that activated by OAG were additive. Furthermore, several drugs (i.e. econazole, SKF96365, carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone, 2-aminoethoxy diphenylborate and calyculin-A), while inhibiting the influx of Ca(2+) induced by both thapsigargin and phytohaemagglutinin, did not affect OAG-stimulated cation influx. Transient receptor potential (TRP) 3 and TRP6 proteins have been shown previously to be activated by diacylglycerol when expressed heterologously in animal cells [Hofmann, Obukhov, Schaefer, Harteneck, Gudermann and Schultz (1999) Nature (London) 397, 259-263]. In both Jurkat and peripheral blood T-lymphocytes, mRNA encoding TRP proteins 1, 3, 4 and 6 was detected by reverse transcriptase PCR, and the TRP6 protein was detected by Western blotting in a purified plasma-membrane fraction. We conclude that T-cells express a diacylglycerol-activated cation channel, unrelated to the channel involved in capacitative Ca(2+) entry, and associated with the expression of TRP6 protein.
Dating the common ancestor of SIVcpz and HIV‐1 group M and the origin of HIV‐1 subtypes by using a new method to uncover clock‐like molecular evolution

Attempts to estimate the time of origin of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 by using phylogenetic analysis are seriously flawed because of the unequal evolutionary rates among different viral lineages. Here, we report a new method of molecular clock analysis, called Site Stripping for Clock Detection (SSCD), which allows selection of nucleotide sites evolving at an equal rate in different lineages. The method was validated on a dataset of patients all infected with hepatitis C virus in 1977 by the same donor, and it was able to date exactly the ‘known’ origin of the infection. Using the same method, we calculated that the origin of HIV‐1 group M radiation was in the 1930s. In addition, we show that the coalescence time of the simian ancestor of HIV‐1 group M and its closest related cpz strains occurred around the end of the XVII century, a date that could be considered the upper limit to the time of simian‐to‐human transmission of HIV‐1 group M. The results show also that SSCD is an easy‐to‐use method of general applicability in molecular evolution to calibrate clock‐like phylogenetic trees.
Socio-technical Impediments of Open Data

: There is an increasing demand for opening data provided by public and private organisations. Various organisations have already started to publish their data and potentially there are many benefits to gain. However, realising the intended positive effects and creating value from using open data on a large scale is easier said than done. Opening and using data encounters numerous impediments which can have both a socio and a technical nature. Yet, no overview of impediments is available from the perspective of the open data user. Socio-technical impediments for the use of open data were identified based on a literature overview, four workshops and six interviews. An analysis of these 118 impediments shows that open data policies provide scant attention to the user perspective, whereas users are the ones generating value from open data. The impediments that the open data process currently encounters were analysed and categorized in ten categories: 1) availability and access, 2) find ability, 3) usability, 4) understand ability, 5) quality, 6) linking and combining data, 7) comparability and compatibility, 8) metadata, 9) interaction with the data provider, and 10) opening and uploading. The impediments found in literature differ from impediments that were found in empirical research. Our overview of impediments derived from both literature and empirical research is therefore more comprehensive than what was already available. The comprehensive overview of impediments can be used as a basis for improving the open data process, and can be extended in further research. This will result in the solving of some impediments and new impediments might rise over time.
Clarifying the Impact of Social Escapism in Users’ Acceptance for Online Entertaining Services—An Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model Based on Online Karaoke Television Services Users

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that the number of online services for entertainment, such as online games, online karaoke singing, etc., has increased, clarification of the impact of social escapism, reflecting users’ social compensation needs, in acceptance of online entertainment services is still lacking. Data from 217 online karaoke television users were gathered and analyzed using structure equation modeling. The empirical results showed that perceived enjoyment helped users’ social escapism and provided a psychological basis.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma With Gastric Metastasis and Review of Literature

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive cutaneous neoplasm, with a propensity for recurrence and metastasis. Very few cases of metastases to the gastrointestinal tract have been reported in the medical literature. Objectives: The aim of this study was to report a case of MCC metastasizing to the stomach, its clinical presentation, and its management. Methods: A PubMed search was made using the following search terms: “Merkel cell carcinoma,” “gastric,” and “metastasis. ” Results: The investigators report a case of MCC metastatic to the stomach presenting with melena, syncope, early satiety, increasing fatigue, and unintentional weight loss. The other known cases of gastrointestinal metastasis of MCC are summarized and critically reviewed. Conclusions: Although MCC spreading to the stomach is exceedingly rare, because of MCC’s high recurrence rate and metastatic potential, it should be considered in patients with histories of MCC presenting with recent weight loss, early satiety, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Attachment and early brain development – neuroprotective interventions in infant–caregiver therapy

Infancy is a critical developmental period involving establishment of the neurological underpinnings of psychological, affective and relational functioning. The integration of findings from developmental and attachment theories and neurodevelopment has contributed to greater understanding of the significance of early relationships and the developmental impact of interactional disturbance. This paper provides an overview of this framework and the implications for infant–caregiver interventions in high-risk dyads.
A cluster first-route second approach for a capacitated vehicle routing problem: a case study

In this study, a capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) which dealt with minimum distance routes for vehicles that serve customers having specific demands from a common warehouse under a capacity constraint. This problem is NP hard. We solved the problem in a hierarchical way (i.e., cluster-first route-second method). Firstly, customers were clustered using three different clustering algorithms; K-means, K-medoids and random clustering with considering a vehicle capacity. Secondly, routing problems for each cluster were solved using a branch and bound algorithm. The proposed solution strategy was employed on a case study in a supermarket chain. Results of numerical investigation were presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the algorithms using paired sample t tests. The results illustrated that the K-medoids algorithm provided better solution than the others.
A Z-Source-Based Bidirectional DC Circuit Breaker With Fault Current Limitation and Interruption Capabilities

DC microgrids have some attractive characteristics, which have being investigated to utilize in future electrical power systems. However, they have several essential challenges, such as limiting and interrupting fault current, which should be rectified to have high-performance dc microgrids. In this paper, an efficient dc bidirectional fault current limiter and interrupter (FCLI) based on Z-source topology is proposed to overcome some of the challenges in dc microgrids. The FCLI is a multifunction device, by which power flow direction control, circuit breaking, fault current limiting, and interrupting in a dc system can be handled. Analytical analysis of the FCLI is discussed in detail for different operation modes. Performance of the proposed FCLI in the different operation modes is evaluated using some simulations and experiments. The results confirm high capability of the device to realize appropriate operation in dc systems. Fast response time of fault current limitation and interruption, simple and reliable structure, and negligible conduction loss are the main features of the proposed FCLI.
Spatial, temporal, and intensive determinants of dopamine release in the chick retina

The retinal dopaminergic system is a global regulator of retinal function. Apart from the fact that the rates of dopamine synthesis and release are increased by increasing illumination, the visual image parameters that influence dopaminergic function are mostly unknown. Roles for spatial and temporal frequency and image contrast are suggested by the effects of form-deprivation with a diffusing goggle. Form-deprivation reduces the rates of dopamine synthesis and release, and induces myopia, which is prevented by dopamine agonists. Our purpose here was to identify visual stimulus parameters that activate dopaminergic amacrine cells and elicit dopamine release. White Leghorn cockerels 4–7 days old were exposed to 2 h of form-deprivation, reduced light intensity, or stimuli of varied temporal or spatial frequency. Activation of dopaminergic neurons, labeled for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), was assessed with immunocytochemistry for c-Fos, and dopamine release was measured by HPLC analysis of dopamine metabolite accumulation in the vitreous body. Form-deprivation did not reduce TH+ cell activation or vitreal dopamine metabolite accumulation any more than did neutral-density filters of approximately equal transmittance. TH+ cell activation and vitreal metabolite accumulation were not affected significantly by exposure to 2, 5, 10, 15, or 20 Hz stroboscopic stimulation on a dark background, or by sine-wave gratings of 0.089, 0.44, 0.89, 1.04, or 3.13 cycles/deg compared to a uniform gray target of equal mean luminance. These data indicate that the retinal dopaminergic system does not respond readily to short-term changes in visual stimulus parameters, other than light intensity, under the conditions of these experiments.
Muslim Attitude towards Participation in Cash Waqf: Antecedents and Consequences

Waqf creates great benefits not only for the endower but also for the whole society. Endowment of waqf is generally known in terms of porperty but little attention given to endowment of cash waqf. This paper aims to investigate antecedents and consequences of Muslim attitude towards participation in cash waqf in Malaysia. The findings of this paper are based on 386 samples. Descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis and regression analysis are used to analyse the data. The results indicate that individual religiosity, trust in awqaf institutions and convenience to endow are antecedents of Muslim attitude towards participation in cash waqf, which consequently leads to individual intention to participate in the practice. The study provides a useful source of information to related parties for instance the waqf institution and Islamic regulatory body in executing effective startegy to promote cash waqf as well as reinforcement of systematic collection procedures that can benefit the community.
Residential Customers Satisfaction with Public Water Provision in Ojota, Nigeria

Customer satisfaction is a good measure of the quality of service rendered by an enterprise. Hence, this study analyzed the perception of residential customers’ satisfaction with public water provision in Ojota. The analyses was based on customers’ perception of ten selected satisfaction drivers, which were obtained by the administration of a set of structured questionnaire, administered to 400 households, using the systematic sampling technique. The data was analyzed using percentages and a customer satisfaction index (CSI) model. The calculated CSI was 2.54 points on a 5 point scale, which means that public water provision in Ojota is perceive as fairly satisfactory by the residential customers. In addition, only 12.21% of the customers are willing to pay for water, based on their overall perception of the services of the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC). This shows that the service of the LWC to its customers is inadequate. It is therefore recommended that the LWC should undertake a general overhaul of its operations and improve on customer services, which may improve customers’ willingness to pay for water provision and help the utility to improve on cost recovery and sustain adequate services to its customers.