Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incidence of ovarian follicular cysts and their effect on reproductive performance in dairy cows : A case study in Mexico

The incidence of ovarian follicular cysts (OFC) in relation to reproductive performance in a dairy herd was determined. A total of 1,249 reproductive records of cows during their previous lactation cycle were reviewed. Of all cows submitted to reproductive evaluation due to anestrus or to diagnose pregnancy, 23% (290/1249) had OFC; 44% (128/290) developed OFC after first service; and 30% of those with OFC (86/290) were found to be open upon diagnosis of pregnancy (40 to 45 days). Cows with pathological puerperium had a higher (Odds ratio 1.5) incidence of OFC than those with normal puerperium (pathological = 26% vs. normal = 20%). Multiparous cows had a higher (Odds ratio 2.2) incidence of OFC (27.5%) than primiparous cows (15.5%). The percentage of non-pregnant cows 150 days postpartum was higher (P < 0.05) in cows with OFC (76%) than in those without OFC (24%); furthermore, the percentage of non-pregnant cows 300 days postpartum was higher (P < 0.05) in cows with OFC (24%) than in those without OFC (3%). It is concluded that 23% of cows developed OFC, and the only sign was anestrus. The cows that developed OFC had a greater probability of remaining open 300 days postpartum, which demonstrates the negative impact of this ovarian condition on modern milk herds.
Market Access Asymmetry in Food Trade

Using a bilateral trade equation derived from a monopolistic competition model, we investigate market access reciprocity in food trade among the United States, Canada, the European Union and Japan. We explore country- and industry-specific market access asymmetry through a border effect approach. Our findings reveal marked asymmetries in reciprocal border effects, both across countries and industries. Trade policy measures, particularly non-tariff barriers (NTBs), the degree of product differentiation and a ‘home bias’ in preferences, are important factors in explaining levels in border effects. Asymmetries in border effects are mainly explained by trade policies.
Clinical Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction Assessment among Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding at Qena University Hospital at Upper Egypt

Acute GI bleeding is a medical emergency. Initial triage and assessment are generic with emphasis on identifying the sick patient with life threatening hemodynamic compromise and initiating appropriate resuscitation. Aim: To assess the expected clinical outcomes and satisfaction of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Design: A quasi experimental research design was utilized. A convenient sample of 54 patients (male and female) admitted in the emergency ward was included in the study at Qena University Hospital in Upper Egypt. The study is supposed to be implemented from Hospital from the first of March (2016) to the end of August (2016) in the previously mentioned setting. Patients were met in emergency ward to fill out the questionnaire. The subjects were selected randomly and divided equally into study and control groups, 27 patients in each group . Statistically significant differences were found between the study and control group after application of management regarding patients' clinical outcomes items ( bleeding attack, vital signs, laboratory tests, mental status and medical co-morbidities) at level P= 0.040, 0.000, 0.001, 0.066 and 0.045respectively, highly statistically significant differences were existed between the study and control group after application of assessment regarding level of patients' satisfaction as a total score recorded 77.20±4.24 for the study group while it was 57.68±10.6 for the control group, achievement of the average scores for the most of the checklist items which related to nurses' performance. Conclusions: Knowledge of the gastrointestinal lesions likely to affect elderly patients, thorough history taking, and a complete physical examination should help to determine whether the bleeding source is from the upper gastrointestinal tract been obtained. Recommendation: It is recommended that provision of in service training program for nurses on update of management for patient with upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding to refresh their knowledge, continuous supervision and assessment of patients with upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding.
Young Scholars Dialogue, part of a Special Feature on Scenarios of global ecosystem services Linking Futures across Scales: a Dialog on Multiscale Scenarios

Scenario analysis is a useful tool for exploring key uncertainties that may shape the future of social-ecological systems. This paper explores the methods, costs, and benefits of developing and linking scenarios of social-ecological systems across multiple spatial scales. Drawing largely on experiences in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, we suggest that the desired degree of cross-scale linkage depends on the primary aim of the scenario exercise. Loosely linked multiscale scenarios appear more appropriate when the primary aim is to engage in exploratory dialog with stakeholders. Tightly coupled cross-scale scenarios seem to work best when the main objective is to further our understanding of cross-scale interactions or to assess trade-offs between scales. The main disadvantages of tightly coupled cross-scale scenarios are that their development requires substantial time and financial resources, and that they often suffer loss of credibility at one or more scales. The reasons for developing multiscale scenarios and the expectations associated with doing so therefore need to be carefully evaluated when choosing the desired degree of cross-scale linkage in a particular scenario exercise.
Crystal Structures of NADH:FMN Oxidoreductase (EmoB) at Different Stages of Catalysis*♦

EDTA has become a major organic pollutant in the environment because of its extreme usage and resistance to biodegradation. Recently, two critical enzymes, EDTA monooxygenase (EmoA) and NADH:FMN oxidoreductase (EmoB), belonging to the newly established two-component flavin-diffusible monooxygenase family, were identified in the EDTA degradation pathway in Mesorhizobium sp. BNC1. EmoA is an FMNH2-dependent enzyme that requires EmoB to provide FMNH2 for the conversion of EDTA to ethylenediaminediacetate. To understand the molecular basis of this FMN-mediated reaction, the crystal structures of the apo-form, FMN·FMN complex, and FMN·NADH complex of EmoB were determined at 2.5Å resolution. The structure of EmoB is a homotetramer consisting of four α/β-single-domain monomers of five parallel β-strands flanked by five α-helices, which is quite different from those of other known two-component flavin-diffusible monooxygenase family members, such as PheA2 and HpaC, in terms of both tertiary and quaternary structures. For the first time, the crystal structures of both the FMN·FMN and FMN·NADH complexes of an NADH:FMN oxidoreductase were determined. Two stacked isoalloxazine rings and nicotinamide/isoalloxazine rings were at a proper distance for hydride transfer. The structures indicated a ping-pong reaction mechanism, which was confirmed by activity assays. Thus, the structural data offer detailed mechanistic information for hydride transfer between NADH to an enzyme-bound FMN and between the bound FMNH2 and a diffusible FMN.
Sex Differences in Affective Facial Reactions Are Present in Childhood

Adults exposed to affective facial displays produce specific rapid facial reactions (RFRs) which are of lower intensity in males compared to females. We investigated such sex difference in a population of 60 primary school children (30 F; 30 M), aged 7–10 years. We recorded the surface electromyographic (EMG) signal from the corrugator supercilii and the zygomatici muscles, while children watched affective facial displays. Results showed the expected smiling RFR to smiling faces and the expected frowning RFR to sad faces. A systematic difference between male and female participants was observed, with boys showing less ample EMG responses than age-matched girls. We demonstrate that sex differences in the somatic component of affective motor patterns are present also in childhood.
Backside illuminated SPAD image sensor with 7.83μm pitch in 3D-stacked CMOS technology

We present the first 3D-stacked backside illuminated (BSI) single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) image sensor capable of both single photon counting (SPC) intensity, and time resolved imaging. The 128×120 prototype has a pixel pitch of 7.83 μm making it the smallest pixel reported for SPAD image sensors. A low power, high density 40nm bottom tier hosts the quenching front end and processing electronics while an imaging specific 65nm top tier hosts the photo-detectors with a 1-to-1 hybrid bond connection [1]. The SPAD exhibits a median dark count rate (DCR) below 200cps at room temperature and 1V excess bias, and has a peak photon detection probability (PDP) of 27.5% at 640nm and 3 V excess bias.
Distribution of Particulates in the Tropical UTLS over the Asian Summer Monsoon Region and Its Association with Atmospheric Dynamics

© 2012 Sunilkumar et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Distribution of Particulates in the Tropical UTLS over the Asian Summer Monsoon Region and Its Association with Atmospheric Dynamics
Locally Harmonic Maass Forms and the Kernel of the Shintani Lift

In this paper we define a new type of modular object and construct explicit examples of such functions. Our functions are closely related to cusp forms constructed by Zagier [37] which played an important role in the construction by Kohnen and Zagier [26] of a kernel function for the Shimura and Shintani lifts between half-integral and integral weight cusp forms. Although our functions share many properties in common with harmonic weak Maass forms, they also have some properties which strikingly contrast those exhibited by harmonic weak Maass forms. As a first application of the new theory developed in this paper, one obtains a new proof of the fact that the even periods of Zagier’s cusp forms are rational as an easy corollary.
Polymer conformations of gas-hydrate kinetic inhibitors: A small-angle neutron scattering study

We have used small-angle neutron scattering to characterize the polymer conformations of four nonionic water soluble polymers: poly(ethylene oxide), poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrollidone), poly(N-vinyl-2-caprolactam), and an N-methyl, N-vinylacetamide/N-vinyl-2-caprolactam copolymer. The last three of these are able to kinetically suppress hydrate crystallization, and their inhibitor activity ranges from moderate to very effective. This attribute is of significant commercial importance to the oil and gas industry, but the mechanism of the activity is unknown. The dilute-solution polymer conformation in a hydrate-forming tetrahydrofuran/water fluid shows little difference among the four polymers: the majority of the scattering is that expected for a polymer in a good solvent. Each solution also exhibits some additional low-q scattering which we attribute to aggregates. In the presence of a hydrate-crystal/liquid slurry, the three inhibitor polymers significantly change their conformation. Utilizing results from our p.
International Conference in Knowledge Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems-KES 2013 An Introduction of a Tag Ratio Model and the Classification Examination for Recommender systems

Tagging has emerged as a powerful mechanism that enables users to find and understand entities. However, there are three types of issues in traditional tagging systems. In this paper, we explore and seek a tag-algorithm that predicts tags of users and contents with a degree of relevance, which we called the tag ratio. We described our algorithm and evaluated them by the Naive Bayes classifier. Experiment results showed that all rating’s precision of sought continuous number content’s tag were better than raw binary valued content’s tag’s. c © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of KES International.
Tuning to Resonances With Iterative Time Reversal

This paper considers a distributed wave-based sensing system that probes a scene consisting of multiple interacting idealized targets. Each sensor is a collocated transmit-receive pair that is capable of transmitting arbitrary wideband waveforms. We address the problem of finding the space-time transmit waveform that provides the best target detection performance in the sense of maximizing the energy scattered back into the receivers. Our approach is based on earlier theoretical work that showed, for an idealized infinite half-space geometry, that the solution could be constructed by an iterative time-reversal (TR) process. In this paper, we give a more realistic example involving a two-sensor time-domain system. We show that for this system, the iterative TR process can be used to tune automatically to all the target resonances that are within the bandwidth of the interrogating radar system. We show that although obtaining eigenvalues (and hence resonances) of the scattering operator is in general unstable, using the iterative TR process to obtain the resonances is a stable process. Moreover, we show that these resonance frequencies are connected to the poles of the singularity expansion method.
DC power grids for buildings

Direct current (DC) power grids are an interesting option for buildings to connect natural DC power sources such as photovoltaic power systems with DC loads like lighting, IT systems as well as speed-controlled electric motors of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. The paper documents learnings, measurements and efficiency differences of a test bed installation with both a 230 V AC and a 380 V DC grid. Both subsystems supply LED luminaires with electricity from utility mains and AC respectively DC grid connected photovoltaic solar power systems. An efficiency advantage of 2 % has been measured with the 2 kW DC grid test bed. 5 % energy savings are described as potential.
Cycle-Dehaze: Enhanced CycleGAN for Single Image Dehazing

In this paper, we present an end-to-end network, called Cycle-Dehaze, for single image dehazing problem, which does not require pairs of hazy and corresponding ground truth images for training. That is, we train the network by feeding clean and hazy images in an unpaired manner. Moreover, the proposed approach does not rely on estimation of the atmospheric scattering model parameters. Our method enhances CycleGAN formulation by combining cycle-consistency and perceptual losses in order to improve the quality of textural information recovery and generate visually better haze-free images. Typically, deep learning models for dehazing take low resolution images as input and produce low resolution outputs. However, in the NTIRE 2018 challenge on single image dehazing, high resolution images were provided. Therefore, we apply bicubic downscaling. After obtaining low-resolution outputs from the network, we utilize the Laplacian pyramid to upscale the output images to the original resolution. We conduct experiments on NYU-Depth, I-HAZE, and O-HAZE datasets. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach improves CycleGAN method both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Statistics and accuracy of magnetic null identification in multispacecraft data

Complex magnetic topologies are ubiquitous in astrophysical plasmas. Analyzing magnetic nulls, regions of vanishing magnetic field, is one way to characterize 3‐D magnetic topologies. Magnetic nulls are believed to be important in 3‐D reconnection and turbulence. In the vicinity of a null, plasma particles become unmagnetized and can be accelerated to high energies by electric fields. We present the first statistical study of the occurrence of magnetic nulls and their types in the Earth's nightside magnetosphere. We are able to identify the nulls both in the tail and in the magnetopause current sheets. On average, we find one null for every few current sheet crossings. We show that the type identification of magnetic nulls may be sensitive to local fluctuations in the magnetic field. We develop and demonstrate a method to estimate the reliability of the magnetic null type identification.
A Pluralist State ?

Erik Lundberg (2014): A Pluralist State? Civil Society Organizations’ Access to the Swedish Policy Process 1964-2009. Örebro Studies in Political Science 38 Including civil society organizations in the policy process is a distinctive trait of democratic governance. But, while being highly valuable from a democratic point of view, not all civil society organizations are represented in the policy process. This dissertation draws attention to the role of the government in shaping the representation of civil society organizations in the Swedish government consultation referred to as the ‘remiss procedure’. The overall aim is to increase empirical and theoretical understanding of civil society organizations’ access to the national Swedish policy process. Drawing on various empirical data sources, it analyzes how access has changed during the second half of the 20th century, the factors influencing access, and the significance of the access provided by the government. The results are based on four empirical studies, and show that the government has encouraged an increasing number and more diverse types of civil society organizations to be represented in the remiss procedure. In addition, organizations with plenty of resources, such as labor and business organizations, are not overrepresented. However, access is slightly skewed in favor of civil society organizations with an insider position within other access points at national government level, which is consistent with a privileged pluralistic pattern of interest representation. In addition, civil society organizations seem to be invited into an arena for political influence of less relevance. Theoretically, the dissertation moves beyond the neo-corporatist perspective that dominated Swedish research during the second half of the 20th century by drawing attention to five different theoretical lenses: pluralism, neo-corporatism, political opportunity structures, policy network theory, and resource exchange theory. It concludes that a variety of theories are needed for access to be understood.
Evolutionary Designs for Robust Parameter Design Experimentation

The following article presents the application of an evolutionary strategy to produce nearly optimal design matrices, containing the parameter settings to execute an experiment. The properties of such matrices significantly determine the precision of the optimization models used in Robust Parameter Design (RPD). The methodology presented allows the user to produce new experimental design matrices. Some of the innovative evolutionary designs obtained are presented and compared to the corresponding benchmarks.
In Vitro and in Vivo Antioxidant Related Effects of Rosemary ( Rosmarinus Officinalis L.) Extracts in Humans

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) belongs to the family Lamiaceae (Labiatae) is a well-known aromatic plant used all around the world for different medicinal purposes. Aims: The present work aimed to investigate antioxidant related effects of rosemary in humans by in vitro and in vivo studies. Study design: Chemical antioxidant assays and venous blood from healthy volunteers were used to conduct in vitro experiments. For in vivo study, nine healthy volunteers, each received orally 250 ml of aqueous extract of rosemary daily for 5 days. Venous bloods were taken before and one hour after the first dose of aqueous extract (sample I and II respectively) and then one day after the last dose of day five (i.e. day 6, sample III). The first blood taken before the first dose (i.e. sample I), served as control for the next samples of II and III. Methodology: The following assays were performed: total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reducing power, scavenging activity of DPPH, scavenging activity of OH, iron chelating ability, erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH), malonyldialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), percentage hemolysis, serum total antioxidant status (TAS) and serum selected biochemical tests. Results: Rosemary extract showed efficient total antioxidant capacity, reducing power, scavenging activity of DPPH, scavenging activity of OH and a reasonable iron chelating ability. Pre-incubation of erythrocytes in vitro with methanolic extract of rosemary then exposed to H₂O₂ decreased significantly MDA production (i.e. anti-lipid-peroxidant), PC production (i.e. anti-protein-oxidant) and oxidant hemolysis (i.e. anti-hemolytic) in a concentration dependent manner. Oral administration of aqueous extracts of rosemary to healthy volunteers, for 5 days, increased significantly serum TAS (18% increase), erythrocyte GSH (72% increase), erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) (21% increase) and decreased significantly erythrocyte MDA (17% decrease), with no effect on serum biochemical tests for kidney, liver, cardiac and pancreatic, compared to 0 time administration. Conclusion: Rosemary extracts have efficient in vitro and in vivo antioxidant related effects. As the present findings are obtained in healthy humans with no oxidative stress, this indicates that rosemary can improve the base line of the defense mechanisms against possible oxidative stress, with no adverse effects, thus decreasing susceptibility or preventing the progress of pathological conditions related to oxidative stress.
Iliac Crest Bone Graft in Maxillofacial Bony Defects

Background The reconstruction of facial deformity has been of paramount clinical concern for many years and one of the most difficult and challenging tasks facing the maxillofacial surgeon. The ultimate goal in the treatment is the relief of suffering, restoration of function of jaw, restoration of speech, regain of the normal looking contour and improvement in the quality of life. Objective To obtain more knowledge on autogenous on lay bone graft behavior in different facial defects and to evaluate the lateral and medial surgical approaches to the iliac crest. Methods A prospective study was conducted during the period from January 2009 to January 2012 on 20 patients with facial defects, in the orbit, zygoma, maxilla and mandible. The causes of defects were trauma, odontogenic tumors and alveolar cleft. Types of bone graft used were either block cortico-cancellous or chips cancellous bone, the block was either monocortical or bicortical bone graft. Results Complications associated with donor site harvesting procedure included pain 5% and gait disturbance 5%. Failure of bone graft was observed in 3 patients (15%) while the rest, 17 patients, (85%) ended with functional and esthetic successful graft. Causes of failure were due to sequestration (5%), inflammation due to osteomesh (5%) and soft tissue breakdown (5%). Conclusion Iliac crest graft has evolved as a safe, well accepted procedure, with relatively low morbidity that can be used for a wide variety of maxillofacial procedures.
Global Engagement and Returns Volatility

This paper finds that a greater reliance on foreign market sales increases the volatility of firms’ stock returns, using high-frequency data for publicly listed Japanese manufacturing firms over the period 2000–10. The two margins of global engagement we consider, namely, exports and sales via foreign affiliates (horizontal foreign direct investment), have both a positive and economically significant effect on firm-level volatility. We find, however, that increasing the intensity of sales through foreign affiliates has a stronger effect on volatility than a similar change in export intensity. We also uncover evidence consistent with the notion that firms’ need to use external finance to cover the substantial costs involved in reaching foreign consumers can be an important channel through which firms’ participation in international markets increases their exposure to economic uncertainty.