Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coherent UDWDM-PON With Dual-Polarization Transceivers in Real-Time

We report a real-time experimental demonstration of a long-reach coherent ultra-dense wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM)-passive optical network (PON) system with quadratic-amplitude modulation (QAM)-based dual-polarization optical transceivers. Using field-programmable gate array-based digital signal processing, the transmission of 20-WDM channels in 2.5-GHz grid, employing both 2.5-Gb/s dual-polarization quadrature phase-shift keying (DP-QPSK) and 3.75-Gb/s DP-8PSK signals, is successfully demonstrated with bit-error rate in real-time. The performance is evaluated over 100-km standard single mode fiber in terms of receiver sensitivity and ODN power budget for both modulation formats, showing the feasibility of coherent PON scenarios using flexible dual-polarization strategies supported by software-defined transceivers.
Helicobacter pylori induces promoter hypermethylation and downregulates gene expression of IRX1 transcription factor on human gastric mucosa

Background and Aim: Gene silence of IRX1 tumor suppressor by promoter CpG methylation combined with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) has been identified in human gastric cancer. This study investigated the association between methylation of IRX1 and Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric mucosa tissues and cell line.
A Vaccine against Rumen Methanogens Can Alter the Composition of Archaeal Populations

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to formulate a vaccine based upon the different species/strains of methanogens present in sheep intended to be immunized and to determine if a targeted vaccine could be used to decrease the methane output of the sheep. Two 16S rRNA gene libraries were used to survey the methanogenic archaea in sheep prior to vaccination, and methanogens representing five phylotypes were found to account for >52% of the different species/strains of methanogens detected. A vaccine based on a mixture of these five methanogens was then formulated, and 32 sheep were vaccinated on days 0, 28, and 103 with either a control or the anti-methanogen vaccine. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis revealed that each vaccination with the anti-methanogen formulation resulted in higher specific immunoglobulin G titers in plasma, saliva, and rumen fluid. Methane output levels corrected for dry-matter intake for the control and treatment groups were not significantly different, and real-time PCR data also indicated that methanogen numbers were not significantly different for the two groups after the second vaccination. However, clone library data indicated that methanogen diversity was significantly greater in sheep receiving the anti-methanogen vaccine and that the vaccine may have altered the composition of the methanogen population. A correlation between 16S rRNA gene sequence relatedness and cross-reactivity for the methanogens (R2 = 0.90) also exists, which suggests that a highly specific vaccine can be made to target specific strains of methanogens and that a more broad-spectrum approach is needed for success in the rumen. Our data also suggest that methanogens take longer than 4 weeks to adapt to dietary changes and call into question the validity of experimental results based upon a 2- to 4-week acclimatization period normally observed for bacteria.
Supply chain management practices and agribusiness firms’ performance: Mediating role of supply chain integration

Background: Globally, there have been a dramatic upward surge in the total number of agribusiness firms serving as a chain in strengthening of their activities. Interestingly, the impact of supply chain integration (SCI) on agribusiness firms is deficient in a developing country like Ghana. Aim: The study looks into the nexus between supply chain management practices (SCMP) and agribusiness firms’ performance. The study further examines the mediating role of SCI on the relationship between SCMP and agribusiness firms’ performance in Ghana. Methods: A research framework was proposed and subjected to tentative assessment using data amassed from selected agribusiness firms from the Northern Region of Ghana. Statistical Package for Social Sciences 22.0 version and LISREL 8.0 were used to test hypotheses on the nexus between supply chain management practices and agribusiness firms’ performance, as well as the role of SCI. Results: The findings revealed that SCMP relates positively to both financial and internal process performance. Also, it was discovered that SCI completely or partially mediates the effects of SCMP on the two variables of the firms performance, and this difference could be attributed to the different cultural settings. Conclusion: In support of management theories, this study justifies that using SCI as an organisational core strategic tool will help boost agribusiness performances to remain and sustain competitive edge over rivals. Therefore, agribusiness managers, policymakers, governments and other interested bodies are encouraged to broaden the scope of advocacy in streamlining SCI culture to ensure effectiveness and speedy attainments of organisational objectives.
Patterns and Perceptions in Male Secondary School Dropouts in the United Arab Emirates

The impact of socioeconomic status, family, and school experiences on the school continuation decision has been well-documented in Western literature. To date, however, no empirical studies have been conducted on the Gulf region. Using a sample of 149 dropouts and 347 non-dropouts, this study is the first to apply a mixed-methods comparative design to explore the patterns and trends in male dropout rates across government schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Importantly, the study finds that the effect of teachers on a student’s decision to stay in school can be as strong as family influences. Consistent with previous literature on other parts of the world, dropping out in the UAE is associated with low socio-economic background, poorly educated and/or uninvolved parents, and de-motivating school experiences marked by unsupportive teachers and disruptive peers
Postoperative pain management on surgical wards--do quality assurance strategies result in long-term effects on staff member attitudes and clinical outcomes?

Postoperative pain management (POPM) remains suboptimal on surgical wards in many countries despite the availability of effective analgesics, new technologies for drug administration, and clinical practice guidelines for pain management. The aim of the present study was to assess remaining long-term effects on pain management routines, patient experiences, and staff member attitudes in surgical wards more than 3 years after introduction of a quality assurance program for POPM and compare the findings to those of an organization where a corresponding systematic, entire hospital, quality assurance program had not been completed. A descriptive and comparative design, based on survey data from both patients (N = 110) and staff members (N = 51) on urologic surgery wards, was used. Significant (p <.05 to p <.0002) overall relationships were observed for identified shortages in pain management routines (lack of preoperative information, inadequate preoperative discussions on pain management, wait for pain killer) and reported experience of pain, nausea, or vomiting in the postoperative period. The quality assurance program, anesthesia-based pain services using a nurse-based anesthesiologist-supervised model, resulted in more adequate pain management routines, better patient satisfaction with POPM, and increased confidence in pain management among nurses on the surgical wards. On the basis of the present study it may be concluded that more than 3 years after the introduction of a quality assurance program for POPM in surgical wards, the pain management routines, patient experiences, and staff member attitudes have remained markedly improved and in accordance with the aims of accepted clinical practice guidelines for surgical pain management.
Determinants of Innovation-based Sustainability in Transition and Developing Economies

Abstract Technological advancement enhanced by rising competition in a globalising world led to the acceleration of innovation activity. Literature implies that corruption, share of state ownership, and expertise of top management can have a strong influence on firms’ performance and innovation-based sustainability. Using the BEEPS 2012-2014 database, this paper applies cross section analysis to examine this literature implication. Our results imply that larger manufacturing enterprises with experienced top management and international quality assurance certificates that operate in environments with increased corruption levels and competition have higher levels of innovation. In addition, the results show that state ownership is insignificant for innovation activity. In terms of regional analysis, we find that corruption, top management experience, and possession of international quality assurance certificates lead to an increase in product innovation in Balkan and former Soviet countries, while these factors do not create any significant impact on innovation activity within Central European countries. Enterprises faced with fierce competition levels are more innovative in former Soviet and Central European countries than in the Balkans.
Revisiting the Balassa–Samuelson effect: International tourism and cultural proximity

This article focuses on a neglected part of the well-known Balassa–Samuelson (B-S) effect in international trade, namely, the specific role of tourism in equilibrating the purchasing power parities across areas. The article aims to highlight in particular the cultural bias in destination choice by foreign tourists and its importance as a barrier for eradicating economic inequality between countries. We consider international tourism here as a mixed type of tradable service that leads to – short-time, but potentially massive – cross-border movements of people that can impact income redistribution among countries. Our claim is that this short-time movement is positively biased towards culturally closer localities. The recognition of this role of cultural proximity in the tourist choice destination can help fine-tune empirical models of international goods or services to reality. To test our hypothesis, a unique big data set for the EU28 and all the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (4031 observations on the shares of outbound tourists per country) is composed for the year 2014. We use data from the UN World Tourism Organization, Centre d’Etudes Prospectives et d’Informations Internationales (CEPII, Paris; especially on linguistic proximity), and the six well-known Hofstede indices of cultural dimension: individualism, power–distance relationship, masculinity, uncertainty, indulgence and long-term orientation. To fully specify our tourist destination model, we include also climate-related explanatory variables, reflecting sun, rain and wind differences between sending and recipient countries. Regression analysis with fixed effects and a hierarchical (multilevel) model both lead to consistent empirical estimates. Our results clearly demonstrate that tourism is a significant counter-balancing factor for the B-S effect that seems to be present and related to non-trade sectors and wages across the countries involved. Moreover, we find that linguistic proximity is statistically and economically the most powerful quantitative proxy for cultural factors, which determine the outbound tourists’ destination choice.
Wavelet Neural Network Model for Yield Spread Forecasting

In this study, a hybrid method based on coupling discrete wavelet transforms (DWTs) and artificial neural network (ANN) for yield spread forecasting is proposed. The discrete wavelet transform (DWT) using five different wavelet families is applied to decompose the five different yield spreads constructed at shorter end, longer end, and policy relevant area of the yield curve to eliminate noise from them. The wavelet coefficients are then used as inputs into Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) ANN models to forecast the predictive power of each of these spreads for output growth. We find that the yield spreads constructed at the shorter end and policy relevant areas of the yield curve have a better predictive power to forecast the output growth, whereas the yield spreads, which are constructed at the longer end of the yield curve do not seem to have predictive information for output growth. These results provide the robustness to the earlier results.
Fuelwood Source Substitution and Shadow Prices in Western Kenya

Deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa remains a substantial problem. Increasing scarcity of fuelwood can be significant burden to households, as fuelwood is a key component of the energy profile of a rural Sub-Saharan household. However, households do not only collect their fuelwood from off-farm, but also produce it on-farm and purchase it from the market. This paper studies substitution between fuelwood sources for rural Kenyan households. Conducting analysis using shadow prices for household fuelwood in a non-separable theoretical framework, we find that strict gender divisions in household labor contribute to a lack of substitution between fuelwood sources. Because fuelwood production on the farm is more sustainable than off-farm collection, gender divisions inhibit reforestation efforts in this area. This paper finds a direct linkage between women and environmental well-being, and concludes that reforestation efforts in SSA will likely be ineffective until labor substitution between genders increase.
Approaching the technological innovation frontier: evidence from Chinese SOEs

Abstract This paper studies how large State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China are approaching the technological innovation frontier and contributes to the literature on technological catching up and leapfrogging by identifying three models or strategies of approaching the innovation frontier. In addition to the well-recognised technology transfer based strategy, pursuing emerging technologies and reinventing mature technology could also be effective, with reinventing mature technology as the most important strategy. The paper also finds that strong internal R&D capability, rather than manufacturing capability as suggested by the extant literature, is the basis of all three models. This also implies that making big organisational transformations such as changing a technology transfer centred R&D function to a proprietary technology development centred R&D function, changing a manufacturing centred culture to an innovation centred culture, and reshaping the innovation network, is an important precondition to approach the innovation frontier.
Thrombopoietin enhances neutrophil production by bone marrow hematopoietic progenitors with the aid of stem cell factor in congenital neutropenia

We examined the effects of granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF), stem cell factor (SCF), and thrombopoietin (TPO), alone or in combination, on the generation of neutrophils by bone marrow (BM) cells from three patients with severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) through the use of a serum‐deprived liquid culture system. Synergistic effects of G‐CSF and SCF on the neutrophil production by BM CD34+CD38+c‐kit+ cells were observed in SCN patients as well as in normal controls. The addition of TPO to the culture containing G‐CSF and SCF further augmented the growth of neutrophils in the two groups. Single‐cell culture experiments revealed that the three‐factor combination caused increases in both the number and size of neutrophil colonies compared with G‐CSF + SCF in normal BM cells, whereas only a significant increment in the colony size was observed in SCN patients. Even in the presence of SCF or SCF + TPO, the concentrations of G‐CSF necessary for the substantial production of neutrophils by CD34+CD38+c‐kit+ cells were higher in two patients compared with the levels obtained by normal control cells. In addition, TPO did not accelerate the maturation of neutrophilic cells supported by G‐CSF + SCF. When BM CD34+CD38−c‐kit+ cells were targeted, the addition of TPO to the culture containing G‐CSF and SCF was required for significant neutrophil colony growth in the two groups. These results suggest that TPO enhances the G‐CSF‐dependent neutrophil production with the aid of SCF in this disorder.
A Method of Power Aware Large Data Download on Smartphone

The endurance time of smartphone still suffer from the limited battery capacity, and smartphone apps will increase the burden of the battery if they download large data over slow network. So how to manage the download tasks is an important work. To this end we propose a smartphone download strategy with low energy consumption which called CLSA (Concentrated Download and Low Power and Stable Link Selection Algorithm). The CLSA is intended to reduce the overhead of large data downloads by appropriate delay for the smartphone, and it based on three major factors: the current network situation, the length of download requests’ queue and the local information of smartphone. We evaluate the CLSA using a music player implementation on ZTE V880 smartphone running the Android operation system, and compare it with the other two general download strategies, Minimum Delay and WiFi Only. Experiments show that our download algorithm can achieve a better trade-off between energy and delay than the other two. key words: smartphone, download strategy, CLSA, energy-delay trade off
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intravenous PEGylated recombinant mammalian urate oxidase in patients with refractory gout.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy, immunogenicity, and tolerability of intravenous (IV) PEGylated recombinant mammalian urate oxidase (PEG-uricase) for the treatment of severe gout. METHODS Single infusions of PEG-uricase (at doses ranging from 0.5 mg to 12 mg) were administered to 24 patients (6 cohorts of 4 patients each) in a phase I clinical trial. Plasma uricase activity (pUox), the plasma urate concentration (pUAc), and the uric acid-to-creatinine ratio (UAc:Cr) in urine were monitored for 21 days after dosing. Adverse events and the IgG antibody response to PEG-uricase were followed up for 35 days. RESULTS All patients completed the trial. Maximum pUox was linearly related to the IV dose of PEG-uricase, the area under the curve (AUC) value increased linearly (up to a dose of 8 mg), and the pUox half-life was 6.4-13.8 days. After doses of 4-12 mg, the pUAc fell within 24-72 hours, from a mean +/- SD value of 11.1 +/- 0.6 mg/dl to 1.0 +/- 0.5 mg/dl; the AUC value for the pUAc was equivalent to maintaining the pUAc at 1.2-4.7 mg/dl for 21 days postinfusion. The UAc:Cr ratio in urine fell in parallel with the pUAc. IgG antibodies to PEG-uricase, mostly IgG2 and specific for PEG, developed in 9 patients, who had more rapid enzyme clearance but no allergic reactions. All adverse events were mild to moderate, with gout flares being most common. CONCLUSION The bioavailability, efficacy, and tolerability of IV PEG-uricase were greater than the bioavailability, efficacy, and tolerability observed in a previous phase I trial of subcutaneous PEG-uricase. Infusing 4-12 mg of PEG-uricase every 2-4 weeks should maintain the pUAc well below the therapeutic target of 6 mg/dl and greatly reduce renal uric acid excretion. This treatment could be effective in depleting expanded tissue urate stores in patients with chronic or tophaceous gout.
Photoresponses of the purple nonsulfur bacteria Rhodospirillum centenum and Rhodobacter sphaeroides

We have measured the photoresponse of two purple nonsulfur bacteria, Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodospirillum centenum, under defined conditions in a light beam propagating at 90 degrees to the optical axis of the microscope. This beam presented cells with a steep gradient of intensity perpendicular to the direction of propagation and a shallow gradient in the direction of light propagation. R. centenum, a species that reverses to change direction, accumulated in the light beam, as expected for a "scotophobic" response, while R. sphaeroides, which stops rather than reverses, accumulated outside the light beam. We also compared the behavior of liquid-grown R. centenum, which swims by using a single polar flagellum, to that of surface-grown R. centenum, which swarms over agar by using many lateral flagella and has been shown to move as colonies toward specific wavelengths of light. When suspended in liquid medium, both liquid- and surface-grown R. centenum showed similar responses to the light gradient. In all cases, free-swimming cells responded to the steep gradient of intensity but not to the shallow gradient, indicating they cannot sense the direction of light propagation but only its intensity. In a control experiment, the known phototactic alga Chlamydamonas reinhardtii was shown to swim in the direction of light propagation.
Trends in adolescent emotional problems in England: a comparison of two national cohorts twenty years apart.

BACKGROUND Evidence about trends in adolescent emotional problems (depression and anxiety) is inconclusive, because few studies have used comparable measures and samples at different points in time. We compared rates of adolescent emotional problems in two nationally representative English samples of youth 20 years apart using identical symptom screens in each survey. METHODS Nationally representative community samples of 16-17-year-olds living in England in 1986 and 2006 were compared. In 1986, 4524 adolescents and 7120 parents of young people participated in the age-16-year follow-up of the 1970 British Cohort Study. In 2006, 719 adolescents and 734 parents participated in a follow-up of children sampled from the 2002/2003 Health Surveys for England. Adolescents completed the Malaise Inventory and 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Parents completed the Rutter-A scale. Individual symptoms of depression and anxiety were coded combining across relevant questionnaire items. Young people also reported frequency of feeling anxious or depressed. RESULTS Youth- and parent-reported emotional problems were more prevalent in 2006 for girls, and rates of parent-reported problems increased for boys. Twice as many young people reported frequent feelings of depression or anxiety in 2006 as in 1986. Some symptoms showed marked change in prevalence over time (e.g., worry, irritability, fatigue), whereas others showed no change (e.g., loss of enjoyment, worthlessness). There was no evidence of differential trends in emotional problems for young people from socially advantaged and disadvantaged or intact and non-intact families. Changes in family structure and ethnic composition did not account for trends in youth emotional problems. CONCLUSIONS The study provides evidence for a substantial increase in adolescent emotional problems in England over recent decades, especially among girls.