Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of polar phases in PVDF by forming PVDF/SiC nanowire composite

Different contents of silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires were mixed with Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) to facilitate the polar phase crystallization. It was shown that the annealing temperature and SiC content affected on the phase and crystalline structures of PVDF/SiC samples. Furthermore, the addition of SiC nanowire enhanced the transformation of non-polar α phase to polar phases and increased the relative fraction of β phase in PVDF. Due to the nucleating agent mechanism of SiC nanowires, the ion-dipole interaction between the negatively charged surface of SiC nanowires and the positive CH2 groups in PVDF facilitated the formation of polar phases in PVDF.
Privacy-preserving heterogeneous health data sharing

OBJECTIVE Privacy-preserving data publishing addresses the problem of disclosing sensitive data when mining for useful information. Among existing privacy models, ε-differential privacy provides one of the strongest privacy guarantees and makes no assumptions about an adversary's background knowledge. All existing solutions that ensure ε-differential privacy handle the problem of disclosing relational and set-valued data in a privacy-preserving manner separately. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that considers both relational and set-valued data in differentially private disclosure of healthcare data. METHODS The proposed approach makes a simple yet fundamental switch in differentially private algorithm design: instead of listing all possible records (ie, a contingency table) for noise addition, records are generalized before noise addition. The algorithm first generalizes the raw data in a probabilistic way, and then adds noise to guarantee ε-differential privacy. RESULTS We showed that the disclosed data could be used effectively to build a decision tree induction classifier. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm is scalable and performs better than existing solutions for classification analysis. LIMITATION The resulting utility may degrade when the output domain size is very large, making it potentially inappropriate to generate synthetic data for large health databases. CONCLUSIONS Unlike existing techniques, the proposed algorithm allows the disclosure of health data containing both relational and set-valued data in a differentially private manner, and can retain essential information for discriminative analysis.
Collaborative Learning through Wireless Grids

In this paper, we describe wireless grids, an emerging technology that enables ad hoc sharing of resources (such as screen, services and microphone) on edge devices (such as mobile Internet devices, laptops and mobile phones). As wireless devices have become common, and "smart," wireless grids have become practical. To highlight the capabilities of wireless grids to support collaborative learning, projects at the K-12 and undergraduate levels illustrate that wireless grid theory is transitioning into practice. We hypothesize that wireless grids can transform how students learn, the content of courses, learning-related practices, classroom dynamics and relationships among students and faculty. The authors conclude that applications of this technology will bring about fundamental changes in the ways that students, schools and universities create and disseminate ideas, knowledge, and understanding. The mobile phone is no longer banned in the classroom; it becomes a tool for instruction and learning.
Food Quality Verifications and Consumer Trust

Food markets are increasingly characterized by an array of quality assurances with respect to credence attributes, reflecting a growing interest in where food comes from and how it is produced. The provision and signalling of these credence quality attributes includes both public and private sector initiatives. How effective are quality signals in addressing the information asymmetry inherent in credence attributes? To what extent do consumers trust quality assurances from different sources, and does this trust differs across food products or across credence attributes? The paper presents a simple economic welfare analysis of the market for a credence attribute under different assumptions with respect to the strength of consumer preferences, the existence of voluntary versus mandatory standards, and the credibility of third party certification. This is followed by an empirical analysis drawing from two consumer surveys in Canada using discrete choice experiments. Food quality claims related to farm animal welfare in a meat product and to environmental sustainability in a bread product are examined. Latent Class models reveal significant heterogeneity in consumer preferences, both in terms of the value consumers place on farm animal welfare and environmentally sustainable quality assurances, and the extent to which it matters who is verifying these assurances.
Dominance and queen succession in captive colonies of the eusocial naked mole–rat, Heterocephalus glaber

Naked mole–rat colonies exhibit a high reproductive skew, breeding being typically restricted to one female (the ‘queen’) and one to three males. Other colony members are reproductively suppressed, although this suppression can be reversed following the removal or death of the queen. We examined dominance and queen succession within captive colonies to investigate the relationship between urinary testosterone and cortisol, dominance rank and reproductive status; and to determine if behavioural and/or physiological parameters can be used as predictors of queen succession. Social structure was characterized by a linear dominance hierarchy before and after queen removal. Prior to queen removal, dominance rank was negatively correlated with body weight and urinary testosterone and cortisol titres in males and females.Queen removal results in social instability and aggression between high ranking individuals. Dominance rank appears to be a good predictor of reproductive status:queens are the highest ranking colony females and are succeeded by the next highest ranking females. The intense dominance–related aggression that accompanies reproductive succession in naked mole–rats provides empirical support for optimal skew theory.
Testing the Validity of CAPM and APT in the Oil, Gas and Fertilizer Companies Listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange

The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and Arbitrage Portfolio Theory (APT) have been commonly used techniques in the global investing community for calculating the required return of a risky asset. This paper investigates whether CAPM and APT are valid models for determining price/return of the fertilizer and the oil & gas sector companies listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE). The purpose of the research is also to identify plausible reasons for deviations from the theories. The conclusions arrived at through data analysis reveal weak correlation between realized excess returns (i.e. actual returns over and above the risk free rate) and the expected return based on CAPM. With respect to APT model, the study reflects that macroeconomic factors including changes in GDP, inflation, exchange rate and market return do not serve as valid determinants of returns on oil, gas and fertilizer stocks.
Victim Characteristics, Situational Factors, and the Lethality of Urban Gun Violence

The objective of this study is to hone in on the contextual, social, and individual characteristics that influence lethal outcomes across shootings. Although most criminological research focuses on differential outcomes for gun violence relative to nongun violence, we argue that great insight can be drawn through examining shootings in isolation. We focus on five ways that shooting outcomes vary: the number of shots fired, the number of times the victim was hit, where the victim was hit, the number of victims that were hit, and whether the shooting resulted in a fatality. Building on the adversary effects hypothesis and public health research on the impact of gunshot wound volume and location, we examine the factors that account for variation across shooting outcomes. Our analysis of data from the Rochester Shooting Database suggests that both adversary effects and random factors influence shooting outcomes. In addition, the results also reveal that adversary effects are more important during some stages of a shooting than others. The implications of these findings are discussed.
The Performance of Performance-Based Contracting in Human Services

Title of Document: THE PERFORMANCE OF PERFORMANCEBASED CONTRACTING IN HUMAN SERVICES Jiahuan Lu, PhD, 2014 Directed By: Dr. Donald F. Kettl, School of Public Policy Performance-based contracting (PBC) is becoming increasingly attractive to public human service agencies. By attaching contract compensation to contractors’ performance achievement, PBC is expected to encourage quality services, better outcomes, and less administrative monitoring. However, the burgeoning popularity of PBC lacks sufficient evidence to confirm these promised benefits. In particular, the efforts of introducing PBC into human service systems needs first to address the effectiveness problem, i.e., whether PBC really produces better results. This problem constitutes the research question of the research project. After building the theoretical framework which incorporates the literature on formal and relational contracting, this project explores the effectiveness question using Indiana vocational rehabilitation program as a case. In particular, the study evaluates PBC effectiveness from two perspectives: service outcome and participating organizations. From a service-outcome perspective, the research employs a quasiexperimental design to compare the impacts of two contract arrangements, PBC and fee-for-service (FFS), on individual employment outcomes. From a participatingorganization perspective, the project runs semi-structured interviews with service counselors and contractors. Triangulating these findings, this project proposes that PBC seems more promising than FFS in human services. It also implies PBC effectiveness might not be well-rounded and should not be exaggerated. Further, the study addresses the managerial implications of the findings. The research and the practice of PBC tend to ignore the relational face of contracting. PBC as a formal arrangement is always disturbed by the highly uncertain nature of human services and thus might result in incomplete performance improvement and contractor opportunism. If so, relational contracting, using informal and normative mechanisms, may enable desirable collaborative outcomes. The combination of formal PBC efforts with relational contracting would encourage high-quality results. In sum, this project represents an attempt to systematically examine PBC effectiveness in human services. It shows the difficulties and dynamics of introducing performance management to human service contracting. It also warns the launch of PBC systems should be very deliberate and careful. More broadly, the project underscores two key components of contracting management: control and trust. THE PERFORMANCE OF PERFORMANCE-BASED CONTRACTING IN HUMAN SERVICES
Association between changes in electromyographic signal amplitude and abdominal muscle thickness in individuals with and without lumbopelvic pain.

STUDY DESIGN Validation study. OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between changes in electromyographic (EMG) signal amplitude and sonographic measures of muscle thickness of 4 abdominal muscles, during 2 clinical tests, in adults with and without lumbopelvic pain. BACKGROUND There is a trend in rehabilitation to use ultrasound imaging (USI) to determine the extent of abdominal muscle contraction. However, the literature investigating the relationship between abdominal muscle thickness change and level of activation is inconclusive and has not included clinically relevant tasks. METHODS Simultaneous recording from fine-wire EMG and USI was performed for 4 abdominal muscles, in 7 adults with lumbopelvic pain (mean ± SD age, 29.7 ± 12.0 years) and 7 adults without lumbopelvic pain (32.0 ± 10.6 years), during an active straight leg raise (ASLR) test and an abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM). Cross-correlation functions and linear regression analyses were used to describe the relationship between the 2 measures. Analyses of variance were used to compare individuals with and without lumbopelvic pain, with an alpha set at . 05. RESULTS Across all muscles, peak cross-correlation values were low (ASLR, r = 0.28 ± 0.09; ADIM, r = 0.35 ± 0.11), and there was large variability in associated time lags (ASLR, τ = 0.69 ± 2.56 seconds; ADIM, τ = 0.53 ± 3.75 seconds). Regression analyses did not detect a systematic pattern of association between EMG signal amplitude and USI measurements, and analyses of variance revealed no differences between cohorts. CONCLUSION These results suggest a weak relationship between EMG amplitude and abdominal muscle thickness change measured with USI during the ADIM and ASLR, and raise questions about thickness change derived from USI as a measure of muscular activity for the abdominal musculature.
Indian Antidumping Measures Against China: Evidence from Monthly Trade Data

China’s importance for India as a trading partner has increased tremendously over the recent years. At the same time, China has become the main target of Indian antidumping measures with a number of measures that is unprecedented worldwide. This paper provides a detailed analysis of trade flows between the two emerging economies and investigates on which type of products and in which sectors the Indian government applies antidumping measures against China. Then this paper estimates the trade impact of those measures that were imposed during the Great Recession, using monthly data on exports from China to India. The use of monthly data is relatively new to the literature and allows a detailed examination of the trade impact of antidumping measures and its dynamics. This paper finds that antidumping measures decrease the Chinese export value and quantity to India immediately and to a significant extent. The impact is quite stable over time.
Lipid Rafts Exist as Stable Cholesterol-independent Microdomains in the Brush Border Membrane of Enterocytes*

Glycosphingolipid/cholesterol-rich membranes (“rafts”)can be isolated from many types of cells, but their existence as stable microdomains in the cell membrane has been elusive. Addressing this problem, we studied the distribution of galectin-4, a raft marker, and lactase, a protein excluded from rafts, on microvillar vesicles from the enterocyte brush border membrane. Magnetic beads coated with either anti-galectin-4 or anti-lactase antibodies were used for immunoisolation of vesicles followed by double immunogold labeling of the two proteins. A morphometric analysis revealed subpopulations of raft-rich and raft-poor vesicles by the following criteria: 1) the lactase/galectin-4 labeling ratio/vesicle captured by the anti-lactase beads was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.01) than that of vesicles captured by anti-galectin-4 beads, 2) subpopulations of vesicles labeled by only one of the two antibodies were preferentially captured by beads coated with the respective antibody (p ≤ 0.01), 3) the average diameter of “galectin-4 positive only” vesicles was smaller than that of vesicles labeled for lactase. Surprisingly, pretreatment with methyl-β-cyclodextrin, which removed >70% of microvillar cholesterol, did not affect the microdomain localization of galectin-4. We conclude that stable, cholesterol-independent raft microdomains exist in the enterocyte brush border.
Demonstration of an in vitro direct vascular relaxant effect of diuretics in the presence of plasma

Objective To determine whether diuretics have direct vascular actions and to compare the in vitro effects of a loop diuretic with thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics. Design A randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled design was used to avoid experimenter bias. Methods Concentration-response curves to hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, indapamide, and furosemide were tested on the following male Wistar rat vascular smooth muscle preparations: rat aortic rings, rat pulmonary artery rings, and rat mesenteric portal vein. Results All four diuretics demonstrated no vasorelaxant action in Krebs solution. They all exhibited vasorelaxant actions in aortic and pulmonary artery rings when plasma was mixed with Krebs solution in a 50: ratio. The magnitude of the relaxation was greater in the aortic ring preparation. This direct vascular action was found to be concentration dependent and endothelium independent. The order of potency of the vasorelaxant action of the diuretics was (from most to least) indapamide, hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, and furosemide on both aortic and pulmonary artery rings. Conclusion Diuretics possess direct vasorelaxant effects that are dependent upon the presence of plasma; this action may contribute to their antihypertensive properties.
Aminoguanidine Improves Epididymal Sperm Parameters in Varicocelized Rats

Introduction:Increased levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the spermatic veins of men affected by varicocele have already been reported. But there is no study to discriminate the subtype of catalytic enzyme for synthesis of NO. In this study, aminoguanidine (AG), an inducible NO synthase inhibitor, has been used to investigate its effect on sperm parameters. Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups. In groups A and B, left experimental varicocele was induced by a 20-gauge needle. Group C (sham) underwent a similar procedure to groups A and B, but the spermatic vein was left intact, and group D served as control group. The animals in group A were killed 10 weeks later and their sperm count, motility, morphology and vitality were evaluated. Group B received 50 mg/kg AG with i.p. injection daily for 10 weeks. Results: Sperm count, motility, morphology and vitality were significantly decreased in group A in comparison to control group (p ≤ 0.05). In group B, sperm parameters improved in comparison to group A (p ≤ 0.01). Group C did not show any significant alterations in sperm parameters compared with control group. Conclusion: These findings may support the concept that AG can improve the sperm count, motility, morphology and vitality in infertile rats with varicocele.
Chronic spinal cord injury pain: pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments and treatment effectiveness

Purpose. To describe pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain treatments used for chronic spinal cord injury pain (CSCIP) and current treatment effectiveness in a large Dutch population with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Method. Postal survey among 575 persons with SCI. The main outcome measures were the pain intensity score of the Chronic Pain Grade questionnaire, past and current pain treatments, and perceived effectiveness of current pain treatments. Results. Response rate was 49% (279 persons) and 215 respondents (77.1%) had CSCIP. Most respondents with CSCIP (62.8%) reported more than one pain type, of which neuropathic pain was most frequently reported (69.3%). Of this group with CSCIP, 63.8% was currently involved in some kind of treatment, but nevertheless high levels of pain (mean 52.8 on a 0–100 scale) were reported. Massage (therapy)/relaxation (training), anticonvulsants, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the most often used treatments. The current treatments that were most often perceived as effective were acupuncture/magnetising, cannabis/alcohol, physiotherapy and exercise, and massage (therapy)/relaxation (training). TENS/ultrasound and antidepressants were least often perceived as effective. Conclusions. Many SCI pain treatments have been tried. Acupuncture/magnetising, cannabis/alcohol, and physiotherapy and exercise were considered most effective. Further research is needed to establish effective SCI pain treatments.
of Pathogenic T Cells Female Mice Is Due to Enhanced Expansion Increased Severity of Murine Lupus in

Charles S. ViaThomas J. Lang, Phuong Nguyen, John C. Papadimitriou andhttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/171/11/5795J Immunol€2003; 171:5795-5801; ;Referenceshttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/171/11/5795.full#ref-list-1This article cites 27 articles, 13 of which you can access for free at: Subscriptionshttp://jimmunol.org/subscriptionsInformation about subscribing to The Journal of Immunology is online at: Permissionshttp://www.aai. org/ji/copyright.htmlSubmit copyright permission requests at: Email Alertshttp://jimmunol.org/cgi/alerts/etocReceive free email-alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up at:
Cytokine profile of sickle cell disease in Oman

The aim of our study was to assess the cytokine profile of sickle cell disease (SCD) patients in steady state and in vaso‐occlusive crisis (VOC). VOC has a complex nature, involving interactions between sickle red blood cells (RBC), the endothelium, and leucocytes. Endothelial damage due to recurrent adhesion of sickle RBCs may disrupt endothelial function, leading to altered cytokine release. It is therefore pertinent to study the cytokine profile of SCD patients in steady state and in crisis prior to exploring its contribution to vaso‐occlusive manifestations, since it is believed that an altered balance of proinflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cytokines plays an important role in painful crisis. Cytokines including IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐6, IL‐8, TNF‐α, and IFN‐γ were measured by commercially available ELISA kits in SCD patients (n = 60); in steady state (n = 26) and in painful crisis (n = 34) and compared with nonanemic age‐ and sex‐matched normal Omani controls (n = 20). SCD patients in crisis showed elevated levels of TNF‐α (P < 0.092) and IL‐6 (P < 0.024) when compared with steady state. It was also observed that SCD patients in steady state showed a significant elevation in IL‐1β (P < 0.04), IL‐6 (P < 0.0001), and IFN‐γ (P < 0.02) as compared to normal subjects. It is thus evident that both type I and type II cytokines are significantly altered in SCD patients. In steady state, type II proinflammatory cytokines are elevated, whereas in crisis, an additional augmentation of type I cytokines occurs, with persistent elevation of type II cytokines, emphasizing the role of perturbed endothelium and activated monocytes in the pathophysiology of vaso‐occlusion in sickle cell crisis. Am. J. Hematol. 77:323–328, 2004 © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Factors Affecting the Probability of SME Bankruptcy: A Case Study on New Zealand Unlisted Firms

This study investigates the potential relationship between bankruptcy risks, and financial and non-financial characteristics in small businesses. Given the importance of small businesses to a country’s economy, identifying factors that leads to small business bankruptcy is important for assisting policy makers and businesses. Using logistic regression analysis this study finds that that bankruptcy firms appear to be non-franchised (independent) with fewer inside ownership. The bankruptcy risk for larger firms in major cities is less than smaller firms from rural areas. Further findings suggest bankruptcy risk in small businesses relates to the industrial sector in which a firm finds itself. This evidence proves that the declining economic health is not the only reason for small business bankruptcy. Further, this paper extends our understanding of how increasing the management adequacy through employment training leads to the higher survival rate of small firms.