Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Galectin-3: clinical utility and prognostic value in patients with heart failure

Correspondence: Frank Kramer Clinical Sciences, Global Biomarker Strategy and Development, Bayer HealthCare, Aprather Weg 18a, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany Tel +49 202 36 5680 Fax +49 202 36 4115 Email frank.kramer@bayer.com Abstract: This review summarizes the key findings of 14 clinical trials in which Galectin-3 was assessed as a biomarker of heart failure. In addition, most relevant information available about Galectin-3 biology generated in in vitro and in vivo research is discussed in the context of heart failure.
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF SAN FRANCISCO WORKING PAPER SERIES Measuring News Sentiment

This paper demonstrates state-of-the-art text sentiment analysis tools while developing a new time-series measure of economic sentiment derived from economic and financial newspaper articles from January 1980 to April 2015. We compare the predictive accuracy of a large set of sentiment analysis models using a sample of articles that have been rated by humans on a positivity/negativity scale. The results highlight the gains from combining existing lexicons and from accounting for negation. We also generate our own sentiment-scoring model, which includes a new lexicon built specifically to capture the sentiment in economic news articles. This model is shown to have better predictive accuracy than existing, “off-the-shelf”, models. Lastly, we provide an application to the economic research on sentiment. Motivated by Barsky and Sims (2012), we estimate the impulse responses of macroeconomic variables to sentiment shocks. Our results are consistent with their theoretical and empirical predictions. Positive sentiment shocks increase consumption, output, and interest rates and dampen inflation. ∗We thank Armen Berjikly and the Kanjoya and Ultimate Software staff for generously assisting on the project and providing guidance, comments and suggestions. Lily Huang and Ben Shapiro provided excellent research assistance. The paper benefitted from comments from participants at the Econometric Society summer meetings, APAM meetings, and the Federal Reserve System Applied Microeconomics conference. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. †Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, adam.shapiro@sf.frb. org ‡Stanford University, moritz@cs.stanford. edu §Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, daniel.wilson@sf.frb. org
Fate and Transport of Naproxen in a Sandy Aquifer Material: Saturated Column Studies and Model Evaluation

Naproxen-C14H14O3 is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which has been found at detectable concentrations in wastewater, surface water, and groundwater. Naproxen is relatively hydrophilic and is in anionic form at pH between 6 and 8. In this study, column experiments were performed using an unconsolidated aquifer material from an area near Barcelona (Spain) to assess transport and reaction mechanisms of Naproxen in the aquifer matrix under different pore water fluxes. Results were evaluated using HYDRUS-1D, which was used to estimate transport parameters. Batch sorption isotherms for Naproxen conformed with the linear model with a sorption coefficient of 0.42 (cm3 g−1), suggesting a low sorption affinity. Naproxen breakthrough curves (BTCs) measured in soil columns under steady-state, saturated water flow conditions displayed similar behavior, with no apparent hysteresis in sorption or dependence of retardation (R, 3.85-4.24) on pore water velocities. Soil sorption did not show any significant decrease for increasing flow rates, as observed from Naproxen recovery in the effluent. Sorption parameters estimated by the model suggest that Naproxen has a low sorption affinity to aquifer matrix. Most sorption of Naproxen occurred on the instantaneous sorption sites, with the kinetic sorption sites representing only about 10 to 40% of total sorption.
D.16 Visualizations, Animations and Simulations for Computer Engineering Education: Is High-Tech Content always necessary?

Multimedia learning and all its facets (e.g., E-Learning, M-Learning, X-Learning) offers promising tools for Life Long Learning (LLL) and Continuing Engineering Education (CEE). Modern information technology is both, increasing in sophistication and, simultaneously, making it easier to build Learning Objects (LO) containing “high-tech” visualizations, animations and simulations for educational purposes. However, before starting development, it is always necessary to first ascertain, whether “high-tech” content has the potential to enhance the learning processes of the targeted end-users, and to what extent it has the potential. Today, we are facing a large body of empirical studies reporting contradictory results concerning the superiority of “high-tech” Learning Objects in relation to rather “Spartan” textbook lessons. Pedagogical and psychological theories report both pros and cons regarding the efficacy of such objects. Questions include which factors contribute to the success or failure of multimedia Learning Objects. An interesting factor might be the time a learner needs to acquire certain knowledge with different types of Learning Objects. This factor, however, was investigated by only few empirical studies to date. Especially within the scope of Life Long Learning and Learning on Demand (LoD) the learning speed is of special importance because learning increasingly is an integral part of today’s work process. Based on experiments, in this paper we raise the question whether appropriate multimedia Learning Objects (i.e. animations) enable learners to learn more in less or equal time in comparison to “Spartan” Learning Objects (i.e. purely textbased instructions). Moreover, we exemplify the importance of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in instructional design. The empirical results of our study indicated that animations can facilitate the learning process in the domain of engineering education. The results are discussed regarding the perspective of Human-Computer Interaction with a view to Life Long Learning, regarding their theoretical foundation, and regarding design implications.
A Research Proposal to Examine Entrepreneurship in Family Business

This paper builds on existing theoretical and empirical studies in the areas of family business and entrepreneurship. It uses Dubin´s theory building framework to propose a model for conducting research of family businesses and its linkage to entrepreneurial activities in Mexico. This works starts by describing the concepts of family business and explains the importance that these definitions can have on the variables to be included in the research. After that, the paper explains how the concept of “familiness” relates to the essence definition of family business. Using the resource-based view (RBV), agency theory, and social capital theories we describe how social capital resources are the basis for building firm capabilities and competitive advantages that influence firm’s performances. Based on this perspective, a theoretical model, laws of interaction, a set of propositions and suggestions for further research are provided.
OWNERSHIP VERSUS EFFICIENCY: A CROSS-COUNTRY COMPARATION OF HEALTH SYSTEMS

Introducing market mechanisms to the health systems of transition countries in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (CESEE) after 1990, has not met expectations and the biggest changes are yet to come. The main objectives of this paper are to compare health systems’ efficiency of CESEE countries and in the second stage to analyze whether the different ownership of health care providers is associated with the health system efficiency. Therefore, the relative technical efficiency of decision making units (DMUs), i.e. health system in CESEE countries, is obtained from the BCC model using data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique. The analysis of efficiency level of health systems in CESEE countries offers valuable information on possibilities for improving the efficiency. Furthermore, analyzing the impact of different ownership of health care providers on the efficiency is an important step towards improvement of the health system, on the basis of which it is possible to define the desired state as well as the way to achieve it.
THE INFLUENCE OF RED WORMS (E. FOETIDA) ON COMPOST’S FERTILIZING PROPERTIES

Composting is becoming a more and more common way of biodegradable waste disposal. Composts should be characterized by high content of nutrients and low amount of pollutants. Vermicompost is a compost produced by overpopulated culture of earthworm Eisenia foetida (Savigny 1826). World scientific literature states that vermicompost has a high fertilizing value which often exceeds such value of conventional composts. The results showed that vermicompost has a much higher fertilizing value than the compost produced by the traditional pile method. However, prism vermicompost created with the participation of a less concentrated population of earthworms has an intermediate value as a fertilizer (nitrogen and heavy metals), it could be assessed as a lower value product due to the lower content of potassium and phosphorus than the material obtained without earthworms.
The Primary Effect: Preference Votes and Political Promotions

In this analysis of how electoral rules and outcomes shape the internal organization of political parties, we make an analogy to primary elections to argue that parties use preference-vote tallies to identify popular politicians and promote them to positions of power. We document this behavior among parties in Sweden's semi-open-list system and in Brazil's open-list system. To identify a causal impact of preference votes, we exploit a regression discontinuity design around the threshold of winning the most preference votes on a party list. In our main case, Sweden, these narrow “primary winners” are at least 50% more likely to become local party leaders than their runners-up. Across individual politicians, the primary effect is present only for politicians who hold the first few positions on the list and when the preference-vote winner and runner-up have similar competence levels. Across party groups, the primary effect is the strongest in unthreatened governing parties.
Long-term changes of the river runoff in Latvia

The study of changes in river discharge is important for the development of efficient water resource management systems, as well as for the development and validation of climate change impact models. The discharge regime of rivers and their long-term changes in Latvia were investigated. Four major types of river discharge regimes, which depend on climatic and physico-geographic factors, were characterized. These factors are linked to the changes observed in river discharge. Periodic oscillations of discharge intensity, and low- and high-water flow years are common for the major rivers in Latvia. A main frequency of about 20 and 13 years was estimated for the studied rivers.
Stress interaction effect on the occurrence probability of characteristic earthquakes in Central Apennines

[1] In this study, we compute the effect of stress change due to previous historical earthquakes on the probability of occurrence of future earthquakes on neighboring faults. Following a methodology developed in the last decade, we start from the estimate of the probability of occurrence in the next 50 years for a characteristic earthquake on known seismogenic structures, based on a time-dependent renewal model. Then a physical model for the Coulomb stress change caused by previous earthquakes on these structures is applied. The influence of this stress change on the occurrence rate of characteristic earthquakes is computed, taking into account both permanent (clock advance) and temporary (rate-and-state) perturbations. We apply this method to the computation of earthquake hazard of the main seismogenic structures recognized in the Central and Southern Apennines region, for which both historical and paleoseismological data are available. This study provides the opportunity of reviewing the problems connected with the estimate of the parameters of a renewal model in case of characteristic earthquakes characterized by return times longer than the time spanned by the available catalogues and the applicability of the concept of characteristic earthquake itself. The results show that the estimated effect of earthquake interaction in this region is small compared with the uncertainties affecting the statistical model used for the basic time-dependent hazard assessment.
Arthropod responses to the experimental isolation of Amazonian forest fragments

Arthropods are the most diverse and abundant group of animals found in tropical lowland forests, and in light of ongoing global change phenomena, it is essential to better understand their responses to anthropogenic disturbances. Here we present a review of arthropod responses to forest deforestation and fragmentation based on studies conducted at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP), located in central Amazonia. These studies involved a wide range of arthropod groups. All but one of the studies evaluated changes in total species number or species density in relation to fragment size, (i.e. area effects), and one-third also evaluated edge effects. Our review indicates that almost every arthropod group studied showed some kind of response to reduction in forest area, including altered abundances, species richness or composition in comparisons of different-sized fragments, fragmented and non-fragmented areas, or comparisons of forest edges and forest interiors. These responses tended to be idiosyncratic, with some groups showing predicted declines in abundance or diversity in the fragments while others show no response or even increases. However, some of the observed effects on arthropods, or on the ecological processes in which they are involved, were transient. The most likely explanation for this was the rapid development of secondary growth around fragments, which greatly increased the connectivity between fragments and the remaining forest. Although the BDFFP has provided many insights regarding the effects of forest fragmentation on arthropod assemblages, many diverse groups, such as canopy arthropods, have received scant attention. For those that have been studied, much remains to be learned regarding the long-term dynamics of these assemblages and how landscape context influences local biodiversity. The BDFFP remains an exceptional site in which to investigate how the ecological interactions in which arthropods are engaged are altered in fragmented landscapes.
Quantifying the constraint of biospheric process parameters by CO 2 concentration and flux measurement networks through a carbon cycle data assimilation system

Abstract. The sensitivity of the process parameters of the Biosphere Energy Transfer HYdrology (BETHY) model to choices of atmospheric concentration network, high frequency terrestrial fluxes, and the choice of flux measurement network is investigated by using a carbon cycle data assimilation system. We use BETHY-generated fluxes as a proxy of flux measurements. Results show that monthly mean or low-frequency observations of CO 2 concentration provide strong constraints on parameters relevant for net flux (NEP) but only weak constraints for parameters controlling gross fluxes. The use of high-frequency CO 2 concentration observations, which has led to great refinement of spatial scales in inversions of net flux, adds little to the observing system in the Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System (CCDAS) case. This unexpected result is explained by the fact that the stations of the CO 2 concentration network we use are not well placed to measure such high frequency signals. Indeed, CO 2 concentration sensitivities relevant for such high frequency fluxes are found to be largely confined in the vicinity of the corresponding fluxes, and are therefore not well observed by background monitoring stations. In contrast, our results clearly show the potential of flux measurements to better constrain the model parameters relevant for gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP). Given uncertainties in the spatial description of ecosystem functions, we recommend a combined observing strategy.
Application of value stream mapping (VSM) in gear manufacturing process: A case study

Since the end of 20th century, Lean Manufacturing has been recognized as an important approach in competitive industrial environments to improving productivity by reducing process cycle time. To remain competitive in the market, organizations are compelled to find new domains for improvements in order to reduce production lead time and to smooth the flow of processes. The current research aims at designing efficient future VSM to improve productivity by reducing process cycle time and waste in a gear manufacturing process in an automotive industry. The approach was based on mapping the current state of the process to identify the non-value-added activities and also for opportunities for improvement in value added activities. Kaizen events are the main metrics for improvement in the current process by integrating it with the future value stream map. This study concluded that the designed future value stream map helps effectively in identifying the wasteful activities i.e. distance travelled and inventory at different workstations. VSM integrated with Kaizen proves itself a useful approach in achieving continuous process improvement.
CARBON MINERALIZATION FROM PLANT RESIDUE-AMENDED SOILS UNDER VARYING MOISTURE CONDITIONS

The effects of soil moisture content and source of carbon on soil carbon mineralization have not been fully investigated. Present study reported significant variations in soil carbon mineralization from soils with different plant residues as the sources of carbon at varying soil moisture contents. Soil samples were mixed with each of milled groundnut, mucuna, maize and bush fallow residues. Calculated fixed volumes of water were added to bring each sample to an air-dried moisture state, 50 % field moisture capacity, and the field moisture capacity state. A control sample was similarly treated but without plant residue additions. All samples were arranged in completely randomized design and incubated at room temperature for 130 days. Carbon mineralization was defined by the rate of CO2-C emissions from the samples during the incubation. The effect of moisture on mineralization was more pronounced at 50 % field capacity. Considerable variations in CO2 release reflected the dominant role of residue composition (N and C/N ratios) on soil C mineralization. The order of CO 2-C evolution increased as: bush fallow < maize = mucuna < groundnut. This demonstrates that, knowledge on residue composition and soil moisture condition is vital to soil organic matter management.
Fungi and Aflatoxin Occurrence in Fresh and Dried Vegetables Marketedin Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Mycoflora and aflatoxin contamination was determined in 200 samples of fresh and dried vegetable, which are widely used because of their nutritional and medicinal principles. Fifty (50) fresh pumpkin (Curcurbita spp), fresh spinach (Spinancia oleracea), bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) comprising of (25 dried and 25 fresh) and 50 samples of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) (25 dried and 25 fresh) were collected from local vegetable vendors in Minna metropolis, Nigeria for investigation. Identification of isolates was carried out based on their morphological and microscopic characteristics. A total of 165 isolates made up of 4 genera (Aspergillus, Penicillum, Fusarium and Mucor) were identified. Aflatoxins (AF) were determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography technique with UV detection. The dried bitter leaf samples was more (P 0.05) difference was observed between AFB1 (40%) and AFB2 (44%) in the dried bitter leaf samples. Aflatoxins were detected in tomato (fresh and dried) and spinach samples at lower concentrations (0.00-9.12 μg/kg). This report calls for a need for enlightenment on proper agricultural, storage and hygienic practices alongside the hazards related with aflatoxin-contaminated foods.
Solid phase phosphorus species and preservation of fish remains in marine sediments of areas of high primary productivity and oxygen seasonality (36°S, central South Chile)

Copyright © 2014 by The Geochemical Society of Japan. nantly oxic, phosphate is adsorbed onto iron oxides (Slomp et al., 1996), whereas when reducing conditions prevail in surface sediments, phosphate is released from iron oxides favoring the formation of insoluble authigenic minerals (i.e., authigenic hydroxyapatite) permanently removing P from the water column (Slomp et al., 1996). Although it is usually assumed that phosphorus transformation at the sediment water interface and in surface sediments is an abiotic process, recent evidence suggests that prokaryotes and certain eukaryotes such as the yeast Candida maltosa, are capable of remineralizing recalcitrant organophosphorus compounds such as phosphonates. Moreover, microbes can also contribute to the formation of recalcitrant organic compounds and biogenic apatite and thus can ultimately contribute to P burial in sediments (Paytan and McLaughlin, 2007). The mechanisms of P sequestration by bacteria in the sediment are not still clear but it has been suggested that bacteria apatite formation is a significant phosphorus sink under anoxic bottom water conditions in the Namibian upwelling system where modern phosphorite formation is occurring associated with Solid phase phosphorus species and preservation of fish remains in marine sediments of areas of high primary productivity and oxygen seasonality (36°S, central South Chile)
COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY OF DIFFERENT MUNGBEAN GENOTYPES UNDER AGRO-CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF QUETTA

A Field experiment was conducted, to compare the growth and yield performance of some mungbean genotypes (MM – 396 – A 89, Local Nal, M – 6, NM – 84, M – 1, NCM – 206 and AZRI – 2006) at Agriculture Research Institute, Quetta. Under the Agro – Ecological conditions of Quetta, maximum seed yield was produced by AZRI-2006 due to the fact that it had more number of pods plant-1, number of seedsplant-1and 1000 seed weight.
Induction of Apoptosis in Myelogenous Leukemic K562 Cells by Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Annona muricata

Prevalence of cancer, especially in Nigeria, is silently growing at exponential rates due to its nature and numerous risk factors associated with its development. Most chemotherapeutic drugs used today are expensive and toxic to normal cells, hence the need for alternative treatment options. In this present study, the efficacy of ethanolic extracts of Annona muricata leaves for its cytotoxicity potential and induction of apoptosis in K562 cancer cells, was investigated. Phytochemical screening verified presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, anthraquinones and cardiac glycosides. Using Neutral red uptake assay, the ethanolic extract showed peak cytotoxicity levels (PAnnona muricata induced apoptosis in the myelogenous leukemic K562 cell line. This supports the therapeutic application of Annona muricata to be considered as a natural product source for the development of pro-apoptotic drugs.