Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
p38 MAPK Signalling in Endothelial Apoptosis

The roleofp38mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) inapoptosis is amatter ofdebate.Here, weinvestigated theinvolvement ofp38 MAPK in endothelial apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor a (TNF). We found that activation of p38 MAPK preceded activation of caspase-3, and the early phase of p38 MAPK stimulation did not depend on caspase activity, as shown by pretreatment with the caspase inhibitors z-Val-Ala-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (zVAD-fmk) and Boc-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (BAF). The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 significantly attenuated TNF-induced apoptosis in endothelial cells, suggesting that p38 MAPK is essential for apoptotic signaling. Furthermore, we observed a time-dependent increase in active p38 MAPK in the mitochondrial subfraction of cells exposed to TNF. Notably, the level of Bcl-x L protein was reduced in cells undergoing TNF-induced apoptosis, and this reduction was prevented by treatment with SB203580. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed p38 MAPK-dependent serine–threonine phosphorylation of Bcl-x L in TNF-treated cells. Exposure to lactacystin prevented both the downregulation of Bcl-x L and activation of caspase-3. Taken together, our results suggest that TNF-induced p38 MAPK-mediated phosphorylation of Bcl-x L in endothelial cells leads to degradation of Bcl-x L in proteasomes and subsequent induction of apoptosis. D
Compliance with Standard Precautions Among Nurses in Buraidah Health Care Settings. Buraidah, Saudi Arabia

: This study was designed to determine the knowledge, compliance, and self-efficacy of standard precautions among nurses in Buraidah healthcare settings in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 qualified nurses with over one year of working experience in the selected health setting. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection, including sections related to knowledge, compliance, and self-efficacy on standard precautions. Regression analysis was used to identify factors related to achieving a good level of compliance. A high rate of a good level of compliance with standard precaution (95%) was reported in this study, followed by good knowledge (73.8%) and good self-efficacy (44.8%). Factors related to education levels such as those holding a bachelor certificate or above (AOR = 6.145, 95% CI = 3.105-12.161, p = <.0001), with experiences more than 5 years, working in a less contaminated environment, being of technical title as nurses and working in public hospitals (OR = 2.885, 95% CI = 1.230-6.767, p = .015), were found highly associated with a good level of knowledge, compliance and self-efficacy of standard precaution (p<0.05). Compliance with standard precautions among the nurses was good, however, best practices for strict adherence to the standard precautions are required as the core for ensuring good healthcare quality and an adequate safe working environment. Continuous orientation and training programs are required to achieve better improvement of SP measures.
Hypothesising the emerging core characteristics of Vietnam’s political economy

The paper offers an analytical framework for understanding the core drivers of the political economy of the ruling Communist Party in Vietnam, seeing this as driven by the absence of political reform, so that, lacking core authority, the regime does not possess those new powers required by the new conditions of market economy and an increasingly open society. Designed for Soviet totalitarianism, and without popular support, formal political institutions are anachronistic and so limit the range of powers available to the Party. As the regime is thus unable reliably to deploy policy, unless the regime feels threatened politics becomes one of competition over spoils. Thus, if macroeconomic instability actually or potentially threatens the regime, the Politburo gains authority to act and policy has been deployed. Yet popular discontent over corruption, favourable treatment of politically-connected businesses, public education, public health and other areas, not seen as regime-threatening, mounts, leading to a disequilibrium, and use of the security forces and increasing violence against popular opposition. Further research is needed to judge the value of the framework.
Rise And Fall Of Cities, Measuring Spatial Clustering And Economies Of Urban Agglomeration In West Java

With others neighboring Provinces in the western part of Java, the West Java Province shares the southeast Asian most densely urban area (Bodebek as part of Jabodetabek and Greater Bandung). This research tries to identify the spatial clustering of urban economies activities using employment data from Economic Census of 2006 as proxy for urban agglomeration. Using the identification result, we then estimate aggregate production function of the urban agglomeration area to calculate it’s economies of agglomeration. From the result we found that both Bodebek and Greater Bandung metropolitan area are both have been reach the stage of saturation in their economic activity. Meanwhile, the alternative definition of Bodebek shows the stage of slight increasing return to scale, indicate the economies are trying to expand to regain the economies of scale that has been saturated in origin area.
Prediction to the prognosis of children with neuroblastoma by nomogram based on the rst-diagnosed in�ammatory markers

Background: Patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) have a poor prognosis. The prognostic signi�cance of in�ammatory biomarker-based nomograms for children with NB has not been previously studied. Methods: Part of patients diagnosed with NB in our center from January 2016 to March 2022 were included in the study. In�ammatory biomarkers were primary outcome measures, including C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune-inammation index (SII). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed to assess the prognostic value of these indicators for overall survival (OS) in NB children, showing the Kaplan-Meier survival curves and plotting the nomogram. C-index were used to detect predictability. Results: 93 NB patients were retrospectively analyzed.CRP, ferritin, NLR, PLR, and SII were signi�cantly associated with OS of NB patients, while LMR were found to be not predictive of OS for NB patients. The established nomogram is well-calibrated, and the C-index is 0.731. Conclusion: Survival analysis found part of in�ammatory biomarkers related to the prognosis of NB. The nomogram could be used as a convenient predictive tool in clinical practice to evaluate the prognosis of NB children at �rst diagnosis.
The Long-Term Impact of Energy Poverty and Its Mitigation on Educational Attainment: Evidence From China

Existing studies demonstrate the short-run connection between environmental conditions and academic performance. However, the long-term effects of exposure to adverse living conditions on academic achievement remain un-derexplored. This study investigates the long-term impact of energy poverty, and policy interventions aimed at alleviating it, on the academic performance of Chinese schoolchildren starting from infancy. It specifically utilizes the Huai River Policy, which provides free winter heating exclusively to northern regions in China but not to adjacent southern regions. My findings suggest a significant positive influence of winter heating on schoolchildren’s academic performance, with a more pronounced effect for children born during winter months. The insights gained from this research could inform policy debates to enhance educational outcomes and human well-being
The cooperation of microorganisms, bacteria, mold, yeast, and Actinomycetes consortium on decomposition of household organic waste in lowering C/N ratio

Abstract. Prihastini L, Ramelan AH, Setyono P, Pranoto. 2023. The cooperation of microorganisms, bacteria, mold, yeast, and Actinomycetes consortium on decomposition of household organic waste in lowering C/N ratio. Biodiversitas 24: 4862-4869. This study aimed to investigate the effective management of household waste that can lead to environmental pollution when not appropriately managed. Composting has emerged as a promising, cost-effective, and sustainable solution to address the issue of organic waste management. Furthermore, this study identified the best bioinoculants with the ability to lower the C/N ratio on the decomposition of household organic waste. It was performed with Factorial Completely Randomized Design A×B, where the A factor was bioinoculant formulas (16 formulas) and the B was the decomposition period (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks). The decomposition process was conducted at the 0, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks with the C/N ratio examination. The collected data were subjected to ANOVA testing and further analyzed using the Duncan test. The results showed the lowest C/N ratio with the addition of bioinoculant code A14 (14.87) and the highest C/N reduction percentage with the addition of bioinoculant code A14 (82.7%). The best bioinoculant was treatment with A14, namely the combination of the mold consortium, yeast, and Actinomycetes. However, treatment with the addition of A14 code bioinoculant was no different from A13 code since both have the same lowercase code (i). The A13 code treatment was not significantly different from A8 since both had the same lowercase code (h).
Lucas meets Baumol and Tobin

Many issues that were traditionally analyzed using the Baumol-Tobin model can also be analyzed, perhaps more easily, using the Lucas (1980) cash-in-advance model where money serves both as a medium of exchange and as a store of value. This is illustrated by three examples (implications) of the Lucas model: (i) the velocity of money is time varying, volatile, and inflation-dependent; (ii) transitory money injections have expansionary real effects on output and employment; and (iii) the welfare cost of anticipated inflation is a couple of orders larger than the conventional estimates.
Eﬃcient biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles using Lacticaseibacillus paracasei SCFF20: A potential bio-factory for selenite conversion

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element that plays a critical role in maintaining human physiological metabolism. Among its various forms, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have been found to possess higher degree of bioavailability and lower toxicity. This study screened 21 probiotics and identiﬁed a Se(IV)-resistant strain of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei SCFF20 that eﬀectively converts sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) to SeNPs. The SeNPs produced by L. paracasei SCFF20 were puriﬁed, freeze-dried, and systematically characterized using SEM-EDX, DLS, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR techniques. SEM–EDX analysis revealed that Se was the primary constituent of the biogenic nanoparticles. The synthesized SeNPs were spherical and poly-disperse, with an average particle size of approximately 500.62 nm. XRD patterns and Raman spectroscopy conﬁrmed the biologically amorphous nature of the fabricated nanoparticles. Additionally, FTIR spectral analyses demonstrated the presence of proteins, exopolysaccharides, and lipids coating the surface of the SeNPs. Moreover, the reduction rate of SeNPs, as measured by ICP-OES, was determined to be 91.42%. The ﬁndings of this study highlight the potential of L. paracasei SCFF20 as a probiotic capable of producing SeNPs, which can be used as a bio-factory for the safe production of biogenic SeNPs for nutritional supplements and functional foods.
Preindustrial to Modern Interdecadal Variability in Coral Reef pH

The oceans are becoming more acidic due to absorption of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The impact of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems is unclear, but it will likely depend on species adaptability and the rate of change of seawater pH relative to its natural variability. To constrain the natural variability in reef-water pH, we measured boron isotopic compositions in a ∼300-year-old massive Porites coral from the southwestern Pacific. Large variations in pH are found over ∼50-year cycles that covary with the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation of ocean-atmosphere anomalies, suggesting that natural pH cycles can modulate the impact of ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems. Boron isotopes indicate that corals in the southwestern tropical Pacific Ocean have adapted to pH changes of up to ±0.3 in the past 300 years.
C1 Finite Elements for Dune

We present a DUNE module that provides three new types of finite elements, namely the cubic Hermite element on simplices, the quadratic Morley and the quintic Argyris triangle. They give DUNE the capability to formulate conforming methods for fourth order problems in one and two dimensions. We detail out, how they handle the lack of affine equivalence while still being usable on the reference element, and discuss their positioning within the DUNE framework. Additionally, a particular focus lies on the possibility to strongly enforce essential boundary conditions. Including these elements in DUNE routines and higher level discretization modules solely requires an adaptation of the global interpolation routine in order to allow the evaluation of derivatives as degrees of freedom and a minor adaption in the treatment of boundary conditions. We verify that the implemented elements attain their theoretically predicted convergence rate for a series of numerical experiments, ranging from second order elliptic problems to the minimization of a von-Kármán energy. Statement of authorship I hereby certify that I have authored this document entitled C1 Finite Elements for Dune independently and without undue assistance from third parties. No other than the resources and references indicated in this document have been used. I have marked both literal and accordingly adopted quotations as such. There were no additional persons involved in the intellectual preparation of the present document. I am aware that violations of this declaration may lead to subsequent withdrawal of the academic degree. Dresden, 15th June 2022
Validating Multiple Structural Change Models – an Extended Case Study Validating Multiple Structural Change Models – an Extended Case Study

SUMMARY In a recent article, Bai and Perron (2003, Journal of Applied Econometrics) present a comprehensive discussion of computational aspects of multiple structural change models along with several empirical examples. Here, we report on the results of a replication study using the R statistical software package. We are able to verify most of their findings; however, some confidence intervals associated with breakpoints cannot be reproduced. These confidence intervals require computation of the quantiles of a nonstandard distribution, the distribution of the argmax functional of a certain stochastic process. Interestingly, the difficulties appear to be due to numerical problems in GAUSS, the software package used by Bai and Perron.
Improving Financial Education for Young Women: A Case Study of Australian School Students

 Abstract — There is a sustained observable gender gap in financial literacy, with females consistently having lower levels than males. This research explores the knowledge and experiences of high school students in Australia aged 14 to 18 in order to understand how this gap can be improved. Using a predominantly qualitative approach, we find evidence to support impacts on financial literacy from financial socialization and socio-economic environment. We also find evidence that current teaching and assessment approaches to financial literacy may disadvantage female students. We conclude by offering recommendations to improve the way financial literacy education is delivered within the curriculum.
Walking traverse and scanning DOAS measurements of volcanic gas emission rates

We report here the first measurements of volcanic SO2 fluxes obtained on foot, using a miniature ultraviolet spectrometer. Our measurements, based on differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS), were performed ≈1 km from the summit of Masaya volcano (Nicaragua) in December 2001, and yielded a mean SO2 emission rate of 4 kg s−1, comparable with a set of contemporaneous measurements obtained by road vehicle traverses (average 6 kg s−1). SO2 flux estimates (average 4 kg s−1) were also obtained from a fixed position by scanning the plume. This range of fluxes confirms an apparent decrease in gas output from the volcano since 2000. The portability and ease of use of the spectrometer offer considerable scope for routine measurements of SO2 emissions from volcanoes, especially where road access or opportunities for airborne campaigns are limited. These approaches can be readily extended to monitor other sources and gases.
Reduction of the field‐aligned potential drop in the polar cap during large geomagnetic storms

We have studied photoelectron flows and the inferred field‐aligned potential drop in the polar cap during five large geomagnetic storms, which occurred in the periods when the photoelectron observations in the polar cap are available near the apogee of the Fast Auroral SnapshoT satellite (~4000 km) at solar maximum, and the footprint of the satellite paths in the polar cap was under sunlit conditions most of the time. In contrast to the ~20 V potential drop during geomagnetically quiet periods at solar maximum identified by Kitamura et al. (2012), the field‐aligned potential drop frequently became smaller than ~5 V during the main and early recovery phases of the large geomagnetic storms. This result indicates that the acceleration of ions by a field‐aligned potential drop in the polar cap and the lobe region is smaller during the main and early recovery phases of large geomagnetic storms compared to during geomagnetically quiet periods. Since ions with large flux originating from the cusp/cleft ionosphere convect into the polar cap during geomagnetic storms, the net escaping electron number flux should increase to balance the enhanced ion outflows under small field‐aligned current conditions. The magnitude of the field‐aligned potential drop would be reduced to let larger part of photoelectrons escape.
LBS Research Online

Problem definition: While firms are increasingly relying on sourcing globally as a key constitute of their supply chain strategy, there is no empirical evidence on whether investors of these firms adequately reflect firms’ global sourcing strategy (GSS) in their stock valuation process. In this paper, we empirically test whether stock market participants are efficient in doing so. Methodology/results: Using the empirical asset pricing framework, we find that information concerning firms’ GSS strongly predicts their future stock returns. We compile a transaction-level imports database for US-listed firms and construct measures for five widely studied GSS aspects in the Operations Management literature: the extent of global sourcing; supplier relationship strength; supplier concentration; sourcing lead time; and sourcing countries’ logistical efficiency. For each measure, we examine returns of a zero-cost investment strategy of buying from the highest and selling from the lowest quintile of that measure. Collectively these investment strategies yield an average annual four-factor alpha of 6% to 9.6% (6% to 13.9%) with value (equal)-weighted portfolios. Their return predictability is incremental over other operations-and-cost-arbitrage motivated predictors such as inventory turnover, cash conversion cycle and gross profitability, is persistent across different supply chain positions, and is robust to alternate risk models, subsamples, and empirical specifications. Together, our results indicate that the GSS measures embody independent information about firms’ future profitability, and this information is mispriced by market participants, leading to predictable returns. In accordance with this mechanism, we find that the GSS measures strongly predict both firms’ future earnings and the surprise in market reactions around the earnings announcement days. Managerial implications: The robust return predictability of our GSS measures suggests that investors are not fully incorporating GSS-related information in their stock valuation frameworks. Therefore, our results calls for greater investor education on global sourcing and better dissemination of global sourcing information so as to mitigate valuation inefficiency.
Joint Precoding Design for Multi-antenna Multi-user ISAC Systems

In this chapter, we consider the joint transmit design for a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) based integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) sys-tem, which simultaneously probes multiple radar targets and communicates with multiple downlink users. The joint transmitter radiates the sum of precoded communication symbols for multiple users and dedicated radar waveform. The precoding weights are jointly designed with optimization problems under certain power constraints, such that performance of both radar and communication is optimized or guaranteed. Typical optimization objectives for radar and communication functions are discussed, including the Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRB) on target estimation, and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at each communication user. The formulated optimization problems are generally non-convex, and are therefore often addressed via convex relaxation techniques. We also theoretically analyze the Shannon capacity of the joint transmit under radar performance constraints, which reveals the inherent trade-off between communication and radar functions. Future research directions are also discussed.
Echo Enhancement Duplex Ultrasonography: Improvement with Vertebrobasilar Transcranial Color-Coded

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The diagnostic yield of vertebrobasilar transcranial color-coded duplex ultrasonography (US) is often hampered by insufficient acoustic penetration, anatomic variations, and vessel tortousity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of echo enhancement on vertebrobasilar transcranial color-coded duplex US. METHODS : In 23 consecutive patients (mean age, 61.0 (cid:1) 11.1 years) with vertebrobasilar stroke, the vertebrobasilar system (P1 segment of the posterior cerebral artery [PCA], basilar head, V4 segment of the vertebral artery, and basilar artery) was examined with transcranial color-coded duplex US before and after injection of an echo-enhancer. The acoustic window was graded according to visibility of parenchymal structures, and vessel imaging was graded according to the appearance of the color mode signal. Maximum depth of the basilar color signal was recorded. All patients with an abnormal or inconclusive US finding underwent either digital subtraction angiography or MR angiography. RESULTS : In the P1 PCA, V4 vertebral artery, basilar artery, and basilar head, image quality was insufficient in 65%, 82%, 83%, and 38%, respectively, before echo enhancement, and in 15%, 30%, 35%, and 9%, respectively, after echo enhancement. In all graded vessels, the improved image quality with echo enhancement was statistically significant. Compared with the reference examinations in the 15 cases of occlusion or stenosis, definite diagnosis was possible in 60% (nine cases) with nonenhanced transcranial color-coded duplex US and in 93% of (14 cases) after echo enhancement. CONCLUSION : Echo enhancement resulted in improved image quality of the vertebrobasilar system and markedly increased diagnostic confidence.