Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Data-Driven Management of Post-Transplant Medications: An Ambiguous Partially Observable Markov Decision Process Approach

Problem definition: Organ-transplanted patients typically receive high amounts of immunosuppressive drugs (e.g., tacrolimus) as a mechanism to reduce their risk of organ rejection. However, because of the diabetogenic effect of these drugs, this practice exposes them to a greater risk of new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT), and hence, becoming insulin dependent. We study and develop effective medication management strategies to address the common conundrum of balancing the risk of organ rejection versus that of NODAT. Academic/practical relevance: Our research contributes to the healthcare operations management literature by developing a robust stochastic decision-making framework that allows for incorporating (1) false-positive and false-negative errors of medical tests, (2) inevitable estimation errors when data sets are used, (3) variability among physician’ attitudes toward ambiguous outcomes, and (4) dynamic and patient risk-profile-dependent progression of health conditions. Methodology: We apply an ambiguous partially observable Markov decision process (APOMDP) approach where dynamic optimization with respect to a “cloud” of possible models allows us to make decisions that are robust to potential misspecifications of risks. Results: We first provide various structural results that facilitate characterizing the optimal medication policies. Utilizing a clinical data set, we then compare the performance of the optimal medication policies obtained from our APOMDP model with the policies currently used in the medical practice. We observe that, in one year after transplant, our proposed policies can improve the life expectancy of each patient up to 4.58%, while reducing the medical expenditures up to 11.57%. Managerial implications: Balancing the risks of organ rejection and diabetes complications and considering factors such as physicians’ attitudes toward ambiguous outcomes, partial observability of medical tests, and patient-specific risk factors are shown to result in more cost-effective strategies for management of post-transplant medications compared with the current medical practice. Finally, simultaneous management of medications can facilitate the care coordination process between transplantation/nephrology and endocrinology departments of a hospital that are typically in charge of administering such medications.
The impact of interest rates on firms' financing policies

Article history: Received 4 October 2016 Received in revised form 6 May 2017 Accepted 11 May 2017 Available online 12 May 2017 This study analyzes whether corporate financing policies of the US industrial firms have depended on borrowing costs during the last forty years. The results show that the impact is either zero or slightly negative. Even in the latter case, the results are economically insignificant. Overall, our findings suggest that firms do not adjust their capital structures based on interest rates, except when market participants expect that real gross domestic product growth will be negative. Using a dynamic partial equilibrium model, we show that relatively high leverage adjustment costs are able to explain the weak negative relation between interest rates and a firm's leverage. Our results are also consistent with the view that firms target debt-to-asset ratio rather than debt level. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classifications: E43 G12 G32
Effects of Annealing and Removal of the Water-Soluble Fraction of Dry-Milled Rice Flour on the Texture of Cooked Rice Noodles

Rice noodles were prepared using dry-milled rice flours, which were treated by annealing and removing the water-soluble fraction to improve the quality of noodles without using chemical additives. The combined treatment (TC) with annealing and water-soluble fraction removal decreased the cooking losses for Goamibyeo but not for Chenmaai and Milyang260, which had soft kernels and contained less damaged starch than the hard kernel rice after milling. TC significantly reduced the hardness and adhesiveness of cooked noodles, and increased the cohesiveness according to the texture profile analysis. A sensory evaluation detected an increase in mouth feel firmness and elasticity of cooked TC noodles. These results indicate that annealing at room temperature for 3 h followed by the removal of the water-soluble fraction is effective for reducing the cooking losses and improving the textural properties of noodles made from rice flour with high starch damage.
In-row Plant Spacing and Date of Harvest of `Beauregard' Sweetpotato Affect Yield and Return on Investment

The effects of plant spacing (15, 23, 31, and 38 cm) and date of harvest on yield and economic return of'Beauregard' sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. ] were studied. For comparison, 'Jewel' was included at one spacing. As in-row plant spacing decreased, yield of U.S. No. 1, canners, and total marketable root production increased when plants were harvested 103 days or later after transplanting. The yield of jumbo roots generally increased with in-row spacing because of less plant-to-plant competition. Total marketable and No. 1 grade yields of'Beauregard' at the closest spacing (15 cm) were greater than those of Jewel'. 'Beauregard' roots sized more quickly than 'Jewel' roots regardless of spacing. The optimal time for harvesting 'Beauregard' was 100 to 110 days after transplanting, while acceptable yields could be obtained as early as 90 days after transplanting depending on market prices. Economic analysis of'Beauregard' spacing data indicated that 23 cm would be the preferred spacing if a late harvest was anticipated, while the 15-cm spacing would be best if harvested at 110 days after transplanting. Thus, sweetpotato growers should place 'Beauregard' at an in-row spacing of 15 or 23 cm, depending on projected date of harvest, on or before 10 June, to obtain the best yields with the highest return on investment.
Retrospective and prospective study of surgical site infection, associated risk factors and profile of causative micro-organisms in laparotomy wounds

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI), is a major complication of surgery and third most commonly reported nosocomial infection. SSI increase length of stays in hospital, costs of health care and morbidity and mortality of patients. This study aims to determine the incidence, associated risk factors and type of pathogenic organisms causing laparotomy wound infection. Methods: This study was done on 200 patients who underwent elective and emergency laparotomy. Diagnosis of wound infection was clinical. Discharge from all wounds was subjected to microbiological analysis.Results: The incidence of SSI following laparotomies is 25%. Risk factors being emergency laparotomy, dirty wound, male sex, increased age, smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity, haemoglobin 2hrs. Most common organism isolated was E. coli.Conclusion: In handling laparotomy cases all aseptic precautions should be maintained, risk factors should be identified early and infections should be treated as per culture sensitivity pattern.
Certus: An Effective Entity Resolution Approach with Graph Differential Dependencies (GDDs)

Entity resolution (ER) is the problem of accurately identifying multiple, differing, and possibly contradicting representations of unique real-world entities in data. It is a challenging and fundamental task in data cleansing and data integration. In this work, we propose graph differential dependencies (GDDs) as an extension of the recently developed graph entity dependencies (which are formal constraints for graph data) to enable approximate matching of values. Furthermore, we investigate a special discovery of GDDs for ER by designing an algorithm for generating a non-redundant set of GDDs in labelled data. Then, we develop an effective ER technique, Certus, that employs the learned GDDs for improving the accuracy of ER results. We perform extensive empirical evaluation of our proposals on five real-world ER benchmark datasets and a proprietary database to test their effectiveness and efficiency. The results from the experiments show the discovery algorithm and Certus are efficient; and more importantly, GDDs significantly improve the precision of ER without considerable trade-off of recall.
Effects of Packaging and Low Temperature on Shelf Life and Quality of Litchi

Litchi is a non-climacteric fruit (Wills et al. 2004) and it deteriorates very fast after harvest. Various technologies have been devised to minimize the post-harvest losses of litchi, one of such technologies is the use of PP bag & low temperature. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effects of thiLitchi is a non-climacteric fruit and it deteriorates very fast after harvest. Various technologies have been devised to minimize the post-harvest losses of Litchi; one of such technologies is the use of Polypropylene bag and low temperature. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of thickness of polypropylene bags and low temperature on the storage behavior of Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn, var. Bombai). The experiment consisted of two factors including temperature (T1: Ambient temperature, T2: 4oC temperature); and Polypropylene bags (P1: Control (unwrapped), P2: 50 μm Polypropylene bag, P3: 75 μm Polypropylene bag, P4: 100 μm Polypropylene bag. The experiment was conducted in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The postharvest treatments caused highly significant variation in the shelf life of Litchi. Among the treated and untreated fruits, 75 μm Polypropylene bags at low temperature (4 oC) exhibited better storage performance. The fruits wrapped in 75 μm Polypropylene bag at 4 °C showed the longest shelf life (23.67 days) followed by 50 μm and 100 μm Polypropylene bags at 4 °C (23.33 days). The shortest shelf life was obtained in the untreated fruits (3 days). It may be concluded that keeping Litchi in 75 μm Polypropylene bag and stored in low temperature (4 oC) is the best postharvest approach to extend Litchi shelf life without considerable negative effects on fruit quality. For short-term storage of Litchi fruits 75 μm Polypropylene bag at ambient temperature is recommended.ckness of polypropylene bags and low temperature on the storage behaviour of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn, var. Bombai). The experiment consisted of two factors. Factor A: Temperature viz. T1: Ambient temperature, T2: 4oC temperature; Factor B: PP bags (Polypropylene bag) viz. P1: Control (unwrapped), P2: 50 micro meter (µm) PP bag, P3: 75µmm PP bag, P4: 100µm PP bag. The experiment was conducted in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The postharvest treatments showed highly significant variation in the shelf life of litchi. Among the treated and untreated fruits, 75µm pp bag at low temperature (4oC) treatment exhibited better storage performance. The fruits wrapped in 75µm pp bag at 4°C showed the longest shelf life (23.67 days) followed by 50µm & 100µm pp bag at 4°C (23.33 days) and it was the lowest in the untreated fruits (3 days). More research should be conducted by using other litchi cultivar like Bedana, China-3 etc. It may be concluded that keeping litchi in 75µ PP bag and stored in low temperature (4oC) is the best to extend its shelf life without affecting the quality. For short-term storage of litchi fruits 75µ PP bag at ambient temperature would be recommended.
Why Early-Historical Radiocarbon Dates Downwind from the Mediterranean are Too Early

Several authors have claimed that radiocarbon dates in the Ancient Near East are too early. Herein, a hypothesis that might explain this is presented. Marine degassing of “old” carbon (i.e. 14C-deficient C), induced by upwelling of old subsurface water, has been observed, in modern times, to cause century-scale 14C ages in the surface atmosphere. A review of the Mediterranean Sea post-ice-age circulation concludes that the subsurface waters became very old, primarily due to millennia-long stagnation. It is hypothesized that as the stagnation ended, subsurface waters were brought towards the surface, where they degassed old carbon. Additionally, Anatolian dendrochronology is shown to not contradict the hypothesis.
Imaging radial velocity planets with SPHERE

We present observations with the planet finder Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) of a selected sample of the most promising radial velocity (RV) companions for high-contrast imaging. Using a Monte Carlo simulation to explore all the possible inclinations of the orbit of wide RV companions, we identified the systems with companions that could potentially be detected with SPHERE. We found the most favourable RV systems to observe are: HD 142, GJ 676, HD 39091, HIP 70849, and HD 30177 and carried out observations of these systems during SPHERE Guaranteed Time Observing. To reduce the intensity of the starlight and reveal faint companions, we used principal component analysis algorithms alongside angular and spectral differential imaging. We injected synthetic planets with known flux to evaluate the self-subtraction caused by our data reduction and to determine the 5σ contrast in the J band versus separation for our reduced images. We estimated the upper limit on detectable companion mass around the selected stars from the contrast plot obtained from our data reduction. Although our observations enabled contrasts larger than 15 mag at a few tenths of arcsec from the host stars, we detected no planets. However, we were able to set upper mass limits around the stars using AMES-COND evolutionary models. We can exclude the presence of companions more massive than 25–28 MJup around these stars, confirming the substellar nature of these RV companions.
Moral Imagination, Parasocial Brand Love, and Customer Citizenship Behavior: Travelers’ Relationship with Sponsoring Airline Brands in the United States

While travelers tend to engage in reflective thinking processes, the relationship between the ability to imagine and the human–brand relations has not been clearly understood. In sustainability and consumer-brand literature, morally imaginative travelers and their relationship with and behavior toward a sponsoring brand have received little attention. In connecting moral imagination with the airline cause sponsorship literature, this study aims to investigate the antecedent of travelers’ parasocial brand love with airlines as sponsors of charitable causes and to identify what motivates customer citizenship behavior. Based on a study sample of 442 travelers who experienced US-based full-service airlines and who were aware of the airlines’ sponsorship of environmental and social charitable causes, the study analyzed the data employing a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to examine the relationship between moral imagination, parasocial brand love, and customer citizenship behavior. The investigation revealed a positive association between reproductive, productive, and creative imagination and parasocial brand love. Additionally, a positive influence of parasocial brand love on customer citizenship behavior was confirmed. This study highlights that imaginative travelers are good at evaluating the airlines’ sponsorship-related moral situations, further developing parasocial brand love. The results provided important insights into practical, as well as theoretical, arenas.
The Optical/Near-IR Colours of Red Quasars

Abstract We present quasi-simultaneous multi-colour optical/near-IR photometry for 157 radio selected quasars, forming an unbiassed sub-sample of the Parkes Flat-Spectrum Sample. Data are also presented for 12 optically selected QSOs, drawn from the Large Bright QSO Survey. The spectral energy distributions of the radio- and optically-selected sources are quite different. The optically selected QSOs are all very similar: they have blue spectral energy distributions curving downwards at shorter wavelengths. Roughly 90% of the radio-selected quasars have roughly power-law spectral energy distributions, with slopes ranging from F v ∝ v 0 to F v ∝ v −2. The remaining 10% have spectral energy distributions showing sharp peaks: these are radio galaxies and highly reddened quasars. Four radio sources were not detected down to magnitude limits of H ∼ 19·6. These are probably high redshift (z > 3) galaxies or quasars. We show that the colours of our red quasars lie close to the stellar locus in the optical: they will be hard to identify in surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. If near-IR photometry is added, however, the red power-law sources can be clearly separated from the stellar locus: IR surveys such as 2MASS should be capable of finding these sources on the basis of their excess flux in the K-band.
hMLH 1 and hMSH 2 Somatic Inactivation Mechanisms in Sporadic Colorectal Cancer Patients

In Hungary, colorectal cancer is the third most frequent malignant disease, with an annual incidence of 70 cases/100,000 inhabitants. Hereditary cancer accounts for 5-10% of all colorectal cancers and two thirds of the familial cases are diagnosed with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). The establishment of the genomic instability is a necessary and early step in the formation of human cancers increasing the mutation rate of the affected cells, thus predisposing them to the accumulation of genetic alterations. The mutator phenotype can be generated by several classes of genes; one of these classes includes genes encoding DNA mismatch repair proteins. The vast majority of HNPCCs were linked to the two main mismatch repair (MMR) genes hMSH2 and hMLH1 located on chromosome arms 2p and 3p, respectively. The inactivation of these genes, usually by point mutation,
Incidence and location of deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremities : what do we know ?

Chronic pelvic venous insufficiency is a common pathology, but it is overlooked and underdiagnosed as it sits on the edge of two medical specialties: gynecology and vascular medicine. It manifests most frequently as pelvic varicose veins and pelvic venous reflux toward the lower limbs. When symptomatic, it is expressed in the pelvic area as a sometimes-disabling pelvic congestion syndrome and/or in the lower limbs as it supplies the varicose veins. Consequently, the isolated treatment of lower-limb varices without treating pelvic leaks when there is pelvic congestion syndrome may cause early recurrences. The ultrasound exploration allows the positive diagnosis of pelvic venous involvement and the classification by pathophysiological types, which is a key step before any treatment. The echo Doppler is also essential for the diagnosis of superficial points of pelvic venous leaks supplying lower-limb varicose veins. In most symptomatic patients, ultrasound exploration provides sufficient arguments to evaluate the relevance of the pelvic-level venous treatment. It leads to additional imaging techniques, if necessary, or directly to a hyperselective descending pelvic venography. This last investigation provides an accurate mapping of varicose veins and pelvic venous reflux.
Organizational commitment and governance for supply chain success in Christian Protestant Churches in Bali

Abstract- Commitment is an important component for successful durable relations that are a constituent of the implementation of Supply Chain Management. This study aims to develop organizational commitment for supply chain strategies success. The current research was conducted in the churches in Bali, Bukit Dua Prayer Church of Nusa Dua and Immanuel Tabanan. A total of 1,045 members of the congregation were gathered by the assembly and congregants. Thereafter, they were relegated to active assemblies and congregations, resulting in a total of 120 assemblies and administrators, for a total of 120 respondents. Inferential analysis in this study uses a structural equation model based on variance or component-based structural equation models , known as partial least squares. Results are as follows. Misbehaviour of church management has a positive and significant effect on conflict. That is, the stronger the misbehaviour management, the more conflict in Bukit Doa Nusa Dua Congregation and Immanuel Tabanan Gongregation. Religious social values do not affect conflict. However, results further indicate that despite the strength of congregations’ religious values, conflict continues because it cannot be avoided in any organisation. Misbehaviour has a positive and significant effect on organisational commitment, as well as affects changes in church commitment. The higher the Misbehaviour , the higher the commitment to make improvements in church governance, organisationally and faithfully. Religious social values have a positive and significant effect on organisational commitment, and will affect changes in church commitment. The higher the religious social values, the higher the organisational commitment of the congregation. Results showed that conflict has a positive and significant effect on organisational commitment and supply chain strategies. Conflict also will affect changes in church commitment. The higher the conflict, the higher the commitment to make improvements in church governance, organisationally and faithfully.
Evaluation of Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of Eimeria maxima Immune Mapped Protein 1 with EDA Adjuvant in Chicken

Received: Revised: Accepted: Published online: December 15, 2018 December 12, 2019 May 03, 2020 May 06, 2020 Immune mapped protein-1 (IMP1) has been shown as a protective protein associated with Eimeria (E.) maxima and cellular fibronectin extra domain A (EDA), the ligand of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), has the potential to be used as molecular adjuvant of the vaccine. In the present study, we estimated the protective efficacy of a subunit vaccine comprising of EDA and EmIMP1 against E. maxima challenges. For this purpose, the fusion protein EmIMP1-EDA was thoroughly purified by using over-expression of replicated E. coli of the protein. Chickens were immunized by the EmIMP1 vaccine having Freund’s adjuvant or with the EmIMP1-EDA vaccine without adjuvant. The immunization of chicken by the EmIMP1-EDA vaccine produced stronger IFN-γ secretion as compared to that in other groups (P<0.05). The result of the EmIMP1EDA vaccine was more pronounced on the parameters including weight gain, oocyst shedding, and lesion scores as compared to the EmIMP1 vaccine employing Freund’s adjuvant, but there were no statistical differences between the two groups (P>0.05). These results showed that EmIMP1-EDA fusion protein could be used as a potent subunit vaccine against E. maxima infection. ©2020 PVJ. All rights reserved
A Simple Two‐Layered Model for Shoaling of the Eastern Mediterranean Pycnocline Due to Glacio‐Eustatic Sea Level Lowering

A simple two-layered model is developed to assess the depth of the permanent pycnocline in the eastern Mediterranean during glacial times. Shoaling of this pycnocline, from its present depth below the euphotic layer to a depth within that layer at glacial times, has been inferred from the planktonic foraminiferal record (Rohling and Gieskes, 1989). In this paper, a two-layered model is applied to study the origin of the glacial shoaling of the permanent pycnocline. The model suggests that shoaling is due to glacial sea level lowering. Using literature-based glacial salinity and inflow reduction values, the model yields an estimated depth of about 80 m for the glacial pycnocline. This estimate represents an upper depth limit, since the model discards possible differences in the basin's heat loss between glacial and interglacial times.