Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Transvaginal Sonography and Serum CA-125 Values in Determining the Nature of the Postmenopausal Ovarian Cysts

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound and serum CA-125 values in asymptomatic postmenopausal women undergoing laparotomy for a clinical diagnosis of an ovarian cyst. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained retrospectively from 114 asymptomatic postmenopausal women who underwent laparotomy for adnexal cysts. Transvaginal sonography (TVS) and serum CA-125 measurement were performed in all patients. Each ovarian cyst was classified based on two-dimensional sonographic criteria such as maximum cyst diameter, echogenicity, unior multilocular appearence, structure of the cyst wall and solid areas. All of the tissues removed were pathologically examined, and sonographic findings were compared with the histopathologic diagnosis. Results: In histopathological examination of 114 cysts; 89 (78.1%) non neoplastic cysts were found among which simple cysts being the most common (53.5%). Benign neoplastic cysts were found in 18.4% (21/114) among which serous cytadenomas being the most common (8.8%). Four (3.5%) patients were found to have ovarian cancer. While the frequency of malignancy in patients with complex ovarian cysts (n=26) (unilocular echogenicity) was 11.3%, only 1.66% of the patients with simple cysts (n=60) (anechogenic, smooth and unilocular) were found to have malignant lesion. The serum CA-125 values differed significantly between the benign and malignant patient groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: Both serum CA-125 values and TVS are useful diagnostic tools for predicting the nature of postmenopausal ovarian cysts. The risk of malignancy in simple unilocular cysts with normal serum CA-125 levels is extremely low. Conservative management of these cysts is a more reasonable alternative to surgical removal.
Towards Consolidation of Hydrogen-Air Ignition Data from Shock Tube and Flow Reactor Experiments

Experimental data on self-ignition delays τ play key role in validation and development of the kinetics schemes that serve to describe properly the combustion dynamics in practical devices. Hydrogen is considered as a perspective fuel for power applications. The measurements of τ in hydrogen-air mixtures in the temperature range of 600 < T < 950 K and pressure range of 4 < P < 30 bar represent especial interest for simulating gas-turbine conditions [1]. Recent flow reactor experiments [1] at T = 750-810 K revealed that the measured values of τ are one-two order less than that calculated by means of a detailed kinetics scheme. The similar behavior was found for syngas-air mixtures where fuel is comprised of H2 and CO [2,3]. It should be noted, that the shock-tube data on low-temperature hydrogen ignition demonstrate the same tendency [3-7]. In spite of the intensive discussion in the literature [1-9], the reason of “abnormally short” ignition delays in the hydrogenous mixtures is still an open question. Another problem is the inconsistency of shock tube data and flow reactor observations because a typical residence time in flow reactors is longer than 30-50 ms [1-3], while in the shock tubes special efforts are necessary to extend an observation time up to 10-15 ms (behind a reflected shock wave). Three objectives of the present investigation are: (1) to modify traditional shock-tube scheme of ignition delay measurements by application of over-tailored conditions for extension of observation time behind a reflected shock wave; (2) to collect additional data on ignition delay of lean hydrogen-air mixtures for the temperature and pressure range relevant to gas-turbine conditions; (3) to compare new shock-tube data with flow reactor experimental results on autoignition of hydrogen-air mixtures.
hunchback is required for suppression of abdominal identity, and for proper germband growth and segmentation in the intermediate germband insect Oncopeltus fasciatus

Insects such as Drosophila melanogaster undergo a derived form of segmentation termed long germband segmentation. In long germband insects, all of the body regions are specified by the blastoderm stage. Thus, the entire body plan is proportionally represented on the blastoderm. This is in contrast to short and intermediate germband insects where only the most anterior body regions are specified by the blastoderm stage. Posterior segments are specified later in embryogenesis during a period of germband elongation. Although we know much about Drosophila segmentation, we still know very little about how the blastoderm of short and intermediate germband insects is allocated into only the anterior segments, and how the remaining posterior segments are produced. In order to gain insight into this type of embryogenesis, we have investigated the expression and function of the homolog of the Drosophila gap gene hunchback in an intermediate germ insect, the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus. We find that Oncopeltus hunchback (Of'hb) is expressed in two phases, first in a gap-like domain in the blastoderm and later in the posterior growth zone during germband elongation. In order to determine the genetic function of Of'hb, we have developed a method of parental RNAi in the milkweed bug. Using this technique, we find that Oncopeltus hunchback has two roles in anterior-posterior axis specification. First, Of'hb is required to suppress abdominal identity in the gnathal and thoracic regions. Subsequently, it is then required for proper germband growth and segmentation. In milkweed bug embryos depleted for hunchback, these two effects result in animals in which a relatively normal head is followed by several segments with abdominal identity. This phenotype is reminiscent to that found in Drosophila hunchback mutants, but in Oncopeltus is generated through the combination of the two separate defects.
Hedging strategy for financial variables and commodities

This paper investigates the hedging effectiveness of different hedge types. The S&P 500 index, oil prices, the VIX index, gold prices, bond prices, and CDS spreads are considered. The Dynamic Multivariate GARCH is used to estimate the hedge ratios by separate and complex hedge types from December 2007 to June 2018. This study also performs some statistical works to investigate the relationship between the hedging effectiveness and the commodities prices sensitivity to financial variables. The results show that gold and CDS provide higher hedging effectiveness against equity market losses. Negative correlations between the equity market and VIX are particularly notable, suggesting the economic benefits of diversification.
Effects of Feeding Discarded Dates on Growth Performance and Meat Quality Traits of Najdi Lambs

A total of 21 Najdi male lambs were used to evaluate inclusion of discarded dates in lambs’ diets. Experimental diets are presented in two levels 15 and 30% to replace commercial concentrate mixture. The results showed that daily feed intake was significantly (p 0.05) between the treatment groups. The highest averages of daily gain and final weight were attained by 30% group which is significantly (p 0.05) from both other groups. Carcass components showed no significant differences between the treatments except for liver and lungs and trachea. The results revealed that feeding lamb on 30% discarded date was associated with improving meat quality traits as juiciness, flavor and general acceptability.
Passive thermal regulation of Photovoltaic module temperature using Truncated fins

Photovoltaic “PV” module efficiency decreases as the operating temperature increases over a certain limit. Cooling PV module temperature is essential in order to increase its electrical performance and maintain the PV module working at low operating temperature. Adopting heat dissipation option appears more practical in terms of energy consuming, cost, maintenance, and simplicity. Therefore, in this paper, a passive thermal regulation technique with using extended surface area “truncated fins” and planar reflector has been evaluated. To obtain higher solar radiation intensity on the top surface the PV module, both top and bottom angles of the planar reflector has been changed from (0-90o) and the optimal angle was found 60o. ANSYS, FLUENT, CFD software was employed to perform the computational fluid dynamics analysis to predict the PV module temperature reduction. To properly cool the PV module, a parametric study in terms of fin thickness, fin height, number of fins, and fin pitch has also been investigated. The bare PV module temperature without fin cooling has been numerically calculated using Engineering Equation Solver (EES). Meanwhile, Design of experiment (DOE)/Response surface method (RSM) was used to determine the optimum number of fins, fin height and fin thickness that reduce the PV module temperature and improve its electrical performance. The simulation results showed that due to truncated fin cooling, the temperature of the PV module dropped significantly from 64.3oC to 44.14oC with temperature difference of 20.16oC and the efficiency was improved by 9.2%under natural convection.
Detection of Polarization due to Cloud Bands in the Nearby Luhman 16 Brown Dwarf Binary

Brown dwarfs exhibit patchy or spatially varying banded cloud structures that are inferred through photometric and spectroscopic variability modeling techniques. However, these methods are insensitive to rotationally invariant structures, such as the bands seen in Jupiter. Here, we present H-band Very Large Telescope/NaCo linear polarization measurements of the nearby Luhman 16 L/T transition binary, which suggest that Luhman 16A exhibits constant longitudinal cloud bands. The instrument was operated in pupil tracking mode, allowing us to unambiguously distinguish between a small astrophysical polarization and the ∼2% instrumental linear polarization. We measure the degree and angle of linear polarization of Luhman 16A and B to be pA = 0.031% ± 0.004% and ψA = −32° ± 4°, and pB = 0.010% ± 0.004% and , respectively. Using known physical parameters of the system, we demonstrate that an oblate homogeneous atmosphere cannot account for the polarization measured in Luhman 16A, but could be responsible for that of the B component. Through a nonexhaustive search of banded cloud morphologies, we demonstrate a two-banded scenario that can achieve a degree of linear polarization of p = 0.03% and conclude that the measured polarization of the A component must be predominantly due to cloud banding. For Luhman 16B, either oblateness or cloud banding could be the dominant source of the measured polarization. The misaligned polarization angles of the two binary components tentatively suggest spin–orbit misalignment. These measurements provide new evidence for the prevalence of cloud banding in brown dwarfs while at the same time demonstrating a new method—complementary to photometric and spectroscopic variability methods—for characterizing the cloud morphologies of substellar objects without signs of variability.
Working Papers / Documents de travail

This paper asks whether local savings and credit associations help poor rural households hit by climatic shocks. Combining data from an original field experiment with meteorological data, I investigate how Self-Help Groups (SHGs) allow households to cope with rainfall shocks in villages of East India over a sevenyear period. I show that SHGs withstand large rainfall shocks remarkably, and that credit flows are very stable in treated villages. As a result, treated households experience a higher food security during the lean season following a drought and increase seasonal migration to mitigate future income shocks. These results imply that small-scale financial institutions like SHGs help to finance temporary risk management strategies and to cope with important covariate income shocks such as droughts.
Effects of nanochitosan with and without sodium acetate coating on Pseudomonas fluorescens and the quality of refrigerated rainbow trout filets

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of nanochitosan with sodium acetate and none-sodium acetate coating on Pseudomonas fluorescens and the shelf life of refrigerated rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss). 45 samples of rainbow trout filet in five positive and negative treatments including a control, 1% NCH(T2), 2% NCH(T3), 1% NCH+5% NaOAC1 (V/V, T4), 2%NCH2%+ 5%NaOAC1(V/V,T5), the negative groups incubated by P. fluorescens bacteria (PF+NCH (1 and 2%) +5% NaOACl (V/V) (PF+NCH(1 and 2%)) and a negative control during the 16 days. Comparisons of microbial, chemical and sensory analyses were purely done on safe treatments periodically using one way ANOVA and Duncan tests. Results detected significant differences between the control group and both NCH+5% NaOAC1 (V/V), and NCH free of 5% NaOAC1 (V/V) in all amounts of microbial and chemical indices (p<0.05) and there were no significant differences between the two NCH groups (p>0.05). Sensory indices illustrated that filets treated with each groups of NCH±5% NaOAC1(V/V) received good points and their shelf life was 16 days, but control group settled in this status on sixth day of the test. For the two other treatments, shelf life storage increased and remained on 12 th and 16 th day, respectively. Furthermore, third day of the test showed high amounts of bacteria in the PF incubation treatment. High levels of bacteria same as that in the control group were determined on sixth day in desirable samples and in NCH+ P. fluorescens, while there was an obvious bacterial reduction in bacterium mixed with NCH+NaOAC and kept for 12 days. Overall, utility of NCH+NaOAC increased the shelf life in refrigerator storage and decreased the amount of P. fluorescens in it.
Rapid evolution and specialization following host colonization in a yucca moth

Host shifts followed by specialization can result in sympatric genetic differentiation, and may have fuelled the diversification of phytophagous insects. This study examines a recent colonization of a non‐native host by Prodoxus quinquepunctellus (Lepidoptera: Prodoxidae). Allozyme differentiation was detected among different host feeding populations, yet was nearly absent among similar host feeding populations in sympatry. Geographical patterns of allozyme variation showed a much higher level of population structure among populations feeding on the derived host. Conversely, mtDNA haplotype frequencies were nearly homogeneous in the derived populations compared to the ancestral populations, suggesting a bottleneck and/or rapid fixation of haplotypes following host colonization. Moth emergence coincided with host plant flowering, and phenological differences between host species translated into allochronic isolation between populations feeding on different hosts. Derived moth populations also differed significantly in three ovipositor characters from ancestral populations. These findings suggest rapid host‐specific genetic differentiation, and specialization of moth emergence time and ovipositor morphology following host colonization.
Effects of runoff from land clearing and urban development on the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates in pool areas of a river

We examined the effects of runoff from urban land clearing and development on the macroinvertebrate pool fauna of the Murrumbidgee River, Australia, over 1 year. Tuggeranong Creek, which flows through the urban development, often recorded higher instantaneous (storm) discharges than did the Murrumbidgee River. Monitoring of suspended solids during one storm event revealed high concentrations of suspended solids (max. 560 mg L-1) entering the Murrumbidgee River for an 8 h period. Such concentrations were not detected by regular two-monthly sampling, although concentrations were generally higher downstream of Tuggeranong Creek. Analysis of substratum particle size revealed a higher proportion of fine inorganic material (<250 pm) at stations downstream of Tuggeranong Creek, suggesting a settling of fine material discharged during storm events. Number of taxa and macroinvertebrate density were lower at downstream stations. We conclude that the deposition of fine inorganic sediment following storm events, and the resulting change in the composition of the substratum, was the major cause of low invertebrate numbers in pools downstream of the cleared catchment.
Volume 40

This paper analyzes the effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on intra-regional trade in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over the period 1994 to 2014. We use an augmented gravity model which controls for bilateral, exporter-year and importer-year fixed effects. To carry out our estimations, data is obtained from the World Bank, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as well as the Center for Prospective Studies and International Information (CEPII). The main findings suggest: (i) the presence of both the bilateral and export-year fixed effects; (2) the aggregate ICT index related significantly with intra-regional trade only for importing counties for the Fixed Effect (FE), Random Effect (RE) and Hausman-Taylor (HT) estimates unlike the Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood (PPML) estimates which shows a negative and significant relationship for the exporting country and a positive and significant for the importing country; (3) disaggregated results for the ICT variable-internet mimics those for the aggregate ICT index whereas finding for mobile phone and fix phones rather suggest that the relationship between the ICT and intra-regional trade was positive for both exporting and importing countries. As policy suggestion, we purport that investing in ICT infrastructure that particularly encourage the usage of mobile and fixed phones encourage intra-regional trade for both exporting and importing countries.
Temporal dynamics of the ground vegetation in a Danish beech forest.

A Danish beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest was studied during a period of five years, to reveal temporal and spatial patterns in the ground vegetation within a year and between years. In 1994, twenty stations were established in commercially managed forests south of Aarhus, and the frequency of the vascular plants was recorded in 40 stratified random Raunkiier circles (0.1m2). The sampling was repeated in 1995, 1997 and 1998. The seasonal variation in species frequencies was furthermore studied in nine of the permanent stations. The findings were summarised in terms of species richness and averaged Ellenberg ecological values, and analysed with clustering analysis and ordination. We applied Steinhaus similarity index and detrended correspondence analysis to detect fluctuation and succession. To test for significant vegetation changes, a non-parametric Mantel test was used. The species richness and Ellenberg's indicator values were unchanged during the five years. The classification results, however, differed between the years. In particular, changes in the quantitative similarity between years were high (12–23%), and this was supported by ordination. We conclude that the vegetation in the study area, at least in the studied 5-years period, did not how signs of clear successional trends, but merely changes in species abundance, which we associate with short-term fluctuation. Further studies, on different time scales, of vegetation dynamics in forests should be initiated, in order to make better descriptions of plant communities, and to detect possible successional trends. We suggest that such studies also include long term monitoring of environmental parameters in a nested, permanent sampling design.
Investigation of Salicylic Acid Application to Reduce Postharvest Losses in Stored ‘Bidaneh Ghermez’ Table Grapes

Four concentrations of salicylic acid (0, 1, 2, and 4 mM) were applied postharvest to ‘Bidaneh Ghermez’ grapes (Vitis vinifera); to investigate their potential impact on the fruit quality and storage life. They were stored for up to 45 days at 0°C, followed by 2 days at 20°C. The results indicated that postharvest treatment of grapes with salicylic acid could potentially improve berry and cluster appearance while significantly reducing fruit quality deterioration. Fruits treated with salicylic acid had greener and softer stems, and at the same time decay incidence was more efficiently controlled.
Climate change effects on upland stream macroinvertebrates over a 25‐year period

Climate change effects on some ecosystems are still poorly known, particularly where they interact with other climatic phenomena or stressors. We used data spanning 25 years (1981–2005) from temperate headwaters at Llyn Brianne (UK) to test three hypotheses: (1) stream macroinvertebrates vary with winter climate; (2) ecological effects attributable to directional climate change and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are distinguishable and (3) climatic effects on macroinvertebrates depend on whether streams are impacted by acidification. Positive (i.e. warmer, wetter) NAO phases were accompanied by reduced interannual stability (=similarity) in macroinvertebrate assemblage in all streams, but associated variations in composition occurred only in acid moorland. The NAO and directional climate change together explained 70% of interannual variation in temperature, but forest and moorland streams warmed respectively by 1.4 and 1.7°C (P<0.001) between 1981 and 2005 after accounting for NAO effects. Significant responses among macroinvertebrates were confined to circumneutral streams, where future thermal projections (+1, +2, +3°C) suggested considerable change. Spring macroinvertebrate abundance might decline by 21% for every 1°C rise. Although many core species could persist if temperature gain reached 3°C, 4–10 mostly scarce taxa (5–12% of the species pool) would risk local extinction. Temperature increase in Wales approaches this magnitude by the 2050s under the Hadley HadCM3 scenarios.
Preparation of Streochemically Pure Sex Pheromone Components of the Pine Sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer) and Field Tests of the Synthetic Compounds

Stereochemically pure pheromone components of the pine sawfly, acetates of (2S,3S,7S)- and (2S,3R,7R)-3,7-dimethylpentadecan-2-ol, were prepared by an improved synthetic procedure. Mixtures of the newly prepared compounds were tested in the field (red pine forests in Hyogo and Nagano, Japan) for their attraction of Neodiprion sertifer. The maximum response was observed in mixtures of the ratio (2S,3R,7R)/(2S,3S,7S)-10−3:1 to 10−4:1. When the results are compared with those in Michigan, U.S.A. , N. sertifer in Japan responded less specifically to certain blending ratios of diastereomers than in America.
Working Papers / Documents de travail

We propose a new measure of systemic risk based on interconnectedness, defined as the level of direct and indirect links between financial institutions in a correlation-based network. Deriving interconnectedness in terms of risk, we empirically show that within a financial network, indirect links are strengthened during systemic events. The relevance of our measure is illustrated at both local and global levels. Our framework offers policymakers a useful toolbox for exploring the real-time topology of the complex structure of dependencies in financial systems and for measuring the consequences of regulatory decisions.