Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incremental Effects of the Shanghai Free-trade Zone—An Internet Informed Assessment of Hong Kong’s Tourism Competitiveness

Abstract The pursuit of tourism destination competitiveness (TDC) has become an important consideration for policy makers as a means of growing tourism market share. However, the published research tends to interpret TDC as the combined performance of various destination attributes, thereby overlooking other factors that impact on TDC. This study suggests that assessments should focus on the most influential events and proposes an “incremental” approach to determining TDC. The concept “smart tourism destination”, which has been applied increasingly in China, is used because it allows the use of insights from internet-based news that draw upon timely and relevant information to assess TDC. Using internet-based news sources, this study assesses Hong Kong’s TDC in the context of the recently established Shanghai Free-trade Zone (SFTZ). An incremental approach is adopted because it provides a means of explaining the threats that SFTZ poses to Hong Kong as a tourist destination.
Effect of occupational noise on the nocturnal sleep architecture of healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Noise is considered to be a non-specific stressor which generally causes physiological and psychological effects in an individual. Many occupations involve workers being subjected to loud noise levels without adequate protective measures. The study was done to document the changes, if any, in the nocturnal sleep architecture of healthy persons exposed to loud occupational noise during daytime. METHODS The study was a retrospective cohort design wherein three groups of eight subjects each, exposed to continuous occupational background noise levels of >75dB for 1-2 years, 5-10 years and >15 years were selected. Corresponding age and gender matched healthy controls (eight for each group) who worked in a quiet atmosphere was also recruited. All night sleep polysomnography was done on all subjects. In the morning, subjects rated their quality of sleep on a Visual Analogue Scale. RESULTS There is a strong association between occupational exposure to loud noise and poor sleep efficiency (Relative Risk 2.49; Confidence Interval 1.12 to 5.57; P=0.01, Fisher's exact test). The group exposed to noise for 1-2 years had a decrease in Total Rapid Eye Movement Time, Non Rapid Eye Movement Time, Slow Wave Sleep Time, Sleep Onset Latency and Total Sleep Time. The other two groups showed lesser number of changes in sleep architecture. Subjectively there was a decrease for sleep continuity in Group I and an increase for sleep onset in Group II. There is no correlation between loudness of noise in the workplace and sleep efficiency. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION It can be concluded that workers exposed to loud background occupational noise are at an increased risk of having poor quality sleep but adaptation to this effect probably takes place after a few years.
Why the ‘Rest’ doesn’t need foreign finance

The Rest will be able to catch up and grow faster than the West only if it goes against a 'received truth', namely that capital-rich countries should transfer their capital to capital-poor countries. This intuitive truth is the mantra that the West cites to justify its occupation of the markets of developing countries with its finance and its multinationals. Classical Developmentalism successfully criticized the unequal exchange involved in trade liberalization, but it didn’t succeed in criticizing foreign finance. This task has been recently achieved by New Developmentalism and its developmental macroeconomics, which shows that countries will invest and grow more if they don’t run current account deficits, even when these deficits are financed by foreign direct investment
Vibration control of dynamical systems employing active suspension elements

Undesirable time-variable motions of dynamical structures (e.g. scales, balances, vibratory platforms, bridges and buildings) are mainly caused by unknown or uncertain excitations. In a variety of applications it is desirable or even necessary to attenuate these disturbances in an effective way and with moderate effort. Hence, several passive as well as active methods and techniques have been developed in order to treat these problems. However, employment of active techniques often fails because of their considerable financial costs. We propose an affordable control scheme which accounts for the above mentioned deficiencies. In addition, we allow constraints on control actions. Furthermore, the number of control inputs (actuators) may be arbitrary, that is, the system may be mismatched. The scheme is based on Lyapunov stability theory and, provided that the bounds of the uncertainties are a priori known, a stable attractor (ball of ultimate boundedness) of the structure can be computed. The effectiveness and behavior of the control scheme is demonstrated on a bridge with active suspension elements subjected to a moving truck.
Effects of Categorization Training in Patients With TBI During Postacute Rehabilitation: Preliminary Findings

BackgroundPrevious research suggests that traumatic brain injury (TBI) interferes with the ability to extract and use attributes to describe objects. This study explored the effects of a systematic Categorization Program (CP) in participants with TBI and noninjured controls. ParticipantsTen persons with moderate to severe TBI who received comprehensive postacute rehabilitation services and 13 matched noninjured controls participated in the study. InterventionAll participants received CP training for 3 to 5 hours per week for 10 to 12 weeks that consisted of 8 levels and targeted concept formation, object categorization, and decision-making abilities. Main outcome measuresThe Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-3 (MPAI-3) and the Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ). Two Categorization Tests (administered pretraining and posttraining) and 3 Probe Tasks (administered at specified intervals during training) assessed skills relating to categorization. ResultsBoth groups showed significant improvement in categorization performance after the CP training on the 2 Categorization Tests related to the CP. They also were able to generalize and apply categorization and sorting skills in new situations (as measured by the Probe Tasks). Participants with TBI had improved functional outcome performance measured by the MPAI-3 and the CIQ. ConclusionsThe systematic and hierarchical structure of the CP is beneficial to participants with TBI during postacute rehabilitation. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting cognitive rehabilitation after moderate to severe TBI.
The Apoptotic Protein tBid Promotes Leakage by Altering Membrane Curvature*

The apoptotic protein tBid is effective in promoting both leakage and lipid mixing in liposomes composed of cardiolipin and phosphatidylcholine at a molar ratio of 1:2 in the presence of calcium. When half of the phosphatidylcholine component of these liposomes is replaced with phosphatidylethanolamine, a lipid that promotes negative membrane curvature, the rates of both leakage and lipid mixing caused by tBid are substantially increased. Replacement of cardiolipin with phosphatidylglycerol, a lipid that is structurally similar to cardiolipin but does not promote negative membrane curvature in the presence of calcium, prevents the tBid from promoting leakage. The promotion of leakage by tBid is also inhibited by several substances that promote positive membrane curvature, including lysophosphatidylcholine, tritrpticin, a potent antimicrobial peptide, and cyclosporin A, a known inhibitor of cytochrome crelease from mitochondria. We directly measured the effect of tBid on membrane curvature by 31P NMR. We found that tBid promotes the formation of highly curved non-lamellar phases. All of these data are consistent with the hypothesis that tBid promotes negative curvature, and as a result it destabilizes bilayer membranes. Bcl-XL inhibits leakage and lipid mixing induced by tBid. Bcl-XL is anti-apoptotic. It reduces the promotion of non-bilayer phases by tBid, although by itself Bcl-XL is capable of promoting their formation. Bcl-XL has little effect on liposomal integrity. Our results suggest that the anti-apoptotic activity of Bcl-XL is not a consequence of its interaction with membranes, but rather with other proteins, such as tBid.
Cell load based user association for professional mobile radio systems

When the public communication networks can not provide service during disaster and high traffic cases, Professional Mobile Radio systems (PMR) such as trunked Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) systems are needed to improve the service quality and to provide uninterrupted service to the public safety officers. While providing continuous voice and data service, it is very important to select the base station (BS) to be served by efficient cell selection algorithms. The aim of the user association algorithms is to reduce the waiting time while establishing reliable transmission link for PMR systems in emergencies. In this sense, we propose the full set user association algorithm that each user selects the BS according to the calculated utility value determined based on both received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and cell load information. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by considering different performance metrics for trunked DMR systems in urban area.
Profiling of complex microbial populations by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of polymerase chain reaction-amplified genes coding for 16S rRNA

We describe a new molecular approach to analyzing the genetic diversity of complex microbial populations. This technique is based on the separation of polymerase chain reaction-amplified fragments of genes coding for 16S rRNA, all the same length, by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). DGGE analysis of different microbial communities demonstrated the presence of up to 10 distinguishable bands in the separation pattern, which were most likely derived from as many different species constituting these populations, and thereby generated a DGGE profile of the populations. We showed that it is possible to identify constituents which represent only 1% of the total population. With an oligonucleotide probe specific for the V3 region of 16S rRNA of sulfate-reducing bacteria, particular DNA fragments from some of the microbial populations could be identified by hybridization analysis. Analysis of the genomic DNA from a bacterial biofilm grown under aerobic conditions suggests that sulfate-reducing bacteria, despite their anaerobicity, were present in this environment. The results we obtained demonstrate that this technique will contribute to our understanding of the genetic diversity of uncharacterized microbial populations.
Lymphocytes in the Peritoneum Home to the Omentum and Are Activated by Resident Dendritic Cells1

The omentum is of interest in the context of obesity-related metabolic disease where adipose tissue exhibits inflammatory changes; however, the immunology of the omentum is underexplored. The greater omentum is draped from the stomach and consists predominantly of adipose tissue studded with lymphoreticular aggregations (milky spots) that distinguish it from other visceral adipose tissues. Milky spots are thought to contain and conduct leukocytes in transit from the blood to the peritoneal cavity, particularly during peritonitis. We show here that both B and T lymphocytes counterflow from the peritoneal cavity to the omentum in mice. Residence in the omentum was brief with a t1/2 residence time of 6 h. Omentum access was pertussis toxin-sensitive, dependent on activation of the Rap1 GTPase, and on the integrin LFA-1. B cells and CD44high T cells accessed the omentum most efficiently, but homing of resting CD44low T cells was also observed. Omental tissue from normal healthy mice was found to contain CD8−CD11bhighMHC class IIhighCD11chigh dendritic cells that promoted the rapid activation of T cells entering the omentum and cross-presented soluble OVA or OVA acquired from either OVA-expressing Escherichia coli or OVA-pulsed spleen cells. We conclude that the omentum incorporates two key features of immunological sentinel function, actively supported lymphocyte traffic and dendritic cells, that reinforce a conceptual framework for function in stimulating adaptive immunity. These results extend basic understanding of omental and peritoneal cavity immunology and of how proinflammatory events occurring within the peritoneal cavity might affect adipocyte and hepatocyte metabolism.
Adaptive ensemble manifold learning for neuroimaging retrieval

In this paper, we proposed an adaptive ensemble manifold learning (AEML) for the neuroimaging retrieval via multimodality data. Specifically, we investigated the complementarity power of the multimodality data to index brain image disorder with different weights. Unlike the previous manifold learning methods, we develop a new learning method to incorporate the geometrical information and impose the similarity constraints. In addition, a generalized norm is also introduced to control the sparseness degree adaptively. Finally, a novel objective function is devised to retrieve the similar brain disorder in a database by a multi-task learning framework. We evaluated the proposed AEML algorithm via the public Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database with 805 pre-diagnosed subjects. Experimental results show our algorithm achieved promising results and outperformed several related algorithms.
A fast power service restoration method for distribution network with distributed generation

A fast power service restoration method for distribution network with DG is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a network simplification and multi-layer description method is presented. Secondly, on the basis of the network simplification and description, the studied restoration problem is analyzed equivalently in an equivalent calculating network and it is turned into a knapsack problem whose mathematical model is built as a nonlinear quadratic integer programming model. Thirdly, an integrated optimal restoration strategy is proposed and its corresponding algorithm is implemented in this paper. Finally, the effectiveness and rapidity of the proposed method has been verified by several cases studies in a modified IEEE 33 bus distribution network with DG based on MATLAB simulation.
Hybrid Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Tetraploid Mice Show Apparently Normal Morphological, Physiological, and Neurological Characteristics

ABSTRACT ES cell-tetraploid (ES) mice are completely derived from embryonic stem cells and can be obtained at high efficiency upon injection of hybrid ES cells into tetraploid blastocysts. This method allows the immediate generation of targeted mouse mutants from genetically modified ES cell clones, in contrast to the standard protocol, which involves the production of chimeras and several breeding steps. To provide a baseline for the analysis of ES mouse mutants, we performed a phenotypic characterization of wild-type B6129S6F1 ES mice in relation to controls of the same age, sex, and genotype raised from normal matings. The comparison of 90 morphological, physiological, and behavioral parameters revealed elevated body weight and hematocrit as the only major difference of ES mice, which exhibited an otherwise normal phenotype. We further demonstrate that ES mouse mutants can be produced from mutant hybrid ES cells and analyzed within a period of only 4 months. Thus, ES mouse technology is a valid research tool for rapidly elucidating gene function in vivo.
The integration of in vivo and in vitro metabolism assays to investigate the stereoselective behaviors of benalaxyl in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The bioconcentration and elimination of racemic benalaxyl (BX) in trout liver microsomes and in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were investigated to determine whether the fish can bioconcentrate and degrade this fungicide enantioselectively. Both enantiomers of BX were extracted with organic solvents and evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography. In the microsomes, BX degradation followed first-order kinetics, and the S−(+) enantiomer of BX was eliminated twice as rapidly as the R−(−) enantiomer, resulting in residues enriched for R−(−)−BX. In vivo experiment, chiral analysis showed an obvious selective bioconcentration of BX based on statistically altered enantiomer fractions (EFs) in the fish compared with the values in the water. The R−(−)−BX was initially preferentially bioconcentrated by rainbow trout and then dissipated more slowly than its antipode. The mean half-lives for individual enantiomers were calculated as 31.6 h for R−(−)−BX and 20.3 h for the S−(+)−form. The results of the study showed that the degradation of BX enantiomers was stereoselective in rainbow trout.
Synergistic effects between TiO2 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a TiO2/CNTs system under visible light irradiation

This study synthesized a TiO2/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite via the sol-gel method. The surface characteristics of the TiO2/CNTs composite were determined by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, specific surface area analyser, ultraviolent (UV)-vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectrometer. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2/CNTs composite was evaluated by decolourizing C.I. Reactive Red 2 (RR2) under visible light irradiation. Furthermore, the effects of calcination temperature, pH, RR2 concentration, and the TiO2/CNTs composite dosage on RR2 decolourization were determined simultaneously. The optimal calcination temperature to generate TiO2 and the TiO2/CNTs composite was 673 K, as the percentage of anatase crystallization at this temperature was highest. The specific surface area of the TiO2/CNTs composite and TiO2 were 45 and 42 m2/g, respectively. The band gap of TiO2 and the TiO2/CNTs composite was 2.97 and 2.71 eV by UV-vis measurements, respectively. Experimental data indicate that the Ti-O-C bond formed in the TiO2/CNTs composite. The RR2 decolourization rates can be approximated by pseudo-first-order kinetics; moreover, only the TiO2/CNTs composite had photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. At pH 7, the RR2 decolourization rate constant of 0.5, 1 and 2 g/L TiO2/CNTs addition was 0.005, 0.0015, and 0.0047 min−1, respectively. Decolourization rate increased as pH and the RR2 concentration decreased. The CNTs functioned as electron acceptors, promoting separation of photoinduced electron-hole pairs to retard their recombination; thus, photocatalytic activity of the TiO2/CNTs composite exceeded that of TiO2.
Boosting the Actor with Dual Critic

This paper proposes a new actor-critic-style algorithm called Dual Actor-Critic or Dual-AC. It is derived in a principled way from the Lagrangian dual form of the Bellman optimality equation, which can be viewed as a two-player game between the actor and a critic-like function, which is named as dual critic. Compared to its actor-critic relatives, Dual-AC has the desired property that the actor and dual critic are updated cooperatively to optimize the same objective function, providing a more transparent way for learning the critic that is directly related to the objective function of the actor. We then provide a concrete algorithm that can effectively solve the minimax optimization problem, using techniques of multi-step bootstrapping, path regularization, and stochastic dual ascent algorithm. We demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves the state-of-the-art performances across several benchmarks.
Effects of Sex and Hormone Replacement Therapy Use on the Prevalence of Isolated Impaired Fasting Glucose and Isolated Impaired Glucose Tolerance in Subjects With a Family History of Type 2 Diabetes

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is more prevalent in men and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) more prevalent in women. To explore whether this sex difference is related to female sex hormones, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from 2,164 (1,329 women and 835 men) first-degree relatives of individuals with type 2 diabetes. Subjects were categorized based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Sex and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) effects on the distribution of glucose tolerance were assessed using multinomial logistic regression corrected for familial clustering. Compared with men, women were more likely to have isolated IGT (relative risk 1.8 [95% CI 1.3–2.5]) and less likely to have isolated IFG (0.5 [0.3–0.7]) adjusted for ethnicity, age, waist, fasting insulin, and early insulin release (ΔI0–30/ΔG0–30). To evaluate HRT effects, postmenopausal women using (n = 238) or not using (n = 378) HRT were compared. HRT users were more likely to have isolated IGT (2.2 [1.2–4.0]) after adjustment, but the prevalence of isolated IFG did not differ by HRT status. Based on the influence of sex and HRT on the prevalence of isolated IFG and isolated IGT, we conclude that female sex hormones may play an important role in the pathogenesis of IFG and IGT.
Local-Global Parcellation of the Human Cerebral Cortex From Intrinsic Functional Connectivity MRI

A central goal in systems neuroscience is the parcellation of the cerebral cortex into discrete neurobiological “atoms”. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) offers the possibility of in-vivo human cortical parcellation. Almost all previous parcellations relied on one of two approaches. The local gradient approach detects abrupt transitions in functional connectivity patterns. These transitions potentially reflect cortical areal boundaries defined by histology or visuotopic fMRI. By contrast, the global similarity approach clusters similar functional connectivity patterns regardless of spatial proximity, resulting in parcels with homogeneous (similar) rs-fMRI signals. Here we propose a gradient-weighted Markov Random Field (gwMRF) model integrating local gradient and global similarity approaches. Using task-fMRI and rs-fMRI across diverse acquisition protocols, we found gwMRF parcellations to be more homogeneous than four previously published parcellations. Furthermore, gwMRF parcellations agreed with the boundaries of certain cortical areas defined using histology and visuotopic fMRI. Some parcels captured sub-areal (somatotopic and visuotopic) features that likely reflect distinct computational units within known cortical areas. These results suggest that gwMRF parcellations reveal neurobiologically meaningful features of brain organization and are potentially useful for future applications requiring dimensionality reduction of voxel-wise fMRI data. Multi-resolution parcellations generated from 1489 participants are available (https://github.com/ThomasYeoLab/CBIG/tree/master/stable_projects/brain_parcellation/Schaefer2018_LocalGlobal)