Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A rule based domestic load profile generator for future smart grid

Renewable energy generation will continue to increase in the future. To accommodate high renewable penetrations in power systems, solutions such as demand response, energy storage will be needed. Most of such studies need to combine with the load profile at domestic level, but resources of household load profiles are quite scarce. We propose a rule based domestic load profile generator which allows the users to choose whatever appliance profiles to add to the household. We also simulate a household's power consumption considering typical resident load patterns and schedules. Results from the case study show that the generated profile closely resemble the real domestic profile with similar resident loads.
Franchising in African markets: Motivations and challenges from a Sub-Saharan African country perspective

Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Ghana Business School, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana Central Business School, Central University, Accra, Ghana Correspondence Dr. Mahmoud A. Mahmoud, Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Ghana Business School, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. Email: mamahmoud@ug.edu. gh The purpose of this article is to explore and understand the motivations and challenges of franchising in an African economy. While interest in franchising is increasing in African markets, there is a paucity of research on franchising from the perspective of local African firms participating in these international relationships. The motivations and challenges of franchising from the perspective of African businesses have not been largely investigated so far. Using in-depth interviews, we allow motivations and challenges at play to emerge. Convenient and snowball sampling techniques were used for choosing the unit of analysis, which resulted in four respondent firms. A thematic approach was adopted for analyzing the data from the field. Support services, brand name, and franchisor's experience are identified to be the motivations for franchising. Financial assistance from the franchisor, demand, and competition also play a key role in an African firm's decision to franchise. Legal constraints and infrastructure constraints were the key challenges faced by franchisees in Ghana. The findings of this study may hold for franchisees in other African markets. However, contextual differences may be considered in the application of these findings.
Cocoa Flavanol Intake and Biomarkers for Cardiometabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND Cocoa flavanols may improve cardiometabolic health. Evidence from small short-term randomized clinical trials (RCTs) remains inconsistent, and large long-term RCTs testing the efficacy of cocoa flavanols are still lacking. OBJECTIVE We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs to quantify the effect of cocoa flavanol intake on cardiometabolic biomarkers. METHODS We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for RCTs that evaluated the effects of cocoa flavanols on biomarkers relevant to vascular disease pathways among adults. Data were extracted following a standardized protocol. We used DerSimonian and Laird random-effect models to compute the weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% CIs. We also examined potential modification by intervention duration, design, age, sex, comorbidities, and the form and amount of cocoa flavanol intake. RESULTS We included 19 RCTs that comprised 1131 participants, and the number of studies for a specific biomarker varied. The amount of cocoa flavanols ranged from 166 to 2110 mg/d, and intervention duration ranged from 2 to 52 wk. Cocoa flavanol intake significantly improved insulin sensitivity and lipid profile. The WMDs between treatment and placebo were -0.10 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.16, -0.04 mmol/L) for total triglycerides, 0.06 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.02, 0.09 mmol/L) for HDL cholesterol, -2.33 μIU/mL (95% CI: -3.47, -1.19 μIU/mL) for fasting insulin, -0.93 (95% CI: -1.31, -0.55) for the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, 0.03 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.05) for the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, 2.54 (95% CI: 0.63, 4.44) for the insulin sensitivity index, -0.83 mg/dL (95% CI: -0.88, -0.77 mg/dL) for C-reactive protein, and 85.6 ng/mL (95% CI: 16.0, 155 ng/mL) for vascular cell adhesion molecule 1. No significant associations were found for other biomarkers. None of the modifiers seemed to qualitatively modify the effects of cocoa flavanol intake. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that cocoa flavanol intake has favorable effects on select cardiometabolic biomarkers among adults. These findings support the need for large long-term RCTs to assess whether cocoa flavanol intake reduces the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular events.
Inequality in China - Trends, Drivers and Policy Remedies

China has experienced rapid economic growth over the past two decades and is on the brink of eradicating poverty. However, income inequality increased sharply from the early 1980s and rendered China among the most unequal countries in the world. This trend has started to reverse as China has experienced a modest decline in inequality since 2008. This paper identifies various drivers behind these trends - including structural changes such as urbanization and aging and, more recently, policy initiatives to combat it. It finds that policies will need to play an important role in curbing inequality in the future, as projected structural trends will put further strain on equity considerations. In particular, fiscal policy reforms have the potential to enhance inclusiveness and equity, both on the tax and expenditure side.
Near-Infrared Free-Radical and Free-Radical-Promoted Cationic Photopolymerizations by In-Source Lighting Using Upconverting Glass.

A method is presented for the initiation of free-radical and free-radical-promoted cationic photopolymerizations by in-source lighting in the near-infrared (NIR) region using upconverting glass (UCG). This approach utilizes laser irradiation of UCG at 975 nm in the presence of fluorescein (FL) and pentamethyldiethylene triamine (PMDETA). FL excited by light emitted from the UCG undergoes electron-transfer reactions with PMDETA to form free radicals capable of initiating polymerization of methyl methacrylate. To execute the corresponding free-radical-promoted cationic polymerization of cyclohexene oxide, isobutyl vinyl ether, and N-vinyl carbazole, it was necessary to use FL, dimethyl aniline (DMA), and diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate as sensitizer, coinitiator, and oxidant, respectively. Iodonium ions promptly oxidize DMA radicals formed to the corresponding cations. Thus, cationic polymerization with efficiency comparable to the conventional irradiation source was achieved.
Curing efficiency of dual-cure resin cement under zirconia with two different light curing units

Purpose: Adequate polymerization is a crucial factor in obtaining optimal physical properties and a satisfying clinical performance from composite resin materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the polymerization efficiency of dual-cure resin cement cured with two different light curing units under zirconia structures having differing thicknesses. Materials and Methods: 4 zirconia discs framework in 4 mm diameter and in 0.5 mm, 1 mm and 1.5 mm thickness were prepared using computer-aided design system. One of the 0.5 mm-thick substructures was left as mono-layered whereas others were layered with feldspathic porcelain of same thickness and ceramic samples with 4 different thicknesses (0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2.0 mm) were prepared. For each group (n=12) resin cement was light cured in polytetrafluoroethylene molds using Light Emitting Diode (LED) or Quartz-Tungsten Halogen (QHT) light curing units under each of 4 zirconia based discs (n=96). The values of depth of cure (in mm) and the Vickers Hardness Number values (VHN) were evaluated for each specimen. Results: The use of LED curing unit produced a greater depth of cure compared to QTH under ceramic discs with 0.5 and 1 mm thickness (p<0.05). At 100μm and 300 μm depth, the LED unit produced significantly greater VHN values compared to the QTH unit (p<0.05). At 500 μm depth, the difference between the VHN values of LED and QTH groups were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Light curing may not result in adequate resin cement polymerization under thick zirconia structures. LED light sources should be preferred over QTH for curing dual-cure resin cements, especially for those under thicker zirconia restorations.
Hemopexin metabolism in patients with altered serum levels.

The rates of synthesis and degradation of hemopexin (Hx) were studied in vivo to determine the cause of altered serum levels of this protein as seen in hemolytic anemias, chronic neuromuscular diseases, and acute intermittent porphyria. The synthetic and fractional catabolic rates of Hx were measured in patients exhibiting low, normal, or elevated serum Hx levels. It was found that the elevated levels were mainly due to increased synthesis rather than decreased catabolism of Hx. In patients with elevated serum Hx levels, the mean synthetic rate of Hx (13 +/- 1.0 mg/kg/day) was twice that of the patients with normal Hx levels (6.6 +/- 0.3), whereas the fractional catabolic rate was 35.3 +/- 7.1% of the i.v. pool per day vs. 26.5 +/- 0.8 for controls. The low serum Hx levels observed in patients with sickle cell anemia appeared to be due to increased Hx catabolism (36.0 and 40.0% of the i.v. pool per day vs. 26.5 +/- 0.8 for controls) with no compensatory increase in synthesis. This latter finding is in agreement with a study in rhesus monkeys in which repeated administration of a large dose of heme caused an increase in the catabolism of hemopexin without a concurrent increase in its synthesis (J LAB CLIN MED 100:451, 1982). Our results indicate that although both synthesis and catabolism are increased in patients with elevated Hx levels, only catabolism is increased in patients with sickle cell anemia.
Decreased susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae to fluoroquinolones in Canada. Canadian Bacterial Surveillance Network.

BACKGROUND Fluoroquinolones are now recommended for the treatment of respiratory tract infections due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, particularly when the isolates are resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. Although pneumococci with reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones have been identified, their prevalence has not been determined in a defined population. METHODS We performed susceptibility testing on 7551 isolates of S. pneumoniae obtained from surveillance in Canada in 1988 and from 1993 to 1998. Pneumococci with reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones (defined as a minimal inhibitory concentration of ciprofloxacin of at least 4 microg per milliliter) were further characterized. We also examined antibiotic prescriptions dispensed in Canadian retail pharmacies. RESULTS Between 1988 and 1997, fluoroquinolone prescriptions increased from 0.8 to 5.5 per 100 persons per year. The prevalence of pneumococci with reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones increased from 0 percent in 1993 to 1.7 percent in 1997 and 1998 (P=0.01). Among adults, the prevalence increased from 1.5 percent in 1993 and 1994 combined to 2.9 percent in 1997 and 1998 combined. The prevalence was higher in isolates from older patients (2.6 percent among those 65 years of age or older vs. 1.0 percent among those 15 to 64 years of age, P<0.001) and among those from Ontario (1.5 percent, vs. 0.4 percent among those from the rest of Canada; P< 0.001). Fluoroquinolone use was greatest among the elderly and in Ontario. The 75 isolates (17 serotypes) of pneumococci with reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones were submitted by 40 laboratories in eight provinces. Reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones was associated with resistance to penicillin. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of pneumococci with reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones is increasing in Canada, probably as a result of selective pressure from the increased use of fluoroquinolones.
BFSM: Finite state machine learned as name boundary definer for bio named entity recognition

One essential task in automated information extraction for biomedical literature is bio named entity recognition process, which basically defines the boundaries between typical words and technical terms of biomedical domain in particular text data and, classifies them based on the domain knowledge. Due to nature of bio named entity, purely defining boundary of the named entities in text data is still challenging. This paper proposes using the part-of-speech tags of tokens as target observation of name boundary definer tool. We proposed an approach for modeling finite state machine as the boundary definer. Aided by machine learning methods including frequent pattern mining method and Bayesian network, the finite state machine learns on part-of-speech tag of tokens in bio-text data. The finite state machine based on Bayesian network is named BFSM. In addition, we report the influence of part-of-speech tagger tool for learning of BFSM. Experimental results show that the named entity recognition system using the BFSM gives us high accuracy as F-score 85.8.
Evaluation of elderly households’ financial standing in Central and Eastern European countries

Abstract The purpose of the paper is to analyse and evaluate the financial situation of elderly households in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Current demographic trends simultaneously with reforms of pension systems in the CEE region may lead to an increasing number of elderly households being exposed to poverty risk. In this study, Ward’s method and the method of standardised sums were applied to classify and order the examined countries according to the financial standing of elderly households. The obtained results allow us to identify countries with similar financial situations for elderly households in 2007, 2010 and 2013, and changes in clusters and ranking over the analysed period. The main findings show that the financial situation of the elderly in CEE countries is very differentiated and changeable, however over the analysed period the financial standing of the elderly seems to be most similar in Poland and Slovakia as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Mechanisms of Cell Death in the Injured Auditory System: Otoprotective Strategies

Oxidative stress insults such as neurotrophin withdrawal, sound trauma, hypoxia/ischemia, ototoxic antibiotics, and chemotherapeutic agents have been shown to induce apoptosis of both auditory hair cells and neurons. In this paper, we review some components of the apoptotic pathways leading to the death of hair cells and auditory induced by growth factor withdrawal or cisplatin intoxication: (1) reactive oxygen species and free radicals are formed as by-products of several metabolic pathways and these molecules can themselves cause cell damage by reacting with cellular proteins; (2) activation of caspases, and (3) activation of calpain. These mechanisms have several different points at which inhibitors could be targeted to protect cells from programmed cell death, including the prevention of oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and the activation of caspases and calpains.
JUNGBRUNNEN1 Confers Drought Tolerance Downstream of the HD-Zip I Transcription Factor AtHB13

Low water availability is the major environmental factor limiting growth and productivity of plants and crops and is therefore considered of high importance for agriculture affected by climate change. Identifying regulatory components controlling the response and tolerance to drought stress is thus of major importance. The NAC transcription factor (TF) JUNGBRUNNEN1 (JUB1) from Arabidopsis thaliana extends leaf longevity under non-stress growth conditions, lowers cellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) level, and enhances tolerance against heat stress and salinity. Here, we additionally find that JUB1 strongly increases tolerance to drought stress in Arabidopsis when expressed from both, a constitutive (CaMV 35S) and an abiotic stress-induced (RD29A) promoter. Employing a yeast one-hybrid screen we identified HD-Zip class I TF AtHB13 as an upstream regulator of JUB1. AtHB13 has previously been reported to act as a positive regulator of drought tolerance. AtHB13 and JUB1 thereby establish a joint drought stress control module.
Stereolithographic biomodelling in cranio-maxillofacial surgery: a prospective trial.

Stereolithographic (SL) biomodelling is a new technology that allows three-dimensional (3-D) computed tomography (CT) data to be used to manufacture solid plastic replicas of anatomical structures (biomodels). A prospective trial with the objective of assessing the utility of biomodelling in complex surgery has been performed. Forty-five patients with craniofacial, maxillofacial, skull base cervical spinal pathology were selected. 3-D CT or MR scanning was performed and the data of interest were edited and converted into a form acceptable to the rapid prototyping technology SL. The data were used to guide a laser to selectively polymerize photosensitive resin to manufacture biomodels. The biomodels were used by surgeons for patient education, diagnosis and operative planning. An assessment protocol was used to test the hypothesis that 'biomodels in addition to standard imaging had greater utility in the surgery performed than the standard imaging alone'. Biomodels significantly improved operative planning (images 44.09%, images with biomodel 82.21%, P < .01) and diagnosis (images 65.63%, images with biomodel 95.23%, P < .01). Biomodels were found to improve measurement accuracy significantly (image measurement error 44.14%, biomodel measurement error 7.91%, P < .05). Surgeons estimated that the use of biomodels reduced operating time by a mean of 17.63% and were cost effective at a mean price of $1031 AUS. Patients found the biomodels to be helpful for informed consent (images 63.53%, biomodels 88.54%, P < .001). Biomodelling is an intuitive, user-friendly technology that facilitated diagnosis and operative planning. Biomodels allowed surgeons to rehearse procedures readily and improved communication between colleagues and patients.
Reflections on experience-driven design: a case study on designing for playful experiences

User experience (UX) has been recognized as an important quality factor of interactive products and services. Current design practices aim at ensuring a generally pleasurable or satisfying UX. However, approaches and methods for designing for specific experiences are still scarce. This paper addresses experience-driven design (EDD) by reflecting upon a study where playful experiences (PLEX) were utilized as design targets in a practical design assignment of a post-graduate seminar. The outcomes and learning experiences imply that utilizing PLEX as target experiences in the EDD approach is a sound way to provide design inspiration and guidance, and help refining early design ideas. The pre-defined playful experiences were considered as fruitful starting points for brainstorming as well as constant reminders of the rationale of the design. The paper concludes with reflections on applying EDD and four roles in which it was found beneficial: guiding & framing, inspiring, evaluating and communicating.
Dopamine inhibits proliferation, induces differentiation and apoptosis of K562 leukaemia cells.

BACKGROUND Dopamine exerts its effects mainly in nervous system through D1, D2 or D3 receptors. There are few reports dealing with the effects of dopamine on leukaemia cells. However, some dopamine agonists or antagonists do show biological effects on some types of leukaemia cells. Here, we report the effects of dopamine on the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of K562 leukaemia cells. METHODS Proliferation was determined by MTT assay and cell counting both in liquid and semisolid cultures. Differentiation was verified by morphology, benzidine staining and flow cytometry. Apoptosis was checked by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. The two groups were untreated group and treated group (dopamine 10(-9) mol/L - 10(-4) mol/L). RESULTS In liquid culture, MTT assay and colony assay, dopamine inhibited proliferation of K562 cells. Inhibition rate was 29.28% at 10(-6) mol/L and 36.10% at 10(-5) mol/L after culture for 5 days in MTT assay. In benzidine staining and CD71 expression, dopamine induced K562 cells toward erythroid differentiation by increased 155% at 10(-6) mol/L and by 171% at 10(-5) mol/L after culture for 5 days in benzidine staining. In Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry, dopamine induced K562 cells toward apoptosis. The sub G1 peak stained by PI was 14.23% at 10(-4) mol/L dopamine after culture for 3 days compared with the control (0.81%) in flow cytometry. CONCLUSION Dopamine inhibites proliferation and induces both differentiation and apoptosis of K562 leukaemia cells.
Genetic and biochemical characterization of the galactose gene cluster in Kluyveromyces lactis

We isolated and identified mutant strains of Kluyveromyces lactis that are defective for the Leloir pathway enzymes galactokinase, transferase, and epimerase, and we termed these loci GAL1 , GAL7 , and GAL10 , respectively. Genetic data indicate that these three genes are tightly linked, having an apparent order of GAL7 - GAL10 - GAL1 . This same gene order has been observed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Strains harboring gal7 mutations have elevated levels of beta-galactosidase, coded by an unlinked gene, galactokinase, and epimerase activities under uninduced conditions. We investigated the genetic basis of this constitutive gene expression and found no recombinants between the constitutive and Gal- phenotypes among 76 tetrads, suggesting that either GAL7 or a tightly linked gene codes for a regulatory function. This is the second gene that has been shown to specifically coregulate expression of the genes coding for beta-galactosidase and the Leloir pathway enzymes.
The demand for out-of-hours care from GPs: a review.

BACKGROUND The perception of a relentless increase in demand for out-of-hours care has led to the development of new models of organization. A comprehensive review of the evidence about the demand for out-of-hours care has, however, been lacking. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to review all published work relating to out-of-hours care in UK general practice which included data about the demand for care, and the variation in demand. METHODS Searches were conducted in MEDLINE (1966-December 1999) and EMBASE (1988- October 1999). Further references were identified from those cited in papers, and by use of the Science Citation Index to extract articles which cited key papers. Information about night visit fee claims was also obtained from the NHS performance indicators. The review was restricted to research in the UK published since 1959. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The activity of GPs has been used as a proxy indicator for the demand for out-of-hours primary care. Most research has been based on claims for night visit fees, which reflect only a small proportion of all out-of-hours care. Night visit rates vary widely between areas, practices and individual doctors, for reasons which remain largely unexplained. There is evidence that levels of provision of out-of-hours care have risen considerably, but the wide variation between areas, and differences between studies in terms of definition and methodology, make it difficult to confirm this finding. The recent use of electronic call management systems by general practice co-operatives allows an accurate assessment to be made from routinely collected data of the total demand for out-of-hours care. This information will make it possible to assess the impact on general practice of new models of service provision, such as NHS Direct and primary care walk-in centres.