Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human-like behavior generation for intelligent vehicles in urban environment based on a hybrid potential map

In this paper, we present a human-like behavior generation approach for implementing the autonomous driving functions along a predefined route in normal urban streets. Firstly, the surrounding vehicles are detected and classified into different categories based on their states of operation. Subsequently, a hybrid potential map, which includes a trajectory-induction potential and a risk-prevention potential, is constructed for each of the vehicles according to their categories. Finally, all of the potentials are integrated and used to generate an appropriate behavior for the ego intelligent vehicle. Particularly, the trajectory-induction potential, accounting for the apparent risks of the environment, is learned from real human-driven vehicle trajectories of the same situations in the daily urban traffic. The risk-prevention potential, accounting for the underlying risks of the environment, is constructed with multiple expert human drivers' instructions based on their knowledge and experiences. Therefore, a safe as well as reasonable behavior generation, which is close to a human-like performance, can be expected based on the proposed hybrid potential map. Experimental results in various typical but challenging urban traffic scenes have substantiated the effectiveness of the proposed system.
Effective Switch From Premixed to Basal-Prandial Insulin to Achieve Glycemic Goals in Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract Objective: This article describes a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus achieving glycemic control after transitioning from premixed to basal-prandial insulin. Methods: A case report illustrates the challenges of achieving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes, and results of a literature search regarding premixed and basal-prandial insulins are presented. Results: A 52-year-old obese man with type 2 diabetes for 10 years initiated therapy with 2 oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs). When OAD therapy no longer maintained glycemic targets, and the addition of exenatide proved intolerable, he started premixed insulin aspart 70/30. However, lapses in exercise and irregular meal patterns led to a loss of glycemic control and nocturnal hypoglycemia. Switching to a basal-prandial regimen, starting with basal insulin glargine and then adding prandial insulin glulisine, subsequently resulted in a glycated hemoglobin level of 6.7%. Conclusion: The patient benefited from the addition of 1 or more prandial insulin injections to a once-daily basal insulin analog.
Influence of Green IT on Consumers' Buying Behavior of Personal Computers: Implications from a Conjoint Analysis

The increasing attention towards the environmental impact of IT (Information Technology) demands reorientation from IT hardware and service organisations. Consumers are more than ever sensitive about the environmental impact of products and services they buy. Environmental attributes therefore play an important role in the buying process. While the concept of Green IT has been primarily researched from the corporate perspective, the consumer perspective has widely been neglected. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of Green IT attributes of PCs (Personal Computers) on the buying behaviour of consumers. As a contribution to the ongoing discussion of Green IT, we provide marketing data from 500 participants on the importance of Green IT using conjoint and cluster analysis. It is shown that the market share for Green IT PCs could be up to 26.6%. Especially female customers value environmentally friendly attributes. Thereafter, we draw recommendations for the marketing mix of IT hardware and service organisations. The results should provide researchers and practitioners with new insights and measures about the relevance and application of Green IT in the scope of PCs.
Serum Anti-Müllerian Hormone ( AMH ) in Prediction of Oocyte Quality and in Vitro Fertilization ( IVF ) Outcome

INTRODUCTION: Infertility is inability of a couple to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular contraceptive intercourse (1) . Infertility is related to age, about 4% of couples in their early 20 years are infertile with the percentage rising to nearly 20% by their late 30 years. In about 35% of these couples the problem is with the female, 35% the male, 20% both partners whilst about 10% have unexplained infertility. Most of those couples are actually subfertile. Most causes of female infertility are due to underlying medical problems, these causes include: ovarian factors such Polycystic ovary Syndrome (PCOS), hypothalamic-pituitary factors, tubal (ectopic) /peritoneal factors, uterine fibroid and cervical factors. Also age, smoking, sexually transmitted
miRNA limits MAP kinase-mediated immunity: optimization of plant fitness

This article comments on: Wang C, He X, Wang X, Zhang S, Guo X. 2017. ghr-miR5272a-mediated regulation of GhMKK6 gene transcription contributes to the immune response in cotton. Journal of Experimental Botany 68, 5895-5906.
A High-Affinity Fully Human Anti–IL-6 mAb, 1339, for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

Purpose: We investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti-multiple myeloma activity of monoclonal antibody (mAb) 1339, a high-affinity fully humanized anti-interleukin 6 mAb (immunoglobulin G1), alone and in combination with conventional and novel anti-multiple myeloma agents, as well as its effect on bone turnover. Experimental Design: We examined the growth inhibitory effect of 1339 against multiple myeloma cell lines in the absence and in the presence of bone marrow stromal cells, alone or in combination with dexamethasone, bortezomib, perifosine, and Revlimid. Using the severe combined immunodeficient (SCID)–hu murine model of multiple myeloma, we also examined the effect of 1339 on multiple myeloma cell growth and multiple myeloma bone disease. Results: mAb 1339 significantly inhibited growth of multiple myeloma cell in the presence of bone marrow stromal cell in vitro, associated with inhibition of phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and Akt. In addition, mAb 1339 enhanced cytotoxicity induced by dexamethasone, as well as bortezomib, lenalidomide, and perifosine, in a synergistic fashion. Importantly mAb 1339 significantly enhanced growth inhibitory effects of dexamethasone in vivo in SCID-hu mouse model of multiple myeloma. mAb 1339 treatment also resulted in inhibition of osteoclastogenesis in vitro and bone remodeling in SCID-hu model. Conclusions: Our data confirm in vitro and in vivo anti-multiple myeloma activity of, as well as inhibition of bone turnover by, fully humanized mAb 1339, as a single agent and in combination with conventional and novel agents, providing a rationale for its clinical evaluation in multiple myeloma. (Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(23):7144–52)
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, KNOWLEDGE AND SOCIO-EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF FOLK NARRATIVES IN PRESENT-TIMES: PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES IN KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA

Folk narratives have long been used in indigenous African societies to educate about life, cultural knowledge, and history, instill cultural beliefs and values, reinforce behavioural change, entertain, and provide activity for leisure time. Like all African folklore, folk narratives contain African knowledge and African ways of educating and knowing. Thus, this paper presents the knowledge and socioeducational value of isiZulu folk narratives as experienced by pre-service teachers in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Data was gathered from 63 isiZulu pre-service teachers through interviews and written self-reflections. Qualitative data analysis methods were used and themes relating to personal development, knowledge, social and educational value of folk narratives were generated. The paper argues that in present-day societies, in families and educational settings folk narratives are used significantly in educating, and inculcating values and skills in young people. Furthermore, the paper argues for folk narratives to be used as an approach to Life Skills curriculum delivery in schools.
Erythropoietin Reverses Sepsis-Induced Vasoplegia to Norepinephrine Through Preservation of α1D-Adrenoceptor mRNA Expression and Inhibition of GRK2-Mediated Desensitization in Mouse Aorta

We investigated the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) posttreatment on survival time and vascular functions in a mouse model of sepsis. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture. After 20 ± 2 hours of sepsis, thoracic aorta was isolated for assessing its reactivity to norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh). We also measured the tissue nitric oxide (NO) level, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2), and α1D adrenoceptor messenger RNA (mRNA)/protein expression. In septic mice, EPO moderately improved the survival time from 19.68 ± 0.75 to 34.7 ± 3.2 hours. Sepsis significantly decreased the aortic contractile response to NE along with reduced α1D mRNA and protein expression. Erythropoietin significantly preserved the α1D receptor expression and restored NE-induced contractions to control levels in septic mice. Further, it attenuated the aortic α1D receptor desensitization in sepsis which was evident from reduced GRK2 mRNA expression. Accordingly, a selective GRK2 inhibitor markedly restored the contractile responses to NE in sepsis. Erythropoietin treatment attenuated iNOS mRNA expression and iNOS-induced overproduction of NO, but improved endothelium-dependent relaxation to ACh associated with increased eNOS mRNA expression. In conclusion, EPO seems to reverse sepsis-induced vasoplegia to NE through the preservation of α1D adrenoceptor mRNA/protein expression, inhibition of GRK2-mediated desensitization, and attenuation of NO overproduction in the mouse aorta.
Comparison of the Construction of Unmarked Deletion Mutations in Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by Allelic Exchange

ABSTRACT Until recently, genetic analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, was hindered by a lack of methods for gene disruptions and allelic exchange. Several groups have described different methods for disrupting genes marked with antibiotic resistance determinants in the slow-growing organismsMycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and M. tuberculosis. In this study, we described the first report of using a mycobacterial suicidal plasmid bearing the counterselectable marker sacB for the allelic exchange of unmarked deletion mutations in the chromosomes of two substrains ofM. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis H37Rv. In addition, our comparison of the recombination frequencies in these two slow-growing species and that of the fast-growing organismMycobacterium smegmatis suggests that the homologous recombination machinery of the three species is equally efficient. The mutants constructed here have deletions in the lysA gene, encoding meso-diaminopimelate decarboxylase, an enzyme catalyzing the last step in lysine biosynthesis. We observed striking differences in the lysine auxotrophic phenotypes of these three species of mycobacteria. The M. smegmatis mutant can grow on lysine-supplemented defined medium or complex rich medium, while the BCG mutants grow only on lysine-supplemented defined medium and are unable to form colonies on complex rich medium. The M. tuberculosis lysine auxotroph requires 25-fold more lysine on defined medium than do the other mutants and is dependent upon the detergent Tween 80. The mutants described in this work are potential vaccine candidates and can also be used for studies of cell wall biosynthesis and amino acid metabolism.
Method for the Isolation and Identification of mRNAs, microRNAs and Protein Components of Ribonucleoprotein Complexes from Cell Extracts using RIP-Chip

As a result of the development of high-throughput sequencing and efficient microarray analysis, global gene expression analysis has become an easy and readily available form of data collection. In many research and disease models however, steady state levels of target gene mRNA does not always directly correlate with steady state protein levels. Post-transcriptional gene regulation is a likely explanation of the divergence between the two. Driven by the binding of RNA Binding Proteins (RBP), post-transcriptional regulation affects mRNA localization, stability and translation by forming a Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex with target mRNAs. Identifying these unknown de novo mRNA targets from cellular extracts in the RNP complex is pivotal to understanding mechanisms and functions of the RBP and their resulting effect on protein output. This protocol outlines a method termed RNP immunoprecipitation-microarray (RIP-Chip), which allows for the identification of specific mRNAs associated in the ribonucleoprotein complex, under changing experimental conditions, along with options to further optimize an experiment for the individual researcher. With this important experimental tool, researchers can explore the intricate mechanisms associated with post-transcriptional gene regulation as well as other ribonucleoprotein interactions.
Supply chain agility, adaptability and alignment: empirical evidence from the Indian auto components industry

Purpose: To examine when and how organizations create agility, adaptability, and alignment as distinct supply chain properties to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach: The current study utilizes the resource-based view (RBV) under the moderating effect of top management commitment. To test our research hypotheses, we gathered 351 usable responses using a pre-tested questionnaire. Findings: Our statistical analyses suggest that information sharing and supply chain connectivity resources influence supply chain visibility capability, which, under the moderating effect of top management commitment, enhance supply chain agility, adaptability and alignment. Originality/value: Our contribution lies in: (i) providing a holistic study of the antecedents of agility, adaptability and alignment; (ii) investigating the moderating role of top management commitment on supply chain agility, adaptability and alignment; (iii) following the RBV and addressing calls for investigating the role of resources in supply chain management, and for empirical studies with implications for supply chain design.
How can we Assess Knowledge Management? Constructing a Holistic Assessment Framework of KM

Knowledge management has emerged as an issue managers have to deal with. However, practitioners are often puzzled about where they stand on the roadmap of the KM journey, how well they are doing, and what they should do next. To help answer these and other related questions, we believe a maturity model would be an asset. This is an era in which knowledge plays a dominant role in our daily business lives. Intellectual capital has gradually taken the place of traditional tangible capital in many business organizations. However, practitioners are often puzzled about where they stand, how well they are doing, and what they should do next. This paper proposes two knowledge management maturity models as a means to help answer these and related questions. The Knowledge Management Maturity Model (KMMM) proposed in this study helps to answer the questions raised above. It assesses what KM capabilities an organization possesses, which maturity level the organization is at with respect to each of the KM capabilities, and what improvements the organization should be considering. In addition, it is the aim of this study to use this model to assess the differences of KM practices among organizations and serve as the basis for sector analysis and comparison. The proposed model has two different representations: staged representation and continuous representation . We constructed a scale comprising 12 perspectives and scores from the Likert scale of 100 items to assess the applicability of the continuous model. We call this the Knowledge Management Readiness Model (KMRM). In the staged representation of the proposed model (KMPM), which is a framework of KMMM, we developed a survey to assess an organization’s KMMM level by surveying the degree of fulfillment of specific and generic activities. 2. Literature Reviews 2.1 Five Maturity Levels of Knowledge Management Maturity Model (KMMM)
Human H7N9 and H5N1 Influenza Viruses Differ in Induction of Cytokines and Tissue Tropism

ABSTRACT Since emerging in 2013, the avian-origin H7N9 influenza viruses have resulted in over 400 human infections, leading to 115 deaths to date. Although the epidemiology differs from human highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza virus infections, there is a similar rapid progression to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The aim of these studies was to compare the pathological and immunological characteristics of a panel of human H7N9 and H5N1 viruses in vitro and in vivo. Although there were similarities between particular H5N1 and H7N9 viruses, including association between lethal disease and spread to the alveolar spaces and kidney, there were also strain-specific differences. Both H5N1 and H7N9 viruses are capable of causing lethal infections, with mortality correlating most strongly with wider distribution of viral antigen in the lungs, rather than with traditional measures of virus titer and host responses. Strain-specific differences included hypercytokinemia in H5N1 infections that was not seen with the H7N9 infections regardless of lethality. Conversely, H7N9 viruses showed a greater tropism for respiratory epithelium covering nasal passages and nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue than H5N1 viruses, which may explain the enhanced transmission in ferret models. Overall, these studies highlight some distinctive properties of H5N1 and H7N9 viruses in different in vitro and in vivo models. IMPORTANCE The novel avian-origin H7N9 pandemic represents a serious threat to public health. The ability of H7N9 to cause serious lung pathology, leading in some cases to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome, is of particular concern. Initial reports of H7N9 infection compared them to infections caused by highly pathogenic avian (HPAI) H5N1 viruses. Thus, it is of critical importance to understand the pathology and immunological response to infection with H7N9 compared to HPAI H5N1 viruses. We compared these responses in both in vitro and in vivo models, and found that H5N1 and H7N9 infections exhibit distinct pathological, immunological, and tissue tropism differences that could explain differences in clinical disease and viral transmission.
Valuation Ratios and Shape Predictability in the Distribution of Stock Returns

While a large literature on return predictability has shown a link between valuation levels and expected rates of returns, we document a robust link between valuation levels and the shape of the distribution of cumulative (up to 24 months) total returns. Return distributions become more asymmetric and negatively skewed when valuation levels are high. In contrast, they are roughly symmetric when valuation levels are low. These results shed some light on how equity prices regress back to their means conditional on valuation levels and have important practical implications for risk measurement and asset management.
Bladder symptoms in multiple sclerosis: a review of pathophysiology and management

Importance of the field: The use of anticholinergic medication in bladder dysfunction such as overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is widespread. However, the benefits and risks of anticholinergics in multiple sclerosis (MS) are unclear because in MS the damage to normal urinary function is both more diffuse and increases with disease progression, and the risk of CNS side effects is higher. Areas covered in this review: The pathophysiology of urinary dysfunction in MS and the efficacy and side effects of anticholinergics is assessed. The review analyzed randomized controlled trials and observational studies using anticholinergics involving persons with a confirmed diagnosis of MS having urinary symptoms. Finally a pragmatic approach to managing urinary symptoms in MS is discussed. What the reader will gain: The published data provide limited evidence for the efficacy of anticholinergics in MS. The complexity of treating urinary symptoms in the context of other therapies and the changing neurological background seen in MS is comprehensively analyzed. Take home message: Anticholinergics could be helpful in particular phases of MS. However, there is inadequate evidence currently available on the use of anticholinergics in MS, and further research on the management of the MS neuropathic bladder is warranted.
Route Planning for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) on the Sea Using Hybrid Differential Evolution and Quantum-Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization

This paper presents a hybrid differential evolution (DE) with quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) route planning on the sea. The proposed method, denoted as DEQPSO, combines the DE algorithm with the QPSO algorithm in an attempt to further enhance the performance of both algorithms. The route planning for UAV on the sea is formulated as an optimization problem. A simple method of pretreatment to the terrain environment is proposed. A novel route planner for UAV is designed to generate a safe and flyable path in the presence of different threat environments based on the DEQPSO algorithm. To show the high performance of the proposed method, the DEQPSO algorithm is compared with the real-valued genetic algorithm, DE, standard particle swarm optimization (PSO), hybrid particle swarm with differential evolution operator, and QPSO in terms of the solution quality, robustness, and the convergence property. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of generating higher quality paths efficiently for UAV than any other tested optimization algorithms.