Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crowdfunding in India: A Misnomer?

SUMMARY India continues to be one of the most vibrant and lucrative commercial locations for start-ups.With a steeply rising competitive sphere amongst start-ups in the B2B technology sector, more predominantly in the ecommerce, healthtech, and fintech sectors, India has capped its position as the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. To keep the steady growth of start-ups, a key parameter, besides the innovative quotient in the scheme, is to strengthen investments into start-ups. For decades, globally, crowdfunding has proved to be a successful tool in pooling resources for innovative start-ups, with a promising future on investments. In India however, the scope and prospects of crowdfunding have been underutilized. The Securities Exchange Board of India, which is the securities market regulator in the country, has yet to recognize the uncompromised benefits that regulated crowdfunding bestows on the innovative endeavours of start-ups. In this article, the author analyses the success and effectiveness of equity crowdfunding in building a robust start-up and investment ecosystem in India, by juxtaposing it with the jurisdictions which legally recognize and regulate crowdfunding. In the first segment, the author draws a broad picture of the crowdfunding market. Next, the wavering opinions of the Indian securities market regulator and the unparalleled need to legally recognize equity crowdfunding as a viable investment option are analysed. Towards this objective, the author advocates the creation of a statutory framework which can effectively control and regulate the Indian crowdfunding market.
To enhance the reliability and energy efficiency of WSN using new clustering approach

Wireless sensor network is a set of independent transducers with communication infrastructure for recording and monitoring at different locations. The monitoring parameters are energy, temperature, humidity, pressure, direction and speed of the node in the WSN. The main challenges of WSN are efficiency, scalability, heterogeneity, reliability, robustness, privacy and security. Many researchers are addressing these challenging tasks of WSN but not with both parameters. In this paper, we have proposed to enhance the life of sensor in wireless sensor network which makes it reliable as well as energy efficient using new cluster based approach. The new cluster technique, reliability means to prevent the crashes of cluster head node and energy efficiency means to take care about election of cluster head.
Evolution of Export Product Space in China: Technological Relatedness, National/Local Governance and Regional Industrial Diversification

Regions tend to develop new products that are related to pre‐existing industrial structure. This stresses the critical role of relatedness in regional industrial diversification. Governments can also strongly affect the evolution of regional industrial structure by using a variety of industrial policies. Based on China's custom product level data, this study explores the evolution of China's export product space during 2000–2011. Econometric analyses suggest that the evolution of export product space in China is heavily driven by relatedness between export products, indicating that regional industrial diversification is path‐dependent. Chinese national and local governments can exert significant influence on the evolution of export products by using export and FDI‐related policies and by establishing development zones. More importantly, national and local governments have played conflicting roles in China's regional industrial dynamics.
Does High Tobacco Consumption Cause Psychological Distress? A Mendelian Randomization Study

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that smoking influences mental health negatively. This study investigated whether high tobacco consumption is causally related to psychological distress in a Mendelian randomization design, using a variant in the nicotine acetylcholine receptor gene CHRNA3—known to influence individual tobacco consumption—as instrumental variable for tobacco consumption. Methods: Data from 90 108 participants in the Copenhagen General Population Study was used. Exposures included self-reported cigarettes/day and pack years and the CHRNA3 rs1051730 genotype as instrumental variable for tobacco consumption. Three dimensions of psychological distress were studied: Stress, fatigue, and hopelessness. Analyses with the CHRNA3 genotype were stratified by smoking status. Results: Self-reported amount of smoking was associated with all three dimensions of psychological distress. For instance among participants smoking 30 cigarettes/day or more, the odds ratio (OR) for stress was 1.67 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.47–1.89) compared to never-smokers. Corresponding ORs for fatigue and hopelessness were 2.18 (95% CI 1.92–2.47) and 3.08 (95% CI 2.62–3.62). Among current smokers, homozygotes and heterozygotes for the CHRNA3 genotype had higher tobacco consumption than noncarriers. Nevertheless, the CHRNA3 genotype was not associated with psychological distress neither in current nor in former or never-smokers. For instance among current smokers, the OR for stress was 1.02 (95% CI 0.91–1.15) among homozygotes compared to noncarriers of the CHRNA3 genotype. Conclusions: Though a strong association between tobacco consumption and psychological distress was found, there was no clear evidence that high tobacco consumption was causally related to psychological distress. Implications: Smoking is associated with several mental health outcomes and smoking cessation is associated with improved mental health. Causality in the association between smoking and mental health is difficult to establish using observational data. Using a genotype known to influence tobacco consumption as instrumental variable for amount of smoking, we found no clear evidence of a direct causal path between high tobacco consumption and psychological distress. Whatever causes the strong association between tobacco consumption and psychological distress, the co-occurrence is important to consider both in interventions for smoking prevention and cessation.
Identification of an imprinted gene, Meg3/Gtl2 and its human homologue MEG3, first mapped on mouse distal chromosome 12 and human chromosome 14q

The paternal duplication of mouse distal chromosome 12 leads to late embryonal/neonatal lethality and growth promotion, whereas maternal duplication leads to late embryonal lethality and growth retardation. Human paternal or maternal uniparental disomies of chromosome 14q that are syntenic to mouse distal chromosome 12 have also been reported to show some imprinting effects on growth, mental activity and musculoskeletal morphology. For the isolation of imprinted genes in this region, a systematic screen of maternally expressed genes (Megs) was carried out by our subtraction‐hybridization method using androgenetic and normally fertilized embryos.
Quantification of the D2‐Glycoprotein in Amniotic Fluid and Serum from Pregnancies with Fetal Neural Tube Defects

Abstract: D2 is a glycoprotein existing in both membrane‐bound and soluble forms. Employing a specific rabbit antibody against purified human brain D2, we developed an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the quantification of D2 and applied it to amniotic fluids from 87 normal and 36 pathological pregnancies. With a cut‐off point of 150 ng D2/ml, no false positive D2 values were obtained in any of the amniotic fluids from normal fetuses, although the alpha‐fetoprotein concentrations were slightly increased in 13 cases. No false negative D2 values were found in any of the 18 investigated amniotic fluids from fetuses with anencephaly. Of 8 amniotic fluids from fetuses with spina bifida, 2 false negative D2 values were found. No false negative alphafetoprotein values were found in any of the cases with neural tube defects in this study. In 10 amniotic fluids from fetuses with other malformations, 5 samples showed raised D2 concentrations. The D2 level in sera from 10 women carrying normal fetuses and 16 women carrying malformed fetuses was also determined, but no statistically significant difference in D2 level was found in the pathological sera when compared with normal sera. It was concluded that the determination of D2 concentrations in amniotic fluid by means of the D2‐ELISA may be used as an additional test in the screening of fetal malformations in early pregnancy.
Msp1/ATAD1 maintains mitochondrial function by facilitating the degradation of mislocalized tail‐anchored proteins

The majority of ER‐targeted tail‐anchored (TA) proteins are inserted into membranes by the Guided Entry of Tail‐anchored protein (GET) system. Disruption of this system causes a subset of TA proteins to mislocalize to mitochondria. We show that the AAA+ ATPase Msp1 limits the accumulation of mislocalized TA proteins on mitochondria. Deletion of MSP1 causes the Pex15 and Gos1 TA proteins to accumulate on mitochondria when the GET system is impaired. Likely as a result of failing to extract mislocalized TA proteins, yeast with combined mutation of the MSP1 gene and the GET system exhibit strong synergistic growth defects and severe mitochondrial damage, including loss of mitochondrial DNA and protein and aberrant mitochondrial morphology. Like yeast Msp1, human ATAD1 limits the mitochondrial mislocalization of PEX26 and GOS28, orthologs of Pex15 and Gos1, respectively. GOS28 protein level is also increased in ATAD1−/− mouse tissues. Therefore, we propose that yeast Msp1 and mammalian ATAD1 are conserved members of the mitochondrial protein quality control system that might promote the extraction and degradation of mislocalized TA proteins to maintain mitochondrial integrity.
hTERT expression and prognosis in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

BACKGROUND In B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), there is a need for molecular markers to predict the evolution of this heterogeneous disease in individual patients. The level of expression of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene has been associated with disease aggressiveness in human cancers. The purpose of the present study was to examine the prognostic significance of hTERT expression in B-CLL. PATIENTS AND METHODS We used real-time reverse transcription-PCR to quantitate the amount of hTERT transcripts in mononuclear blood cells from 90 B-CLL patients. In addition, samples were analyzed for somatic mutations in the immunoglobulin V (IgV) genes. RESULTS The expression of hTERT gene was detected in 59% of patients. The level of expression increased with advancing B-CLL stage (P=0.0064). Patients expressing hTERT showed significantly shorter survival than hTERT-negative patients (P=0.000034), irrespective of the disease stage. On average, the level hTERT mRNA expression was seven-fold higher in the poor-prognosis B-CLL group with unmutated IgV than in the Ig-mutated group (P<10(-7)). The level of hTERT expression discriminated the Ig-unmutated from Ig-mutated B-CLL in 89% of cases. CONCLUSION Our data indicate that hTERT expression in B-CLL may serve as a molecular prognostic marker.
Comparison of ABR response amplitude, test time, and estimation of hearing threshold using frequency specific chirp and tone pip stimuli in newborns

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the auditory brainstem response (ABR) amplitudes evoked by tone pip and narrowband chirp (NB CE-Chirp) stimuli when testing post-screening newborns and to determine the difference in estimated hearing level correction values. Design: Tests were performed with tone pips and NB CE-Chirps at 4 kHz or 1 kHz. The response amplitude, response quality (Fmp), and residual noise were compared for both stimuli. Study sample: Thirty babies (42 ears) who passed our ABR discharge criterion at 4 kHz following referral from their newborn hearing screen. Results: Overall, NB CE-Chirp responses were 64% larger than the tone pip responses, closer to those evoked by clicks. Fmp was significantly higher for NB CE-Chirps. Conclusion: It is anticipated that there could be significant reductions in test time for the same signal to noise ratio by using NB CE-Chirps when testing newborns. This effect may vary in practice and is likely to be most beneficial for babies with low amplitude ABR responses. We propose that the ABR nHL threshold to eHL correction for NB CE-Chirps should be approximately 5 dB less than the corrections for tone pips at 4 and 1 kHz.
Competition between Thyroid Hormone Receptor-associated Protein (TRAP) 220 and Transcriptional Intermediary Factor (TIF) 2 for Binding to Nuclear Receptors

Transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors (NRs) involves the concerted action of coactivators, chromatin components, and the basal transcription machinery. Crucial NR coactivators, which target primarily the conserved ligand-regulated activation (AF-2) domain, include p160 family members, such as TIF2, as well as p160-associated coactivators, such as CBP/p300. Because these coactivators possess intrinsic histone acetyltransferase activity, they are believed to function mainly by regulating chromatin-dependent transcriptional activation. Recent evidence suggests the existence of an additional NR coactivator complex, referred to as the thyroid hormone receptor-associated protein (TRAP) complex, which may function more directly as a bridging complex to the basal transcription machinery. TRAP220, the 220-kDa NR-binding subunit of the complex, has been identified in independent studies using both biochemical and genetic approaches. In light of the functional differences identified between p160 and TRAP coactivator complexes in NR activation, we have attempted to compare interaction and functional characteristics of TIF 2 and TRAP220. Our findings imply that competition between the NR-binding subunits of distinct coactivator complexes may act as a putative regulatory step in establishing either a sequential activation cascade or the formation of independent coactivator complexes.
Fractional dynamics in particle swarm optimization

This paper studies the fractional dynamics during the evolution of a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Some swarm particles of the initial population are randomly changed for stimulating the system response. After the result is compared with a reference situation. The perturbation effect in the PSO evolution is observed in the perspective of the time behavior of the fitness of the best individual position visited by the replaced particles. The dynamics is investigated through the median of a sample of experiments, while adopting the Fourier analysis for describing the phenomena. The influence of the PSO parameters upon the global dynamics is also analyzed by performing several experiments for distinct values.
Preliminary Research and Development on the Problem-Solving Humanoid Machine for K-12 Education

Developing problem-solving humanoid machines has been being a hot research topic in the circle of developing educational technology due to many valuable and demanding learning services for K-12 education can developed based on such machines. The ultimate goal of our research team is to develop a machine to solve all kinds of problems of all main subjects of K-12 is a huge system, but this paper presents only the preliminary research and development in developing such a machine. First, we give the system design with the function description of main modules. Second, we identify the main research problems to develop such a machine following the process that the machine solves a given problem. Third, we present an approach towards an engine of problem solving. Finally, we discuss the education services that we can develop based on such machines.
The impacts of service quality and customer satisfaction in the e-commerce context

This paper aims to investigate the impacts of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty in the e-commerce context, in particular from a triad view of customer-e-retailer-3PL (third party logistics) provider. A literature review is primarily used to determine the conceptual model and to develop the measurement scales. Data were collected through online questionnaire survey conducted in China. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the collected data and test the proposed research hypotheses. The results indicate that both e-service quality and logistics service quality are strongly linked with customer satisfaction. The research results shown that practitioners (e-retailers) should not only focus on e-service quality, but also the logistics service quality. This research validates the proposed service quality framework with two dimensions (e-service quality and logistics service quality) in ecommerce context. Second, it highlights the impact path of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Active surveillance: oncologic outcome

Purpose of review To give insight into recent literature (during the past 12–18 months) reporting on oncologic outcomes of men on active surveillance. Recent findings From recent published trials comparing radical prostatectomy vs. watchful waiting, we learn that radical treatment only benefits a small proportion of men and that a substantial part of men is overtreated. Therefore, active surveillance should aim at postponing treatment for most, but still generate the same disease-specific mortality as radical prostatectomy by treating only those who benefit. In this review some recent published data on prostate cancer-specific mortality under active surveillance as well as intermediate outcomes are described. Summary Prostate cancer-specific mortality under active surveillance is very low; however, longer follow-up is warranted. When deferred radical treatment and immediate radical treatment are compared, results seem to be quite similar, suggesting that postponing treatment does not affect the outcomes of men under active surveillance. Furthermore, in the majority of men active treatment could be avoided completely, without compromising oncologic outcome.
Value Creation in Banks and Informational Contribution of Value Efficiency

This paper investigates the contribution of cost, profit and value efficiency in explaining bank performance for a sample of U.S. listed bank holding companies from 2004 to 2006. In the first stage of the analysis, we estimated efficiency scores and made a descriptive analysis. We found a strong correlation between profit and value efficiency scores although these two concepts are not necessarily associated with cost minimization objective. In the second stage, we measured bank performance using; first, stock return as an indicator of market sensitivity and second, EVA as shareholder value creation indicator. We used OLS and Panel regression models to assess the informational contribution of these efficiency concepts. Our results show that market indicators are not very sensitive to bank efficiency. Thus, shareholder value creation can better be explained by value efficiency rather than profit or cost efficiency
Intracellular Approach for Blocking JC Virus Gene Expression by Using RNA Interference during Viral Infection

ABSTRACT The human polyomavirus, JC virus (JCV), encodes two regulatory proteins at the early (T antigen) and the late (agnoprotein) phases of viral infection whose activities are important for the production of the viral capsid proteins and the dysregulation of several host factors and their functions. For this study, we designed and utilized an RNA interference strategy via small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that targeted the expression of T antigen and agnoprotein in human astrocytic cells. The treatment of cells with specific siRNA oligonucleotides targeting a conserved region of T antigen, nucleotides (nt) 4256 to 4276 (Mad-1 strain), caused a >50% decline in the level of T antigen and in its transcriptional activity upon the viral capsid genes as well as a significant reduction in viral DNA replication in infected cells. Similarly, a single siRNA that aimed at nt 324 to 342 of agnoprotein noticeably reduced early and late viral protein production. A combined treatment of the infected cells with both T-antigen and agnoprotein siRNAs completely abolished viral capsid protein production, indicative of the ability of the siRNAs to effectively halt multiplication of the virus in infected cells. These observations provide a new avenue for possible treatments of patients with the JCV-induced demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
Kaposi's sarcoma in childhood: An analysis of 100 cases from Uganda and relationship to HIV infection

We report 100 cases of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in children under 15 years of age treated at the Uganda Cancer Institute in the 6‐year period 1989–1994. The incidence of childhood KS has risen more than 40‐fold in the era of AIDS, and 78% of 63 cases tested were seropositive for HIV‐I. There were 63 boys and 37 girls. The median age was 4 years and the median age of onset was 33 months. Tumour distribution was lymphadenopathic and muco‐cutaneous, with 2 major patterns: pattern I, oro‐facial dominant (79%); and pattern II, inguinal‐genital dominant (13%). A newly described herpes‐like virus is implicated as the cause of KS (KSHV), and DNA sequences of this virus were present in all of 8 childhood cases tested. If KSHV is a direct cause of KS, this tumour distribution in children suggests mucosal routes of virus entry, possibly during birth or breast feeding. The dramatic increase of childhood KS implies that the prevalence of causative factors is rising in Uganda. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cross-correlation characteristics of multi-link channel based on channel measurements at 3.7GHz

This paper presents cross-correlation characteristics of multi-link channels considering cooperative communication scenarios. We introduce the wideband multiple input multiple output (MIMO) relay channel sounding system to simultaneously measure multi-link channels at 3.7GHz frequency band. The outdoor channel measurement campaign has been performed by realization of two-link channels in residential environments of Korea. We define a signal model with an angle and a relative distance of mobile station. We analyze the cross-correlation characteristics of large-scale channel parameters in terms of delay spread and shadow fading based on measured results. The empirical cross-correlation characteristics show that each two channels are highly correlated when the angle of separation is low, and when the mobile station is away from both base station and relay station with the same distance.
Dietary Genistein Increased DMBA-Induced Mammary Adenocarcinoma in Wild-Type, but Not ERαKO, Mice

Dietary supplements containing concentrates of plant-derived estrogens are being increasingly used by consumers as alternatives for hormone replacement therapy, for treatment of menopausal symptoms, and as cancer preventives. The effect of dietary genistein on dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumor development was investigated in wild-type (ERαWT) and estrogen receptor-α knockout (ERαKO) mice. ERαWT and ERαKO mice were fed a casein-based diet containing 0 or 1 g genistein/kg diet from weaning. Tumors were induced by oral administration of DMBA and subscapular implantation of medroxyprogesterone acetate. No tumors were observed in ERαKO mice. In ERαWT mice, dietary intake of genistein influenced tumor development, enhancing anaplasia of mammary cancer. Mice consuming genistein expressed malignant mammary adenocarcinoma, whereas benign adenomas were observed in mice fed the control diet. Dietary intake was also influenced by genistein, with ERαWT and ERαKO mice fed genistein consuming less food (p < 0.0001) and subsequently weighing less than mice fed the control diet (p < 0.0001). Significant differences in food intake by genotype were also observed (p = 0.0017), with ERαKO mice consuming less than ERαWT mice. Overall, this study found no protective effect of genistein on DMBA-induced mammary tumors in mice and suggests a potential adverse effect on tumor development when high levels of genistein are consumed.