Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mesoporous bioactive glass-coated 3D printed borosilicate bioactive glass scaffolds for improving repair of bone defects

Background: In the field of tissue engineering, there is currently increasing interest in new biomedical materials with high osteogenic ability and comparable mechanical function to repair bone defects. Three-dimensional (3-D) bioactive borosilicate glass (BG) scaffolds exhibit uniform interconnected macro-pores, high porosity and high compressive strength. In this study, we fabricated 3-D BG scaffolds by the 3D printing technique, then coated the surface of the 3-D BG scaffolds with mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) (BG-MBG scaffold). Methods: The biocompatibility of the BG-MBG scaffolds was evaluated by assessing biodegradability, cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of osteogenic gene expression with human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs). Moreover, the BG-MBG scaffolds were used to repair rat femoral defects and their performance was evaluated using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), fluorescence labeling, histological analysis and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. Results: The results showed that the BG-MBG scaffolds possessed ordered nearly 4nm meso-pores and regular macro-pores, as well as good biodegradability, and that they stimulated the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. In in vivo studies, the result of micro-CT reconstructed images (BG-9M group, 0.63 ± 0.02 g/cm3 and BG group 0.13 ± 0.02 g/cm3 ) and van Gieson staining (BG-9M groups, 62.67 ± 3.39% and BG group, 12.33 ± 2.58%) showed that the BG-MBG scaffolds could significantly enhance new bone formation in both inner and peripheral scaffolds in defects, in and in without the presence of growth factors or stem cells (P < 0.05). Conclusions: It is believed from these results that the BG-MBG scaffolds possess excellent osteoinductive and osteogenic properties which will make them appealing candidates for bone defect repair. The novelty of our research is to provide a new material to treat bone defects in clinic.
DNS Traffic Analysis for Botnet Detection

Botnets pose a major threat to cyber security. Given that firewalls typically prevent unsolicited incoming traffic from reaching hosts internal to the local area network, it is up to each bot to initiate a connection with its remote Command and Control (C&C) server. To perform this task a bot can use either a hardcoded IP address or perform a DNS lookup for a predefined or algorithmically-generated domain name. Modern malware increasingly utilizes DNS to enhance the overall availability and reliability of the C&C communication channel. In this paper we present a prototype botnet detection system that leverages passive DNS traffic analysis to detect a botnet’s presence in a local area network. A naive Bayes classifier is trained on features extracted from both benign and malicious DNS traffic traces and its performance is evaluated. Since the proposed method relies on DNS traffic, it permits the early detection of bots on the network. In addition, the method does not depend on the number of bots operating in the local network and is effective when only a small number of infected machines are present.
p38 MAPK contributes to angiotensin II-induced COX-2 expression in aortic fibroblasts from normotensive and hypertensive rats

Objective To investigate the effect of angiotensin II on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in aortic adventitial fibroblasts from normotensive [Wistar–Kyoto (WKY)] rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Methods Protein expression was determined by western blot, mRNA levels by real-time PCR, transcriptional activity by luciferase assays, superoxide anion (O2•−) production by dihydroethidine fluorescence and prostaglandin E2 by enzyme immunoassay. Results Angiotensin II (0.1 μmol/l, 0.5–6 h) time dependently induced COX-2 protein expression, this effect being transient in fibroblasts from WKY rats and maintained over time in SHRs. Angiotensin II effect was abolished by valsartan (1 μmol/l), an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist. Angiotensin II-induced prostaglandin E2 production was reduced by valsartan and the COX-2 inhibitor NS398 (1 μmol/l). Angiotensin II increased O2•− production more in SHR than WKY rats. This increase was reduced by apocynin (30 μmol/l) and allopurinol (10 μmol/l), respective nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and xanthine oxidase inhibitors. However, angiotensin II-induced COX-2 expression was unaffected by apocynin, allopurinol, tempol (1 mmol/l) or catalase (1000 U/ml). Angiotensin II (2–30 min) induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, transiently in WKY rats but sustained in SHRs. The p38 inhibitor SB203580 (10 μmol/l) reduced angiotensin II-induced COX-2 protein and mRNA levels. The angiotensin II effect was not prevented by inhibition of mRNA synthesis, and angiotensin II was unable to modulate COX-2 transcriptional activity. Conclusions Angiotensin II increases COX-2 expression in aortic fibroblasts through mechanisms including p38 MAPK pathway, independent of reactive oxygen species production and nonmediated by COX-2 transcriptional activity modulation. The sustained angiotensin-induced p38 MAPK activation in SHR cells might be related to the maintained COX-2 expression in this strain.
Germany´s New Debt Brake: A Blueprint for Europe?

Many policy reforms are introduced with a significant lag between the time of legislative passage and their actual implementation. This is also the case for a new constitutional rule in Germany, referred to as a debt brake (Schuldenbremse), which requires the federal and state governments to run (almost, cyclically adjusted) balanced budgets from 2016 and 2020 onward, respectively. In this context I analyze within a simple political-economy model, where politicians are less patient than citizens, the costs and benefits of a credibly announced but lagged deficit or debt ceiling. I show that a balanced-budget rule is at best as effective as not having such a rule in terms of implementing the first best. In an important benchmark case, the first best cannot be reached at all. By contrast, a constitutional limit on the future debt level is more effective, even though the first best cannot be always reached when politicians are too impatient.
The Subfornical Organ : A CNS Site for Actions of Circulating Leptin

Adipose tissue plays a critical role in energy homeostasis, secreting adipokines that control feeding, thermogenesis and neuroendocrine function. Leptin is the prototypic adipokine that acts centrally to signal long term energy balance. Whilst hypothalamic and brainstem nuclei are well-established sites of action of leptin, we tested the hypothesis that leptin signaling occurs in the subfornical organ (SFO). The SFO is a circumventricular organ (CVO) which lacks the normal blood brain barrier, is an important site in central autonomic regulation, and has been suggested to have a role in satiety signaling. We report here the presence of mRNA for the signaling form of the leptin receptor in SFO, and its localization by immunohistochemistry within this CVO. Central administration of leptin resulted in phosphorlylation of STAT3 in neurons of SFO. Whole cell current clamp recordings from dissociated SFO neurons demonstrated that leptin (10nM) influenced the excitability of 64% (46/72) of SFO neurons. Leptin was found to depolarize the majority of responsive neurons with a mean change in membrane potential of 7.3 ± 0.6 mV (39% of all SFO neurons), while the remaining cells which responded to leptin hyperpolarized (-6.9 ± 0.7 mV, 25% of all SFO neurons). Leptin was found to influence the same population of SFO neurons influenced by amylin as 3 of 4 cells tested for the effects of bath application of both amylin and leptin depolarized to both peptides These observations identify the SFO as a possible central nervous system location, with direct access to the peripheral circulation, at which leptin may act to influence hypothalamic control of energy homeostasis.
Portfolio Theory and Currency Substitution

ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS Friedman (1953) and Johnson (1972) advocated flexible exchange rates was to eliminate supply side monetary substitutability, which can incapacitate domestic monetary policy. However contributors to the currency substitution literature, including Miles (1978), Girton and Roper (1981), and McKinnon (1982) have argued that when economic agents hold both domestic and foreign monies, variations in foreign interest rates or expected future exchange rates can make domestic money demand functions unstable as economic agents shift resources in response to changes in prospective relative returns. As a result, they and others have claimed that flexible exchange rates may not secure domestic monetary autonomy.l The major purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the conditions under which foreign and domestic monies are substitutes in demand, when economic agents have motives to hold both, and to contrast the determinants of currency substitutability with those of the more general concept of asset substitutability. Importantly, it is demonstrated that the usual portfolio-theoretic justification for including opportunity cost variables such as foreign interest rates, foreign inflation rates, or expected
Two Techniques That Enhance the Performance of Multi-robot Prioritized Path Planning

We introduce and empirically evaluate two techniques aimed at enhancing the performance of multi-robot prioritized path planning. The first technique is the deterministic procedure for re-scheduling (as opposed to well-known approach based on random restarts), the second one is the heuristic procedure that modifies the search-space of the individual planner involved in the prioritized path finding.
Role of Semiquantitative Assessment of Regional Binding Potential in 123I-FP-CIT SPECT for the Differentiation of Frontotemporal Dementia, Dementia With Lewy Bodies, and Alzheimer’s Dementia

Introduction 123I-FP-CIT SPECT is increasingly used to differentiate between Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The role of 123I-FP-CIT SPECT in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is rather unclear, albeit nigrostriatal involvement may occur. The aim of this study was to evaluate its role in the differentiation of FTD, DLB, and AD. Methods We analyzed 34 patients with clinical diagnosis of FTD (n = 13), DLB (n = 12), and AD (n = 9) undergoing combined 18F-FDG PET and 123I-FP-CIT SPECT. We performed a semiquantitative region of interest–based analysis to determine the binding potential values in caudate nucleus, putamen, and whole striatum including the caudate/putamen binding potential ratio and asymmetry indices. The receiver operating characteristic analyses and multinomial logistic regression were conducted to assess discrimination accuracy. Results The putaminal binding potential separated DLB from AD with high accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.94). It also discriminated FTD from DLB with high accuracy (AUC, 0.92), whereas differentiation between FTD and AD was less accurate (AUC, 0.74). The binding potential ratio also provided high accuracy for differentiation of FTD and DLB (AUC, 0.91). Combination of these 2 parameters yielded slightly higher results for differentiation of FTD and DLB (AUC, 0.97). In a group including all patients, accuracy remained very high for DLB (AUC, 0.95), whereas values for FTD (AUC, 0.81) and AD (AUC, 0.80) were lower. Conclusions Semiquantitative assessment of striatal dopamine transporter availability can differentiate between FTD and DLB as well as DLB and AD with high accuracy, whereas discrimination between AD and FTD is limited.
Do specialized centers and specialists produce better outcomes for patients with chronic diseases than primary care generalists? A systematic review.

PURPOSE Although specialized centers are generally accepted for treatment of relatively uncommon diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, statements regarding the amount of expertise or minimum number of patients treated are increasingly included in guidelines for the treatment of other chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes mellitus. DATA SOURCES Medline and Embase from 1987 through March 2008 were searched. STUDY SELECTION Studies reporting the effect of treatment in a specialized or high-volume center or by subspecialists on a clinically relevant outcome. Data extraction Two reviewers extracted the data independently and assessed the methodological quality. RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS We included 22 articles. Two randomized-controlled trials and a quasi-experimental study compared the effect of outpatient team care with traditional outpatient care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These studies showed no difference or were inconsistent. Studies on the outcomes of care for diabetic patients (5 prospective or historical cohort studies and 10 retrospective cohort studies) were generally of poor quality. Studies comparing the subspecialist care with the care provided by general internists or primary care providers produced inconsistent results. Similar inconsistency and poor quality were found for three observational studies on cystic fibrosis. CONCLUSION The available literature suggests that among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus or cystic fibrosis, outcomes are not superior in specialized centers or with subspecialists compared with other forms of chronic illness care.
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most important cause of dementia in older adults. It has also become a major health problem because of the burgeoning numbers of aged individuals, the long duration of AD, and its high cost of care. Although advances over the past decade have greatly increased our understanding of the molecular pathology of AD, its diagnosis remains largely clinical, as no test or marker has yet emerged with the sensitivity and specificity to be used reliably. Currently, cholinesterase inhibitors, which confer modest cognitive, global, and functional benefits, remain the mainstay of AD treatment, but do not appear to alter the progression of disease. The challenge for the near future will be the development of new therapies and therapeutic targets for disease modification and prevention.
The role of the foreign banks in the 5 EU member states

The article tests if foreign banks have lowered their market share in the Baltic States, Romania and Bulgaria during the recent financial crisis after 2007, due to the perception of risk exposure in local markets. It has been proved that, the credit supply by foreign banks in the Baltic States, Romania and Bulgaria has remained relatively stable during the latest crisis by TSLS method. Foreign ownership generally utilizes derivative products more than domestic banks in the NMSs because they have more expertise in hedging and can diversify risks effectively with their larger parent banks in their home country. The reaction of foreign banks abroad depends on the capital adequacy of the parent bank and the business opportunities in the host economies.
Effect of Annealing Process on Residual Strain/Stress Behaviors in FePt Thin Films

We have characterized the dependence of residual strain/stress on annealing process (post- and in-situ annealing) in single-layer FePt films prepared by sputtering onto amorphous glass substrates. A remarkable difference of evolutions in residual strains between post-andin-situ annealed samples was observed by Sin2 ψ method using synchrotron radiation. The onset of ordering temperature for both series samples is almost identical (~ 350 °C), verified by x-ray diffraction. Crystalline domain size, measured by x-ray peak breadths, of FePt films indicates a difference between these two series samples, which is associated with evolution of residual strain. We believe that the dynamic stress relaxation is the major factor in discrepancy of the residual stress behavior, since the atomic mobility of adatoms during film deposition for in-situ annealing samples are much higher than that for post-annealed films. It is further deduced that residual strain mechanisms may influence the ordering behaviors and related microstructure of FePt films.
Power, Voice and Democratization: Feminist Pedagogy and Assessment in CMC

Academic Technologies for Learning at the University of Alberta regularly conducts a faculty survey related to the use of, and attitudes towards, the use of learning technologies in both face-to-face and distributed learning environments. The 1999-2000 survey revealed some significant differences in the ways that female and male faculty approached the use of te chnology in teaching. Subsequently, the authors pursued these trends through a project of action research in which over 40 female faculty participated. The literature on critical feminist teaching in academia provided a context for this study. Learning design preferences revealed by the female faculty who participated tended to reflect relational values common to the design of learner -centred approaches that place a high value on interactions with students, such as computer-mediated communications (CMC). While many faculty who used CMC grieved the reduction, or loss, of face -to-face contact they also appreciated the increased intimacy of, and democratization inherent in, online conversation. However, this attribute highlighted conflictual feelings about the assessment of these conversations, as the culture of the institution is based on an uneven “power balance” in the classroom. This raised the question of how a feminist teacher understands and accommodates the requirements of learner assessment in envi ronments like CMC, that encourage the construction of knowledge through collaborative conversation. This paper attempts to address this “problem of practice” for female faculty by reviewing and synthesizing the literature on critical pedagogy, feminist teaching, and the assessment of student learning in feminist classrooms. We discuss the assessment approaches used in CMC that are reflected in the stories of seven female faculty. Six issues are identified: necessary coercion, relocating authority, taken-for-granted assumptions, safety, and process as product, and addressing equity.
Promoting flowering, lateral shoot outgrowth, leaf development, and flower abscission in tobacco plants overexpressing cotton FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT)-like gene GhFT1

FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) encodes a mobile signal protein, recognized as major component of florigen, which has a central position in regulating flowering, and also plays important roles in various physiological aspects. A mode is recently emerging for the balance of indeterminate and determinate growth, which is controlled by the ratio of FT-like and TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1)-like gene activities, and has a strong influence on the floral transition and plant architecture. Orthologs of GhFT1 was previously isolated and characterized from Gossypium hirsutum. We demonstrated that ectopic overexpression of GhFT1 in tobacco, other than promoting flowering, promoted lateral shoot outgrowth at the base, induced more axillary bud at the axillae of rosette leaves, altered leaf morphology, increased chlorophyll content, had higher rate of photosynthesis and caused flowers abscission. Analysis of gene expression suggested that flower identity genes were significantly upregulated in transgenic plants. Further analysis of tobacco FT paralogs indicated that NtFT4, acting as flower inducer, was upregulated, whereas NtFT2 and NtFT3 as flower inhibitors were upregulated in transgenic plants under long-day conditions, but downregulated under short-day conditions. Our data suggests that sufficient level of transgenic cotton FT might disturb the balance of the endogenous tobacco FT paralogs of inducers and repressors and resulted in altered phenotype in transgenic tobacco, emphasizing the expanding roles of FT in regulating shoot architecture by advancing determine growth. Manipulating the ratio for indeterminate and determinate growth factors throughout FT-like and TFL1-like gene activity holds promise to improve plant architecture and enhance crop yield.
Bayesian Analysis of an Unobserved-Component Time Series Model of GDP With Markov-Switching and Time-Varying Growths

We propose an unobserved-component time series model of gross domestic product that includes Markov switching as an unobserved component. In addition to a trend component, the model has two time-varying drift components. One drift represents the expected rate of growth during recession; the other drift represents the expected rate during expansion. Estimates indicate a substantial decline in the latter annual rate for the United States from 6.4% in 1950 to 3.6% by 1990. We have employed weak priors based on prewar data. The estimation makes use of the Gibbs sampler and the Metropolis algorithm.
Oligarchy and Democracy in Post-Suharto Indonesia

This article presents a systematic review of the literature of oligarchy in Indonesia, which offers a distinctive interpretation of political change in Indonesia. The article argues that this literature is significant in two important ways. First, it invites ongoing rethinking of the ways in which authoritarian regimes fall. In the mainstream literature of democratisation, the fall of authoritarian regimes is often portrayed as the triumph of pro-democratic civil society mobilisation. Whereas many Indonesianists embrace this mainstream account in explaining the fall of the Suharto regime, the oligarchy literature suggests that its fall was driven not so much by the rise of civil society forces as by tensions between Suharto and oligarchs, in which the former was abandoned by the latter. Second, the oligarchy literature also compels a reappraisal of the nature of Indonesia's new democracy. Unlike the mainstream account of democratisation, which holds an optimistic view that the country is in the ‘consolidation’ stage towards a liberal democracy, the oligarchy literature sees political transition in Indonesia as a journey to an illiberal type of democracy: namely, oligarchical democracy.
Towards Knowledge Discovery in Big Data

Analytics-as-a-Service (AaaS) has become indispensable because it affords stakeholders to discover knowledge in Big Data. Previously, data stored in data warehouses follow some schema and standardization which leads to efficient data mining. However, the Big Data epoch has witnessed the rise of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data, a trend that motivated enterprises to employ the NoSQL data storages to accommodate the high-dimensional data. Unfortunately, the existing data mining techniques which are designed for schema-oriented storages are non-applicable to the unstructured data style. Thus, the AaaS though still in its infancy, is gaining widespread attention for its ability to provide novel ways and opportunities to mine the heterogeneous data. In this paper, we discuss our AaaS tool that performs terms and topics extraction and organization from unstructured data sources such as NoSQL databases, textual contents (e.g., websites), and structured sources (e.g. SQL). The tool is built on methodologies such as tagging, filtering, association maps, and adaptable dictionary. The evaluation of the tool shows high accuracy in the mining process.