Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the development potential of bulk shipping network on the Yangtze River

ABSTRACT In the past decades, a multilayer transshipment network of bulk shipping has been formed along the Yangtze River so as to support the fast development of Chinese iron and steel industry. Yet with the decrease of iron ore trade in China since 2014, the bulk port system on Yangtze River probably will be subject to change in the future. Under this background, this paper aims to analyze the development potential of Yangtze River bulk ports system with a focus on iron ore transshipment. To realize this objective, we firstly sort out the main transshipment patterns of bulk shipping, and optimize the bulk-shipping network with an optimization model. Several scenarios are then proposed and examined in the model by changing corresponding parameters. Cooperation among ports as one scenario is analyzed by applying core theory in cooperative game. Based on the changes of transshipment plans observed under the various scenarios, we finally ascertain the different development potentials of the system, and provide suggestions to the port operators and local maritime authorities.
High efficiency discontinuous mode interleaved multiphase bidirectional dc-dc converter

The buck-boost dc-dc converters with bidirectional features are mostly inefficient with switching and passive component loss. The multiphase dc-dc converter with interleaving of inductor current reduces the ripple. This paper presents the bidirectional dc-dc converter operating in discontinuous mode to minimize the passive inductor. The turnoff loss due to discontinuous operation is taken care by design of snubber capacitance across the switch to improve the conversion efficiency. The design procedure is presented with an algorithm to optimize the component sizing for the highest efficiency operation from low to full load operating conditions. The operation of this converter is presented with three legged interleaving in simulation. The proposed converter prototype design and its implementation are given with operational results.
Circulating Progenitor Epithelial Cells Traffic via CXCR4/CXCL12 in Response to Airway Injury1

Recipient airway epithelial cells are found in human sex-mismatched lung transplants, implying that circulating progenitor epithelial cells contribute to the repair of the airway epithelium. Markers of circulating progenitor epithelial cells and mechanisms for their trafficking remain to be elucidated. We demonstrate that a population of progenitor epithelial cells exists in the bone marrow and the circulation of mice that is positive for the early epithelial marker cytokeratin 5 (CK5) and the chemokine receptor CXCR4. We used a mouse model of sex-mismatched tracheal transplantation and found that CK5+ circulating progenitor epithelial cells contribute to re-epithelialization of the airway and re-establishment of the pseudostratified epithelium. The presence of CXCL12 in tracheal transplants provided a mechanism for CXCR4+ circulating progenitor epithelial cell recruitment to the airway. Depletion of CXCL12 resulted in the epithelium defaulting to squamous metaplasia, which was derived solely from the resident tissue progenitor epithelial cells. Our findings demonstrate that CK5+CXCR4+ cells are markers of circulating progenitor epithelial cells in the bone marrow and circulation and that CXCR4/CXCL12-mediated recruitment of circulating progenitor epithelial cells is necessary for the re-establishment of a normal pseudostratified epithelium after airway injury. These findings support a novel paradigm for the development of squamous metaplasia of the airway epithelium and for developing therapeutic strategies for circulating progenitor epithelial cells in airway diseases.
General entropy criteria for inverse problems, with applications to data compression, pattern classification, and cluster analysis

Minimum distance approaches are considered for the reconstruction of a real function from finitely many linear functional values. An optimal class of distances satisfying an orthogonality condition analogous to that enjoyed by linear projections in Hilbert space is derived. These optimal distances are related to measures of distances between probability distributions recently introduced by C.R. Rao and T.K. Nayak (1985) and possess the geometric properties of cross entropy useful in speech and image compression, pattern classification, and cluster analysis. Several examples from spectrum estimation and image processing are discussed. >
Steady‐state preparation for spoiled gradient echo imaging

While spoiled gradient echo sequences provide a rapid means of acquiring T1‐weighted images, it is often desirable that the magnetization be in the steady state to avoid artifacts. For some applications, this requires many “dummy” repetitions of the pulse sequence prior to data collection, delaying image acquisition. A method is presented in which a saturation pulse, followed by a prescribed recovery period, places longitudinal magnetization levels of all materials near steady state, ready for data acquisition much sooner than when employing only dummy repetitions to achieve steady state. Effects of transverse coherences are studied using configuration theory. The method is shown to be effective in both phantom studies and in vivo applications, including real‐time imaging, multiphase cardiac imaging, and triggered contrast‐enhanced angiography. Magn Reson Med 45:653–661, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Determination of an Unmanned Mobile Object Orientation by Natural Landmarks

The paper is dedicated to determination of equipped with a video camera unmanned mobile object (e.g., a mobile robot) orientation by natural landmarks. The problem is relevant for solving the problem of autonomous movement of the mobile object at a given point of navigating using natural landmarks linked to the map location. The algorithm for determining the orientation of an unmanned mobile object by natural landmarks in view of system conditioning at the point of calculation is proposed. The results of physical experiments of determining the orientation of an unmanned mobile object by natural landmarks in dynamics are presented.
Numerically Accelerated Importance Sampling for Nonlinear Non-Gaussian State-Space Models

We propose a general likelihood evaluation method for nonlinear non-Gaussian state-space models using the simulation-based method of efficient importance sampling. We minimize the simulation effort by replacing some key steps of the likelihood estimation procedure by numerical integration. We refer to this method as numerically accelerated importance sampling. We show that the likelihood function for models with a high-dimensional state vector and a low-dimensional signal can be evaluated more efficiently using the new method. We report many efficiency gains in an extensive Monte Carlo study as well as in an empirical application using a stochastic volatility model for U.S. stock returns with multiple volatility factors. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Decision-making in higher education: Strategic planning and resource allocation at elite private universities in the United States

There are a multitude of challenges facing American higher education in the 21st century and no shortage of pressing topics that administrators must address at their respective institutions on a daily basis. This dissertation utilizes qualitative interview research methodology to connect with some of the leaders of American higher education to understand how institutions define priorities, allocate scarce resources and develop strategic plans that move their institutions forward. Five institutions were selected as part of the sample based on their inclusion among the top 30 private universities in the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings. A semi-structured telephonic interview approach was employed with 22 senior administrators from Duke University, Emory University, Georgetown University, Stanford University and Yale University, including all five presidents. The subjects discussed the major challenges facing elite private universities in the United States, including access and affordability, influence of government on research and financial constraints. The dissertation provides context for the alignment between strategic plans and annual operating plans, as well as the alignment between institutional mission and resource allocation decisions. Despite the similarities shared by the five elite universities, there are also differences that emerged through the research with regard to institutional approach to strategic planning, investment in intercollegiate athletics and overall alignment in decentralized financial environments. This dissertation shares the perspectives of American higher education leaders regarding the myriad of challenges and opportunities facing this sector of academe.
Does Economic Freedom impact Economic growth: Decomposing the Effects for Bosnia and Herzegovina // Да ли економске слободе утичу на економски раст: Декомпозиција ефеката за Босну и Херцеговину

Summary: In this paper we will present the results of our survey on Economic Freedom, and impact of its individual categories on economic growth in the Bosnia and Herzegovina. To measure economic freedom we will use The Index of Economic Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation in cooperation with the Wall Street Journal. We find that economic freedom have a positive impact on GDP growth. Our result also indicates that individual categories of the Economic Freedom have a different impact on GDP growth. Резиме: У овом раду приказаћемо резултате истраживања о економским слободама и о утицају индивидуалних категорија економских слобода на економски раст у Босни и Херцеговини. Ниво економских слобода мјерићемо индексом економских слобода који објављује „Херитеџ фондација“ у кооперацији са „Вол стрит журналом“. Резултати до којих смо дошли показују да раст економских слобода има позитиван утицај на раст БДП-а. Наши резултати указују да индивидуалне категорије економских слобода имају различит утицај на раст БДП-а.
Discrete Interval Type 2 Fuzzy System Models Using Uncertainty in Learning Parameters

Fuzzy system modeling (FSM) is one of the most prominent tools that can be used to identify the behavior of highly nonlinear systems with uncertainty. Conventional FSM techniques utilize type 1 fuzzy sets in order to capture the uncertainty in the system. However, since type 1 fuzzy sets express the belongingness of a crisp value x' of a base variable x in a fuzzy set A by a crisp membership value muA(x'), they cannot fully capture the uncertainties due to imprecision in identifying membership functions. Higher types of fuzzy sets can be a remedy to address this issue. Since, the computational complexity of operations on fuzzy sets are increasing with the increasing type of the fuzzy set, the use of type 2 fuzzy sets and linguistic logical connectives drew a considerable amount of attention in the realm of fuzzy system modeling in the last two decades. In this paper, we propose a black-box methodology that can identify robust type 2 Takagi-Sugeno, Mizumoto and Linguistic fuzzy system models with high predictive power. One of the essential problems of type 2 fuzzy system models is computational complexity. In order to remedy this problem, discrete interval valued type 2 fuzzy system models are proposed with type reduction. In the proposed fuzzy system modeling methods, fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering algorithm is used in order to identify the system structure. The proposed discrete interval valued type 2 fuzzy system models are generated by a learning parameter of FCM, known as the level of membership, and its variation over a specific set of values which generate the uncertainty associated with the system structure
Accounting for property investment: an examination of the value relevance of unrealised gains and losses recognised under IAS 40

The main objective of this study is to examine the relevance of fair value accounting for investment property permitted under IAS 40. This will be achieved by examining the value relevance of unrealised gains and losses reported in the income statement in explaining stock prices for real estate companies listed in Kuwait stock exchange. The study examines further the impact of unrealised gains and losses on the incremental explanatory power of earnings and compares the explanatory power of book value of equity to that of earnings. The results indicate that unrealised gains and losses recognised under IAS 40 have no incremental information content over net income before unrealised gains and losses and that the inclusion of unrealised gains and losses in income numbers decreases the explanatory power of the valuation model and decreases the incremental explanatory power of earnings relative to that of book value. The results indicate further that the incremental explanatory power of earnings exceeds the incremental explanatory power of the book value of equity when unrealised gains and losses are excluded from the earnings measure. These results question the fair value method permitted under IAS 40.
Less Efficacious Conditioned Pain Modulation and Sensory Hypersensitivity in Chronic Whiplash-associated Disorders in Singapore

Objectives:Cultural differences in pain perception exist. Although chronic whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) is well investigated in western countries, little is known about its presentation in Singapore. We studied the neck motion and pain sensitivity in people with chronic WAD in Singapore. Materials and Methods:Thirty chronic WAD participants (>3 mo, Neck Disability Index: 40% [SD 17%]) were age, sex, and ethnicity matched with 30 pain-free controls. All 60 participants underwent the following tests: active neck motion, pain thresholds (pressure, brachial plexus provocation test [BPPT], cold), cold pain tolerance, and conditioned pain modulation (CPM). The test stimulus of contact heat and conditioning stimulus of cold water immersion was used to assess CPM. Data were evaluated to determine differences between WAD and control groups. Results:Active neck motion (F1,29=80.02), pain thresholds of blunt pressure (F1,29=20.84), BPPT (F1,29=54.56), and cold (Z=−4.31) were significantly lower in participants with WAD (P<0.0001). Cold pressor pain tolerance was significantly lower in participants with WAD (Z=−2.89, P=0.02). A less efficacious CPM was also demonstrated in participants with WAD (F1,29=9.20, P=0.03). A combination of BPPT and cold hyperalgesia best predicted the WAD group (sensitivity=96.7%, specificity=96.7%). Discussion:These findings of sensory hypersensitivity and decreased neck motion in Singaporeans with chronic WAD are consistent with physical impairments reported in western populations.
Thyroid nuclear factor 1 (TTF‐1) contains a homeodomain and displays a novel DNA binding specificity.

The cDNA for TTF‐1, a thyroid nuclear factor that binds to the promoter of thyroid specific genes, has been cloned. The protein encoded by the cDNA shows binding properties indistinguishable from those of TTF‐1 present in nuclear extracts of differentiated rat thyroid cells. The DNA binding domain of TTF‐1 is a novel mammalian homeodomain that shows considerable sequence homology to the Drosophila NK‐2 homeodomain. TTF‐1 mRNA and corresponding binding activity are detected in thyroid and lung. The chromosomal localization of the TTF‐1 gene has been determined in humans and mice and corresponds to chromosomes 14 and 12, respectively, demonstrating that the TTF‐1 gene is not located within previously described clusters of homeobox‐containing genes.
iCPBBOCO: A Combination Evaluation Algorithm Based on the Extensional BBO

Biogeography-based optimization (BBO) is a new biogeography inspired algorithm for global optimization, which has shown impressive performance on many popular benchmarks. However, there are still some open research aspects that need to be addressed for BBO. In this paper, we extend the original BBO to iCPBBOCO algorithm (an improved Cosine-Probability chaotic BBO). Furthermore, in order to further improve the performance and enhance the exploration ability, the proposed iCPBBOCO is composed of some excellent strategies, which mainly includes the Cosine migration model, a novel scalable direction mutation model and a decision method of decreasing performance. In final, this optimal combination strategy has been proved the good algorithm performance and the experiment results show that the iCPBBOCO can effectively improve the optimized algorithm performance.
The Value of Accountability in the Cloud: Individual Willingness to Pay for Transparency

Within the global cloud market, accountability is needed to help overcome barriers to cloud service adoption. A key inhibitor for movement to software-as-a-service (SaaS) cloud models is lack of consumer trust. Potential cloud customers perceive a lack of transparency and relatively less control [on their data] than with traditional models? [1]. One way of introducing accountability in the cloud ecosystem is by means of accountability tools. These tools offer cloud customers more insight in the use (e.g., processing, storage, sharing and deletion) of their data in the cloud. Moreover, they promise to promote responsible data stewardship by both cloud providers and cloud users [2]. However, the economic viability of these tools remains unclear. In fact, it is generally assumed that people are willing to pay for cloud services that would otherwise be free, if these cloud services account for their data processes and these processes are supervised. This article explores the economic viability of one of the accountability tools and mechanisms that account for responsible data stewardship in the cloud, specifically a transparency tool. We explore whether individual cloud customers actually are interested in paying for accountability tools. Thus far, no studies exist to support this claim and the actual willingness to pay among consumers may be significantly lower than is assumed by accountability tool developers. Our investigation uses a sample of lay people and explores their general willingness to pay for a tool that offers them transparency about their data in the cloud and its use by the cloud provider and possible others.
Fatty Acids Isolated from Toxoplasma gondii Reduce Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Induced Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Production through Inhibition of the NF-κB Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT Glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) are involved in the pathogenicity of protozoan parasites and are known to induce inflammatory cytokines. However, we have previously shown that the family of six GPIs of Toxoplasma gondii extracted together from tachyzoites could not induce tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion by macrophages, whereas GPIs individually separated from this extract by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) were able to stimulate the cells. In the present study we show that the TLC step makes it possible to eliminate inhibitors extracted together with the T. gondii GPIs. Among the non-GPI molecules we have isolated fatty acids able to inhibit the secretion of TNF-α induced by the T. gondii GPIs. Myristic and palmitic acids reduce the production of TNF-α through the inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation of cytoplasmic proteins and the inhibition of NF-κB activation in a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-independent pathway and after a rapid entry into the cytoplasm of macrophages. GPIs are considered toxins inducing irreversible damage in the host, and fatty acids produced in parallel by the parasite could reduce the immune response, thus favoring the persistence of parasite infection.
Why did France intervene in Mali in 2013? Examining the role of Intervention Entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT Military interventions are without a doubt the most forceful and most costly foreign policy tool extant. But how do they actually come about? The bulk of the existing literature on military interventions points to the head of state and his/her closest advisers to explain intervention decisions. This article argues instead that Intervention Entrepreneurs play a critical role in the political decision-making process of military interventions. Intervention Entrepreneurs are individuals or groups that promote the launch of a specific military intervention because they anticipate benefitting disproportionately from the intervention decision and/or aftermath. To further their intervention proposal, these entrepreneurs employ very similar techniques which include: (1) the creation of a narrative for intervention; (2) the act of spreading and “selling” this narrative to the media, think tanks and other thought leaders; (3) the act of establishing faits accomplis – actions that can create a slippery slope toward intervention such as leaking information or (if possible) pre-deploying troops or other personnel to the intervention theatre; and (4) the lobbying of critical decision-makers (including the head of state) to support the intervention proposal. This article uses the French intervention in Mali (2013) to introduce the concept of Intervention Entrepreneurs and illustrate the strategies and power these actors exert.
Reduced-intensity FOLFOXIRI in Treating Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Pilot Study

Objectives: To report on the efficacy and safety of reduced-intensity FOLFOXIRI (RI-FOLFOXIRI) as salvage chemotherapy for patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Methods: From October 2009 to March 2014, a total of 45 patients with refractory mCRC received RI-FOLFOXIRI as salvage chemotherapy. The initial dose of RI-FOLFOXIRI was 85% of the dose last used for each drug. All patients received a 2-hour infusion of folinate, followed by a bolus of 5-fluorouracil, and then 2400 to 3000 mg/m2 for 46 hours; in addition, patients were either administered irinotecan on day 1 followed by oxaliplatin on day 3 (group A), oxaliplatin on day 1 followed by irinotecan on day 3 (group B), or irinotecan and oxaliplatin on day 1 (group C). Results: Seven patients (15.6%) showed a partial response, and 15 patients (33.3%) had stable disease. The median progression-free and overall survival durations were 3.9 and 7.6 months, respectively. Patients who had wild-type K-RAS showed a longer overall survival duration (8.5 vs. 7.0 mo; P=0.04) but no difference in progression-free survival durations (4.4 vs. 3.4 mo; P=0.20) compared with patients with mutant K-RAS. The most common adverse events were neutropenia (28.9%) and diarrhea (26.7%). Conclusions: RI-FOLFOXIRI as salvage chemotherapy is effective and enables management of patients with refractory mCRC.
Energy-aware adaptive restricted access window for IEEE 802.11ah based networks

Restricted Access Window (RAW) has been introduced for IEEE 802.11ah MAC layer to decrease collision probability. However, both the number of devices involved and duration of a RAW affect the transmission energy and overhead information. In this paper, we study the energy efficiency of the uplink communications of IEEE 802.11ah networks and propose an access window algorithm using probability theory to find an optimal number of devices contending in adaptive RAW size. We formulate the problem of RAW optimization based on the overall energy consumption of different transmission states and the data rate in one RAW. The optimal solution is derived by applying a Hill Climbing approach. Simulation results show that our proposed algorithm outperforms existing RAW on uplink energy efficiency.