Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing household vulnerability to poverty from cross-sectional data: a methodology and estimates from Indonesia ∗

A household’s observed poverty status is an ex-post measure of a household’s well-being (or lack thereof). But for thinking about forward-looking anti-poverty interventions that aim to prevent rather than alleviate poverty, what really matters is the vulnerability of households to poverty, i.e., the exante risk that a household will, if currently non-poor, fall below the poverty line, or if currently poor, will remain in poverty. Ideally, vulnerability at the household level would be estimated with panel data of sufficient length and richness. However, such data are rare, especially in poor, developing economies. We argue in this paper that despite the limitations of purely cross-sectional data, an analysis of these data can potentially be informative. We lay out a simple and fairly flexible methodology for empirically assessing household vulnerability to poverty using cross-sectional survey data, and demonstrate the uses and limitations of the proposed methods through a case study using data from the December 1998 mini-SUSENAS survey from Indonesia.
Goal-Oriented Business Process Engineering Revisited: a Unifying Perspective

The goal-oriented approach to business modeling was identified as one of the “three most important issues in driving business processes towards their goals” by the Business Process Management Journal [1]. Although goaloriented process engineering is gaining momentum, with frameworks, methods and tools being developed in increasing numbers, it continues to be segmented across various research disciplines, with duplication of effort and lack of a coordinated approach to this important research problem. While it is both unlikely and undesirable to have a single method that addresses all business needs, understanding the relationship between the existing approaches will help to identify overlaps and articulate gaps reducing duplication of effort and providing direction for future research. The aim of this paper is firstly, to build on existing assessment frameworks to provide a coherent review of goaloriented process engineering that crosses disciplinary boundaries; and secondly, to provide an alternative perspective on goal-oriented process engineering by integrating decision and process management based methodologies.
Efficient Compressive Channel Estimation for Millimeter-Wave Large-Scale Antenna Systems

Large-scale antenna systems are considered as a viable technology to compensate for huge path loss in millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications. However, due to the massive antennas, the channel state information (CSI) acquisition is costly and challenging. In this paper, we develop a novel compressive channel estimation framework based on multiple measurement vectors (MMV). Compared with conventional single measurement vector (SMV)-based approach, the proposed framework exploits structural sparsity exhibited in the relatively rich local scattering mmWave channels to greatly reduce the training and computational overheads. Moreover, we propose a channel subspace matching pursuit (CSMP) algorithm based on the MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) as an MMV solver. By leveraging the benefits of MUSIC, the proposed CSMP can properly exploit the diversity gain from structural sparsity, and further improve the estimation quality via the superresolution capability. Meanwhile, an efficient implementation method of the proposed CSMP is also presented. Compared to the conventional MMV solver, the proposed CSMP exhibits much lower complexity. Finally, several simulation results show that the MMV-based CSMP achieves significant performance gains over other estimation algorithms, especially when the angular resolutions are high. Regarding the computational cost, the simulation result shows that the MMV-based estimation algorithms are approximately two orders of magnitude smaller than the SMV-based estimation algorithms.
Efficient MAC in cognitive radio systems: A game-theoretic approach

In this paper, we study the problem of efficient medium access control (MAC) among cognitive radio devices that are equipped with multiple radios and thus are capable of transmitting simultaneously at different frequencies (channels). We assume that radios contend on each channel using the carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol. We study two MAC problems: (i) the allocation of the available channels among radios, and (ii) the optimal usage of each allocated channel by the radios occupying it. Both problems are studied in a game-theoretic setting, where devices aim to selfishly maximize their share of the available bandwidth. As for the first problem, we show that the ldquoprice of anarchyrdquo is close to 1, that is, Nash equilibria imply nearly system optimal allocations of the available channels. For the second problem, we design a game such that it admits a unique Nash equilibrium that is is both fair and Pareto-optimal. Furthermore, we propose simple mechanisms that enable selfish cognitive radio devices not only to coordinate efficiently on the available channels but also to optimally use every single allocated channel.
The Laboratory Rat: Relating Its Age With Human's

By late 18th or early 19th century, albino rats became the most commonly used experimental animals in numerous biomedical researches, as they have been recognized as the preeminent model mammalian system. But, the precise correlation between age of laboratory rats and human is still a subject of debate. A number of studies have tried to detect these correlations in various ways, But, have not successfully provided any proper association. Thus, the current review attempts to compare rat and human age at different phases of their life. The overall findings indicate that rats grow rapidly during their childhood and become sexually mature at about the sixth week, but attain social maturity 5-6 months later. In adulthood, every day of the animal is approximately equivalent to 34.8 human days (i.e., one rat month is comparable to three human years). Numerous researchers performed experimental investigations in albino rats and estimated, in general, while considering their entire life span, that a human month resembles every-day life of a laboratory rat. These differences signify the variations in their anatomy, physiology and developmental processes, which must be taken into consideration while analyzing the results or selecting the dose of any research in rats when age is a crucial factor.
Rapid seasonal evolution in innate immunity of wild Drosophila melanogaster

Understanding the rate of evolutionary change and the genetic architecture that facilitates rapid adaptation is a current challenge in evolutionary biology. Comparative studies show that genes with immune function are among the most rapidly evolving genes in a range of taxa. Here, we use immune defense in natural populations of D. melanogaster to understand the rate of evolution in natural populations and the genetics underlying the rapid change. We probed the immune system using the natural pathogens Enterococcus faecalis and Providencia rettgeri to measure post-infection survival and bacterial load of wild D. melanogaster populations collected across seasonal time along a latitudinal transect on the eastern North America (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia). There are pronounced and repeatable changes in the immune response over approximately 10 generations between the spring and fall populations with a significant but less distinct difference among geographic locations. Genes with known immune function are not enriched among alleles that cycle with seasonal time, but the immune function of a subset of seasonally cycling alleles in immune genes was tested using reconstructed outbred populations. We find that flies containing seasonal alleles in Thioester-containing protein 3 (Tep3) have different functional responses to infection and that epistatic interactions among seasonal Tep3 and Drosomycin-like 6 (Dro6) alleles produce the immune phenotypes observed in natural populations. This rapid, cyclic response to seasonal environmental pressure broadens our understanding of the complex ecological and genetic interactions determining the evolution of immune defense in natural populations.
Loss of Survivin in the Prostate Epithelium Impedes Carcinogenesis in a Mouse Model of Prostate Adenocarcinoma

The inhibitor of apoptosis protein survivin is expressed in most cancers. Using the conditional PTEN deletion mouse model, we previously reported that survivin levels increase with prostate tumor growth. Here we evaluated the functional role of survivin in prostate tumor growth. First, we demonstrated that mice lacking the survivin gene in prostate epithelium were fertile and had normal prostate growth and development. We then serially, from about 10–56 weeks of age, evaluated histopathologic changes in the prostate of mice with PTEN deletion combined with survivin mono- or bi-allelic gene deletion. While within this time period most of the animals with wild-type or monoallelic survivin deletion developed adenocarcinomas, the most severe lesions in the biallelic survivin deleted mice were high-grade prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia with distinct histopathology. Many atypical cells contained large hypertrophic cytoplasm and desmoplastic reaction in the prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia lesions of this group was minimal until the late ages. A reduced proliferation index as well as apoptotic and senescent cells were detected in the lesions of mice with compound PTEN/survivin deficiency throughout the time points examined. Survivin deletion was also associated with reduced tumor expression of another inhibitor of apoptosis member, the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis. Our findings suggest that survivin participates in the progression of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia to adenocarcinoma, and that survivin interference at the prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia stages may be a potential therapeutic strategy to halt or delay further progression.
Purinergic modulation of frog electroretinographic responses: The role of the ionotropic receptor P2X7

Abstract The contribution of the purinergic receptors P2X7 (P2X7Rs) to the electroretinographic (ERG) responses was studied by testing the effects of the selective P2X7R antagonist A438079 and the selective P2X7R agonist Bz-ATP on the electroretinograms obtained in perfused frog (Rana ridibunda) eyecup preparations under a variety of stimulation conditions. The P2X7R blockade by 200 µM A438079 diminished the amplitude of the photoreceptor components: the a-wave and the pharmacologically isolated mass receptor potential. In the pure rod-driven and pure cone-driven responses, the amplitude of the postreceptoral ON (b-wave) and OFF (d-wave) components was also diminished. The OFF responses were affected to a greater extent compared to the ON responses. In the mixed rod- and cone-driven responses, obtained in the mesopic intensity range, the b-wave amplitude was increased, while the d-wave amplitude was decreased. The amplitude of the oscillatory potentials was diminished. The relative amplitude changes produced by the P2X7R blockade were greater in the dark-adapted compared to the light-adapted eyes. The application of 100 µM Bz-ATP produced small effects opposite to those of the antagonist, while a prolonged (>20 min) treatment with 1 mM Bz-ATP resulted in a significant amplitude reduction or even abolishment of b- and d-waves. Our results show that endogenous ATP through its P2X7Rs exerts significant, mostly potentiating effects on the ERG photoreceptor and postreceptoral responses. There is a clear ON/OFF asymmetry of the effects on the ERG postreceptoral responses favoring OFF responses: they are always strongly potentiated, while the ON responses are either less potentiated (in the rod-driven and most of the cone-driven responses) or even inhibited (in the mixed rod- and cone-driven responses). The overstimulation of P2X7Rs can produce acute pathological changes, that is, a decrease or abolishment of the ERG responses.
Study on the relationship between soil moisture and its dielectric constant obtained by space-borne microwave radiometers and scatterometers

For obtaining spatial-temporal soil moisture information in large range, a study on the relationship of soil moisture and dielectric constant obtained by space-borne microwave radiometers and scatterometers data was performed. Microwave signal is much related to dielectric constant of object observed, and soil dielectric constant is decided by soil moisture, this is the basis of using microwave remote sensing technology for soil moisture monitoring. This study focuses on the transformation of soil moisture and soil dielectric constant. The Dobson semi-empirical model was used to build a simulated database, then, the coefficients calibrated of Hallikainen formula by the least square regression method at radiometer SMOS(1.4GHz), AMSR-E(6.9GHz), and scatterometer ERS-WCS and METOP-ASCAT (both at 5.3GHz) frequency-points were performed to set up the simplified models to related the real part of the dielectric constant and the soil volumetric moisture content. The validations are performed using both simulated data of the Dobson model and in-situ observations, the results show that the simplified models have good accuracy and practicality.
Metabolism of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is influenced by salinity and modulates survival to the Ostreid herpesvirus OsHV-1

ABSTRACT The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is an osmoconforming bivalve exposed to wide salinity fluctuations. The physiological mechanisms used by oysters to cope with salinity stress are energy demanding and may impair other processes, such as defense against pathogens. This oyster species has been experiencing recurrent mortality events caused by the Ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1). The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of salinity (10, 15, 25 and 35‰) on energetic reserves, key enzyme activities and membrane fatty acids, and to identify the metabolic risk factors related to OsHV-1-induced mortality of oysters. Acclimation to low salinity led to increased water content, protein level, and energetic reserves (carbohydrates and triglycerides) of oysters. The latter was consistent with lower activity of hexokinase, the first enzyme involved in glycolysis, up-regulation of AMP-activated protein kinase, a major regulator of cellular energy metabolism, and lower activity of catalase, an antioxidant enzyme involved in management of reactive oxygen species. Acclimation to salinity also involved a major remodeling of membrane fatty acids. Particularly, 20:4n-6 decreased linearly with decreasing salinity, likely reflecting its mobilization for prostaglandin synthesis in oysters. The survival of oysters exposed to OsHV-1 varied from 43% to 96% according to salinity ( Fuhrmann et al., 2016). Risk analyses showed that activity of superoxide dismutase and levels of proteins, carbohydrates, and triglycerides were associated with a reduced risk of death. Therefore, animals with a higher antioxidant activity and a better physiological condition seemed less susceptible to OsHV-1. Summary: Environmental salinity influences energetic reserves, enzyme activity, membrane fatty acids of the Pacific oyster and modulates survival to viral infection.
Neo Left Main Channel Creation Using Double Stenting Alongside a Sapien 3 Aortic Valve Bioprosthesis for Left Main Coronary Obstruction Following Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Case Report With Review of Literature

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the setting of failed surgical bioprosthesis (valve-in-valve) is a valuable option for patients with bioprosthetic aortic stenosis or regurgitation who are deemed high risk for repeat open heart surgery. Although the procedure is successful with proper preprocedural assessment, instances of left main (LM) coronary artery ostium obstruction have been documented. We present a case of LM coronary obstruction in the immediate postoperative period following implantation of a 20-mm Edwards Sapien 3 valve inside the degenerated 21-mm Mitroflow bioprosthesis stenosis, which was treated with double stenting alongside the Edwards Sapien 3 valve creating a channel (“neo left main”) that extended from mid-LM to the upper margin of the Edwards Sapien 3 valve. Although valve-in-valve in a Mitroflow degenerated bioprosthesis is a relatively safe procedure, 2 or more stents may be necessary to scaffold a channel to the coronary arteries between Edwards Sapien 3 prosthesis and aorta in the event of a coronary obstruction.
Secure Outsourcing of Some Computations

The rapid growth of the Internet facilitates the outsourcing of certai.n computations, in the following sense: A customer who needs these computations done on some data but lacks the computational resources (or programming expertise) to do so, can use an external agent to perform these computations. This currently arises in many practical situations, including the financial services and petroleum services industries. The outsourcing is secure if it is done without revealing to the agent either the actual data or the actual answer to the computation. In this paper we describe how representative operations matrix multiplication, matrix inversion, solution of a linear system of equations, convolution, and sorting can be securely outsourced in a practical sense. The general idea is for the customer to do some carefully designed local preprocessing of the data before sending it to the agent, and also some local postprocessing of the answer returned by the agent to extract from it the true answer. The preand postprocessing should not take time more than proportional to the size of the input, which is unavoidable because the customer must at least read the input once. The purpose of the preprocessing step that the customer performs locally is to "hide" the real data with suitably chosen noise, sending to the agent the obfuscated data. The purpose of the postprocessing is to extract from the noisy answer returned by the agent the true answer that the customer seeks. Index Terms Computer security, data hiding, outsourcing, matrix computations, convolution, sorting
Differentiation-Dependent LMP1 Expression Is Required for Efficient Lytic Epstein-Barr Virus Reactivation in Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated diseases of epithelial cells, including tumors that have latent infection, such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) lesions that have lytic infection, frequently express the viral latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1). In lytically infected cells, LMP1 expression is activated by the BRLF1 (R) immediate early (IE) protein. However, the mechanisms by which LMP1 expression is normally regulated in epithelial cells remain poorly understood, and its potential roles in regulating lytic reactivation in epithelial cells are as yet unexplored. We previously showed that the differentiation-dependent cellular transcription factors KLF4 and BLIMP1 induce lytic EBV reactivation in epithelial cells by synergistically activating the two EBV immediate early promoters (Zp and Rp). Here we show that epithelial cell differentiation also induces LMP1 expression. We demonstrate that KLF4 and BLIMP1 cooperatively induce the expression of LMP1, even in the absence of the EBV IE proteins BZLF1 (Z) and R, via activation of the two LMP1 promoters. Furthermore, we found that differentiation of NOKs-Akata cells by either methylcellulose suspension or organotypic culture induces LMP1 expression prior to Z and R expression. We show that LMP1 enhances the lytic infection-inducing effects of epithelial cell differentiation, as well as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and sodium butyrate treatment, in EBV-infected epithelial cells by increasing expression of the Z and R proteins. Our results suggest that differentiation of epithelial cells activates a feed-forward loop in which KLF4 and BLIMP1 first activate LMP1 expression and then cooperate with LMP1 to activate Z and R expression. IMPORTANCE The EBV protein LMP1 is expressed in EBV-associated epithelial cell diseases, regardless of whether these diseases are due to lytic infection (such as oral hairy leukoplakia) or latent infection (such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma). However, surprisingly little is known about how LMP1 expression is regulated in epithelial cells, and there are conflicting reports about whether it plays any role in regulating viral lytic reactivation. In this study, we show that epithelial cell differentiation induces LMP1 expression by increasing expression of two cellular transcription factors (KLF4 and BLIMP1) which cooperatively activate the two LMP1 promoters. We also demonstrate that LMP1 promotes efficient lytic reactivation in EBV-infected epithelial cells by enhancing expression of the Z and R proteins. Thus, in EBV-infected epithelial cells, LMP1 expression is promoted by differentiation and positively regulates lytic viral reactivation.
Asteroid 2002NY40 as a source of meteorite-dropping bolides

The existence of asteroidal meteoroid streams capable of producing meteorite-dropping bolides has long being invoked, but evidence is scarce. Recent modelling of previously reported associations suggests that the time-scales to keep the orbital coherence of these streams producing meteorites are too short. We present an unequivocal association between near earth object (NEO) 2002NY40 and at least one bright fireball detected over Finland in 2006 August. Another two additional fireballs recorded from Spain and Finland seem to be related, together producing a fireball-producing stream (β Aquarids). On the basis of historical data, the 2006 finding suggests the existence of a meteoroid complex capable of producing meteorites. Taking into account present time-scales for orbital decoherence, if 2002NY40 has large meteoroids associated with it, such behaviour would be the consequence of a relatively recent asteroidal fragmentation. Supporting our claim, the heliocentric orbits of two recently discovered NEOs, 2004NL8 and 2002NY40, were found to exhibit a good similarity to each other and also to the orbits of the three bolides. The fireball spectra of the two Finish bolides showed that the chemical abundances of these objects are consistent with the main elements found in chondrites. This result is consistent with the probable Low iron, Low metal (LL) chondritic mineralogy of asteroid 2002NY40. Consequently, this asteroid may be delivering LL chondrites to the Earth. Additional fireball reports found in the literature suggest that the associated β Aquarid complex may have been delivering meteorites to the Earth during, at least, the last millennium.