Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Utero Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of PCB 153 and PCB 118 Disrupts Fetal Testis Development in Sheep

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are environmental pollutants linked to adverse health effects including endocrine disruption and disturbance of reproductive development. This study aimed to determine whether exposure of pregnant sheep to three different mixtures of PCB 153 and PCB 118 affected fetal testis development. Ewes were treated by oral gavage from mating until euthanasia (d 134), producing three groups of fetuses with distinct adipose tissue PCB levels: high PCB 153/low PCB 118 (n = 13), high PCB 118/low PCB 153 (n = 14), and low PCB 153/low PCB 118 (n = 14). Fetal testes and blood samples were collected for investigation of testosterone, testis morphology, and testis proteome. The body weight of the offspring was lower in the high PCB compared to the low PCB group, but there were no significant differences in testis weight between groups when corrected for body weight. PCB exposure did not markedly affect circulating testosterone. There were no significant differences between groups in number of seminiferous tubules, Sertoli cell only tubules, and ratio between relative areas of seminiferous tubules and interstitium. Two-dimensional (2D) gel-based proteomics was used to screen for proteomic alterations in the high exposed groups relative to low PCB 153/low PCB 118 group. Twenty-six significantly altered spots were identified by liquid chromatography (LC)–mass spectroscopy (MS)/MS. Changes in protein regulation affected cellular processes as stress response, protein synthesis, and cytoskeleton regulation. The study demonstrates that in utero exposure to different environmental relevant PCB mixtures exerted subtle effects on developing fetal testis proteome but did not significantly disturb testis morphology and testosterone production.
Vascular and Central Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor-β Attenuates Angiotensin II–Induced Hypertension: Role of RGS-5

Activation of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-β/δ (PPARβ) lowers blood pressure in genetic and mineralocorticoid-induced hypertension. Regulator of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling 5 (RGS5) protein, which interferes in angiotensin II (AngII) signaling, is a target gene to PPARβ. The aim of the present study was to examine whether PPARβ activation in resistance arteries and brain tissues prevents the elevated blood pressure in AngII-induced hypertension and evaluate the role of RGS5 in this effect. C57BL/6J male mice were divided into five groups (control mice, PPARβ agonist [4-[[[2-[3-Fluoro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-methyl-5-thiazolyl]methyl]thio]-2-methylphenoxy]acetic acid (GW0742)-treated mice AngII-infused mice, GW0742-treated AngII-infused mice, and AngII-infused mice treated with GW0742 plus PPARβ antagonist 3-[[[2-Methoxy-4-(phenylamino)phenyl]amino]sulfonyl]-2-thiophenecarboxylic acid methyl ester (GSK0660)) and were followed for 3 weeks. GW0742 prevented the increase in both arterial blood pressure and plasma noradrenaline levels and the higher reduction of blood pressure after ganglionic blockade, whereas it reduced the mesenteric arterial remodeling and the hyper-responsiveness to vasoconstrictors (AngII and endothelin-1) in AngII-infused mice. These effects were accompanied by an inhibition of NADPH oxidase expression and activity in the brain. Gene expression profiling revealed a marked loss of brainstem and vascular RGS5 in AngII-infused mice, which was restored by GW0742. GW0742-induced effects were abolished by GSK0660. Small interfering RNA targeting RGS5 caused augmented contractile response to AngII in resistance mesenteric arteries and blunted the inhibitory effect of GW0742 on this response. In conclusion, GW0742 exerted antihypertensive effects, restoring sympathetic tone and vascular structure and function in AngII-infused mice by PPARβ activation in brain and vessels inhibiting AngII signaling as a result of RGS5 upregulation.
Climate warming over the past three decades has shortened rice growth duration in China and cultivar shifts have further accelerated the process for late rice

An extensive dataset on rice phenology in China, including 202 series broadly covering the past three decades (1980s–2000s), was compiled. From these data, we estimated the responses of growth duration length to temperature using a regression model based on the data with and without detrending. Regression coefficients derived from the detrended data reflect only the temperature effect, whereas those derived from data without detrending represent a combined effect of temperature and confounding cultivar shifts. Results indicate that the regression coefficients calculated from the data with and without detrending show an average shortening of the growth duration of 4.1–4.4 days for each additional increase in temperature over the full growth cycle. Using the detrended data, 95.0% of the data series exhibited a negative correlation between the growth duration length and temperature; this correlation was significant in 61.9% of all of the data series. We then compared the difference between the two regression coefficients calculated from data with and without detrending and found a significantly greater temperature sensitivity using the data without detrending (−2.9 days °C−1) than that derived from the detrended data (−2.0 days °C−1) in the period of emergence to heading for the late rice, producing a negative difference in temperature sensitivity (−0.9 days °C−1). This implies that short‐duration cultivars were planted with increase in temperature and exacerbated the undesired phenological change. In contrast, positive differences were detected for the single (0.6 days °C−1) and early rice (0.5 days °C−1) over the full growth cycle, which might indicate that long‐duration cultivars were favoured with climate warming, but these differences were insignificant. In summary, our results suggest that a major, temperature induced change in the rice growth duration is underway in China and that using a short‐duration cultivar has been accelerating the process for late rice.
Unbiased Sampling Method Analysis on Online Social Network

Abstract. The study of social graph structure has become extremely popular with the development of the Online Social Network (OSN). The main bottleneck is that the large account of social data makes it difficult to obtain and analyze, which consume extensive bandwidth, storage and computing resources. Thus unbiased sampling of OSN makes it possible to get accurate and representative properties of OSN graph. The widely used algorithm, Breadth-First Sampling (BFS)and Random Walking (RW) both are proved that there exists substantial bias towards high-degree nodes. By contrast the Metropolis-Hasting random walking (MHRW), re-weighted random walking (RWRW) and the unbiased sampling with reduced self-loop (USRS)which are all based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo(MCMC) method could produce approximate uniform samples. In this paper, we analyze the similarities and differences among the four algorithms, and show the performance of unbiased estimation and crawling efficient on the data set of Facebook. In addition, we provide formal convergence test to determine when the crawling process attain an equilibrium state and the number of nodes should be discarded.
CMOS-SOI-MEMS Thermal Antenna and Sensor for Uncooled THz Imaging

We report the design (electrical, mechanical, and thermal) and characterization of an improved performance uncooled thermal sensor for THz radiation based on thermal antenna. The 2-D imager pixel array provides the periodicity and constitutes a frequency-selective surface tuned to the desired THz wavelength band. The focal-plane array is first fabricated in a matured 0.18-μm CMOS-Silicon Over Insulator (SOI) process. By applying MEMS postprocessing using the CMOS metallization layers as built-in masks, micromachined-suspended directly absorbing resistive antennae integrated with thermal sensors are obtained, thus achieving good thermal isolation as well as low thermal mass. Characterization is performed using blackbody operating at 900-1200 K and THz filters. In contrast to the earlier published results, the reported device is characterized with a fully blocking set of three THz filters. With the current responsivity of ~2.6 A/W, Noise Equivalent Power (NEP) of the order of NEP/√Hz|1 Hz = 6.1 pW/√Hz, D* of 0.41·1010 cm√Hz/W, this uncooled THz sensor in the standard CMOS-SOI technology may enable monolithic uncooled passive THz imagers.
Comovements in European government bondspreads: jumps, cojumps, macrofactors andcorrelations

This Chapter investigates the impact of macroannouncements, government bond auctions and rating actions on the 10-year government bond spreads for Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain with respect to Germany. Using a unique tick-by-tick dataset over 1/02/2009-05/31/2012, we identify the impact of the three drivers via jump and cojump detection procedures. Disentangling the prefrom the post-announcement e¤ects, real economy and forward looking news releases from US and Euro area, country speci c Spanish and German macroannouncements, and auctions hold in distressed countries such as Italy and Spain have a statistically and economically signi cant e¤ect. No role is played by rating actions. Keywords: Jumps, Cojumps, Government Bond Spreads, Macroannouncements, Government Bond Auctions, Rating Actions. J.E. L. Classi cation Numbers: C58, C12, H63, G24.
Cash Flow vs. Collateral‐Based Credit

We study factors affecting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) receiving loans and the effect of these loans on MSMEs performance. We study two types of loans – a new type based on cash flows and a traditional-style loan based on collateral. We use unique surveys of MSMEs from Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine. We find that MSMEs receiving a cash flow or collateral loan in the past are more likely to receive the same type of loan (and larger sized) in the future and that cash flow loans may be the preferred form of credit. Both types of loans are related positively to most performance indicators, enabling the MSMEs for instance to be more profitable and expand production. The cash flow loans also appear to be particularly attractive credit delivery schemes for micro and small enterprises. Finally, the effects of the smallest loans are often negative, suggesting that the minimum loan size is an important policy issue.
Development of an Energy Saving Strategy Model for Retrofitting Existing Buildings: A Korean Case Study

The building sector accounts for approximately 40% of national energy consumption, contributing to the environmental crisis of global warming. Using energy saving measures (e.g., improved thermal insulation, highly energy-efficient electrical and mechanical systems) provides opportunities to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings. Furthermore, if the life cycle cost (i.e., installation, operation and maintenance cost) of the measures is considered with their energy saving potential, it is possible to establish a cost-effective energy retrofit plan. Therefore, this research develops an energy saving strategy model considering its saving potential and life cycle cost of the measures for reducing energy consumption in existing buildings. To test the validity of the proposed model, a case study is carried out on an educational facility in South Korea, in response to its overconsumption of energy. The results demonstrate that in terms of energy saving and life cycle cost, the optimal energy retrofit plan is more cost-effective than the existing plan. Also, the break-even point for the optimal energy retrofit plan is within five years, and then revenue from energy saving continually occurs until 2052. For energy retrofit of existing buildings, using the proposed model would enable building owners to maximize energy savings while minimizing the life cycle cost.
Reviewing a framework to price a credit risky derivative post the credit crisis

The period between 2008 and 2009 was an interesting and dramatic time for financial markets. This period marked the beginning of the financial tsunami that would plague global markets for many years to come. This economic meltdown had massive effects on many everyday issues such as house prices, interest rates and inflation. Investment banks were also affected with numerous investment banks either defaulting or being taken over by the U.S. Federal Reserve to avoid default. This group of investment banks include names such as Lehman Brothers, Bear Sterns, Fannie Mae, Freddy Mac and many more. The myth of “too big to fail” was tested and failed because of the number of banks that were allowed to default during the crisis. Many things have changed because of the crisis. One area in finance that has changed is the pricing of financial derivatives. The realisation that huge investment banks can default has dried up the liquidity in capital markets. Therefore banks cannot borrow a shortfall of cash at a risk-free rate anymore but rather at a significant spread over the risk-free rate. The risk-free rate is a core concept of derivative pricing. If investment banks cannot borrow and lend at the risk-free rate then the Black-Sholes-Merton theory laid down in the 1970’s may not be applicable post the credit crisis. The aim of this dissertation is to review the framework of Piterbarg, Burgard and Kjaer to price a general derivative post the credit crisis. This review includes a variety of numerical methods to implement the framework. Acknowledgments The writing of this dissertation has been one of the most significant academic challenges I have ever faced. Without the support, patience and guidance of the following people, this study would not have been completed. It is to them that I owe my deepest gratitude. • Dr. Carolus Reinecke, who undertook to act as my supervisor despite his many other academic and professional commitments. His wisdom, knowledge and commitment to the highest standards inspired and motivated me. • Prof. Coenraad Labuschagne, for his excellent guidance, caring, mentoring, and providing me with an excellent atmosphere for doing research within the Advanced Maths of Finance programme at the University of the Witwatersrand. • Rand Merchant Bank, in particular Tracey Ashington, for the financial support RMB provided for me in order to complete this dissertation. • Paul Botha, from Rand Merchant Bank, for his guidance and his continuous advice on various issues. • Dr. Theresa Offwood-le Roux and Thorsten Von Boetticher, for their effort in editing and proofreading my work. • Kyle Hunzinger, my brother, for his advice with many of the illustrations included in this dissertation. • Finally, my parents, who always supported me and encouraged me to do my best. “No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form. The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking. ” J. P. Morgan
Pre-surgery briefings and safety climate in the operating theatre

Background In 2008, the WHO produced a surgical safety checklist against a background of a poor patient safety record in operating theatres. Formal team briefings are now standard practice in high-risk settings such as the aviation industry and improve safety, but are resisted in surgery. Research evidence is needed to persuade the surgical workforce to adopt safety procedures such as briefings. Objective To investigate whether exposure to pre-surgery briefings is related to perception of safety climate. Methods Three Safety Attitude Questionnaires, completed by operating theatre staff in 2003, 2004 and 2006, were used to evaluate the effects of an educational intervention introducing pre-surgery briefings. Results Individual practitioners who agree with the statement ‘briefings are common in the operating theatre’ also report a better ‘safety climate’ in operating theatres. Conclusions The study reports a powerful link between briefing practices and attitudes towards safety. Findings build on previous work by reporting on the relationship between briefings and safety climate within a 4-year period. Briefings, however, remain difficult to establish in local contexts without appropriate team-based patient safety education. Success in establishing a safety culture, with associated practices, may depend on first establishing unidirectional, positive change in attitudes to create a safety climate.
The proportion of tumor-stroma as a strong prognosticator for stage II and III colon cancer patients: validation in the VICTOR trial.

BACKGROUND The intra-tumor stroma percentage in colon cancer (CC) patients has previously been reported by our group as a strong independent prognostic parameter. Patients with a high stroma percentage within the primary tumor have a poor prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Tissue samples from the most invasive part of the primary tumor of 710 patients (52% Stage II, 48% Stage III) participating in the VICTOR trial were analyzed for their tumor-stroma percentage. Stroma-high (>50%) and stroma-low (≤50%) groups were evaluated with respect to survival times. RESULTS Overall and disease-free survival times (OS and DFS) were significantly lower in the stroma-high group (OS P<0.0001, hazard ratio (HR)=1.96; DFS P<0.0001, HR=2.15). The 5-year OS was 69.0% versus 83.4% and DFS 58.6% versus 77.3% for stroma-high versus stroma-low patients. CONCLUSION This study confirms the intra-tumor stroma ratio as a prognostic factor. This parameter could be a valuable and low cost addition to the TNM status and next to current high-risk parameters such as microsatellite instability status used in routine pathology reporting. When adding the stroma-parameter to the ASCO criteria, the rate of 'undertreated' patients dropped from 5.9% to 4.3%, the 'overtreated' increased with 6.8% but the correctly classified increased with an additional 14%.
Interpolation based progressive algebraic chase decoding of Reed-Solomon codes

This paper proposes an interpolation based progressive algebraic Chase decoding (PACD) algorithm for Reed-Solomon (RS) codes. Based on the received information, 2η (η > 0) interpolation test-vectors are constructed. They are ordered using a reliability function, assessing their potential of yielding the intended message. The decoding is performed progressively granting priority to decode the test-vectors that are more likely to yield the intended message, and it will be terminated once the intended message is found. In the proposal, the decoding of a later test-vector utilizes the interpolation information that is generated during the decoding of the earlier ones. It results in the binary tree that represents the evolution of the interpolated polynomial sets growing in a depth-first-search manner. The PACD algorithm has the advantage of adapting its decoding computation to the channel condition, leveraging the average decoding complexity. This channel dependent feature will be validated by our simulation results which show that the PACD algorithm is less complex than various interpolation based algebraic decoding algorithms. We will also demonstrate that it can achieve a high RS decoding performance.
Justice for Whom? An Intersectional Evaluation of Family Justice Centers

In 2002, San Diego opened a Family Justice Center, a co-location of a multidisciplinary team of professional working together under one roof to provide coordinated services to victims of family violence. Inspired by the success of this center, President George W. Bush called for a National Family Justice Center Initiative to create similar institutions across the United States. This paper provides an intersectional analysis of the FJC model by questioning whether or not these centralizing efforts will improve the accessibility of services to marginalized women. Studies have shown that women of color are more reluctant to seek help from state institutions when they encounter domestic violence; thus, it is questionable whether the convenience of having different services ﾓunder one roofﾔ will make it easier for these women to seek help. In fact, the more institutionalized structure may serve to further deter them from seeking assistance. Using focus group data we collected in collaborative study, conducted in conjunction with the creation of a ﾓFamily Justice Centerﾔ in Denver, Colorado, we examine the experiences that women of color have had in seeking assistance in cases of domestic violence. The findings demonstrate that there are important differences among these women that should be taken into consideration when assessing or implementing the ﾓFamily Justice Centerﾔ model as a means of combating domestic violence.
A THREE-STAGE FEATURE SELECTION USING QUADRATIC PROGRAMMING FOR CREDIT SCORING

Many classification techniques have been successfully applied to credit scoring tasks. However, using them blindly may lead to unsatisfactory results. Generally, credit datasets are large and are characterized by redundant features and nonrelevant data. Hence, classification techniques and model accuracy could be hampered. To overcome this problem, this study explores a variety of filter and wrapper feature selection methods for reducing nonrelevant features. We argue that these two types of selection techniques are complementary to each other. A fusion strategy is then proposed to sequentially combine the ranking criteria of multiple filters and a wrapper method. Evaluations on three credit datasets show that feature subsets selected by fusion methods are either superior to or at least as adequate as those selected by individual methods.
Comparison of Grazing Impacts Between the Invasive New Zealand Mudsnail Potamopyrgus Antipidarum, and Native Macroinvertebrates

To understand the impacts of an herbivorous invasive species on native herbivores, it is critical to quantify the relative impact of the invasive and the native species on shared resources. In a field experiment, we compared grazing efficacy of periphyton by the invasive New Zealand mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, and 3 native macroinvertebrate grazers. Depending on the measure of periphyton biomass, P. antipodarum removed as much or more periphyton than any of the native grazers. When we examined diatom genera individually, P. antipodarum also suppressed the relative abundance of the greatest number of diatom genera and suppressed those diatoms more than the native grazers. As a result, P. antipodarum should compete strongly for periphyton with native grazers. In particular, because Ephemerella mayflies were the second most effective grazers and grazed many diatom genera similarly to the invasive snails, these mayflies may be competing with P. antipodarum in the introduced range. Overall, grazing ability may contribute to the invasion success of P. antipodarum
Analysis and Design of Triplate Corporate Feeds at High Frequencies

The analysis and design of an integrated triplate corporate feed for a microstrip antenna array has been examined. A mode matching technique is used to calculate the reactive behaviour of each junction and taper in the feed and the results are compared to those obtained using static approximations. The spurious radiation generated at the triplate to microstrip interface is also estimated and methods of reduction are considered. The measured phase and amplitude characteristics at 17GHz, of feeds manufactured using computer graphic production incorporating the phase corrections obtained from the mode matching method are given. The limiting performance levels due to manufacturing tolerances, spurious mode generation and radiation loss are estimated.