Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mortal Effect of Formaldehyde on VR1+-HEK293 Cell Model via a VR1 Activation Pathway

To establish a method detecting the expression of vanilloid receptor type 1 (VR1) and explore the physiological role of VR1 as a possible bio-target molecule of formaldehyde (FA), VR1+-HEK293 (human embryonic kidney, HEK) cell model was constructed using the VRl-cDNA plasmid through the molecular cloning and transfection technology. And then, testing of capsaicin and FA-induced cell death rate in transfected VR1+- HEK293 cells were carried out. The Results showed that VR1 was functionally expressed in VR1+-HEK293 cell model, and measurement of VR1+-HEK293 cell death rate should be an available and effective method, which can be applied in detecting the VR1 expression in cells in vitro; activated VR1 by FA could be blocked by capsazepine (CPZ), a specific antagonist of VR1, suggesting that VR1 may be the possible bio-target molecule of FA and related to the development of FA-induced airway irritant effect and neurogenic inflammation.
A Novel Universal Control Scheme for Transcutaneous Energy Transfer (TET) Applications

A key feature of future active implants will include wireless transcutaneous energy transfer (TET). A novel closed-loop control scheme is presented here for coupled resonant tank circuits that is capable of providing stable and maximally efficient power transfer under various load and disturbance conditions as well as for varying implants. The control algorithm consists of four cascaded control loops using capacitance, frequency, and voltage as the primary control variables. The innermost, D, control loop uses the primary side voltage to control the secondary side current. The C-loop uses the excitation frequency to set the optimal working point for the TET system and the secondary side tank behavior. The secondary side tank may either act as voltage or current source dependent upon the frequency setting of the primary side. The TETs transfer function is shaped by setting the primary capacitance in the B-control loop, determining the performance and transmission efficiency. The exact positioning of primary and secondary coils is determined by an online measurement of the mutual inductance M. In this paper, the D-control loop has been both simulated and realized, for the A-C loops a proof of concept is shown.
Temperature-Dependent Structural Changes in Hydrogen Bonds in Microcrystalline Cellulose Studied by Infrared and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy with Perturbation-Correlation Moving-Window Two-Dimensional Correlation Analysis

Temperature-dependent structural changes in hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) in microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) were investigated by infrared (IR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The O–H stretching fundamentals and their first overtone bands were employed to explore the structural changes. In order to analyze the overlapping OH bands due to various H-bonds, perturbation-correlation moving-window two-dimensional (PCMW2D) correlation spectroscopy was applied to the IR and NIR data. Typical spectral variation temperatures were visualized by the PCMW2D correlation analysis. Structural changes in the strong H-bonds in MCC gradually occur in the temperature region of 25–130 °C, and they become greater above 130 °C. Both OH groups with H-bonds of intermediate strength and very weak H-bonds arise from the structural change of strong H-bonds in the temperature region of 40–90 °C, whereas the appearance of the latter OH groups with very weak H-bonds gradually becomes dominant above 90 °C. It is revealed from the present study that the glass transition at 184 °C induces the changes in the H-bonds in the Iβ and the O3–H3…O5 intrachain H-bonds. Band assignments for the O–H stretching first overtone vibration region are proposed based on the results of the PCMW2D correlation analyses.
Strenuous endurance training increases lipolysis and triglyceride-fatty acid cycling at rest.

Basal whole body lipid kinetics were evaluated in nine endurance-trained cyclists and 10 untrained healthy controls. The rate of appearance (Ra) of glycerol (an index of whole body lipolysis), the Ra of palmitate (an index of fatty acid release), and the rate of triglyceride-fatty acid cycling (reesterification of fatty acids released during lipolysis) were determined by infusing [2H5]glycerol and [2H2]palmitate in conjunction with indirect calorimetry. All subjects were studied while they were at rest after fasting overnight. Glycerol Ra and free fatty acid Ra in the athletes (7.33 +/- 0.68 and 14.88 +/- 1.35 mumol.kg-1 x min-1, respectively) were two- to threefold higher than the values in untrained control subjects (2.53 +/- 0.15 and 7.64 +/- 0.92 mumol.kg-1 x min-1, respectively; P < 0.02). The total rate of triglyceride-fatty acid cycling was approximately four-fold higher in the athletes (16.86 +/- 2.07 mumol.kg-1 x min-1) than in the control subjects (3.91 +/- 0.36 mumol.kg-1 x min-1). Plasma concentrations of insulin and catecholamines, hormones that regulate whole body lipid kinetics, were the same in both groups. We conclude that resting basal lipid kinetics are markedly increased in athletes involved in strenuous endurance training and that this enhances the potential for increasing fatty acid oxidation rapidly at the onset of exercise.
A neural network based method to determine initial object positions for segmentation

This paper presents a new neural network based method for the segmentation of sky from video data collected from a vehicle with a fixed camera position. Using a combination of spatial information, a neural network and thresholding, a high degree of success has been achieved with the images tested. Having the approximate location of the sky allows for an initial starting point for segmentation to be determined. By training a neural network on various sky pixel data, it is possible to find starting locations for thresholding despite the effects of different lighting conditions which significantly affect the colour of the sky in an image. Using this information, thresholds based on colour difference can be employed to discover sky connected pixels. Due to the similar colour of poles to sky, these must then be subtracted from the discovered sky pixels using an edge detection algorithm. The results have been compared with both an SVM and exclusive thresholding technique and comparative analysis is presented in this paper.
Madeira embroidery: A failed collective brand (1935–59)

The regional cluster of the Madeira embroidery sector in the political context of 1935 to 1959 provides the basis for an analysis of a common strategy aimed at strengthening the business competitiveness of the industry. The strategy was a government initiative aimed at improving the material welfare of workers and based on the creation of a collective brand. The aim of this paper is to show that the mixed corporatist organisation that managed the initiative was an example of hybrid governance and that the strategy failed because the regulations introduced were not successful in transforming a weak cluster into a strong one. As a result, competition was kept within a circle of low-wage production centres that left Madeira at a disadvantage.
Flash light sintering of silver ink for inkjet printed organic thin film transistor on flexible substrate

In this paper, flash light sintering of inkjet printed silver tracks using pulsed ultra violet light, has been investigated. This method considerably reduced processing time and did not raise substrate temperature to high value which in turn allowed us to fabricate flexible electronic devices. Here, silver patterns were obtained by inkjet printing of commercially available silver nanoparticle ink on flexible polymeric substrate. The printed ink was then sintered at room temperature and under ambient conditions by flash light irradiation from a xenon lamp using an in-house flash light sintering system. Several sintering parameters were carefully optimized to achieve high electrical conductivity. Finally, feasibility of electronic device application was confirmed by successful fabrication of flexible organic thin film transistor using such silver tracks as source and drain contacts. For device fabrication polystyrene and pentacene were used as gate dielectric and as channel material respectively. Transistor with channel length 28 μm and width 68 μm showed field effect mobility of 0.1 cm2V-1S-1 and ON/OFF ratio of 105.
Short-term biochemical oxygen demand (BODst) estimation using an oxygen uptake rate measurement method

The objective of this research was to estimate short-term biochemical oxygen demand (BODst) using an oxygen uptake rate (OUR) measurement method. Activated sludge samples were taken from a return sludge pipe in an oxidation ditch at Maharaj Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Sludge samples were filtered and aerated overnight in the preparing chamber until reaching the endogenous respiration phase, which provided the initial sludge concentration of 5,489 mg/L. Sludge sample concentrations were diluted to 880, 2,160, and 5,297 mg/L. Sodium acetate of 20 mg/mL (13 mg COD/mL) was used as a readily biodegradable COD substrate (rbCOD) and dosed to the sludge sample. Final COD concentration was varied into 4 dilutions; 7.21, 14.40, 28.71 and 57.70 mg/L. Temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) were controlled throughout the experiment at 28±0.5 °C, 7.8±0.1 and 6–7 mg/L, respectively. DO and OUR values were collected using an ultimate hybrid respirometer, which was developed by Saensing and Kanchanatawee [1]. The results showed that the linear relationship between BODst and COD substrate in all sludge dilutions were high and similar (R2 = 0.9891−0.9957). The area under the OUR curve can be used to easily estimate the BODst and linearly related with biodegradable organic substances. Average R2 throughout the experiment was 0.9940. The results were consistent with the studies of Gernaey et al. [2], Saensing and Kanchanatawee [1] and Premanoch [3] which had average R2 values of 0.9990, 0.9952 and 0.9964, respectively. Estimation of BODst from an OUR respirogram can provide rapid results and also give a linear relationship for the amount of organic matter concentration. It was apparent that the OUR measurement method using an ultimate hybrid respirometer was effective for determination of BODst with less chemical and time consumption.
Methodological Developments in Economics: The Microeconomic Foundations of Macroeconomics

Up to the `70s we can talk of an apparent consensus in economics – in both theory and practice –a consensus much along the lines of the Keynesian doctrine. Since the early ‘70s, however, a state of turmoil has characterized economic science, due to the gap between macroeconomic practice and microeconomic principles and to the economic imbalances of the 8th decade, which the mainstream view could not handle anymore. The present paper aims to investigate whether recent research has managed to successfully reconcile micro and macroeconomic analysis. We assert that the reunification of the two fields was rendered possible either by adapting macroeconomics to microeconomics – the New Classical approach, or the other way round, by adapting microeconomics to macroeconomics – the New Keynesian approach. We use qualitative analyses to assess the methodological progress in economics, using such methods as logical inference, formal analysis and synthesis, but also comparison and interpretation of recent theoretical contributions.We find that recent research has indeed managed to provide solid micro foundations for economics – particularly through the rational expectations assumption – which is one of the very few hypotheses almost unanimously accepted by economists. Today the axiom of rational expectations is firmly established in both economic methodology and economic policy. Despite this theoretical progress, however, in practice, economists have not substantially changed the way they analyse the economy. Keywords: Macroeconomics, New Classical School, New Keynesian Economics, Rational expectations.
Effects of Concentrated Ownership and Owner Management on Small Business Debt Financing**

Using unique data and a new powerful Monte Carlo‐based statistical tool, we examine the effects of concentrated ownership and owner–management (CO‐OM) on the creditor–shareholder agency conflicts in small firms. A significant CO‐OM effect from the small business owner's view, but insignificant from the commercial lenders' perspective, is found. Special features of informational asymmetry problems in small firms with CO‐OM are also highlighted. Theoretical and empirical contributions are made to the small business management and corporate governance literature. Findings obtained from this research have important implications for small business practitioners as well as researchers, and this study can serve as a reference for policymakers and institutional lenders to assist small firms in successfully raising money through debt financing. In addition, a new powerful methodology is introduced to deal with various potential statistical biases and can be further applied to this line of research.
A time-pickoff method using automatic gain control for a fast count rate

The response time of a comparator involved in a time-pickoff circuit depends on the overdrive and the slope of its input signal, which is the main cause of a timing error. For eliminating the dependency, a time pickoff method employing an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit renders the amplitude of the input signal to the comparator to be uniform. However, its application is limited to the low count rate measurement due to relatively long delay of the nonlinear bias circuit for controlling the gain in the AGC circuit. In this study, a time pickoff method, which employs an automatic gain control circuit with a shorter delay, is proposed for fast count rate measurements. According to the amplitude, the input signal is divided into 4 steps. Then, the gain in the AGC circuit is set to be same for the input signals of the same step, which is basically inversely proportional to the amplitude. This gain setting is performed at one time by amplitude comparison, which is similar to a flash type analog-to-digital converter (ADC) structure, and has a smaller propagation delay. The performance of the proposed method is analyzed through the experiments for input signals with a dynamic range of 40dB.
Banks' option to lend, interest rate sensitivity, and credit availability

Interest rate risk is a major concern for banks because of the nominal nature of their assets and the asset-liability maturity mismatch. This paper proposes a new way to derive a bank's interest rate sensitivity, by examining separately the effects of interest rate changes on existing loans(loans-in-place) and potential loans (loans-in-process). A potential loan is shown to be equivalent to an American option to lend, and is valued using option theory. An increase in interest rates generally has a negative effect on existing loans. However, if both deposit and lending rates rise by the same amount, the value of a potential loan generally increases. Hence a bank's lending slack (or ratio of loans-in-process to loans-in-place) will determine its overall interest rate risk. Empirical evidence indicates that low-slack banks indeed have significantly more interest rate risk than high-slack banks. The model also makes predictions regarding the effect of deposit and lending rate parameters on bank credit availability. Empirical tests with quarterly data are generally supportive of these predictions.
A novel vaginal microbicide containing the rationally designed anti-HIV compound HI-443 (N′-[2-(2-thiophene)ethyl]-N′-[2-(5-bromopyridyl)] thiourea])

Introduction: A focal point in contemporary research aimed at preventing the heterosexual spread of AIDS has been the development of intravaginal anti-HIV microbicides to curb the mucosal human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission. Areas covered: This article reviews the preclinical activity and safety profile of the thiophene thiourea PETT derivative, HI-443 (N′-[2-(2-thiophene)ethyl]-N′-[2-(5-bromopyridyl)] thiourea]). HI-443 is a rationally designed non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) with unprecedented activity against primary clinical HIV-1 isolates with NRTI or NNRTI resistance, multidrug resistance as well as non-B envelope subtypes of HIV-1. HI-443 exhibited a favorable toxicity and pharmacokinetics profile following oral, intraperitoneal or intravenous administration in rodents and a favorable safety profile after repeated intravaginal dosing via a gel formulation in rabbits and pigs. HI-443 did not induce the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by three-dimensional reconstituted human vaginal epithelia integrating Langerhans cells ex vivo or in the in vivo porcine model at therapeutic dose levels. Intravaginally administered HI-443 prevented vaginal transmission of a drug-resistant clinical HIV-1 isolate in the surrogate Hu-PBL-SCID mouse model of AIDS. Expert opinion: The discovery of HI-443 as a non-spermicidal broad-spectrum antiretroviral agent represents a significant step forward in the development of a prophylactic microbicide without contraceptive activity for curbing heterosexual HIV transmission.
The Quality of parental participation and student achievement in Peruvian government schools

The paper presents and discusses the findings of a study on families’ and teachers’ understanding of parental involvement in children’s schooling in public primary schools in Peru. The study was undertaken against a background of encouragement of parental participation in education as a means to democratise and improve the quality of educational services. In Peru, as elsewhere, parental involvement in schooling is increasingly seen as contributing to learning and achievement. A sample of 16 children in four departments of Peru was interviewed, together with their teachers and parents. Researchers found parents have limited knowledge about how learning takes place in schools and how they can support their children. Hardly any schools have strategies to guide parental involvement in schooling. Understanding of learning is especially inadequate among poorer and less-educated families. The authors draw the attention of policy-makers to the need to develop better strategies to shape and promote parental involvement in ways that might help enhance children’s learning and achievement.
Demand for international reserves: evidence from East Asia

This paper examines the demand for international reserves in nine East Asian economies during the period 1970-2005 using panel cointegration and Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS). The panel cointegration tests find the existence of a long-run relationship between the demand for international reserves and its determinants. The panel group FMOLS results indicate that current account balance and total external debt are statistically significant and exert a positive and negative impact, respectively, on the demand for international reserves in East Asia.
Economic Efficiency in Cooperatives

HE cooperative form of business organization has deep historical roots in the economy. The cooperative dairy association movement began in New York in the mid-1800s as a response to the monopsony power of privately held milk-processing plants.1 It was perceived that a producer cooperative had the ability to produce processed cheese from its members' raw milk at a lower per-unit cost than would have been possible by contracting with a geographically isolated, private, for-profit firm. Modern refrigerated transportation has diminished monopsony power. In modern times, the cooperative form of business has been consciously nurtured as a matter of public policy. The tax laws of the United States exempt cooperatives that meet certain requirements from payment of income taxes.2 Certain other pecuniary advantages are available to agricultural cooperatives. Loans are available to cooperatives at a belowmarket rate of interest. The collective knowledge of the Department of
Determinants of International Trade Flows

THIS paper models and estimates import demand and demand for export functions for 19 industrial countries. Although primary emphasis is placed on the period of generalized floating exchange rates, 1972 through 1980, estimates are also provided for the fixed exchange rate years (1957-1970), thus making possible a comparison between the two eras. Aside from the conventional income and price variables, the paper assesses the effect of variations in the exchange rate and in the expected exchange rate, on real trade flows. Additionally, it estimates an unrestricted lag structure of the effect of price and exchange rate variations on imports.
HELMINTH COMMUNITIES OF THE LESSER SANDEEL AMMODYTES TOBIANUS L. OFF THE WEST COAST OF IRELAND

The helminth parasites present in 412 lesser sandeels (Ammodytes tobianus) taken from June 1996 to May 1997 from the Aran Islands on the west coast of Ireland were examined. Ten helminth parasite species were recorded, and more than 92% of the sandeels were infected with at least 1 helminth species. Seven of the species were digeneans, including Brachyphallus crenatus, Hemiurus communis, Derogenes varicus, Lecithaster gibbosus, Opechona bacillaris, Cryptocotyle lingua, and Galactosomum lacteum; 2 nematodes, including Hysterothylacium sp. and Contracaecum sp. ; and 1 cestode, Scolex pleuronectis. Three of the 7 digenean species were either larvae or immature. Only 2 species, the digeneans G. lacteum and H. communis, had prevalences greater than 50%. The dominant species was G. lacteum, accounting for 67% of all parasites present. The relationship between spawned groups, host length, and season versus the abundance, prevalence, species richness, and the total number of parasites in the infracommunities was investigated. No difference was found between the parasite communities of the 2 spawning races of the host population. Mean abundance and prevalence of the different parasite species showed seasonal variation. Numbers of parasite species and numbers of parasites increased with fish length. The role of A. tobianus as an intermediate host for helminths was assessed; it was determined that most were infectious to birds or mammals, with the majority of the parasite species being autogenic (infectious to fish). The mean number of parasites per fish was nearly a quarter of the value recorded for A. tobianus in the North Sea, where a much higher intensity of infection was recorded.
Application of Fuzzy TOPSIS Technique for Evaluation of Project

The evaluation and selection of industrial projects before investment decision is often done by using marketing, technical and financial information. Financial assessment is commonly done using engineering economics techniques, but each technique has advantages and limitations in itself. On the other hand, in financial assessment, some of input data such as cash flow and interest rate may be uncertain and imprecise. For solving these problems, we propose a new method for the project selection problem. In this paper, four common methods of comparing alternative investments (Net Present Value, Rate of Return, Benefit Cost Analysis and Payback Period) are used as criteria in TOPSIS technique to obtain an aggregative assessment of criteria for projects. At first, by using a verbal variable, weight of each criterion in the form of a fuzzy number is defined and by using the optimistic, likely and pessimistic estimations, fuzzy desirability of projects based on any criterion is obtained. Then, by utilizing fuzzy theory based- TOPSIS, assessment of projects is done. A numerical example was used to illustrate how the proposed model works.