Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DETERMINANTS OF CURRENT CIGARETTE SMOKING AMONG CHINESE YOUTH: FINDINGS FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY *

Two thirds of the youth become daily smokers before reaching 25 years of age, and few quit smoking in China. Unlike their counterparts in western countries, Chinese youth have limited knowledge about the harm that smoking can cause, which places them at risk of negative outcomes. Based on the data from 1 st National Youth Reproductive Health Survey in 2009, using binominal and ordered probit models with a Heckman’s two-stage estimation procedure, this study examines the socio-demographic and life-style related determinants explaining both cigarette smoking and its frequency, respectively. The results indicate that both the occurrence of cigarette smoking and the frequency of cigarette smoking are mainly associated with lifestyle-related variables covering other nonsexual risk behaviors and sexual behavior. The conclusions reflect an urgent need for exploring the relationship between cigarette smoking and other health risk behaviors will be helpful for designing further tobacco control interventions among Chinese youth.
Comparison of the Predictability, Uniformity and Stability of a Laser in Situ Keratomileusis Corneal Flap Created with a VisuMax Femtosecond Laser or a Moria Microkeratome

This prospective study compared the predictability, uniformity and stability of laser in situ keratomileusis corneal flap thickness created by a femtosecond laser or a classic microkeratome. Twenty-five femtosecond laser (VisuMax, Carl Zeiss Meditec) flaps and 38 microkeratome (Moria M3) flaps were measured using anterior segment optical coherence tomography at 1 week, 1 month and 6 months postoperatively. Flap thickness at seven points on each of the four meridians was calculated. At 6 months, VisuMax flaps showed better prediction than Moria flaps for central flap thickness. The standard deviation within individual flaps was smaller for VisuMax flaps and their index of symmetry was better. The mean thicknesses among the four eccentricities in the VisuMax flaps were the same, while Moria flaps were thicker at the 3-mm radius compared with the centre. The VisuMax femtosecond laser created corneal flaps with better predictability and uniformity, and similar reproducibility and stability, compared with the microkeratome.
A Selective KPCA Algorithm Based on High-Order Statistics for Anomaly Detection in Hyperspectral Imagery

In this letter, a selective kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) algorithm based on high-order statistics is proposed for anomaly detection in hyperspectral imagery. First, KPCA is performed on the original hyperspectral data to fully mine the high-order correlation between spectral bands. Then, the average local singularity (LS) is defined based on the high-order statistics in the local sliding window, which is used as a measure for selecting the most informative nonlinear component for anomaly detection. By the selective KPCA, information on anomalous targets is extracted to maximum extent, and background clutters are well suppressed in the selected component. Finally, the selected component with maximum average LS is used as input for anomaly detectors. Numerical experiments are conducted on real hyperspectral images collected by the airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer. The results strongly prove the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Reconciling the tensions between innovation and the process focus in information systems project management

There are inherent tensions between innovation and the focus on process in modern project management (PM) Efforts to manage processes increase short-term efficiency but may decrease the capacity to harness opportunities for innovation and so have detrimental longer-term effects on organisational prosperity. This paper investigates the ways in which these tensions affect information systems (IS) projects. Two illustrative projects demonstrate how these tensions may be managed and the resulting organisational outcomes. The paper makes three contributions to IS project management: a finer-grained view of innovation than is currently evident in the PM literature, exploration of project structure and temporal orientation as key dimensions of these tensions, and the introduction of the concept of 'contextual scope' where acuity to the larger organisational context affects the likelihood that opportunities for innovation are grasped by the project team.
Aspects of Nonlinear Dielectric Spectroscopy of Biological Cell Suspensions

In this paper the technique of nonlinear dielectric spectroscopy is employed to examine the nonlinear response of a suspension of the yeast S. cerevisiae to a low frequency perturbating ac electric field. Metabolically active and resting yeast states, as well as the electrolyte medium are considered, and experimental time-course spectral data are presented. Conductivity is found to increase in the active case, resulting in variations in magnitude of the applied field. An empirical model is fitted to the experimental data at discrete points over time, enabling simulation and resulting in a software-based method to compensate for these variations in effective field strength
Solving the structure of plant photosystem I—biochemistry is vital

The recently determined structure of plant photosystem I (PSI) provides the first relatively high-resolution structural model of a supercomplex containing a reaction center and its peripheral antenna. Large amounts of highly purified PSI were required to get enough crystals amenable for structural determination by X-ray crystallography. In addition, a deep biochemical understanding of the large supercomplex was vital for achieving the goal. The stability of PSI was analyzed by sucrose gradient centrifugation and gel electrophoresis. Small amounts of LHCI were detached from PSI following a 12 day incubation under crystallization conditions. The interaction between the reaction center and the peripheral antenna of PSI (LHCI) as well as the interactions among the LHCI monomers are flexible. Nevertheless, the pure and homogeneous preparation of PSI allows for relatively tight crystal packing, which holds promise for obtaining atomic resolution in the future.
Initial Public Offerings from the Perspectives of Issuers, Underwriters and Investors: A Review of Financial and Psychological Work

This dissertation discusses initial public offering (IPO) and its two major phenomena: underpricing and underperformance. The dissertation reviews existent literature from both finance and psychology, from the perspectives of the three major parties in an IPO process: issuers, underwriters and investors. In each perspective, the context is unfolded according to either a logical decision making process or a sequential order of an IPO event. The results indicate that underpricing and underperformance should be perceived as joint results affected by all three parties via various parameters throughout the IPO process. Financial factors include asymmetric information and information accuracy; psychological factors include cognitive, affective and social factors. Financial and psychological factors impact underpricing and underperformance to different extents.
Enhancing the Feasibility of School Finance Reform

Reforming state education funding systems is difficult. In this paper, we argue that the probability of success is enhanced if policymakers and reformers have access to a model of the school funding system that allows them to analyze the impacts of a range of school funding proposals. This paper describes the construction of a five-year dynamic simulation model designed to analyze school funding reform proposals in Wisconsin. The model is heavily parameterized. It includes a parallel current law model and the capacity to automatically generate tables showing the aggregate budgetary impact and the distributional impacts of any proposal. The model allows for alternative spending and property tax levy responses by individual districts in response to changes in state aid. Results from the simulation led reformers to both add and drop several provisions. The result was a more politically feasible final proposal with a lower overall cost and property tax cuts for most districts.
Differences in Neuropsychiatric Symptoms according to Mild Cognitive Impairment Subtypes in the Community

Background/Aims: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been subtyped according to its cognitive features and its likely etiology. We aimed to investigate the neuropsychiatric features of the MCI using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and compare them according to subtypes. Methods: MCI patients were classified according to cognitive features (e.g. amnestic vs. nonamnestic MCI), likely etiology (e.g. vascular vs. nonvascular MCI) and functional status (e.g. MCI-I vs. MCI-II). The percentage of subjects exhibiting each of the 12 behaviors in the Neuropsychiatric Inventory was compared among the groups using a χ2 test. Results: There were 382 subjects in the MCI group. In terms of each neuropsychiatric symptom, there were no differences in frequency between the MCI groups subtyped according to cognitive features or likely etiology. However, a significantly higher frequency of delusion, aggression, irritability and eating behavior was observed in the MCI-II group in comparison to the MCI-I group. Conclusion: The differences in neuropsychiatric symptoms were distinctive between the MCI groups subtyped according to functional status.
Application of the Heston's Stochastic Volatility Model on the Greek Stock Market

This study focus on applying the Heston’s stochastic volatility model, to the Greek stock market, by estimating the parameters from past data. Specifically, the purpose of the study is to use the stochastic model in order to calculate the parameters of this model using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation method. In addition, the model will be used in order to manifest futures values of volatility.
Phosphorylation-dependent Conformational Changes Induce a Switch in the Actin-binding Function of MARCKS*

Phosphorylation of myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) by protein kinase C eliminates actin filament cross-linking activity, but residual filament binding activity docks phosphorylated MARCKS on filamentous actin. The postulated actin-binding region of MARCKS, which includes a Ca2+-calmodulin-binding site, has been portrayed with α-helical structure, analogous to other calmodulin-binding domains. Previous speculation suggested that MARCKS may dimerize to form the two functional actin-binding sites requisite for cross-linking activity. Contrary to these hypotheses, we show that MARCKS peptide with actin-cross-linking activity has an extended structure in aqueous solution but assumes a more compact structure upon phosphorylation. We hypothesize that structural changes in the MARCKS peptide induced by phosphorylation create a dynamic structure that, on average, has only one actin-binding site. Moreover, independent of the state of phosphorylation, this peptide is monomeric rather than dimeric, implying that two distinct actin-binding sites are responsible for the actin-cross-linking activity of unphosphorylated MARCKS. These studies uniquely elucidate the mechanism by which phosphorylation of MARCKS induces structural changes and suggest how these structural changes determine biological activity.
Estimation and application of biological variation of urinary delta-aminolevulinic acid and porphobilinogen in healthy individuals and in patients with acute intermittent porphyria.

BACKGROUND Diagnosis of an attack of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is based on the demonstration of increased concentrations of porphobilinogen (PBG) and delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in urine, but many AIP patients also have high baseline concentrations in remission. The aim of this study was to estimate the biological variations of ALA, PBG, and porphyrins in healthy individuals and AIP patients to improve interpretation of test results. METHODS Fifteen healthy individuals and 15 AIP patients were included, and biological variations were calculated based on urine samples collected weekly for 10 consecutive weeks. For the AIP patients, long-term variations were also estimated based on 7 samples collected through a 2-year period. RESULTS The porphyrin variances were inhomogeneously distributed; biological variations of porphyrins were therefore not calculated. The within-subject biological variations of ALA and PBG were 16%-20% in the short-term settings and for PBG, 25% in the long-term setting, giving reference change values of approximately 50% and 70%, respectively. The probability of detecting a 100% real change in PBG was 97% in the short-term setting and 80% in the long-term setting. CONCLUSIONS In an AIP patient, a 2-fold increase in PBG, independent of the baseline concentration, will be detected with a probability >80% and is most likely related to the patient's disease and not caused only by analytical and biological variation. When PBG is used in the assessment of AIP-related symptoms, both the PBG concentration in remission and the length of time since the previous sample must be considered.
Building expert systems

Reading,Mass. : Addison-Wesley Pub. , 1983. 1: include bibliography: p. 405-420 -- (Teknowledge Series in Knowledge Engineering. Hayes-Roth, Frederick, series editor). This book is a collaboration of 38 expert system researchers and developers. It provides a broad introduction to the concepts and methods necessary for an understanding of how these systems work
State-of-the-art methods and future perspectives for personal recognition based on electroencephalogram signals

In the past decade, biomedical instrumentations have witnessed major developments and now it is very easy to measure human biomedical electrical signals. One of these signals is the brain waves, known as electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, which became very easy to be measured using portable devices and dry electrodes. This opens the way for the use of brain waves in different applications rather than the biomedical diagnosis. One of the most recent non-medical applications for brain waves is the biometric authentication. Brain waves have some advantages which are not present in the commonly used identifiers, such as face and fingerprints, making them robust to spoof attacks. However, brain waves still face many challenges with reference to permanence and uniqueness. In this study, the authors discuss the employment of brain signals for human recognition tasks and focus on the challenges facing these signals towards the deployment of a practical biometric system. This study, also, provides a comprehensive review of the proposed approaches developed in EEG-based biometric authentication systems.
Projected texture fusion

Active consumer grade depth sensors have motivated recent research on volumetric depth map fusion. This led to the development of new, efficient, video-rate integration and tracking methods. These approaches still suffer from the geometric inaccuracies of the input depth maps of consumer grade depth sensors. This paper presents a practical stereo system that combines highly accurate and robust projected texture stereo and efficient volumetric integration and allows to easily capture accurate 3D models of indoor scenes. We describe a stereo method that is optimized for random dot projection patterns and delivers complete and robust results. We also show the complementing hardware setup that delivers accurate, complete depth maps. Results of a real-world scene are compared to ground truth data.
Modeling sample/patient‐specific structural and diffusional responses of cartilage using DT‐MRI

We propose a new 3D biphasic constitutive model designed to incorporate structural data on the sample/patient‐specific collagen fiber network. The finite strain model focuses on the load‐bearing morphology, that is, an incompressible, poroelastic solid matrix, reinforced by an inhomogeneous, dispersed fiber fabric, saturated with an incompressible fluid at constant electrolytic conditions residing in strain‐dependent pores of the collagen–proteoglycan solid matrix. In addition, the fiber network of the solid influences the fluid permeability and an intrafibrillar portion that cannot be ‘squeezed out’ from the tissue. We implement the model into a finite element code. To demonstrate the utility of our proposed modeling approach, we test two hypotheses by simulating an indentation experiment for a human tissue sample. The simulations use ultra‐high field diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging that was performed on the tissue sample. We test the following hypotheses: (i) the through‐thickness structural arrangement of the collagen fiber network adjusts fluid permeation to maintain fluid pressure (Biomech. Model. Mechanobiol. 7:367–378, 2008); and (ii) the inhomogeneity of mechanical properties through the cartilage thickness acts to maintain fluid pressure at the articular surface (J. Biomech. Eng. 125:569–577, 2003). For the tissue sample investigated, both through‐thickness inhomogeneities of the collagen fiber distribution and of the material properties serve to influence the interstitial fluid pressure distribution and maintain fluid pressure underneath the indenter at the cartilage surface. Tissue inhomogeneity appears to have a larger effect on fluid pressure retention in this tissue sample and on the advantageous pressure distribution. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Internet and the New Economy

Based on the internet, this paper probes into the influence of the i nternet on the changes of Chinese social and economic development, analyzes on t he reasons why the application of the internet can produce structural variations , researches on the distinguishes between the new economy and the traditional ec onomy and the influence of the new economy on human being's social life, and dem onstrates the mutual influence and mutual promotion of the internet and Chinese new economy.
Audit quality : earnings management in the context of the 1997 Asian crisis

This study assumes that evidence regarding audit quality can be derived from the level of earnings management reflected in reported abnormal or discretionary accruals. Given this assumption, audit quality is examined in the context of the 1997 Asian financial crisis using data from Malaysia. Examining audit quality in its association with earnings management across differential macroeconomic periods provides insights that may be otherwise masked. The period of the crisis is partitioned between pre-crisis (1994-1996), crisis (1997-1998) and post-crisis (1999). Using a robust approach to the measurement of abnormal accruals, the association of Big 5/non-Big 5 and Industry Specialist/Industry non-specialist auditors with both the levels of, and change in levels of, abnormal accruals is investigated across and within the crisis sub-periods from 1994-1999. Audit quality is found to be associated with abnormal accruals, and differentially so across macroeconomic period with greater constraint evident post-crisis.
Poly(A)-specific ribonuclease is a nuclear ribosome biogenesis factor involved in human 18S rRNA maturation

Abstract The poly-A specific ribonuclease (PARN), initially characterized for its role in mRNA catabolism, supports the processing of different types of non-coding RNAs including telomerase RNA. Mutations in PARN are linked to dyskeratosis congenita and pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we show that PARN is part of the enzymatic machinery that matures the human 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Consistent with its nucleolar steady-state localization, PARN is required for 40S ribosomal subunit production and co-purifies with 40S subunit precursors. Depletion of PARN or expression of a catalytically-compromised PARN mutant results in accumulation of 3΄ extended 18S rRNA precursors. Analysis of these processing intermediates reveals a defect in 3΄ to 5΄ trimming of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region, subsequent to endonucleolytic cleavage at site E. Consistent with a function of PARN in exonucleolytic trimming of 18S-E pre-rRNA, recombinant PARN can process the corresponding ITS1 RNA fragment in vitro. Trimming of 18S-E pre-rRNA by PARN occurs in the nucleus, upstream of the final endonucleolytic cleavage by the endonuclease NOB1 in the cytoplasm. These results identify PARN as a new component of the ribosome biogenesis machinery in human cells. Defects in ribosome biogenesis could therefore underlie the pathologies linked to mutations in PARN.
Functional Regulatory T Cells Accumulate in Aged Hosts and Promote Chronic Infectious Disease Reactivation1

Declines in immune function are well described in the elderly and are considered to contribute significantly to the disease burden in this population. Regulatory T cells (Tregs), a CD4+ T cell subset usually characterized by high CD25 expression, control the intensity of immune responses both in rodents and humans. However, because CD25 expression does not define all Tregs, especially in aged hosts, we characterized Tregs by the expression of FOXP3, a transcription factor crucial for Treg differentiation and function. The proportion of FOXP3+CD4+ Tregs increased in the blood of the elderly and the lymphoid tissues of aged mice. The expression of functional markers, such as CTLA-4 and GITR, was either preserved or increased on FOXP3+ Tregs from aged hosts, depending on the tissue analyzed. In vitro depletion of peripheral Tregs from elderly humans improves effector T cell responses in most subjects. Importantly, Tregs from old FoxP3-GFP knock-in mice were suppressive, exhibiting a higher level of suppression per cell than young Tregs. The increased proportion of Tregs in aged mice was associated with the spontaneous reactivation of chronic Leishmania major infection in old mice, likely because old Tregs efficiently suppressed the production of IFN-γ by effector T cells. Finally, in vivo depletion of Tregs in old mice attenuated disease severity. Accumulation of functional Tregs in aged hosts could therefore play an important role in the frequent reactivation of chronic infections that occurs in aging. Manipulation of Treg numbers and/or activity may be envisioned to enhance the control of infectious diseases in this fragile population.
Ectopic expression of KitD814Y in spermatids of transgenic mice, interferes with sperm morphogenesis

Kit is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a fundamental role during the development of germ cells. Additionally, a truncated product, tr‐kit, expressed in haploid spermatids and mature spermatozoa can induce parthenogenetic activation when microinjected into mouse eggs, through the activation of PLCγ‐1. In this work, we induced ectopic expression of a mutated Kit protein, KitD814Y during germ cell development. The in vivo expression of this mutant in spermatids produced malformations in mature spermatozoa, and in the most severe cases, sterility. Ultrastructural analysis indicated that condensing spermatids in the transgenic mouse presented a mislocalization of the manchette; a structure that has a crucial role during the elongation steps of spermiogenesis. This morphogenetic phenotype was accompanied by an increased phosphorylation of PLCγ‐1 in spermatogenic cells. Interestingly, we also found that, in wild‐type testis, PLCγ‐1 is specifically phosphorylated in condensing spermatids, coincident with the timing of expression of tr‐kit in spermiogenesis. We propose that alterations of PLCγ‐1 activity artificially promoted by ectopic KitD814Y expression are related to the abnormalities of spermiogenesis. Our observations suggest that PLCγ‐1 activity could be involved in the shaping of spermatozoa. Developmental Dynamics 233:29–40, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.