Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural mechanic finite element analysis of the bend and torsion behavior of high-voltage cables

The use of electric power systems in automobiles represents a massive change in the production line of car manufacturers. To guarantee an efficient and at the same time damage free installation of the current carrying high-voltage cables, virtual validation of assembly operations makes an important contribution. On the market available simulation tools like IC:IDO Flexible II, IPS Cable Simulation and TEA Pipe compute the rigidity of the cable system by using substituted material properties. The high-voltage cable producers don't provide these substituted parameters. Measuring the properties during a physical experiment is inefficient because of the high time exposure and costs. The complex structure of the high-voltage cables and the high number of variants lead to the advantage of simulation opposite experiment. So the need for research is a finite element model to generate the necessary substituted material properties in a time and cost efficient way. To achieve this goal, bend and torsion tests of detailed cable models are simulated and matched with experimental results for validation. Under the premise of the plastic material behavior of the wire and the interface friction between the individual cable components, different mesh strategies are evaluated. The performance of beam against solid element meshed wires is crucial and the element size influence to the result quality is researched. For a robust convergence the complex contact problem is mapped by the Augmented-LaGrange algorithm and the fitted contact stiffness between the individual cable components. The results are the influence of the plasticity and the interface friction to the change of the stiffness properties depending on the cable load.
Implementing Innovative Financial Models in Different Cultures: A Comparative Analysis of China and Mexico

Purpose - The paper presents evidence about cultural differences between Mexico and China and analyze their significance when implementing an innovative financial model. Specifically, we analyzed the case of the Yunus model (or Grameen model), originally developed in Bangladesh and further implemented in China and Mexico. Design/Methodology/Approach - This paper uses a comparative quantity study to test the cultural difference which affects the innovative financial model implementation. A materialism and credit overuse value scale (Ponchio and Aranha, 2008; Richins, 2011; Roberts and Jones, 2001) is applied to analyze cultural differences with a sample of 250 people in each country. Findings - Results show that the survey responses are statistically significantly different in these two countries. The Mexican sample shows a greater affinity with luxury and bragging. The Chinese sample shows more responsibility towards credit. Recommendations for the implementation of the innovative financial model considering cultural differences are suggested. Practical Implications - Based on the survey results, gender equality, greater caution with young borrowers, financial education programs and strict liability agreements to ensure credit repayment, especially for Mexico, are suggested, with the aim of enabling Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) to increase the successful implementation of the Yunus model in China and Mexico. Originality/value - There are few existing cultural comparisons between China and Mexico. Therefore, one of the relevant contributions of this work is to shed light on the cultural differences of these two important emerging economies for future research. Additionally, we applied a materialism and credit overuse value scale developed to assess consumer behavior as a proxy for culture. The results are relevant for further usage of this scale as a tool to help adapt innovative financial models for application in other cultures.
Dental Age in Children with a Complete Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

Objective: To assess dental age in children with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and to compare this with a noncleft control group. Design: Two-group, mixed-longitudinal cohort study. Setting: Cleft group from an academic center for cleft lip and palate treatment. Noncleft control group from the same population. Patients: Participants included 70 Caucasian children with a full complement of teeth and a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (45 boys and 25 girls) from the Cleft Palate Craniofacial Center at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The control group (90 boys and 91 girls) was taken from the Nijmegen Growth Study. Main outcome measure: Dental age was assessed on orthopantomograms. In the unilateral cleft lip and palate group, linear interpolation in individual age curves was applied to obtain the dental age at 5, 9.5, and 14 years of age. For these ages, a comparison was made with the noncleft control group. Results: Boys and girls with a unilateral cleft lip and palate showed a significant delay in dental age, as compared with their noncleft peers at all three ages. This delay was more pronounced in boys than in girls. The gender effect was significant at chronological ages 5 and 14 years. Conclusions: Children with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate have a delay in dental age, compared with noncleft children.
Paperscribbles versus groupscribbles: Are they the same?

PaperScribbles (PS) consisting of markers, vanguard sheets and 3M P ost-It notes, is a widely used pedagogical tool to harness collective intellige nce of groups for collaborative learning in the classroom. Borrowing the key features of PS and y et avoiding some of their physical limitations, a computer-based tool called GroupScribbles ( GS) was designed to enable high performance synchronous, face-to-face collaborative experiences in the classroom. In our exploratory study, we discuss and compare the different properties of PS and GS technologies in two elementary grade 5 classes. The findings reveal that ther e ar not only physical and technical differences but more importantly, pedagogical differe nces between the two technologies that impacts the learning of the students.
In vitro assay for HCV serine proteinase expressed in insect cells.

AIM To produce the recombinant NS3 protease of hepatitis C virus with enzymatic activity in insect cells. METHODS The gene of HCV serine proteinase domain which encodes 181 amino acids was inserted into pFastBacHTc and the recombinant plasmid pFBCNS3N was transformed into DH10Bac competent cells for transposition. After the recombinant bacmids had been determined to be correct by both blue-white colonies and PCR analysis, the isolated bacmid DNAs were transfected into Sf9 insect cells. The bacmids DNA was verified to replicate in insect cells and packaged into baculovirus particles via PCR and electronic microscopic analysis. The insect cells infected with recombinant baculovirus were determined by SDS-PAGE and Western-blot assays. The recombinant protein was soluted in N-lauryl sarcosine sodium (NLS) and purified by metal-chelated-affinity chromatography, then the antigenicity of recombinant protease was determined by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay and its enzymatic activity was detected. RESULTS The HCV NS3 protease domain was expressed in insect cells at high level and it was partially solved in NLS. Totally 0.2 mg recombinant serine proteinase domain with high purity was obtained by metal-chelated-affinity chromatography from 5 x 10(7) cells, and both antigenicity and specificity of the protein were evaluated to be high when used as antigen to detect hepatitis C patients' sera in indirect ELISA format. In vitro cleavage assay corroborated its enzymatic activity. CONCLUSION The recombinant HCV NS3 proteinase expressed by insect cells is a membrane-binding protein with good antigenicity and enzymatic activity.
Optimization of Current Injection Area for Low-Threshold Operation of 3-D Lasers

We analyze the reduction of threshold current by optimizing the area of the active layer into which the carriers are injected. The optimal area is shown to depend on the size of the optical mode, cavity lifetime, and the optical properties of the active layer. We introduce a critical value for the cavity lifetime that depends only on the properties of the active layer and show how the optimal area can be estimated depending on the cavity lifetime with respect to its critical value. For optimization, two cases are considered, with and without optical absorption in the active layer outside of the injection area. The active layer is modeled as a double heterostructure with parameters relevant to nitride semiconductors and the optical mode is taken as for a micrometer-size cavity.
Mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme assay and DNA analysis in peripheral blood leukocytes for the etiological study of Chinese children with Leigh syndrome due to complex I deficiency

Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I enzyme deficiency is the most commonly seen mitochondrial respiratory chain disorder. Although screening and diagnostic methods are available overseas, clinically feasible diagnostic methods have not yet been established in China. In this study, four Chinese boys with Leigh syndrome due to complex I deficiency were diagnosed by mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme assay and DNA analysis using peripheral blood leukocytes. Four patients were admitted at the age of 5–14 years because of unexplained progressive neuromuscular symptoms, including motor developmental delay or regression, weakness, and seizures. Their cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed typical finding as Leigh syndrome. Peripheral leukocyte mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I activities were found decreased to 9.6–33.1 nmol/min/mg mitochondrial protein(control 44.0 ± 5.4 nmol/min/mg). The ratios of complex I to citrate synthase activity were also decreased (8.9–19.8% in patients vs. control 48 ± 11%). Three mtDNA mutations were identified from three out of four patients, supporting the diagnosis of complex I deficiency. Point mutations m.10191T>C in mitochondrial ND3 gene, m.13513G>A in ND5 gene and m.14,453G>A in ND6 gene were detected in three patients.
The Data-Driven (s, S) Policy: Why You Can Have Confidence in Censored Demand Data

We revisit the classical dynamic inventory management problem of Scarf (1959b) from the perspective of a decision-maker who has n historical selling seasons of data and must make sensible ordering decisions for the upcoming season. We first prescribe a nonparametric estimation procedure for the (s; S) policy that is asymptotically optimal. We then characterize the finite-sample performance of the estimated (s; S) levels by deriving their asymptotic confidence intervals using the Central Limit Theorem. We further consider having at least some of the past selling seasons of data censored from the absence of backlogging. We show that the intuitive and widely-used procedure of correcting for censoring in the demand data directly yields an inconsistent estimate. We then show how to correctly use the censored data to obtain consistent decisions and derive asymptotic confidence intervals for this policy using Stein’s method to handle the serial correlation that arises due to the correctioning. Surprisingly, censored data can be beneficial under some conditions; that is, estimated decisions with censored data may have smaller variance and mean squared error (MSE) than those with fully uncensored data. We thus arrive at the remarkable result that a decision maker with fully uncensored data can add artificial censored data to optimally estimate the (s; S) policy. We provide a prescription for the optimal level and amount of artificial demand data to add. Our results also apply to the repeated newsvendor problem and the base-stock policy problem by appropriate parameter choices.
A Comparative Analysis of the Performance of Collective Investment Institutions

Pension plans and mutual funds represent a substantial part of the welfare systems in both Europe and Spain. One of the most important factors in the choice of a plan or fund is its performance, since if high returns are obtained; the participant will receive higher payments when the contingency covered by the plan occurs or when the investors of the mutual funds recover their investments. The main objective of this paper is therefore to analyze the performance of Spanish collective investment institutions. To this end, we apply a multi-index model based on an extension of Jensen? s Alpha to a sample of data corresponding to 466 collective investment institutions for the period between February 2007 and February 2011. The results obtained show that the performance of Spanish pension plan and mutual fund managers is, in general, close to zero. This suggests that in the Spanish pension plan and mutual fund market, the value added by active management does not compensate for its associated costs. On the other hand, pension plan and mutual fund performance improves slightly when fees are not deducted, and positive risk-adjusted returns are obtained in some cases. In general, the mutual fund industry performs better than the pension plan industry.
Unconventional Chemiosmotic Coupling of NHA2, a Mammalian Na+/H+ Antiporter, to a Plasma Membrane H+ Gradient*

Background: Inwardly directed Na+ gradients have failed to reveal transport activity of NHA2 in mammalian cells, although it functionally complements salt tolerance in yeast. Results: NHA2 mediates sodium-lithium countertransport, and cation efflux using an inwardly directed H+ gradient. Conclusion: NHA2 is chemiosmotically coupled to the V-ATPase. Significance: H+-driven salt and pH homeostasis in the kidney may be important in hypertension. Human NHA2, a newly discovered cation proton antiporter, is implicated in essential hypertension by gene linkage analysis. We show that NHA2 mediates phloretin-sensitive Na+-Li+ counter-transport (SLC) activity, an established marker for hypertension. In contrast to bacteria and fungi where H+ gradients drive uptake of metabolites, secondary transport at the plasma membrane of mammalian cells is coupled to the Na+ electrochemical gradient. Our findings challenge this paradigm by showing coupling of NHA2 and V-type H+-ATPase at the plasma membrane of kidney-derived MDCK cells, resulting in a virtual Na+ efflux pump. Thus, NHA2 functionally recapitulates an ancient shared evolutionary origin with bacterial NhaA. Although plasma membrane H+ gradients have been observed in some specialized mammalian cells, the ubiquitous tissue distribution of NHA2 suggests that H+-coupled transport is more widespread. The coexistence of Na+ and H+-driven chemiosmotic circuits has implications for salt and pH regulation in the kidney.
The IMF in the Arab World: Lessons Unlearnt

The IMF has a track record of enforcing aggressive liberalisation in trade and investment alongside contractionary policies, such as austerity measures and regressive taxation, with negative impacts on growth, employment and inequality. However, statements released by the IMF since the 2008 financial crisis have indicated that the organisation was revising its stance by depicting itself as a more flexible lending institution, focusing more on inclusive growth and social inclusion. This rhetoric of a policy shift became more evident after the 2011 Arab uprisings. Post 2011, country-specific strategies produced by the IMF for Arab countries consistently highlighted issues of social and economic inclusion as key priorities of IMF policy, indicating that they had broken with past practice and would now place more emphasis on policies aimed at inclusive growth. The post-Arab uprisings period provides an opportunity to evaluate the degree of change in IMF policies in the region. In May 2011, a group of international institutions and the G8 governments gathered under the umbrella of the Deauville Partnership and pledged up to $40 billion in loans and other assistance towards what they termed the “Arab Countries in Transition” (ACT). By 2012, the IMF had signed four loan agreements in the region: two-year loan packages with Morocco and Jordan, an emergency credit line with Yemen and a precautionary financing arrangement with Tunisia. Egypt has gone through two controversial rounds of negotiations with the IMF for a potential loan program, neither of which ultimately resulted in a loan. This report surveys the IMF’s impact on post revolutionary Arab states by documenting the history of IMF involvement in the region. It traces the change in IMF rhetoric and practice before and after 2011 in four Arab countries: Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt. These countries were selected because they have adopted extensive structural reforms on encouragement of the IMF and were often put forward by international financial institutions (IFIs) as successful reformers. The reports finds that IMF’s rhetoric of change, especially on social issues, was not borne out in its policy-making, either in terms of conditions attached to lending or its advice through surveillance. In light of these case studies, the implications of the IMF’s experience in the region are considered, concluding with recommendations for the future role of the IMF in the developing world, including Arab states.
Strength and stability analysis of a single-walled black phosphorus tube under axial compression

Few-layered black phosphorus materials currently attract much attention due to their special electronic properties. As a consequence, a single-layer black phosphorus (SLBP) nanotube has been theoretically built. The corresponding electronic properties of such a black phosphorus nanotube (BPNT) were also evaluated numerically. However, unlike graphene formed with 2sp2 covalent carbon atoms, SLBP is formed with 3sp3 bonded atoms. It means that the structure from SLBP will possess lower Young’s modulus and mechanical strength than those of carbon nanotubes. In this study, molecular dynamics simulation is performed to investigate the strength and stability of BPNTs affected by the factors of diameter, length, loading speed and temperature. Results are fundamental for investigating the other physical properties of a BPNT acting as a component in a nanodevice. For example, buckling of the BPNT happens earlier than fracture, before which the nanostructure has very small axial strain. For the same BPNT, a higher load speed results in lower critical axial strain and a nanotube with lower axial strain can still be stable at a higher temperature.
A quality framework for web site quality: user satisfaction and quality assurance

Web site developers need to use of standards and best practices to ensure that Web sites are functional, accessible and interoperable. However many Web sites fail to achieve such goals. This short paper describes how a Web site quality assessment method (E-Qual) might be used in conjunction with a quality assurance framework (QA Focus) to provide a rounded view of Web site quality that takes account of end user and developer perspectives.
Persuasive public-friendly route recommendation with flexible rewards

This paper proposes a novel recommendation system which can help commuters make green, safe and less congested travel decisions, while support the society to mitigate the external costs: traffic pollution, congestion and accidents. We have introduced a novel persuasive reward algorithm, which can be used by other researchers to balance between two conflict parties. This study has demonstrated, for the first time, that agent-based model has been used to evaluate the persuasiveness of recommendation systems. The result of the proposed system shows higher public-friendly score in comparison to the conventional approach. The simulation can capture the evolution of the distance of users' ranks when increasing the persuasive level.
Temperament and character profiles and the dopamine D4 receptor gene in ADHD.

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to investigate the link among attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, novelty-seeking temperament, and the 48-base pair (bp) dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene variant. METHOD This study drew from a larger molecular genetic study of ADHD in which the ascertainment criterion was having an affected sibling pair with ADHD. Parents (N=171) from 96 families provided data. Of the 171 parents, 56 (33%) had a lifetime history of ADHD, with 28 (50%) continuing to meet DSM-IV criteria (i.e., "persistent" ADHD). Latent variable modeling was used to test whether the DRD4 gene variant or Temperament and Character Inventory factors could predict ADHD. RESULTS Using latent variable modeling, the authors were able to confirm the first-order factor structure of the Temperament and Character Inventory. Furthermore, novelty seeking predicted ADHD lifetime diagnosis (R(2)=26%), while the DRD4 gene variant independently predicted ADHD (R(2)=5%) but not novelty seeking. CONCLUSIONS In this unique sample of parents from multiply affected ADHD families, novelty seeking and the 48-bp DRD4 variant were associated with a lifetime history of ADHD. However, the association between novelty seeking and ADHD does not appear to be due to variation in the 48-bp DRD4 variant.
The gut microbiota modulates host energy and lipid metabolism in mice[S]

The gut microbiota has recently been identified as an environmental factor that may promote metabolic diseases. To investigate the effect of gut microbiota on host energy and lipid metabolism, we compared the serum metabolome and the lipidomes of serum, adipose tissue, and liver of conventionally raised (CONV-R) and germ-free mice. The serum metabolome of CONV-R mice was characterized by increased levels of energy metabolites, e.g., pyruvic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid, while levels of cholesterol and fatty acids were reduced. We also showed that the microbiota modified a number of lipid species in the serum, adipose tissue, and liver, with its greatest effect on triglyceride and phosphatidylcholine species. Triglyceride levels were lower in serum but higher in adipose tissue and liver of CONV-R mice, consistent with increased lipid clearance. Our findings show that the gut microbiota affects both host energy and lipid metabolism and highlights its role in the development of metabolic diseases.
Ethylene insensitivity impairs resistance to soilborne pathogens in tobacco and Arabidopsis thaliana.

Transgenic ethylene-insensitive tobacco (Tetr) plants spontaneously develop symptoms of wilting and stem necrosis when grown in nonautoclaved soil. Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, Thielaviopsis basicola, Rhizopus stolonifer, and two Pythium spp. were isolated from these diseased Tetr plants and demonstrated to be causal agents of the disease symptoms. Pathogenicity of the two Pythium isolates and four additional Pythium spp. was tested on ethylene-insensitive tobacco and Arabidopsis seedlings. In both plant species, ethylene insensitivity enhanced susceptibility to the Pythium spp. , as evidenced by both a higher disease index and a higher percentage of diseased plants. Based on the use of a DNA probe specific for Pythium spp. , Tetr plants exhibited more pathogen growth in stem and leaf tissue than similarly diseased control plants. These results demonstrate that ethylene signaling is required for resistance to different root pathogens and contributes to limiting growth and systemic spread of the pathogen.