Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Meta-analysis of Value of Statistical Life Estimates

Value of Statistical Life (VSL) is one of the most debatable areas in economics. However, VSL is frequently used as a policy instrument for evaluating various safety, health and environmental regulations. Policymakers have to undertake the difficult task of assigning monetary value to the reduction of various health and mortality risks while analyzing safety policies. Compensating wage differential (CWD) for job risks acts as a reference point for valuing mortality risks while VSL serves as a basis to analyze these benefits of risk reduction policies. However, it has been observed in the recent past that VSL estimates vary substantially across various studies. Therefore, it has become necessary for researchers and policymakers to understand the source of this variation in order to aid policymaking. This paper attempts to bring together some of the emerging issues in VSL literature and presents a meta-analysis that is based on 34 observations from 30 hedonic wage-based VSL studies. The results of this meta-analysis show that certain emerging areas in VSL literature such as worker’s compensation benefits, age and long-term health-related job risk require more emphasis and further examination.
First on-sky demonstration of a compact fully-integrated photonic waveguide nulling interferometer

Direct imaging of Earth-like exoplanets and protoplanetary disks using diffraction limited optics is one of the main challenges of astronomy due to the small angular separation and their low brightness with respect to the host star. This makes interferometers an attractive solution for this research, although they are limited by the missing of starlight with the faint science signal and by their stability. This problem can be solved with the use of photonics. We present the first on-sky demonstration of a 3D fully-integrated photonic nulling interferometer that was successfully tested at the 3.9 m Anglo-Australian Telecope (AAT). The device was fabricated using the femtosecond laser direct write technique.
Telomere shortening in patients with plasma cell disorders

Abstract: Objectives: Telomeres are essential for maintaining chromosomal integrity; their shortening is associated with chromosome instability. The aim of this work was to study telomere length (TL) on bone marrow (BM) cells from patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).
Healing a Vulnerable Self

Mental health problems (MHPs) such as stress and depression are among the leading causes of work disability. In this article we explore how women with MHPs experience sickness absence and subsequent return to work. We conducted 16 semistructured interviews and employed constructivist grounded theory for the analysis. We found that whereas sickness absence constituted a major threat to positive self-images, the experience had potential as a personal growth experience: Although some women felt handicapped, others became stronger and more self-confident. The core of the experience was not the return to work but a process of healing a vulnerable self—the ability both to refocus attention from symptoms to other life goals and to maintain or reconstruct a positive self-image. Supportive health care and acknowledgment from others facilitated the healing process.
Interaction of FKBP12.6 with the Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor C-terminal Domain*

The ryanodine receptor-calcium release channel complex (RyR) plays a pivotal role in excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal and cardiac muscle. RyR channel activity is modulated by interaction with FK506-binding protein (FKBP), and disruption of the RyR-FKBP association has been implicated in cardiomyopathy, cardiac hypertrophy, and heart failure. Evidence for an interaction between RyR and FKBP is well documented, both in skeletal muscle (RyR1-FKBP12) and in cardiac muscle (RyR2-FKBP12.6), however definition of the FKBP-binding site remains elusive. Early reports proposed interaction of a short RyR central domain with FKBP12/12.6, however this site has been questioned, and recently an alternative FKBP12.6 interaction site has been identified within the N-terminal half of RyR2. In this study, we report evidence for the human RyR2 C-terminal domain as a novel FKBP12.6-binding site. Using competition binding assays, we find that short C-terminal RyR2 fragments can displace bound FKBP12.6 from the native RyR2, although they are unable to exclusively support interaction with FKBP12.6. However, expression of a large RyR2 C-terminal construct in mammalian cells encompassing the pore-forming transmembrane domains exhibits rapamycin-sensitive binding specifically to FKBP12.6 but not to FKBP12. We also obtained some evidence for involvement of the RyR2 N-terminal, but not the central domain, in FKBP12.6 interaction. Our studies suggest that a novel interaction site for FKBP12.6 may be present at the RyR2 C terminus, proximal to the channel pore, a sterically appropriate location that would enable this protein to play a central role in the modulation of this critical ion channel.
Design and loss analysis of a high speed flywheel energy storage system based on axial-flux flywheel-rotor electric machines

A novel high speed flywheel energy storage system is presented in this paper. The rated power, maximum speed and energy stored are 4kW, 60,000 rpm and 300Whr respectively. High power density, energy density and efficiency can be obtained in this system with the compact design. In this design, the rotor with composite rim acts as the flywheel of the system and is sandwiched between two disk type stators. Concepts of active magnetic bearings and axial flux PM synchronous machine are adopted in the design to assist the rotor-flywheel to spin and remain in magnetic levitation in the vertical orientation. The other four degrees of freedom in radial directions are constrained by mechanical bearings for simple operation, and the touchdown bearings are not required at the meantime. Three-dimensional FEM analyses are implemented, and the analysis results support the feasibility of the proposed system.
Kosten endoskopischer Leistungen der Gastroenterologie im deutschen DRG-System – 5-Jahres-Kostendatenanalyse des DGVS-Projekts

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund In der Abrechnungssystematik der deutschen Krankenhäuser (G-DRG-System) sind endoskopische Leistungen in der Kostenstellengruppe 8 gesondert ausgewiesen. Für die interne Leistungsverrechnung oder die Erstattung externer Anbieter werden häufig noch wenig aktuelle oder unvollständige Kataloge wie DKG-NT oder GOÄ verwendet. Wir haben die Kosten endoskopischer Leistungen im DRG-System ermittelt. Methodik Zur Erfassung endoskopischer Leistungen wurden der DGVS von 74 Kalkulationskrankenhäusern des Instituts für das Entgeltsystem im Krankenhaus (InEK) die kompletten gastroenterologischen Kostendatensätze (2011 – 2015; § 21 KHEntgG) anonymisiert überlassen (4873 809 Falldatensätze). Aus Fällen mit nur genau einer Endoskopie (n = 274 186) wurden die mittleren Kosten für 46 endoskopische Leistungsgruppen aus 5 Jahren ermittelt. Ergebnisse Es wurden belastbare Kostenwerte errechnet mit einer Spanne, die von 230,56 € für die Gastroskopie (n = 144 666), über die einfache Koloskopie (276,23 €, n = 32 294) bis zur ERCP mit Papillotomie und Kunststoffstenteinlage (844,07 €, n = 10 150) oder zur ERCP mit Einlage eines selbstexpandierenden Metallgitterstents (1602,37 €, n = 967) reichte. Höhere Kosten für Universitätsklinika fanden sich vor allem bei komplexen Leistungen. Diskussion Der Kostenkatalog endoskopischer Leistungen, der anhand der § 21 KHEntgG Datensätze von 74 Kalkulationskrankenhäusern des InEK errechnet wurde, erlaubt erstmals eine Abschätzung von realen Endoskopiekosten im Krankenhaus. Die höheren Kosten in Universitätsklinika sind am ehesten durch einen „referral bias“ für komplexe Fälle und Eingriffe im Nacht- und Notdienst zu erklären. Für 46 endoskopische Leistungsgruppen ist jetzt eine sachgerechtere Zuordnung der Kosten im DRG-System möglich. Im internationalen Vergleich sind die Kosten der Endoskopie in deutschen Krankenhäusern niedrig, was entweder in höherer Effizienz, geringerer Personalausstattung oder unvollständiger Kostendokumentation begründet ist.
Exploiting Emergence in On-Chip Interconnects

To solve the grand challenges in contemporary chip design, such as process-to-core mapping, energy reduction, and maintenance of programmer/hardware abstraction, we advocate for self-optimizing (emergent) networks-on-chip (NoC). In these networks, topology and information flow adapt dynamically to maximize the network throughput or minimize the network latency via distributed application of microrules. In this paper, we introduce the concept of emergent small-world NoCs and discuss novel design decisions, e.g., Skip-links, that improve performance and reduce energy consumption of multicore systems. More precisely, we demonstrate that our proposed solution is able to adapt to a wide range of traffic patterns and provide reductions in data hop count of up to 20 percent while maintaining energy and area costs. We show how emergent networks can be useful for on-chip processor-to-processor communications, and also demonstrate how SoC and off-chip I/O traffic may be optimized for latency and critical load.
User Identification and Authentication Using Keystroke Dynamics with Acoustic Signal

This paper combines keystroke dynamics features with recently proposed keystroke acoustic features for user identification and authentication. Traditional keystroke dynamics uses temporal features. This paper explores the discriminative capability of the fusion of temporal features and acoustic features. This paper also explores the influence of filtering keystroke sound which turns out to be harmful for the performance of keystroke acoustic features. We collected a total of 824 samples from 7 subjects for experiments. 46 features including 38 acoustic features are extracted for the proposed user identification and authentication system. C-Support Vector Classification (C-SVC) and one-class Support Vector Machine (1-SVM) are applied for user identification and authentication respectively. Extensive experiments are carried out to verify the proposed system. Our work achieves 92.8% accuracy for user identification. The FRR (False Rejection Rate) and FAR (False Acceptance Rate) are only 12% and 11% for user authentication.
Regulation of DNA superhelicity by rpoB mutations that suppress defective Rho-mediated transcription termination in Escherichia coli

The highly defective rho-15 mutant of Escherichia coli produces plasmid DNA that is 22% less negatively supercoiled than DNA from an isogenic wild-type strain (J. S. Fassler, G. F. Arnold, and I. Tessman, Mol. Gen. Genet. 204:424-429, 1986). We extended our measurements of plasmid superhelicity to additional rho mutants and to strains containing mutations that suppress rho transcription termination defects; the suppressor mutations were in the rpoB and the rho genes. The superhelicity of plasmid DNA was reduced by 11 and 10%, respectively, in the rho-702 and rho-201 mutants, both of which are less defective in Rho-mediated transcription termination than rho-15. Plasmid superhelicity was restored in all the suppressed rho mutants; in one rpoB mutant, plasmid DNA was even more negatively supercoiled than in rpoB+ cells, whether in a rho+ or rho mutant background. Suppression of rho mutants enabled them to maintain plasmids that could not be maintained in the mutants in the absence of the suppressor mutations. The results indicate that in addition to DNA gyrase, topoisomerase I, and Rho, RNA polymerase is also a determinant of DNA superhelicity, and its effect is modified by the Rho protein. We propose that Rho may increase the degree of DNA unwinding by the transcription complex, possibly at transcription termination sites.
Reactive power planning based on fuzzy clustering and multivariate linear regression

This paper proposes a new approach for reactive power planning (RPP) or VAR Planning with two major steps. First, the fuzzy clustering algorithm is employed to select candidate locations for installing new shunt VAR sources. Second, a piecewise linear method is proposed for VAR capacity optimization via minimizing the total cost for system operation. In the cost minimization model, the tie-line total transfer capability (TTC) is modeled with multivariate linear regression algorithm. Test results on the IEEE 30-bus system are presented to clearly demonstrate that the combination of the fuzzy clustering algorithm and the VAR optimization model may be a promising method for RPP.
Managing External Pressures through Corporate Diplomacy

Today's corporations face many demands from a plethora of different stakeholders, which are often incongruous. While shareholders demand a decent return on their investment, employees demand safe and well-paid jobs, communities stress upon their tax revenues and public pressure groups call for more social and environmental responsibility. Corporations thus require a great deal of corporate diplomacy to prioritise and – where necessary and possible – reconcile these different demands. This paper describes a framework for managerial/corporate attitudes and external pressure levels. Four case studies illustrate varying attitudes towards corporate diplomacy determine the outcome of controversies over genetically modified food products.
A simple microfluidic platform to study age-dependent protein abundance and localization changes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae divides asymmetrically, with a smaller daughter cell emerging from its larger mother cell. While the daughter lineage is immortal, mother cells age with each cell division and have a finite lifespan. The replicative ageing of the yeast mother cell has been used as a model to study the ageing of mitotically active human cells. Several microfluidic platforms, which use fluid flow to selectively remove daughter cells, have recently been developed that can monitor cell physiology as mother cells age. However, these platforms are not trivial to set up and users often require many hours of training. In this study, we have developed a simple system, which combines a commercially available microfluidic platform (the CellASIC ONIX Microfluidic Platform) and a genetic tool to prevent the proliferation of daughter cells (the Mother Enrichment Program), to monitor protein abundance and localization changes during approximately the first half of the yeast replicative lifespan. We validated our system by observing known age-dependent changes, such as decreased Sir2 abundance, and have identified a protein with a previously unknown age-dependent change in localization.
Cost-Effective Pooling of DNA from Nasopharyngeal Swab Samples for Large-Scale Detection of Bacteria by Real-Time PCR

ABSTRACT We investigated the potential of pooling DNA from nasopharyngeal specimens to reduce the cost of real-time PCR (RT-PCR) for bacterial detection. Lyophilization is required to reconcentrate DNA. This strategy yields a high specificity (86%) and a high sensitivity (96%). We estimate that compared to individual testing, 37% fewer RT-PCR tests are needed.
Coplanar Waveguide Feed to the Hemispherical DRA

In this communication, several coplanar waveguide topologies to the hemispherical DRA are presented. It is seen that the inductive and the circular-loop CPW feed configurations offer the flexibility to excite the fundamental TE 111 resonant mode of the hemispherical DRA close to the source free resonant frequency, due to the presence of metallization in the coupling region. Dual-band behavior is observed with the capacitive feed due to the DRA and slot resonant modes, which are displaced with respect to the unperturbed modes due to the uninterrupted slot. The radiation characteristics of the antenna are also explained.
The Nse5-Nse6 Dimer Mediates DNA Repair Roles of the Smc5-Smc6 Complex

ABSTRACT Stabilization and processing of stalled replication forks is critical for cell survival and genomic integrity. We characterize a novel DNA repair heterodimer of Nse5 and Nse6, which are nonessential nuclear proteins critical for chromosome segregation in fission yeast. The Nse5/6 dimer facilitates DNA repair as part of the Smc5-Smc6 holocomplex (Smc5/6), the basic architecture of which we define. Nse5-Nes6 (Nse5/6) mutants display a high level of spontaneous DNA damage and mitotic catastrophe in the absence of the master checkpoint regulator Rad3 (hATR). Nse5/6 mutants are required for the response to genotoxic agents that block the progression of replication forks, acting in a pathway that allows the tolerance of irreparable UV lesions. Interestingly, the UV sensitivity of Nse5/6 mutants is suppressed by concomitant deletion of the homologous recombination repair factor, Rhp51 (Rad51). Further, the viability of Nse5/6 mutants depends on Mus81 and Rqh1, factors that resolve or prevent the formation of Holliday junctions. Consistently, the UV sensitivity of cells lacking Nse5/6 can be partially suppressed by overexpressing the bacterial resolvase RusA. We propose a role for Nse5/6 mutants in suppressing recombination that results in Holliday junction formation or in Holliday junction resolution.
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Outer Membrane Protein 100 Triggers Innate Immunity and Production of β-Defensin and the 18-Kilodalton Cationic Antimicrobial Protein through the Fibronectin-Integrin Pathway in Human Gingival Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial peptides, human β-defensin (hBD), and the 18-kDa cationic antimicrobial protein (CAP18) are components of innate immunity. These peptides have antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is a gram-negative facultative anaerobe implicated in the initiation of periodontitis. The innate immunity peptides have antibacterial activity against A. actinomycetemcomitans. We investigated the molecular mechanism of human gingival epithelial cells (HGEC) responding to exposure to A. actinomycetemcomitans. HGEC constitutively express hBD1 and inducibly express hBD2, hBD3, and CAP18 on exposure to A. actinomycetemcomitans. The level of expression varies among clinical isolates. In the signaling pathway for hBD2 induction by the bacterial contact, we demonstrate that the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and not the NF-κB transcription factor pathway is used. We found the outer membrane protein 100 (Omp100; identified by molecular mass) is the component inducing the hBD2 response. Omp100 binds to fibronectin, an extracellular matrix inducing hBD2 via the MAP kinase pathway. Anti-integrin α5β1, antifibronectin, genistein, and PP2 suppress the Omp100-induced expression of hBD2, suggesting that Src kinase is involved through integrin α5β1. The inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and IL-8, produced by HGEC on contact with A. actinomycetemcomitans also stimulate expression of hBD2. Further, neutralizing antibody against TNF-α or IL-8 partially inhibits the induction of hBD2 on bacterial contact. Therefore, we found that the induction of the antimicrobial peptides is mediated by a direct response principally through an Omp100-fibronectin interaction, and using secondary stimulation by inflammatory cytokines induced by the bacterial exposure.
(h|g)opper: Performance History Mining and Analysis

Performance changes of software systems, and especially performance regressions, have a tremendous impact on users of that system. Historical data can help developers to reason about how performance has changed over the course of a software's lifetime. In this demo paper we present two tools: hopper to mine historical performance metrics based on benchmarks and unit tests, and gopper to analyse the data with respect to performance changes.
Enhanced contrast and depth resolution in polarization imaging using elliptically polarized light

Abstract. Polarization gating is a popular and widely used technique in biomedical optics to sense superficial tissues (colinear detection), deeper volumes (crosslinear detection), and also selectively probe subsuperficial volumes (using elliptically polarized light). As opposed to the conventional linearly polarized illumination, we propose a new protocol of polarization gating that combines coelliptical and counter-elliptical measurements to selectively enhance the contrast of the images. This new method of eliminating multiple-scattered components from the images shows that it is possible to retrieve a greater signal and a better contrast for subsurface structures. In vivo experiments were performed on skin abnormalities of volunteers to confirm the results of the subtraction method and access subsurface information.
Feasibility of Detecting Bioorganic Compounds in Enceladus Plumes with the Enceladus Organic Analyzer

Abstract Enceladus presents an excellent opportunity to detect organic molecules that are relevant for habitability as well as bioorganic molecules that provide evidence for extraterrestrial life because Enceladus' plume is composed of material from the subsurface ocean that has a high habitability potential and significant organic content. A primary challenge is to send instruments to Enceladus that can efficiently sample organic molecules in the plume and analyze for the most relevant molecules with the necessary detection limits. To this end, we present the scientific feasibility and engineering design of the Enceladus Organic Analyzer (EOA) that uses a microfluidic capillary electrophoresis system to provide sensitive detection of a wide range of relevant organic molecules, including amines, amino acids, and carboxylic acids, with ppm plume-detection limits (100 pM limits of detection). Importantly, the design of a capture plate that effectively gathers plume ice particles at encounter velocities from 200 m/s to 5 km/s is described, and the ice particle impact is modeled to demonstrate that material will be efficiently captured without organic decomposition. While the EOA can also operate on a landed mission, the relative technical ease of a fly-by mission to Enceladus, the possibility to nondestructively capture pristine samples from deep within the Enceladus ocean, plus the high sensitivity of the EOA instrument for molecules of bioorganic relevance for life detection argue for the inclusion of EOA on Enceladus missions. Key Words: Lab-on-a-chip—Organic biomarkers—Life detection—Planetary exploration. Astrobiology 17, 902–912.
High prevalence of anaemia among African migrants in Germany persists after exclusion of iron deficiency and erythrocyte polymorphisms

Haematological parameters differ between individuals of African and European ancestry. However, respective data of first‐generation African migrants are virtually absent. We assessed these in Ghanaian migrants living in Berlin, compared them with reference data from Germany and Ghana, and estimated the role of iron deficiency (ID) and erythrocyte polymorphisms in anaemia.
Assessment Methods for Demonstrating Compliance With Safety Limits of Wireless Devices Used in Home and Office Environments

Short-range wireless radio-frequency devices are rapidly pervading home and office environments. Nevertheless, their contribution to the electromagnetic field exposure of humans has not yet been systematically assessed, nor have the procedures for testing compliance been developed. In this paper, we have assessed the range of exposure in terms of the dosimetric and incident field quantities for devices of the most common technologies, i.e., digital enhanced cordless telecommunications, wireless local area networks and Bluetooth, as well as wireless communication devices based on proprietary standards in the frequency range from 30 MHz to 6 GHz. Well-defined procedures to obtain the worst case operational modes are presented. Since operation in the near-field of these devices cannot be excluded, dosimetric evaluation is the most straightforward technique for testing compliance when low-power exclusions are not applicable. The suitability of the suggested methods is demonstrated through the examination of five classes of short-range transmitters.