Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
I NTERNATIONAL C ENTER FOR F INANCIAL A SSET M ANAGEMENT AND

In this paper, we investigate how investors who face both equity risk and credit risk would optimally allocate their financial wealth in a dynamic continuous-time setup. We model credit risk through the defaultable zero-coupon bond and solve the dynamics of its price after pricing it. Using stochastic control methods, we obtain a closed-form solution to this investment problem and characterize its variation with respect to different factors in the economy. We find that non-zero recovery rate of the credit-risky bond affects investors' decision in a fundamental way. Because of this, investors try to time the market conditions in their decision making process. It also induces hedging term in this setup of otherwise deterministic investment opportunity set. Through numerical examples, we show that the inclusion of credit market is shown to be able to enhance investors' welfare.
FDG‐PET Images Quantified by Probabilistic Atlas of Brain and Surgical Prognosis of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Summary: Purpose: This study evaluated the relation between hypometabolism, diagnosed by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET), and the surgical outcome of a large and homogeneous series of cases of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE), by using a probabilistic atlas of the human brain (statistical probabilistic anatomical maps: SPAM).
Development of glycyl radical parameters for the OPLS‐AA/L force field

On the basis of quantum chemical calculations Cα‐glycyl radical parameters have been developed for the OPLS‐AA/L force field. The molecular mechanics hypersurface was fitted to the calculated quantum chemical surface by minimizing their molecular mechanics parameter dependent sum‐of‐squares deviations. To do this, a computer program in which the molecular mechanics energy derivatives with respect to the parameters were calculated analytically was developed, implementing the general method of Lifson and Warshel (J Chem Phys 1968, 49, 5116) for force field parameter optimization. This program, in principle, can determine the optimal parameter set in one calculation if enough representative value points on the quantum chemical potential energy surface are available and there is no linear dependency between the parameters. Some of the parameters in quantum calculations, including several new torsion types around a bond as well as angle parameters at a new central atom type, are not completely separable. Consequently, some restrictions and/or presumptions were necessary during parameter optimization. The relative OPLS‐AA energies reproduced those calculated quantum chemically almost perfectly. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2008
Staging of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome using home spirometry.

OBJECTIVES To compare the detection of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) in lung transplant recipients by clinic pulmonary function laboratory measurement and home spirometry. DESIGN The subjects served as their own control group. SETTING A university-based thoracic transplant center. SUBJECTS Forty-five lung transplant recipients (26 women and 19 men; average +/- SD age, 47.7+/-11.4 years old at the time of transplantation). Lung function declined to at least BOS stage 1 in 17 of the 45 subjects. MEASUREMENTS All subjects were participants in a home monitoring program utilizing home spirometry measurements. Clinic spirometry and home spirometry measurements were collected concurrently. The determinations of BOS staging were based on home and clinic FEV1 values using retrospective analysis and development of the home-based BOS staging algorithm. RESULTS BOS stage 1 was detected an average of 341 to 276 days earlier with home spirometry than with clinic pulmonary function testing in the 17 subjects who had a pulmonary decline to BOS stage 1, depending on the persistence of the decline (1 day or 3 days, respectively). The difference in BOS detection time was statistically significant for both persistence requirements (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Home spirometry detects pulmonary decline earlier than clinic spirometry; home spirometry can be a reliable and safe alternative to frequent pulmonary function testing in lung recipients.
Convergence of Afrotherian and Laurasiatherian Ungulate-Like Mammals: First Morphological Evidence from the Paleocene of Morocco

Molecular-based analyses showed that extant “ungulate” mammals are polyphyletic and belong to the two main clades Afrotheria (Paenungulata) and Laurasiatheria (Euungulata: Cetartiodactyla-Perissodactyla). However, paleontological and neontological studies hitherto failed to demonstrate the morphological convergence of African and Laurasian “ungulate” orders. They support an “Altungulata” group including the Laurasian order Perissodactyla and the African superorder Paenungulata and characterized especially by quadritubercular and bilophodont molars adapted for a folivorous diet. We report new critical fossils of one of the few known African condylarth-like mammal, the enigmatic Abdounodus from the middle Paleocene of Morocco. They show that Abdounodus and Ocepeia display key intermediate morphologies refuting the homology of the fourth main cusp of upper molars in Paenungulata and Perissodactyla: Paenungulates unexpectedly have a metaconule-derived pseudohypocone, instead of a cingular hypocone. Comparative and functional dental anatomy of Abdounodus demonstrates indeed the convergence of the quadritubercular and bilophodont pattern in “ungulates”. Consistently with our reconstruction of the structural evolution of paenungulate bilophodonty, the phylogenetic analysis relates Abdounodus and Ocepeia to Paenungulata as stem taxa of the more inclusive new clade Paenungulatomorpha which is distinct from the Perissodactyla and Anthracobunidae. Abdounodus and Ocepeia help to identify the first convincing synapomorphy within the Afrotheria–i.e., the pseudohypocone–that demonstrates the morphological convergence of African and Laurasian ungulate-like placentals, in agreement with molecular phylogeny. Abdounodus and Ocepeia are the only known representatives of the early African ungulate radiation predating the divergence of extant paenungulate orders. Paenungulatomorpha evolved in Africa since the early Tertiary independently from laurasiatherian euungulates and “condylarths” such as apheliscids. The rapid early Tertiary radiation of the Afrotheria and Paenungulatomorpha, as illustrated by the Paleocene Moroccan mammals, is concurrent with that of the Laurasiatheria in a general, explosive mammal evolution in both the South and North Tethyan continents following the K/Pg event.
DNA damage induction and tumour cell radiosensitivity: PFGE and halo measurements.

PURPOSE To test whether induction of DNA damage is correlated with tumour-cell radiosensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS Initial DNA damage caused by X-irradiation was measured in ten human tumour cell lines, which largely differed in radiosensitivity, using either the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis assay or the halo technique. RESULTS None of the parameters of DNA damage correlated with any parameter of cellular radiosensitivity. This was not only true when the analysis was performed on all data but also when the analysis was performed after separating the cell lines into radioresistant and sensitive groups. Even when differences in chromosome number, ploidy and cell cycle distribution were taken into account, no significant correlations were obtained. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to previous suggestions, differences in the number of double-strand breaks induced or chromatin-related 'presentation' of DNA lesions, measured by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis or halo respectively, are generally not the dominant factors determining tumour-cell radiosensitivity.
Subcompartments of the macrophage recycling endosome direct the differential secretion of IL-6 and TNFα

Activated macrophages secrete an array of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), that are temporally secreted for sequential roles in inflammation. We have previously characterized aspects of the intracellular trafficking of membrane-bound TNFα and its delivery to the cell surface at the site of phagocytic cups for secretion (Murray, R.Z., J.G. Kay, D.G. Sangermani, and J.L. Stow. 2005. Science. 310:1492–1495). The trafficking pathway and surface delivery of IL-6, a soluble cytokine, were studied here using approaches such as live cell imaging of fluorescently tagged IL-6 and immunoelectron microscopy. Newly synthesized IL-6 accumulates in the Golgi complex and exits in tubulovesicular carriers either as the sole labeled cargo or together with TNFα, utilizing specific soluble NSF attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins to fuse with the recycling endosome. Within recycling endosomes, we demonstrate the compartmentalization of cargo proteins, wherein IL-6 is dynamically segregated from TNFα and from surface recycling transferrin. Thereafter, these cytokines are independently secreted, with TNFα delivered to phagocytic cups but not IL-6. Therefore, the recycling endosome has a central role in orchestrating the differential secretion of cytokines during inflammation.
Physician characteristics associated with proficiency in feedback skills

BACKGROUND: Providing and eliciting high-quality feedback is valuable in medical education. Medical learners’ attainment of clinical competence and professional growth can be facilitated by reliable feedback. This study’s primary objective was to identify characteristics that are associated with physician teachers’ proficiency with feedback.METHODS: A cohort of 363 physicians, who were either past participants of the Johns Hopkins Faculty Development Program or members of a comparison group, were surveyed by mail in July 2002. Survey questions focused on personal characteristics, professional characteristics, teaching activities, self-assessed teaching proficiencies and behaviors, and scholarly activity. The feedback scale, a composite feedback variable, was developed using factor analysis. Logistic regression models were then used to determine which faculty characteristics were independently associated with scoring highly on a dichotomized version of the feedback scale.RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-nine physicians responded (82%) of whom 262 (88%) had taught medical learners in the prior 12 months. Factor analysis revealed that the 7 questions from the survey addressing feedback clustered together to form the “feedback scale” (Cronbach’s α: 0.76). Six items, representing discrete faculty responses to survey questions, were independently associated with high feedback scores: (i) frequently attempting to detect and discuss the emotional responses of learners (odds ratio [OR]=4.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2 to 9.6), (ii) proficiency in handling conflict (OR=3.7, 95% CI 1.5 to 9.3), (iii) frequently asking learners what they desire from the teaching interaction (OR=3.5, 95% CI 1.7 to 7.2), (iv) having written down or reviewed professional goals in the prior year (OR=3.2, 95% CI 1.6 to 6.4), (v) frequently working with learners to establish mutually agreed upon goals, objectives, and ground rules (OR=2.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.7), and (vi) frequently letting learners figure things out themselves, even if they struggle (OR=2.1, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.9). CONCLUSIONS: Beyond providing training in specific feedback skills, programs that want to improve feedback performance among their faculty may wish to promote the teaching behaviors and proficiencies that are associated with high feedback scores identified in this study.
Adaptive checkpointing for time warp technique with a limited number of checkpoints

This paper discusses distributed checkpointing with "Time Warp techniques", a typical uncoordinated checkpointing technique that is often used in the parallel and distributed simulations. Relaxing the assumption of the previous model of Soliman et al., we show a discrete time model where the number of available checkpoints each process can hold is finite. In addition, we propose an adaptive distributed checkpointing technique, that gives an effective time arrangement of checkpoints for a recovery point distribution, and we give numerical examples.
A Test Case Design Algorithm Based on Priority Techniques

Testing is an important step of building e-commerce system. In regression testing, it is the key issue that how to reuse the test suite efficiently. This paper presents a dynamic adjustment prioritization based on the design information of test suite which is a new exploration of regression test prioritization. It improves the shortcoming of the existing technologies which failed to use the design information of test cases effectively. It adjusts the priority of test case by collecting running information, gradually optimizes the test suite and makes the test suite adapted to the current test environment to obtain a better error detection results. Experiments show the error-detected efficiency of it has certain advantages than the existing algorithms.
Performance analysis of isolated ZVT interleaved converter with winding-cross-coupled inductors and switched-capacitors

In this paper, a third winding and an additional switched capacitor are inserted into each phase of the conventional interleaved Flyback converter to derive a novel triple boost converter for high step-up conversion. Furthermore, the active clamp circuit, which is composed of a power MOSFET and a small capacitor, is inserted to the primary side of each phase to recycle the leakage energy and to suppress the switch turn-off voltage spikes. Moreover, ZVT soft switching performance is achieved to reduce the switching losses for all the primary power switches during the whole switching transition. In addition, the leakage energy is recycled and the secondary side diode reverse-recovery problem is alleviated. Finally, a 500W 24V–380V prototype is built and tested to verify the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Discourse and the acquisition of eat

ABSTRACT English has several classes of transitive verbs which can optionally appear without an undergoer. Despite their similar syntactic sub-categorization, there are at least three different semantic subclasses that allow undergoer omission. Information sources based on surface structure, for example, syntactic bootstrapping, cannot inform the child of the semantic representation of these verbs. The focus of this paper is the acquisition of a single English verb, eat. The transcripts of 40 children, who were audiotaped monthly from 1;0 to 3;0, showed that eat was the first member of this verb class to be acquired. Some 1276 eat sentences were analysed for the presence of overt undergoer arguments across levels of cumulative verb lexicon (CVL) size, and two discourse conditions: (1) UNDERGOER ACCESSIBLE and (2) OPEN (to undergoer omission). Results indicate that undergoer omission became associated with discourse conditions when CVL size rose above 75 types, at MLU approximately 2·4 and age approximately 2;3. This suggests that two-year-old children are sensitive to a relationship between undergoer omission and discourse context.
Establishment of a multimarker qPCR panel for the molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells in blood samples of metastatic breast cancer patients during the course of palliative treatment

Background Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are discussed to be an ideal surrogate marker for individualized treatment in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) since metastatic tissue is often difficult to obtain for repeated analysis. We established a nine gene qPCR panel to characterize the heterogeneous CTC population in MBC patients including epithelial CTC, their receptors (EPCAM, ERBB2, ERBB3, EGFR) CTC in Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition [(EMT); PIK3CA, AKT2), stem cell-like CTC (ALDH1) as well as resistant CTC (ERCC1, AURKA] to identify individual therapeutic targets. Results At TP0, at least one marker was detected in 84%, at TP1 in 74% and at TP2 in 79% of the patients, respectively. The expression of ERBB2, ERBB3 and ERCC1 alone or in combination with AURKA was significantly associated with therapy failure. ERBB2 + CTC were only detected in patients not receiving ERBB2 targeted therapies which correlated with no response. Furthermore, patients responding at TP2 had a significantly prolonged overall-survival than patients never responding (p = 0.0090). Patients and Methods 2 × 5 ml blood of 62 MBC patients was collected at the time of disease progression (TP0) and at two clinical staging time points (TP1 and TP2) after 8–12 weeks of chemo-, hormone or antibody therapy for the detection of CTC (AdnaTest EMT-2/StemCell Select™, QIAGEN Hannover GmbH, Germany). After pre-amplification, multiplex qPCR was performed. Establishment was performed using various cancer cell lines. PTPRC (Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C) and GAPDH served as controls. Conclusions Monitoring MBC patients using a multimarker qPCR panel for the characterization of CTC might help to treat patients accordingly in the future.
MetaMetaDB: A Database and Analytic System for Investigating Microbial Habitability

MetaMetaDB (http://mmdb.aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp/) is a database and analytic system for investigating microbial habitability, i.e., how a prokaryotic group can inhabit different environments. The interaction between prokaryotes and the environment is a key issue in microbiology because distinct prokaryotic communities maintain distinct ecosystems. Because 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences play pivotal roles in identifying prokaryotic species, a system that comprehensively links diverse environments to 16S rRNA sequences of the inhabitant prokaryotes is necessary for the systematic understanding of the microbial habitability. However, existing databases are biased to culturable prokaryotes and exhibit limitations in the comprehensiveness of the data because most prokaryotes are unculturable. Recently, metagenomic and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing approaches have generated abundant 16S rRNA sequence data that encompass unculturable prokaryotes across diverse environments; however, these data are usually buried in large databases and are difficult to access. In this study, we developed MetaMetaDB (Meta-Metagenomic DataBase), which comprehensively and compactly covers 16S rRNA sequences retrieved from public datasets. Using MetaMetaDB, users can quickly generate hypotheses regarding the types of environments a prokaryotic group may be adapted to. We anticipate that MetaMetaDB will improve our understanding of the diversity and evolution of prokaryotes.
Policy administration control and delegation using XACML and Delegent

In this paper we present a system permitting controlled policy administration and delegation using the XACML access control system. The need for these capabilities stems from the use of XACML in the SweGrid Accounting System, which is used to enforce resource allocations to Swedish research projects. Our solution uses a second access control system Delegent, which has powerful delegation capabilities. We have implemented limited XML access control in Delegent, in order to supervise modifications of the XML-encoded XACML policies. This allows us to use the delegation capabilities of Delegent together with the expressive access level permissions of XACML.
Bacterial colonization of nasal mucosa induces expression of siderocalin, an iron‐sequestering component of innate immunity

Host–microbe interactions often begin with colonization of mucosal surfaces. These relationships are highly specific, as certain microbial species are found only in particular microenvironments. Transcriptional microarrays were used to screen host genes whose expression in the murine nasal mucosa was affected by colonization with the Gram‐positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. Siderocalin (Scn, or lipocalin 2 or neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin) expression was increased up to 65‐fold during colonization by real‐time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Western analysis showed that Scn was secreted into airway surface fluid in colonized animals. Immunohistochemical analysis localized Scn expression primarily to secretory Bowman's glands. Similar results were observed during colonization with the Gram‐negative bacterium Haemophilus influenzae, suggesting that Scn secretion is a general response. Western analysis of human nasal secretions also demonstrated secretion of Scn at potentially bacteriostatic levels. This is a previously unrecognized response that may have a role in determining the establishment or maintenance of mucosal colonization. Scn contributes to antimicrobial defence by sequestration of a subset of microbial siderophores. As neither S. pneumoniae nor H. influenzae are known to produce or utilize siderophores, successful colonizers of the nasal passages may have evolved siderophore‐independent mechanisms to acquire essential iron and to evade the inhibitory effects of Scn.
ENERGY AND WATER BUDGETS OF LARKS IN A LIFE HISTORY PERSPECTIVE: PARENTAL EFFORT VARIES WITH ARIDITY

We compared physiological, demographic, and ecological variables of larks to gain insights into life history variation along an aridity gradient, incorporating phylo- genetic relationships in analyses when appropriate. Quantifying field metabolic rate (FMR) and water influx rate (WIR) of parents feeding nestlings as measures of parental effort, we found that parental FMR and WIR of larks decreased with increasing aridity. Water and energy requirements of 6-8 d old nestlings were reduced in desert species. Nestling growth rate, clutch size, and number of clutches decreased with increasing aridity, and nest predation rates increased with increasing aridity. We combined FMR and WIR of parents and chicks, energy and water accumulated during growth, and brood size to establish energy and water budgets of parent-brood units. Parent-offspring energy budgets equaled 261 kJ/d for Hoo- poe Lark, 164 kJ/d for Dunn's Lark, 388 kJ/d for Skylark, and 347 kJ/d for Woodlark, a 27% reduction in the desert species when taking into account mass differences. Family unit WIRs were 46.6 g/d for Hoopoe Lark, 37.3 g/d for Dunn's Lark, 101.6 g/d for Skylark, and 83.2 g/d for Woodlark. Parent-brood units of arid-zone species used 28-51% less water per gram mass than species from mesic areas. These results support the hypothesis that decreasing food and water availability favor lower energy and water requirements of parents and young, reduced growth rates, and smaller clutch sizes with increasing aridity. The decrease in parental effort with increasing aridity might reflect a lower fitness value of a single brood for arid-zone species than for larks from mesic habitats, suggesting that the probability of adult survival is higher in arid than in mesic areas.
Draft Genome Sequence of Brevibacillus brevis DZQ7, a Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium with Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Activity

ABSTRACT Brevibacillus brevis DZQ7 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) isolated from tobacco rhizosphere. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of B. brevis DZQ7. Several functional genes related to antimicrobial activity were identified in the genome.
Methods to Understand Brain Connections and Neural Function Viral vector-based tools advance knowledge of basal ganglia anatomy and physiology

Rachel J. Sizemore,* Sonja Seeger-Armbruster,* Stephanie M. Hughes, and X Louise C. Parr-Brownlie Department of Anatomy, Otago School of Medical Sciences, Brain Health Research Centre, Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, Brain Health Research Centre, Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; and Department of Biochemistry, Otago School of Medical Sciences, Brain Health Research Centre, Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand