Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Search Procedure for Least Squares CES Estimates: A Monte-Carlo Study

Since the C.E. S. production function is non-linear in the parameters, therefore direct estimation of the function requires nonlinear estimation procedures. However, in situations where a non-linear estimation procedure is not available or to avoid possible complications arising from using a nonlinear estimation procedure,1 two indirect methods have been used in the literature to estimate the elasticity of substitution. One technique has been to work with the side condition for labor hiring derived from the first order conditions for profit maximization in competitive product and factor markets (the ACMS method). 2 This was first used in the article by Arrow et. al. [1] and subsequently quite extensively [2; 7; 9; 11; 18; 19; 23]. A variant of this method-the side condition for cost minimization in competitive factor markets3-has also been employed.
It is out of my hands: how deferring control to God can decrease quality of life for breast cancer patients

This paper seeks to contribute to the understanding of how and why religion affects psychosocial health outcomes. We propose a theoretical model predicting that when women with breast cancer defer control to God they will experience fewer breast cancer related concerns. Deferring control to God, however, should also reduce the likelihood that they take a proactive coping approach, which will be exacerbated by lowered breast cancer concerns. We therefore predict that this passive coping style will ultimately result in lower levels of quality of life.
Nonreplicating Vaccinia Virus Vectors Expressing the H5 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Produced in Modified Vero Cells Induce Robust Protection

ABSTRACT The timely development of safe and effective vaccines against avian influenza virus of the H5N1 subtype will be of the utmost importance in the event of a pandemic. Our aim was first to develop a safe live vaccine which induces both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses against human H5N1 influenza viruses and second, since the supply of embryonated eggs for traditional influenza vaccine production may be endangered in a pandemic, an egg-independent production procedure based on a permanent cell line. In the present article, the generation of a complementing Vero cell line suitable for the production of safe poxviral vaccines is described. This cell line was used to produce a replication-deficient vaccinia virus vector H5N1 live vaccine, dVV-HA5, expressing the hemagglutinin of a virulent clade 1 H5N1 strain. This experimental vaccine was compared with a formalin-inactivated whole-virus vaccine based on the same clade and with different replicating poxvirus-vectored vaccines. Mice were immunized to assess protective immunity after high-dose challenge with the highly virulent A/Vietnam/1203/2004(H5N1) strain. A single dose of the defective live vaccine induced complete protection from lethal homologous virus challenge and also full cross-protection against clade 0 and 2 challenge viruses. Neutralizing antibody levels were comparable to those induced by the inactivated vaccine. Unlike the whole-virus vaccine, the dVV-HA5 vaccine induced substantial amounts of gamma interferon-secreting CD8 T cells. Thus, the nonreplicating recombinant vaccinia virus vectors are promising vaccine candidates that induce a broad immune response and can be produced in an egg-independent and adjuvant-independent manner in a proven vector system.
Automatically Discovering Semantic Links among Documents

Knowing semantic links among documents is the basis for intelligent applications over large-scale document resources. Discovering these semantic links with little human interference is a challenge issue. This paper proposes an approach to automatically discover semantic links in document set based on a probabilistic documentary semantic link network model. The approach has the following advantages: 1) It supports probabilistic relational reasoning. 2) The semantic link networks and relevant rules automatically evolve. 3) It does not rely on any predefined ontology. 4) It can adapt to the update of the adopted techniques. Experiments on document sets of different types (scientific papers and Web pages) and different scales show the proposed approach feasible. The approach can be used to automatically construct semantic overlays on large document sets to support advanced applications like various relational queries on scientific documents.
Enteric bacterial agents and the ABO blood groups.

Although the ABO blood group system is the best known human polymorphic system, evidence of the factors important in maintaining it is limited [1]. Since Aird et al. [2] showed the association of gastric cancer with blood group A, many studies have been conducted on the zygotic and prezygotic factors [3] or on the association of conditions commonly seen late in the reproductive period of life [1]. Studies of conditions late in the reproductive period showed little influence on gene frequency, while the studies on zygotic and prezygotic factors suggested selection against blood group A. Few attempts have been made to detect postnatal factors acting prior to the age of reproduction which could alter gene frequency. Prior to the advent of antibiotics and modern fluid therapy, infections resulted in a high infant mortality. Many of the bacteria causing infections in the first year of life have been shown to possess antigens which cross-react with the ABO blood groups [4-6]. Because of this cross-reaction, Vogel et al. [7] postulated that the present-day blood group gene frequencies might be related to epidemics that occurred in the past. Other authors [4, 6] have also suggested that there might be selective advantages in combating infections dependent upon the individual's blood type. Because the high mortality from serious infections would lead to loss of genetic material, we decided to investigate whether an association exists between various bacteria and the ABO blood groups in our pediatric patients.
Anti‐MAG antibodies

There is controversy regarding the relationship of polyneuropathy syndromes to the presence of serum antibody binding to myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG). Using standard ELISA methodology, we identified 74 sera that appeared to have high titers of IgM binding to MAG and found that only 34% of these sera stained MAG using Western blot methodology. Follow-up studies showed that two factors greatly influence concordance between ELISA and Western blot testing for anti-MAG antibodies. Sera with high titers of binding to both MAG and histone H3 identified by ELISA rarely stain MAG on Western blot. In addition, sera analyzed by ELISA often bind to impurities in the semipure MAG that is frequently used in ELISA assays. Further purifications to separate MAG from other contaminants improved concordance between ELISA and Western blot results to 85% to 90% in a retrospective analysis, as well as in a prospective study of 49 additional sera. Patients with a polyneuropathy and serum IgM binding to MAG preparations by ELISA but not by Western blot methodology had several different clinical syndromes, including gait disorders and asymmetric motor neuropathies. Patients with IgM binding to MAG by both assay methods usually had a distal, sensory-motor, symmetric polyneuropathy with some features of demyelination on electrodiagnostic testing.
Surface antibacterial properties of glass ionomer cements used in atraumatic restorative treatment.

BACKGROUND Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) is recommended for use worldwide, not only in developing countries where resources are not readily available, but also in more industrialized countries. The antibacterial properties of restorative dental materials may improve the restorative treatment outcome. Glass ionomer cement (GIC) has been advocated as the preferred restoration material for ART. The authors evaluated the antibacterial properties of restorative materials-three GICs and a zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE)-in vitro. METHODS Streptococcus mutans, Actinomyces viscosus and Enterococcus faecalis were the test microorganisms. The authors used a quantitative microtiter spectrophotometric assay to evaluate the antibacterial effect of the restorative materials using the direct contact test (DCT) of freshly prepared and one-week-aged materials. RESULTS The freshly prepared GICs and ZOE showed no bacterial growth in all tested bacteria compared with a control. This effect lasted for at least one week for S. mutans and A. viscosus but not for E. faecalis. CONCLUSIONS Conventional GICs used in ART showed antibacterial surface properties against cariogenic bacteria for at least one week. Further study on the long-term antimicrobial effects of GICs is needed. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The antimicrobial properties of freshly prepared restorative materials and aged restorative materials used in ART have a potent effect against cariogenic bacteria. These properties have crucial importance in preventing secondary caries.
Day-ahead Dispatch Mode for Wind-thermal Power System in Low-carbon Economy

Wind power is one of the most competitive low-carbon energy resources,and is an important element in promoting low-carbon economy.With the output characteristics of wind power generators and its low-carbon emission in mind,the coordination between wind power generators and conventional thermal power generators is analyzed.CO2 price signal is introduced and the integrated optimization model is constructed for wind-thermal power systems.Five day-ahead dispatch modes are proposed,which are different from each other in terms of the principle of wind power utilization,day-ahead schedule objective,and ways of wind power participation into day-ahead scheduling.They are compared in a typical wind-thermal power system,with designated system performance indices.Impact of different CO2 prices and wind power penetration levels are also analyzed.Simulation results show that wind power priority dispatch with a certain amount of curtailment improves the system performance significantly compared with dispatch that discourages wind power curtailment;Day-ahead dispatch that optimizes both system economy and environmental benefits is better than the conventional mode that is aimed at system economy only;At proper CO2 prices,equal participation of wind power with conventional generators is the best way of optimization in achieving both system economy and environmental benefits.
Distributed extremum-seeking control over networks of dynamic agents

In this paper, a distributed extremum seeking control technique is proposed to solve a class of real-time optimization problems over a network of dynamic agents with unknown dynamics. Each dynamic agent measures a cost that is shared over a network. A dynamic average consensus approach is used to provide each agent with an estimate of the total network cost. Each agent contributes to the optimization of the total cost, in a cooperative fashion, under the action of an extremum seeking controller associated with each agent. The extremum seeking control technique is based on a proportional-integral approach that avoids the explicit need for time-scale separation. A dynamic network simulation is treated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique.
An FPGA implementation of NIST 256 prime field ECC processor

In this paper, we propose a new Application Specific Instruction-set (ASIP) ECC processor based on Redundant Signed Digit representation with a novel Iterative-Recursive Karatsuba multiplier. The results of Vertix-5 FPGA implementation with full CLB based design is presented in this paper. The processor performs point multiplication for NIST recommended curve P256 and is based on an extended NIST reduction scheme. Our processor performs single point multiplication where points are represented in affine coordinates within 6.67 ms and runs at maximum frequency of 66.3 MHz. The design of our processor is entirely based on CLB blocks as opposed to other FPGA implementations.
Fluorescent probes that stain living nerve terminals

We have evaluated the efficacy of 18 cationic mitochondrial dyes that, as a class, show some ability to stain living nerve terminals. Several of these agents provide excellent staining of neuromuscular junctions in a wide range of species. More detailed studies of the most effective of these dyes--4-(4-diethylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide (4-Di- 2-ASP)--indicate that it has no lasting effect on the structure or function of motor nerve terminals. As demonstrated in the accompanying paper (Lichtman et al., 1987; see also Lichtman et al., 1986), 4-Di-2- ASP can therefore be used to follow the configuration of identified motor terminals over arbitrarily long intervals.
Broadband SIBC Formulation for a Low-Dispersion Finite Volume Method in the Time Domain

Surface impedance boundary conditions for the computation of resistive wall wakefields in linear accelerators are developed. The method represents an extension of the staggered finite volume method in the time domain (SFVTD) for the discretization of Maxwell's equations. It uses an auxiliary differential equation formulation for general impedance functions describing the frequency-dependent wall conductivity, surface roughness, or metal oxidation. For the time discretization of the resulting dispersive equations, a particular technique based on exponential integration is employed. This allows us to preserve the basic properties of the SFVTD method such as unidirectionally optimal numerical dispersion and maximum stability bound, which are of crucial importance for electromagnetic wakefield computations.
Intake of red meat and heterocyclic amines, metabolic pathway genes and bladder cancer risk

We analyzed the association between meat intake, heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and bladder cancer (BC) risk in a large case‐control study comprised of 884 BC cases and 878 healthy controls, recruited from 1999 to 2009. Epidemiologic and dietary data were collected via an in‐person interview. Compared to the lowest quartile of red meat intake, the odds ratios (ORs) for the second, third and fourth quartiles were 1.17 (95% CI: 0.87–1.58), 1.47 (95% CI: 1.09–1.99) and 1.95 (95% CI: 1.41–2.68), respectively, (p‐for trend <0.001). In a subset of participants with intakes of HCAs available, compared with those with the lowest quartile of intake, the ORs for the second, third and fourth quartiles were 1.47 (95% CI: 0.60–3.64), 2.58 (95% CI: 1.09–6.11) and 3.32 (95% CI: 1.37–8.01), respectively, (p for trend <0.001). In cumulative analysis of SNPs in the pathway, compared with subjects carrying 0–4 unfavorable genotypes, subjects carrying 5 and 6 or more unfavorable genotypes were at 1.60‐fold (95% CI: 1.20–2.12) and 2.37‐fold (95% CI: 1.82–3.10) increased risk, respectively. Moreover, subjects carrying six or more unfavorable genotypes and whose red meat intake was in the highest quartile were at 5.09‐fold increased risk (95% CI: 2.89–8.96; p < 0.001). These results strongly support that high red meat intake, high intake of HCAs and carrying high number of unfavorable genotypes in the HCA metabolic pathways are associated with increased risk of BC in the study population.
Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women.

BACKGROUND Emerging evidence suggests potential links between some dietary fatty acids and improved fertility, because specific fatty acids may affect prostaglandin synthesis and steroidogenesis. OBJECTIVE The objective of this exploratory study was to evaluate associations between total and specific types of dietary fat intake and 1) hormone concentrations and 2) the risk of sporadic anovulation in a cohort of 259 regularly menstruating women in the BioCycle Study. DESIGN Endogenous reproductive hormones were measured up to 8 times/cycle for up to 2 cycles, with visits scheduled with the use of fertility monitors. Dietary intake was assessed with up to four 24-h recalls/cycle. Linear mixed models and generalized linear models were used to evaluate the associations between dietary fatty acids and both reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulatory status. All models were adjusted for total energy intake, age, body mass index, and race. RESULTS Relative to the lowest levels of percentage of energy from total fat, the highest tertile was associated with increased total and free testosterone concentrations (total: percentage change of 4.0%; 95% CI: 0.7%, 7.3%; free: percentage change of 4.1%; 95% CI: 0.5%, 7.7%). In particular, the percentage of energy from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the highest tertile was associated with increases in total and free testosterone (total: percentage change of 3.7%; 95% CI: 0.6%, 6.8%; free: percentage change of 4.0%; 95% CI: 0.5%, 7.5%). The PUFA docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3) was not significantly associated with testosterone concentrations (P-trend = 0.86 in energy substitution models) but was associated with increased progesterone and a reduced risk of anovulation (highest tertile compared with the lowest tertile: RR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.95). Fat intakes were not associated with other reproductive hormone concentrations. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that total fat intake, and PUFA intake in particular, is associated with very small increases in testosterone concentrations in healthy women and that increased docosapentaenoic acid was associated with a lower risk of anovulation.
Biofilm prevention of gram-negative bacterial pathogens involved in periprosthetic infection by antibiotic-loaded calcium sulfate beads in vitro

Biofilm formation represents a key stage in the pathogenesis of prosthetic infections (PIs). More tolerant to antibiotics than their planktonic counterparts, biofilm bacteria are difficult to eradicate using conventional therapeutic regimes. A common approach in PI management is the adjunctive use of localised antibiotics in addition to systemic administration in an attempt to protect the implant from colonisation by infiltrating bacteria. This study evaluates the antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy of antibiotic-loaded dissolvable calcium sulphate, previously shown to be effective against key gram-positive pathogens, against gram-negative species important in the establishment of chronic infection in PIs. Synthetic calcium sulfate beads loaded with tobramycin, vancomycin and both antibiotics in combination were assessed for their ability to eradicate planktonic Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. The efficacy of the beads in preventing biofilm formation and eliminating established biofilms over multiple days was evaluated using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CSLM) imaging combined with image analysis and viable cell counts. Beads loaded with antibiotics demonstrated effective eluting concentrations for up to 37 d depending on the bacterial strain. In the presence of repeated bacterial challenges, antibiotic-loaded beads prevented bacterial colonisation and significantly reduce biofilm formation for the duration of the assay (7 d). Complete eradication of established biofilms was more difficult with evidence of biofilm regrowth after 1 week of contact with antibiotic-loaded beads, despite data suggesting a complete kill was achieved at earlier timepoints of 24 h and 72 h in the case of K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. This study provides further evidence that calcium sulfate beads loaded with vancomycin and tobramycin may be a useful adjunctive component to the successful management of PIs.
The Linear Predictive Modeling of Speech From Higher-Lag Autocorrelation Coefficients Applied to Noise-Robust Speaker Recognition

A linear predictive spectral estimation method based on higher-lag autocorrelation coefficients is proposed for the noise-robust feature extraction from speech. The method, called higher-lag linear prediction, is derived from a signal prediction model that is optimized in the mean square sense using a cost function that has two prediction error terms, the first of which is similar to that of conventional linear prediction and the second of which is a delayed version introducing an integer delay of M samples. This basic form is developed further into the combined higher-lag linear prediction (CHLLP) model by simultaneously taking advantage of the zero-lag and higher-lag predictions. The CHLLP model was used in the computation of mel-frequency cepstral coefficients and compared with several reference feature extraction methods in speaker recognition. The experiments were conducted by using a modern i-vector-based system. Noise-corruption was done using both additive car, babble, and factory noise in different signal-to-noise ratio conditions as well as speech recordings from real noisy conditions. The results indicate that CHLLP outperformed the reference feature extraction methods in almost all the comparisons in the noise-corrupted conditions and the performance of CHLLP was only slightly inferior to the nonparametric FFT-based spectral modeling in the clean condition.
A dual band circularly polarized SIW interleaved antenna array

The design of a new dual band slot antenna for Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) technology is presented. The antenna element operates in two bands suitable for emerging High Throughput Satellite Systems terminals; namely the K band(19.2-20.2GHz) and the Ka Band (29-30 GHz). The inclined slotted antenna elements are first designed separately for each band and then in conjunction. These slot antenna pairs can be subsequently utilized for the formation of circularly polarized interleaved antenna arrays. Simulated axial ratio and impedance bandwidth cover the required bandwidths of 1GHz in each band.
Diagnostic potential of saccadometry in progressive supranuclear palsy.

BACKGROUND Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), an atypical parkinsonian syndrome characterized by extrapyramidal features, imbalance, supranuclear gaze paresis and dementia, can be difficult to diagnose, especially in the early stages. From the clinician's point of view, the main difficulty with this disorder is the inability to provide an accurate diagnosis, at least for the initial stages of the disease, where symptoms are often confused with other parkinsonian disorders. This inability complicates the recruitment of patients with early-stage parkinsonism to trials of disease-modifying therapy. OBJECTIVES To determine whether quantitative, objective examination of saccadic latency distributions can help to distinguish PSP patients from other groups of parkinsonian patients. MATERIALS & METHODS We used a newly developed portable saccadometer to compare saccadic latency distributions of a group of PSP patients with two other groups in whom the initial differential diagnosis included PSP: one of these groups had Parkinson's disease and the other had developed a range of parkinsonian conditions (multiple system atrophy, dementia with Lewy bodies and corticobasal degeneration). RESULTS The use of a combination of saccadic parameters provided a greater discriminative power than the use of only one parameter, such as median latency. Statistical analysis and parameterization of the distributions robustly distinguished the three groups. CONCLUSIONS This approach appears to have considerable diagnostic potential in allowing a more accurate diagnosis of PSP, and may help particularly to eliminate misdiagnosis with other parkinsonian conditions.