Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Ras/Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase and Ras/ERK Pathways Function as Independent Survival Modules Each of Which Inhibits a Distinct Apoptotic Signaling Pathway in Sympathetic Neurons*

Ras promotes robust survival of many cell systems by activating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)/Akt pathway, but little is understood about the survival functions of the Ras/ERK pathway. We have used three different effector-loop mutant forms of Ras, each of which activates a single downstream effector pathway, to dissect their individual contributions to survival of nerve growth factor (NGF)-dependent sympathetic neurons. The PI3-kinase pathway-selective protein RasVal-12Y40C was as powerful as oncogenic RasVal-12 in preventing apoptosis induced by NGF deprivation but conferred no protection against apoptosis induced by cytosine arabinoside. Identical results were obtained with transfected Akt. In contrast, the ERK pathway-selective protein RasVal-12T35S had no protective effects on NGF-deprived neurons but was almost as strongly protective as RasVal-12 against cytosine arabinoside-induced apoptosis. The protective effects of RasVal-12T35S against cytosine arabinoside were completely abolished by the ERK pathway inhibitor PD98059. RasVal-12E37G, an activator of RalGDS, had no survival effect on either death pathway, similar to RasS17N, the full survival antagonist. Thus, Ras provides two independent survival pathways each of which inhibits a distinct apoptotic mechanism. Our study presents one of the few clear-cut cases where only the Ras/ERK, but not the Ras/PI3K/Akt pathway, plays a dominant survival signaling role.
Physical inactivity remains the greatest public health problem of the 21st century: evidence, improved methods and solutions using the ‘7 investments that work’ as a framework

In 2009, BJSM's first editorial argued that ‘Physical inactivity is the greatest public health problem of the 21st century’. 1 The data supporting that claim have not yet been challenged. Now, 5 years after BJSM published its first dedicated ‘Physical Activity is Medicine’ theme issue (http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/43/1.toc) we are pleased to highlight 23 new contributions from six countries. This issue contains an analysis of the cost of physical inactivity from the US Centre for Diseases Control.2 We also report the cost-effectiveness of one particular physical activity intervention for adults.3
Identification and characterization of the virus causing rabbit hemorrhagic disease

Liver tissue from animals that died of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) was used to identify the causative agent. After extraction of liver homogenates and sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation, distinct bands were obtained. The respective gradient fractions reacted positively in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as well as in hemagglutination assays and were infective for rabbits. These fractions contained virions which had a diameter of 40 nm and resembled morphologically those of the family Caliciviridae. By immunoblotting, a major structural protein with a molecular weight of 60,000 was identified. Highly pure RNA of about 8 kilobases was isolated from virions. Labeled cDNA synthesized from virion RNA detected two RNAs of 8 and 2 kilobases in Northern (RNA) blots of liver RNA from animals infected with RHD virus. Finally, isolated virion RNA injected into the liver of rabbits produced a disease with clinical symptoms and pathological findings typical of RHD. We conclude that a calicivirus represents the causative agent of RHD.
Relationship between Price and Open Interest in Indian Futures Market : An Empirical Study

An increase in open interest along with an increase in price is said to confirm an upward trend, while an increase in open interest along with a decrease in price confirms a downward trend. This paper is an attempt to examine the relationship between closing price and open interest in Indian stock index futures market. The study investigated the relationship between futures closing price and open interest for the indices BANKNIFTY, MINIFTY, CNXIT, NIFTY and NIFTYMIDCAP50. The evidence of Granger Causality shows that the information of open interest can be used to predict future prices in the long run. Moreover, the long-run information role of open interest is a good indicator for the usefulness of a technical analysis in future markets. Thus, the study provides the financial managers in Indian futures market some very useful input. JEL: G13, G15
Pregnancy Following Breast Reconstruction with TRAM Flaps

Abstract: From a retrospective study of 250 patients submitted to immediate breast reconstruction with TRAM flap after mastectomy for breast cancer, we reported the occurrence of pregnancy in seven cases from January 1992 to January 1996 at the Women's Health Reference Center and at the University of São Paulo Medical School. There were six immediate and one delayed reconstructions. Mean age was 35 years old. Outpatient follow‐up was 13 months (mean 6–42 months). Two of the seven patients developed abdominal bulge, but no hernias were detected in this group. All patients were satisfied with the aesthetic result. Seven of them came to term. No abnormalities were found in their children. During the same period of time bulging was found in 10% of the 250 patients. Breast reconstruction with TRAM flap is safe even if patients become pregnant, and in this study TRAM flaps did not cause dyfunctional labor or significant abdominal wall damage.
What Use Are Male Hosts? The Dynamics of Maternally Inherited Bacteria Showing Sexual Transmission or Male Killing

Closely related pathogens and parasites often have distinctly different strategies for transmission. In some cases, presence of one potential mode of transmission reduces the rate of or forbids another. In these cases, one can ask what the conditions are that favor the use of one mode of transmission over the other. We constructed a mathematical model to examine this issue for the case of maternally inherited endosymbionts of insects. Here, killing males (to enhance transmission through the female line by reducing sibling competition) and retaining live males as a vehicle for sexual transmission are mutually exclusive strategies. Our model indicates that sexual transmission of a maternally inherited parasite can exclude a male‐killing strain, provided that a sexually transmitted infection can take over an infection by a male‐killing strain either following exposure or when male killing is incomplete and sexual transmission is efficient. The presence of sexual transmission may also explain why secondary symbionts do not degrade toward the evolution of male killing but remain as “beneficial partners” to both male and female hosts. This stabilization may be fundamental to the evolution toward obligate mutualism, and thus it is important in the ecology and evolution of many arthropod groups.
Building default models for subprime mortgages: Assessing the risk in a rapidly changing environment

This paper presents the major results of a research and development project of building default models for pools of subprime mortgages. The models have been developed to assess the risk of investing into the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) backed by those pools in a rapidly changing environment. These RMBS are over-the-counter financial securities, and the models serve as a major tool for their competitive pricing and marketing. It has been demonstrated that by modifying the definition of mortgage default - using so-called "implied default" - one can extract more realistic patterns of borrower behavior under adverse economic scenarios from the same historical data. Also, it has been shown that different types of decision trees, chi-square, entropy, and Gini index, can be effectively used to provide the best variable selection and to break the universe of mortgage borrowers into groups that exhibit significant differences with respect to their default propensity. The paper discusses several generations of models that were built and tested. It shows how the relatively simple G-based default model, which yields estimates of cumulative expected defaults for various groups of borrowers, can be generalized into a multidimensional stochastic process (stochastic G-based default model). The paper also discusses how the G-based default model can be expanded to deal with the mortgages that are in a negative equity position.
A Sequential Model of Congressional Appropriations

While the incrementalist and externalist models of budgeting are sometimes viewed as competing interpretations, they are not mutually exclusive. This research tests a model incorporating both "topdown" and "bottom-up" features of federal budgeting. The sequential model has several features not commonly found in the empirical budgeting literature, including: (1) treatment of the sequential processes of budgeting, (2) use of a budget constraint which incorporates "top-down" budget influences and recognizes the interdependence of agency budgets, (3) linkage of appropriations to revenues and the budget deficit, and (4) application of the linear expenditure system. The sequential model is tested by a set of simultaneous equations which account for a substantial portion of the variance in appropriations at each level of analysis. An empirical comparison with a simple incrementalist model indicates that a model including a budget constraint and external economic and political variables provides a superior explanation of federal budgeting. The pioneering study on incrementalism in federal budgeting by Davis, Dempster, and Wildavsky (1966) concluded that budgetary outcomes can be characterized by a simple set of decision rules that are linear and temporally stable. Incrementalist theory emphasizes the importance of marginal adjustments in the previous year's budgetary base. Negotiation strategies of the key participants in the budgeting process (congressional subcommittees, OMB, political constituencies, and the agencies) and the overall stability of budgetary outcomes are also important aspects of the incrementalist view. Despite periodic attacks, the incrementalist view and the "simple linear decision rules" suggested by Davis, Dempster, and Wildavsky have become the standard by which other interpretations of budgetary processes are measured. In a later study Davis, Dempster, and Wildavsky (1974) pursued some of the shift points and anomalies of budgetary behavior by including a number of political, economic, and social variables in their original incrementalist models. They concluded that the process that generates agency requests is highly internalized and generally little influenced by the outside world. They found that in some cases (14 of 53 agencies), congressional appropriations were significantly affected by at least one environmental variable but that for the most part agencies live in worlds of their own. In this and other empirical studies of budgeting, however, environmental influences generally have been included on an ad hoc basis rather than being incorporated systematically into a theoretical framework.
Comparison of Two Roadside Survey Procedures for Dwarf Mistletoes on the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho

-Two roadside surveys were conducted for dwarf mistletoes parasitizing lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir on the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho. One survey used variable-radius plots located Jess than 150 m from roads. The 2nd survey used variable-radius plots established at 200-m intervals along 1600-m transects run perpendicular to the same roads. Estimates of the incidence (percentage of trees infected and percentage of plots infested) and severity (average dwarf mistletoe rating) for both lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoes were not significantly different for the 2 survey methods. These findings are further evidence that roadside-plot surveys and transect-plot surveys conducted away from roads provide similar estimates of the incidence of dwarf mistletoes for large forested areas.
Working Toward Transformation and Change: Exploring Non-Aboriginal Teachers’ Experiences in Facilitating and Strengthening Students’ Awareness of Indigenous Knowledge and Aboriginal Perspectives

This study explores non-Aboriginal teachers’ accounts of ways in which they integrate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into their teaching within the parameters set by the Ontario official curriculum. Ontario policy-makers and educational stakeholders have acknowledged the need to incorporate Aboriginal perspectives and content into curriculum and school communities, as reflected in documents such as the Ontario First Nation, Metis, and Inuit Education Policy Framework (2007). Nevertheless, non-Aboriginal educators continue to seek opportunities to advance professional growth and vocational clarity regarding their practice. Utilizing narrative inquiry within a case study approach, the study provides a space in which Aboriginal learners inform secondary school educators about their schooling experiences and discusses ways in which non-Aboriginal teachers approach the task of facilitating Aboriginal perspectives in the classroom. The findings indicate that non-Aboriginal secondary school educators are working to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into their pedagogical practice more now than in the recent past. Nevertheless both students and teachers are concerned with the overall reach and impact given its limited incorporation across subject areas other than history or social studies. More investment still needs to be made to ensure Indigenous knowledge and its pedagogies both in a local and broader context are identified as a valuable knowledge system. K eywords: Aboriginal education, Indigenous education, culturally responsive schooling, decolonization, critical pedagogy
Weighted-SVD: Matrix Factorization with Weights on the Latent Factors

The Matrix Factorization models, sometimes called the latent factor models, are a family of methods in the recommender system research area to (1) generate the latent factors for the users and the items and (2) predict users' ratings on items based on their latent factors. However, current Matrix Factorization models presume that all the latent factors are equally weighted, which may not always be a reasonable assumption in practice. In this paper, we propose a new model, called Weighted-SVD, to integrate the linear regression model with the SVD model such that each latent factor accompanies with a corresponding weight parameter. This mechanism allows the latent factors have different weights to influence the final ratings. The complexity of the Weighted-SVD model is slightly larger than the SVD model but much smaller than the SVD++ model. We compared the Weighted-SVD model with several latent factor models on five public datasets based on the Root-Mean-Squared-Errors (RMSEs). The results show that the Weighted-SVD model outperforms the baseline methods in all the experimental datasets under almost all settings.
A clinical decision support tool to predict survival in cancer patients beyond 120 days after palliative chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND Palliative chemotherapy is often administered to terminally ill cancer patients to relieve symptoms. Yet, unnecessary use of chemotherapy can worsen patients' quality of life due to treatment-related toxicities. Thus, accurate prediction of survival in terminally ill patients can help clinicians decide on the most appropriate palliative care for these patients. However, studies have shown that clinicians often make imprecise predictions of survival in cancer patients. Hence, the purpose of this study was to create a clinical decision support tool to predict survival in cancer patients beyond 120 days after palliative chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were obtained from a retrospective study of 400 randomly selected terminally ill cancer patients in the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) from 2008 to 2009. After removing patients with missing data, there were 325 patients remaining for model development. Three classification algorithms, naive Bayes (NB), neural network (NN), and support vector machine (SVM) were used to create the models. A final model with the best prediction performance was then selected to develop the tool. RESULTS The NN model had the best prediction performance. The accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and area under the curve (AUC) of this model were 78%, 82%, 74%, and 0.857, respectively. Five patient attributes (albumin level, alanine transaminase level (ATL), absolute neutrophil count, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status, and number of metastatic sites) were included in the model. CONCLUSIONS A decision support tool to predict survival in cancer patients beyond 120 days after palliative chemotherapy was created. With further validation, this tool coupled with the professional judgment of clinicians can help improve patient care.
Resonance Overvoltages in Medium Voltage Multilevel Drive System

Simulations and high voltage field tests indicate that unacceptable and unexpected motor terminal overvoltages and waveform shapes can occur in the normal operating range with multilevel drive systems. These waveforms (if unattended) would have resulted in premature motor insulation failures. A case study of an 11 kV multilevel system is discussed. Simulations and calculations confirm the theory of resonance overvoltages. Different solution possibilities are analyzed. Further simulations and investigations are performed to determine the optimal carrier frequency. Test results confirm that the proposed modification has the desired effect; with waveforms well within limits stipulated by international standards. Simplified equations and recommendations are provided to determine suitable application solutions.
The Effects of Metformin on Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review

Objective The potential therapeutic effects of metformin on several cancers were reported. However, the evidence of the effects of metformin on ovarian cancer is still limited and inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis study aims to summarize the existing evidence of the therapeutic effects of metformin on ovarian cancer. Methods We performed systematic searches using electronic databases including PubMed and EMBASE until December 2012. Key words included “metformin” AND (“ovarian cancer” OR “ovary tumor”). All human studies assessing the effects of metformin on ovarian cancer were eligible for inclusion. All articles were reviewed independently by 2 authors with a standardized approach for the purpose of study, study design, patient characteristics, exposure, and outcomes. The data were pooled using a random-effects model. Results Of 190 studies retrieved, only 3 observational studies and 1 report of 2 randomized controlled trials were included. Among those studies, 2 reported the effects of metformin on survival outcomes of ovarian cancer, whereas the other 2 reported the effects of metformin on ovarian cancer prevention. The findings of studies reporting the effects on survival outcomes indicated that metformin may prolong overall, disease-specific, and progression-free survival in ovarian cancer patients. The results of studies reporting the effects of metformin on ovarian cancer prevention were meta-analyzed. It indicated that metformin tended to decrease occurrence of ovarian cancer among diabetic patients with the pooled odds ratio of 0.57 (95% confidence interval, 0.16–1.99). Conclusions Our findings showed the potential therapeutic effects of metformin on survival outcomes of ovarian cancer and ovarian cancer prevention. However, most of the evidence was observational studies. There is a call for further well-conducted controlled clinical trials to confirm the effects of metformin on ovarian cancer survival and ovarian cancer prevention.
CAD for integrated MEMS design

The long term impact of MEMS technology will be in its ability novel sensing and actuation functionality on traditional computing and communication devices enabling the ubiquitous digital computer to interact with the world around it. The design of such integrated system will occur at the system level, driven primarily by the application. Methodologies that ease the integration of the digital domain to the real world using mixed domain technologies are therefore crucial. A hierarchical structured design approach that is compatible with standard IC design is outlined. It starts with schematic capture of a design topology, followed by behavioral simulation, layout generation, parasitic extraction, and final verification. This flow is based on a process-independent design representation of commonly used MEMS building blocks, and process-dependent materials properties, design rules, and parasitic parameters.
Electrocorticographic signals comparison in sensorimotor cortex between contralateral and ipsilateral hand movements

Brain machine interfaces (BMIs) have emerged as a technology to restore lost functionality in motor impaired patients. Most BMI systems employed neural signals from contralateral hemisphere. But many studies have also demonstrated the possibility to control hand movement using signals from ipsilateral one. However, the relationship of neural signals in sensorimotor cortex between contralateral and ipsilateral hand movement control is still unclear. In this study, the electrocorticographic signals (ECoG) of sensorimotor cortex were analyzed in two epilepsy participants when they performed a visual guided rock-scissors-paper task by using contralateral and ipsilateral hand respectively. Although typical beta suppression followed increased gamma were observed during the movements of each individual hands, the stronger responses were found in two participants when their contralateral hands were used during the task. We further extracted the power spectrum of high gamma frequency band (70-135Hz) of ECoG signals as neural features to decode the hand movements. The results showed that the classification accuracy of contralateral decoding and ipsilateral decoding were 81% and 78% for participator one (P1) and 84% and 77% for participator two (P2). The accuracy of ipsilateral decoding was only slightly lower than that of contralateral one. The hand movement information contained in ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex suggested that the ipsilateral hemisphere might be also involved in neural modulation as well as contralateral hemisphere did when performing unimanual movement, which would expand the clinical application of BMIs.
Language and Social Knowledge in Foreign-Knowledge Transfer to China

This paper establishes that transfer of knowledge across national borders within multinational enterprises depends both on a common language necessary for communication and on the shared social knowledge necessary to understand and predict the behavior of those engaged in the knowledge-transfer process. In a set of four case studies, it was found that knowledge transfer is more effective when technical and social knowledge are transferred together. Besides, ownership structure affects the understanding and transfer of social knowledge, while rich person-to-person contact in multinational teams provides an effective means of transferring social knowledge.
Low-Profile Narrow-Frame Antenna for Seven-Band WWAN/LTE Smartphone Applications

A small-size low-profile narrow-frame antenna for seven-band WWAN/LTE operations in the internal smartphone applications is proposed. The greatest highlight of this proposed antenna is that its narrow edge has a width of only 5 mm, which is very novel for smartphone applications. Meanwhile, the proposed narrow-frame antenna has a small size of 5 × 40 mm2 and a low profile of 3 mm above the circuit board, which makes it very promising for slim smartphone applications. The proposed antenna is capable of covering GSM850/900/DCS/PCS/UMTS 2100/LTE2300/2500 operating bands. Detailed design considerations of the proposed antenna are described, and both experimental and simulation results are also presented and discussed.