Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Single Object Auctions with Externalities: A Tractable Model

We consider the single object auction model with allocative externalities in a private valuation and quasi-linear setting. We model externalities by assuming that every agent has a private valuation (for the object) and a strict ranking of other agents. The utility for an agent when another agent receives the object is the product of his own valuation and a real number that depends on the rank of this agent in his ranking. When the only private information is the valuation of the agents, we characterise the implementable allocation rules and use these to derive the optimal auction. The optimal auction collects payments from agents who do not receive the object.
Protective Strategies of High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation in a Rabbit Model

High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) causes less severe lung injury than conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) but the optimal frequency for HFOV has not been determined. We hypothesized that 15 Hz HFOV would be more protective than 5 Hz HFOV in a rabbit model of acute lung injury. Surfactant-depleted rabbits were ventilated at 15 Hz or 5 Hz HFOV for 4 h, or not ventilated, to characterize the extent of lung injury before HFOV. PaO2 and PaCO2 were measured throughout the experiment, and lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, neutrophil infiltration, and histopathological changes were determined. There were no statistically significant differences in PaO2 and PaCO2 between groups (p > 0.05). Neutrophil counts (p = 0.013), airway injury scores (p = 0.007), airspace injury scores (p = 0.029), and total lung injury scores (p = 0.014) differed between non-HFO-ventilated and HFOV animals. Comparing the 2 HFOV regimens, 15 Hz ventilation yielded a lower tissue neutrophil score (p = 0.005). MPO activity, neutrophil count, airway injury score, airspace injury score, and total lung injury score parameters did not differ significantly between the HFOV groups (p > 0.150). We concluded that both frequencies of HFOV efficiently restored O2 and CO2 exchange in a rabbit model of severe lung injury, and that 5 Hz HFOV increased neutrophil infiltration relative to 15 Hz HFOV.
Contribution of the Immune Response to Phage Therapy

Therapeutic phages are being employed for vaccination and treatment of cancer and bacterial infections. Their natural immunogenicity triggers intertwined interactions with innate and adaptive immune cells that might influence therapy. Phage- and bactierial-derived pathogen-associated molecular patterns released after bacterial lysis have been proposed to stimulate local innate immune responses, which could promote antitumor immunity or bacterial clearance. Conversely, immunogenicity of phages induces phage-specific humoral memory, which can hamper therapeutic success. This review outlines the current knowledge on the different types of immune responses elicited by phages and their potential benefits and adverse side effects, when applied therapeutically. This review further summarizes the knowledge gaps and defines the key immunological questions that need to be addressed regarding the clinical application of antibacterial phage therapy.
Acute toxicity of (chloro‐)catechols and (chloro‐)catechol‐copper combinations in Escherichia coli corresponds to their membrane toxicity in vitro

(Chloro‐)catechols are toxic for bacteria and higher organisms, but the mode of action is not yet clearly understood. We have compared the acute toxicity of different chlorinated catechols to Escherichia coli with membrane toxic effects, namely narcosis and uncoupling that we have determined in an in vitro assay. In vitro membrane toxicity was quantified by measuring the accelerated decay of the membrane potential of chromatophores isolated from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Both acute and membrane toxicity increased with increasing degree of chlorination. Analysis of dose‐response curves, pH dependence, and estimated membrane concentrations gave a consistent picture of the mechanisms of membrane toxicity: At pH 7, the higher‐chlorinated catechols acted as uncouplers of oxidative and photophosphorylation, and the lower‐chlorinated catechols and catechol acted as narcotics. In the case of 3,5‐dichlorocatechol and 4‐monochlorocatechol at pH 8.8, both mechanisms appeared to contribute to the overall toxicity. Copper exhibited a diverging effect on the toxicity of catechols and of (chloro‐)catechols to E. coli. Whereas the presence of copper increased the toxicity of catechol and 4‐monochlorocatechol, the toxicity of 3,5‐dichlorocatechol, 3,4,5‐trichlorocatechol, and tetrachlorocatechol decreased. Again, the results obtained with in vitro assays agreed with the acute toxicity observed in E. coli: The presence of copper accelerated decay of the membrane potential of catechol and 4‐monochlorocatechol; however, the effect was reversed by copper in experiments with 3,5‐dichlorocatechol, 3,4,5‐trichlorocatechol, and tetrachlorocatechol. We have proposed a mechanistic model to explain the diverging effects of copper on the uncoupling activities of the different catechols.
SEE characterization and mitigation in ultra-deep submicron technologies

As technology feature sizes decrease, single event upset (SEU), digital single event transient (DSET), and multiple bit upset (MBU) effects dominate the radiation response of microcircuits in space applications. Even in high-altitude and terrestrial applications, cosmic-ray neutron recoil byproducts can easily produce an unacceptable soft error rate (SER) in modern microcircuits. Process modifications and engineered substrate attempts have not provided significant levels of SEE (single event effect) mitigation. Circuit-level hardening approaches have, however, proven effective in mitigating all heavy-ion related effects. The size and speed penalties associated with these circuit hardening techniques often cannot be tolerated in commercial product designs. For this reason, experimental SEE characterization is necessary to identify dominant response mechanisms so that critical circuits can be identified and hardened with minimal impact on overall IC performance and permit the most effective trade-off between SER and the area/speed overhead. For complex designs, conventional broad-beam testing provides limited data to isolate the exact cause of observed errors and little insight into potential design improvements. We report on our new Milli-Beam™ test hardware and associated data acquisition software that provide rapid SER raster scanning with spatial isolation as small as 10 microns to physically isolate dominant circuit susceptibilities of complex modern microcircuits.
Perceptions and Experiences with Flavored Non-Menthol Tobacco Products: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

Although a few countries have banned flavored cigarettes (except menthol), flavors in most tobacco products remain unregulated across the globe. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies examining perceptions of and experiences with flavored non-menthol tobacco products. Of 20 studies on flavored tobacco products included in our qualitative systematic review, 10 examined hookah, six examined e-cigarettes, two examined little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs), and three examined other tobacco products, including cigarettes. The majority of studies, regardless of product type, reported positive perceptions of flavored tobacco products, particularly among young adults and adolescents. In six studies that assessed perceptions of harm (including hookah, LCCs, and other flavored tobacco products), participants believed flavored tobacco products to be less harmful than cigarettes. In studies that examined the role of flavors in experimentation and/or initiation (including three studies on e-cigarettes, one hookah study and one LCC study), participants mentioned flavors as specifically leading to their experimentation and/or initiation of flavored tobacco products. Given that many countries have not yet banned flavors in tobacco products, these findings add to existing research on why individuals use flavored tobacco products and how they perceive harm in flavored tobacco products, providing further support for banning non-menthol flavors in most tobacco products.
Results of single-session bilateral triple pelvic osteotomy with an eight-hole iliac bone plate in dogs: 95 cases (1996-1999).

OBJECTIVE To evaluate feasibility of single-session bilateral triple pelvic osteotomy with 8-hole iliac bone plates in dogs with bilateral hip dysplasia. DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS 95 dogs with bilateral hip dysplasia. PROCEDURE Medical records were reviewed, and information was obtained on signalment; body weight; angles of subluxation and reduction prior to surgery; durations of surgery and hospitalization; postoperative mobility; severity of lameness, radiographic grade of hip dysplasia, Norberg angle, and femoral head coverage before and after surgery; time required for radiographic evidence of iliac healing; change in pelvic diameter; implant integrity; and complications. RESULTS Mean age at the time of surgery was 10.8 months, and mean weight was 35.2 kg (77.4 lb). Prior to surgery, mean angles of subluxation were 2.2 degrees on the right and 2.6 degrees on the left; mean angles of reduction were 25.9 degrees on the right and 27.3 degrees on the left. Mean surgical time was 95 minutes. All but 1 dog were able to walk on their own by the fourth day after surgery. Mean hospitalization time was 7.5 days. Clinical signs of lameness and radiographic grade of hip dysplasia were significantly improved during follow-up examinations. Mean time for radiographic iliac healing was 8 weeks. None of the plates and only 7 of the 1,520 (0.5%) screws loosened after surgery. Nineteen dogs had complications, but all complications were minor. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggest that single-session bilateral triple pelvic osteotomy with 8-hole iliac bone plates is effective for treatment of dogs with bilateral hip dysplasia.
Genetic basis of cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) in dogs

Abstract Cranial Cruciate Ligament rupture (CCLR) is one of the most common forms of lameness in dogs and is analogous to rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in humans, for which it can serve as a model. As there is a strong breed-related predisposition to CCLR in dogs, a study was undertaken to consider putative genetic components in susceptible dog breeds. A candidate gene, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping approach using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (Sequenom Ltd) was designed to investigate several CCLR-susceptible dog breeds and identify CCLR-associated genes/gene regions that may confer susceptibility or resistance. A meta-analysis was performed using the breed case/control candidate gene data to identify SNP associations that were common to the whole cohort of susceptible dogs. We identified SNPs in key genes involved in ligament strength, stability and extracellular matrix formation (COL5A1, COL5A2, COL1A1, COL3A1, COL11A1, COL24A1, FBN1, LOX, LTBP2) which were significantly associated with CCLR susceptibility across the dog breeds used in this study. These SNPs could have an involvement in CCLR due to a detrimental effect on ligament structure and strength. This is the first published candidate gene study that has revealed significant genetic associations with canine CCLR.
Anchoring in Mergers and Acquisitions: Does the Regulatory Environment Matter?

We examine the 52-week anchoring effect in the Indian takeover market that has a unique regulatory design. The Indian takeover regulation mandates the minimum offer price to be function of the target’s 26-week or 60-day high price. We show that the 52-week anchoring effect is robust even in the face of other regulatory anchors that differ from the widely cited 52-week high price. The anchoring effect dominates when the offer price exceeds the 52-week high price. Regulatory intervention in 2011 that shifts the floor price to a recent market price, such as the 60-day high price, does not attenuate the 52-week anchoring effect. We infer that acquirers are willing to pay a higher premium while anchoring to the 52-week high price, even when the regulatory focus is on lower reference prices. Besides, regulatory anchors also serve as additional focal points, demonstrated by the significance of the 26-week high price during its own period of regulation (2002-2011).
Characterization of the DNA-binding activity of GCR1: in vivo evidence for two GCR1-binding sites in the upstream activating sequence of TPI of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

GCR1 gene function is required for high-level glycolytic gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recently, we suggested that the CTTCC sequence motif found in front of many genes encoding glycolytic enzymes lay at the core of the GCR1-binding site. Here we mapped the DNA-binding domain of GCR1 to the carboxy-terminal 154 amino acids of the polypeptide. DNase I protection studies showed that a hybrid MBP-GCR1 fusion protein protected a region of the upstream activating sequence of TPI (UASTPI), which harbored the CTTCC sequence motif, and suggested that the fusion protein might also interact with a region of the UAS that contained the related sequence CATCC. A series of in vivo G methylation protection experiments of the native TPI promoter were carried out with wild-type and gcr1 deletion mutant strains. The G doublets that correspond to the C doublets in each site were protected in the wild-type strain but not in the gcr1 mutant strain. These data demonstrate that the UAS of TPI contains two GCR1-binding sites which are occupied in vivo. Furthermore, adjacent RAP1/GRF1/TUF- and REB1/GRF2/QBP/Y-binding sites in UASTPI were occupied in the backgrounds of both strains. In addition, DNA band-shift assays were used to show that the MBP-GCR1 fusion protein was able to form nucleoprotein complexes with oligonucleotides that contained CTTCC sequence elements found in front of other glycolytic genes, namely, PGK, ENO1, PYK, and ADH1, all of which are dependent on GCR1 gene function for full expression. However, we were unable to detect specific interactions with CTTCC sequence elements found in front of the translational component genes TEF1, TEF2, and CRY1. Taken together, these experiments have allowed us to propose a consensus GCR1-binding site which is 5'-(T/A)N(T/C)N(G/A)NC(T/A)TCC(T/A)N(T/A)(T/A)(T/G)-3'.
Simulating actions for learning

This paper presents a novel approach for generating new actions to learn supervised algorithms such as the Adaboost in the context of human action recognition. Indeed, the learning process requires a large amount and variety of data. Our motivation in this work is to reduce the dependency on public databases and allow learning with small sets of actions. We overcome the problem of nondiscriminatory action datasets for action recognition by enlarging a set of actions performed by different persons in different ways and captured by a Kinect. We present a way to enlarge the originally captured dataset from a Kinect device or from simply annotated data. This is done by combining the extrema of the action sequences into intervals, creating random points within them, and adding certain variables to discriminate the samples. These actions are learned and tested with a late fusion Adaboost using simple features and a strong classifier for each joint. Finally, a confidence coefficient is calculated and used as input of a higher level Adaboost classifier.
Structural Workshop Paper - Data Selection and Procurement

In this note I overview the data selection and procurement process in the context of structural models. Data selection for structural models presents unique challenges because data and structure often substitute and because it is imperative to consider what information identifies causal effects of interest. I further discuss three types of field data on which to build empirical models: (i) data that are proprietary to firms, (ii) data that can come from the public domain, or (iii) data that can be purchased from private research firms, and I discuss the benefits and limits of each. I then detail a process for obtaining proprietary data and the potential pitfalls inherent in the process.
Comparison of Enzyme Immunoassays for Detection of Antibodies to Hepatitis D Virus in Serum

ABSTRACT Serology remains critical for diagnosing hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection, which affects 15 to 20 million people worldwide, but the literature on characterizing commercial enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) dates back to 15 years ago. We evaluated 2 commercial EIAs currently available for detecting anti-HDV antibodies. The DiaSorin assay demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity. Using a modified cutoff value, the Cusabio assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 81.3% and specificity of 90.9%. Our data show that recently developed EIAs are reliable for anti-HDV antibody detection.
Low Levels of α7-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor mRNA on Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Schizophrenia and Its Association with Illness Severity

Background: There is evidence that the nicotinic α7-acetylcholine receptor (α7-AChR) is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Several neurotransmitter receptors, including α7-AChR, have been demonstrated on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and it has been suggested that these peripheral receptors may reflect corresponding brain receptors. Objective: In this study we compare α7 mRNA expression in PBL between schizophrenia patients and control individuals in order to determine whether any correlation exists between α7 mRNA expression in PBL and severity of schizophrenia. In addition, the isoforms of α7-AChR expressed are identified. Method: Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from individuals with schizophrenia (n = 44) and from healthy subjects (n = 16). Symptomatology and illness severity were assessed using standard clinical psychiatric evaluation scales. RNA was prepared from isolated lymphocytes and DELETE α7 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR. Results: We observed a significantly lower level of α7 mRNA on PBLs of schizophrenia patients incomparison with healthy controls (p < 0.00). A tendency to a negative correlation was noted between the CGI score, reflecting illness severity, and the α7-subunit gene expression. Conclusion: Observations confirm that the α7 mRNA in PBL represents the duplicated α7-AChR gene rather than the classic α7-AChR gene. Our study observations further substantiate the involvement of α7-AChR in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and, while preliminary, indicate that the α7-AChR may be expressed and be readily measured in the peripheral blood circulation.
A splice site mutant of maize activates cryptic splice sites, elicits intron inclusion and exon exclusion, and permits branch point elucidation.

DNA sequence analysis of the bt2-7503 mutant allele of the maize brittle-2 gene revealed a point mutation in the 5' terminal sequence of intron 3 changing GT to AT. This lesion completely abolishes use of this splice site, activates two cryptic splice sites, and alters the splicing pattern from extant splice sites. One activated donor site, located nine nt 5' to the normal splice donor site, begins with the dinucleotide GC. While non-consensus, this sequence still permits both trans-esterification reactions of pre-mRNA splicing. A second cryptic site located 23 nt 5' to the normal splice site and beginning with GA, undergoes the first trans-esterification reaction leading to lariat formation, but lacks the ability to participate in the second reaction. Accumulation of this splicing intermediate and use of an innovative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique (J. Vogel, R.H. Wolfgang, T. Borner [1997] Nucleic Acids Res 25: 2030-2031) led to the identification of 3' intron sequences needed for lariat formation. In most splicing reactions, neither cryptic site is recognized. Most mature transcripts include intron 3, while the second most frequent class lacks exon 3. Traditionally, the former class of transcripts is taken as evidence for the intron definition of splicing, while the latter class has given credence to the exon definition of splicing.
A Case for Tail-Risk-Based Sharpe Ratios

Surprisingly to many investors, low volatility tends to be accompanied with an undesirable risk characteristic: lower or negative skewness. A stock or fund can rank well based on the standard Sharpe ratio but low on enhanced tail-risk-based Sharpe ratios that account for non-normal returns, and vice versa. The authors quantify these economically meaningful ranking differences and show that skewness dominates other variables in explaining the ranking variations for the Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR)-based Sharpe ratio. Both skewness and serial correlation play important roles in the ranking variations for the maximum drawdown-based Sharpe ratio.
Building a Better Tor Experimentation Platform from the Magic of Dynamic ELFs

Tor is the most popular tool for providing online anonymity. It is used by journalists, activists, and privacy-conscious individuals to provide low-latency private access to the Internet. However, Tor’s specific design and implementation is constantly changing to improve the performance and privacy properties it seeks to provide. To test these improvements, some form of experimentation is needed. Running experiments directly on the real Tor network is often not a viable option. The users of Tor are using it presumably because of its privacy protections, and caution must be taken to avoid recording or revealing information from non-consenting parties, particularly when dealing with shortcomings in Tor’s privacy protections or using new, untested versions of Tor. Because of the need for reproducible experiments and the aforementioned ethical requirements surrounding Tor experimentation, it is often necessary to use artificially constructed Tor networks. Several tools are available to construct such networks, such as network emulators like NetMirage, and simulators like Shadow. However, these existing tools do not provide the scalability that would be desirable when running experiments on these networks — with emulators requiring hardware capable of running all hosts in real time simultaneously, and with Shadow (the only maintained network simulator capable of running Tor code) having performance constrained by early design decisions. Since the behavior of a network can change with its size, it is better to use larger networks that more closely resemble the size of the real deployed network. Additionally, the ability to test the functional correctness of a modification to the Tor source code is considerably simpler when there is a means of quickly experimenting on a virtual Tor network to run such tests. In both of these cases, a higher-performance testing platform is needed. To address this shortcoming, for this thesis we designed and implemented a new model of Tor network simulation, centered around a modified version of the Shadow network simulator, using large numbers of dynamically loaded binaries. This is accomplished by implementing a custom dynamic loader, which we call drow-loader, that allows for dynamically loading more binaries than any other dynamic loader that we are aware of, and with better performance. By using the features of this dynamic loader, we are able to run simulated processes isolated in “namespaces”. This allows for reduced lock contention, simpler process modeling, and the ability to migrate simulated processes between worker threads. Using simulated Tor networks ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of hosts, we then demonstrate the performance improvements our simulation technique provides over the state of the art.