Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
α-Linolenic Acid Inhibits Receptor Activator of NF-κB Ligand Induced (RANKL-Induced) Osteoclastogenesis and Prevents Inflammatory Bone Loss via Downregulation of Nuclear Factor-KappaB-Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthases (NF-κB-iNOS) Signaling Pathways

Background Inflammation is a major cellular strain causing increased risk of osteo-degenerative diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids have been great source in suppressing inflammation. We investigated the effect of α-linolenic acid (ALA) on RANKL-stimulated osteoclast differentiation, LPS-induced and ovariectomized bone loss in mice models. Material/Methods The bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) were isolated from femurs of ICR mice, stimulated with RANKL, and treated with ALA (100, 200, 300 μM). Major analytical methods include histological analysis, osteoclasts viability assay, serum cytokines and chemokines ELISA, and gene expression by qPCR. Results ALA intervention inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclasts proliferation and differentiation. ALA inhibited bone resorption activity as measured by materialization of F-actin ring structures as well. ALA suppressed the RANKL-induced osteoclast markers c-Fos, c-Jun and NFATc1 together with transcription factor proteins TRAP, OSCAR, cathepsin K and β3-integrin. ALA also suppressed the RANKL-stimulated phosphorylation of JNK, ERK, and AKT as well as NF-κB and BCL-2 proteins. ALA intervention (100 and 300 mg/kg) to LPS-challenged mice showed annulled morphometric changes induced by LPS by suppressing the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. ALA (100 and 300 mg/kg) intervention to estrogen-deficiency induced bone loss mice (ovariectomized) showed reductions in TRAP+ osteoclasts count, CTX-I expression, levels of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL10, TNF-α and MCP-1 and iNOS and COX-2. Conclusions ALA suppresses RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and prevents inflammatory bone loss via downregulation of NF-κB-iNOS-COX-2 signaling. ALA is suggested to be a preventive herbal medicine against inflammatory bone disorders.
Bohai front detection based on multi-scale Sobel algorithm

In this paper, we introduce a multi-scale Sobel algorithm for oceanic front detection. This algorithm takes advantage of the merit of large-scale Sobel algorithm that can effectively decrease the influences of noises and the merit of small-scale Sobel algorithm that can detect more details. Through the experiments, we can see that the proposed algorithm is suitable for front detection. On the basis of the proposed algorithm, we analyze the long-term variety of fronts in Bohai Sea.
Cardiac implantable electronic device lead extraction using the lead-locking device system: keeping it simple, safe, and inexpensive with mechanical tools and local anesthesia

Objective: We have previously reported our successful approach for percutaneous cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) lead extraction using inexpensive tools, which we have continued over the years. Herein we report the results of the systematic use of a unique stylet, the lead-locking device (LLD), which securely locks the entire lead lumen, aided with non-powered telescoping sheaths in 54 patients to extract 98 CIED leads. Methods: This prospective observational clinical study included 38 men and 16 women aged 68.9±13.1 years undergoing lead extraction for device infection (n=46), lead malfunction (n=5), or prior to defibrillator implant (n=3). Leads were in place for 6.7±4.3 years. Infections were more commonly due to Staphylococcus species (n=40). There were 78 pacing (31 ventricular, 37 atrial, 4 VDD, and 6 coronary sinus leads) and 20 defibrillating leads. Results: Using simple traction (6 leads) and the LLD stylets (92 leads) aided with telescoping sheaths (15 patients), 96 (98%) leads in 52 (96.3%) patients were successfully removed, with all but one leads removed using a subclavian approach; in 1 patient, the right femoral approach was also required. In 2 patients, distal fragments from one ventricular pacing and one defibrillating lead could not be removed. Finally, lead removal was completely (52/54) (96.3%) or partially (2/54) (3.7%) successful in 54 patients for 96 of 98 leads (98%) without major complications. Conclusion: Percutaneous lead extraction can be successful with mechanical tools using the LLD locking stylet aided with non-powered telescoping sheaths through a simplified, safe, and inexpensive procedure using local anesthesia alone.
Predicting Turning Points through the Integration of Multiple Models

A new method for forming composite turning-point (or other qualitative) forecasts is proposed. Rather than forming composite forecasts by the standard Bayesian approach with weights proportional to each model's posterior odds, weights are assigned to the individual models in proportion to the probability of each model's having the correct turning-point prediction. These probabilities are generated by logit models estimated with data on the models' past turning-point forecasts. An empirical application to gross national product/gross domestic product forecasting of 18 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries demonstrates the potential benefits of the procedure
miR-33 links SREBP-2 induction to repression of sterol transporters

The sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP-2) and the liver X receptor (LXR) control antagonistic transcriptional programs that stimulate cellular cholesterol uptake and synthesis, and cholesterol efflux, respectively. The clinical importance of SREBP-2 is revealed in patients with hypercholesterolemia treated with statins, which reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by increasing hepatic expression of SREBP-2 and its target, the LDL receptor. Here we show that miR-33 is encoded within SREBP-2 and that both mRNAs are coexpressed. We also identify sequences in the 3′ UTR of ABCA1 and ABCG1, sterol transporter genes both previously shown to be regulated by LXR, as targets for miR-33–mediated silencing. Our data show that LXR-dependent cholesterol efflux to both ApoAI and serum is ameliorated by miR-33 overexpression and, conversely, stimulated by miR-33 silencing. Finally, we show that ABCA1 mRNA and protein and plasma HDL levels decline after hepatic overexpression of miR-33, whereas they increase after hepatic miR-33 silencing. These results suggest novel ways to manage hypercholesterolemic patients.
Topology of RbsC, the Membrane Component of the Escherichia coli Ribose Transporter

ABSTRACT The topology of RbsC, the membrane component of the ribose transporter in Escherichia coli, has been determined by using 34 single-cysteine mutants and a modified fluorescence labeling technique designated multiplex labeling. This technique gives topology, expression, and localization information for a membrane protein from a single batch of bacterial cells. The results indicate that RbsC contains 10 transmembrane-spanning helices, with the N and C termini being in the cytosol. This topology matches predictions from the latest prediction programs and the topology of the similar, recently crystallized membrane protein BtuC.
A Tale of Two Educational Leadership Program Redesigns: How Policy Influences Process

This article examines the redesign of two educational leadership programs at different institutions: a medium-sized public university and a small private university. Both were committed to principals of ethical leadership. Each program faced a state mandate to redesign. In one case, state policy focused on detailed accountability measures based on syllabi alignment to standards and a complex paper trail of documentation required for final approval. In the other case, accountability focused on a final portfolio, and programs were encouraged to be innovative. Policy differences combined with situational context to create two different approaches to the redesign work.
Location of Trade, Ownership Restrictions, and Market Illiquidity: Examining Chinese A- and H-Shares

We examine Chinese companies that issue both A-shares in mainland China and H-shares in Hong Kong. A-shares are restricted to mainland Chinese investors, while H-shares are available to Hong Kong and international investors. We find that H-shares exhibit significant exposure to Hong Kong market factors and behave more like Hong Kong stocks than mainland Chinese stocks. However, H-shares retain significant exposure to their domestic market and therefore provide foreign investors with diversification opportunities. We find a large time-varying H-share price discount relative to A-shares, and this discount is highly correlated with domestic and foreign market factors and relative market illiquidity.
Endogenous innovation in China: the case of the printer industry

The study shows that the Chinese printer industry needs a large transition to move from imitation towards leadership by innovation. International companies have developed a strong footprint while Chinese companies have not yet adopted or developed adequate practices for innovation. The practices at one Chinese company highlight the challenges: implementation of innovation strategies, generation of innovative concepts, project management of product development and management of quality. Additionally, Chinese companies could profit from life-cycle perspectives for their own development. Finally, the policy to encourage endogenous innovation should be adapted to create a more dynamic national innovation system.
A Pair of Shelled Eggs Inside A Female Dinosaur

An oviraptosaurian specimen (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from an Upper Cretaceous formation in China retains a pair of shelled eggs in the pelvis, providing direct evidence that oviraptorosaurian dinosaurs laid paired elongatoolithid eggs. The presence of the paired eggs suggests that theropod dinosaurs had two functional oviducts (like crocodiles) but that each oviduct produced only one egg at a time and that an entire egg clutch was laid through multiple ovipositions (like birds). The orientations of the eggs inside the skeleton and in clutches indicate that the mother came to the center of the nest to lay eggs.
How reliably do rheumatologists measure shoulder movement?

Objective: To assess the intrarater and interrater reliability among rheumatologists of a standardised protocol for measurement of shoulder movements using a gravity inclinometer. Methods: After instruction, six rheumatologists independently assessed eight movements of the shoulder, including total and glenohumeral flexion, total and glenohumeral abduction, external rotation in neutral and in abduction, internal rotation in abduction and hand behind back, in random order in six patients with shoulder pain and stiffness according to a 6×6 Latin square design using a standardised protocol. These assessments were then repeated. Analysis of variance was used to partition total variability into components of variance in order to calculate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results: The intrarater and interrater reliability of different shoulder movements varied widely. The movement of hand behind back and total shoulder flexion yielded the highest ICC scores for both intrarater reliability (0.91 and 0.83, respectively) and interrater reliability (0.80 and 0.72, respectively). Low ICC scores were found for the movements of glenohumeral abduction, external rotation in abduction, and internal rotation in abduction (intrarater ICCs 0.35, 0.43, and 0.32, respectively), and external rotation in neutral, external rotation in abduction, and internal rotation in abduction (interrater ICCs 0.29, 0.11, and 0.06, respectively). Conclusions: The measurement of shoulder movements using a standardised protocol by rheumatologists produced variable intrarater and interrater reliability. Reasonable reliability was obtained only for the movement of hand behind back and total shoulder flexion.
Assessing English in East Asia

In East Asia, English language ability is widely believed to be essential to success. The assessment of English, therefore, is highly relevant to students at all levels of education. This chapter introduces the English assessment contexts in East Asia by outlining the English tests that an individual may encounter throughout his/her lifetime both in and out of school. From parental pressure to the essential role of cram schools, the different countries or regions within East Asia face many similar challenging issues. It is hoped that the synthesis presented in this chapter will enhance mutual understanding and future collaborations among language testers in these countries or regions. Keywords: Assessment evaluation; Assessment methods; Eastern Asia; ESL/EFL; Language policy
High-tech marketing communication in the automotive industry: a content analysis of print advertisements

Appropriate marketing communication is critical for the success of a product. Especially in high-tech markets, the adoption of new products is challenging, as customers' willingness to buy a product can be hindered by a lack of knowledge and experience. The choice of information content given in advertisements is, therefore, crucial. Despite its importance, research on advertising in high-tech markets is still underrepresented. The aim of this study is, hence, to examine advertising activities of high-tech products. As research object, print advertisements of OEMs from the automotive industry have been chosen, as cars are technologically advanced products, which incorporate a wide range of technologies. Based on an explorative content analysis, 708 car print advertisements, published between 2005 and 2012, are examined. The findings show, e.g., that value and user experience is the most frequently found information cue, whereas price and safety aspects are only communicated in the minority of the analysed advertisements.
Factors influencing family business succession

Classifies controllable or internal factors influencing family business transitions into three groups: preparation level of the heirs, family relationships, and planning and control activities. To assess the impact of each set of factors on the ease of generational transitions and subsequent family business performance, a cross‐sectional survey was directed at owner/ managers of second‐ and third‐generation family businesses. Suggests that, in successful transitions, heirs are reasonably well‐prepared, family relationships tend to be positive, and succession planning and related control activities are relatively informal. Of these three, trust and communication in family relationships appears to have the most significant impact on transitions. Draws managerial implications and makes suggestions for ongoing research.
How Efficient Has Been China's Investment? Empirical Evidence from National and Provincial Data

China's investment has been growing very strongly. The share of gross capital formation in GDP in China has also been higher than in other East Asian economies during their high growth period in the 1970s-80s. Many commentators have argued that such high rates of investment growth have been driven by irrational incentives and have been largely inefficient, will cause a build up of non-performing loans in the banking system, and will also lead to over-capacity and deflation. Others, however, have argued that China is still capital scarce, returns to capital are high, and therefore high rates of investment are both desirable and sustainable. This paper attempts to shed new light on the debate. We analyse both the allocative efficiency and the dynamic efficiency of China's spending on capital. The allocative efficiency measures the extent to which resources have been invested in places where potential rates of return on capital are high. The potential rates of return can be calculated as the marginal products of capital derived from an aggregate production function. The dynamic efficiency measures the extent to which the capital-output ratio exceeds the optimal level. The optimal level of the capital stock is determined by a rate of investment, at which level the Chinese residents at the present enjoy the highest level of consumption without sacrificing the level of consumption in the future. We first construct China's total capital stock at national and provincial levels, estimate the Cobb-Douglas and CES production functions, and compute the marginal products of capital. Assuming that the Chinese economy was operating on the production frontier, the marginal products of capital at the aggregate level have been relatively high in the past two decades, and have not shown clear signs of decline in recent years. We find that China's marginal product of capital compares favourably with those observed in the major industrialised economies and in the Asia region. We also find that the marginal products of capital have been higher in the coastal areas than in the less developed areas of western and central China, but the marginal products of infrastructure capital have been higher in the inland areas than in the coastal areas. These results are robust to different assumptions made in constructing the data of capital stock.
High-Speed Solid Rotor Permanent Magnet Machines: Concept and Design

This paper proposes a novel solid rotor topology for an interior permanent magnet (IPM) machine, adopted in this case for an aircraft starter-generator design. The key challenge in the design is to satisfy two operating conditions that are a high torque at start and a high speed at cruise. Conventional IPM topologies that are highly capable of extended field weakening are found to be limited at high speed due to structural constraints associated with the rotor material. To adopt the IPM concept for high-speed operation, it is proposed to adopt a rotor constructed from semimagnetic stainless steel, which has a higher yield strength than laminated silicon steel. To maintain minimal stress levels and also minimize the resultant eddy current losses due to the lack of laminations, different approaches are considered and studied. Finally, to achieve a better tradeoff between the structural and electromagnetic constraints, a novel slitted approach is implemented on the rotor. The proposed rotor topology is verified using electromagnetic, static structural, and dynamic structural finite-element analyses. An experiment is performed to confirm the feasibility of the proposed rotor. It is shown that the proposed solid rotor concept for an IPM fulfils the design requirements while satisfying the structural, thermal, and magnetic limitations.
Biodiversity and National Accounting

Biodiversity, a property of natural areas, provides a range of benefits to the economy including bioprospecting rents, knowledge and insurance, ecotourism fees, and ecosystem services. Many of these values can be broken out in the System of National Accounts, leading to better estimates of the economic losses when natural areas are degraded or destroyed. Developing countries harbor the great majority of biodiversity, and this diversity provides benefits, including knowledge and carbon sequestration, to the whole world. However, protecting biodiversity is particularly costly for developing countries: the opportunity cost of foregoing development of natural areas exceeds 1 percent of gross domestic product in 58 developing countries, versus only four OECD countries. The Global Environment Facility can offset these costs through grant finance, but annual Global Environment Facility finance and co-finance averages only 8 percent of the opportunity costs faced by low-income countries.
A 1-Bit $10 \times 10$ Reconfigurable Reflectarray Antenna: Design, Optimization, and Experiment

An electronically reconfigurable reflectarray antenna (RRA) with 10 × 10 elements is presented with a detailed design procedure for an improved beam-scanning performance. The element, designed at Ku band using a simple patch structure with one PIN diode and two substrate layers, can be electronically controlled to generate two states with 180° phase difference and low reflection loss. A reflectarray prototype is fabricated and experimentally studied for proof of principle. The limitations of the small aperture size are analyzed in detail, and synthetic optimizations of both feed location and aperture phase distribution are used to improve the beam-scanning performance of the prototype. Experimental results agree well with the full-wave simulations, and scan beams within ±50° range are obtained with a maximum aperture efficiency of 17.9% at 12.5 GHz. Consistent scan beams are obtained from 11.75 to 13.25 GHz. Furthermore, the versatile beam-forming capability of the RRA is also demonstrated by a wide-beam pattern synthesis. A fast beam-switching time (12 μs) is theoretically analyzed and verified by the measurement.
Co-Creation With TickiT: Designing and Evaluating a Clinical eHealth Platform for Youth

Background All youth are susceptible to mental health issues and engaging in risky behavior, and for youth with chronic health conditions, the consequences can be more significant than in their healthy peers. Standardized paper-based questionnaires are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics in community practice to screen for health risks. In hospitals, psychosocial screening is traditionally undertaken using the Home Education, Eating, Activities, Drugs, Depression, Sex, Safety (HEEADDSS) interview. However, time constraints and patient/provider discomfort reduce implementation. We report findings from an eHealth initiative undertaken to improve uptake of psychosocial screening among youth. Objective Youth are sophisticated “technology natives. ” Our objective was to leverage youth’s comfort with technology, creating a youth-friendly interactive mobile eHealth psychosocial screening tool, TickiT. Patients enter data into the mobile application prior to a clinician visit. Response data is recorded in a report, which generates alerts for clinicians, shifting the clinical focus from collecting information to focused management. Design goals included improving the patient experience, improving efficiency through electronic patient based data entry, and supporting the collection of aggregated data for research. Methods This paper describes the iterative design and evaluation processes undertaken to develop TickiT including co-creation processes, and a pilot study utilizing mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. A collaborative industry/academic partnership engaged stakeholders (youth, health care providers, and administrators) in the co-creation development process. An independent descriptive study conducted in 2 Canadian pediatric teaching hospitals evaluated the feasibility of the platform in both inpatient and ambulatory clinical settings, evaluating both providers and patient responses to the platform. Results The independent pilot feasibility study included 80 adolescents, 12-18 years, and 38 medical staff-residents, inpatient and outpatient pediatricians, and surgeons. Youth uptake was 99% (79/80), and survey completion 99% (78/79; 90 questions). Youth found it easy to understand (92%, 72/78), easy to use (92%, 72/78), and efficient (80%, 63/79 with completion rate < 10 minutes). Residents were most positive about the application and surgeons were least positive. All inpatient providers obtained new patient information. Conclusions Co-creative design methodology with stakeholders was effective for informing design and development processes to leverage effective eHealth opportunities. Continuing stakeholder engagement has further fostered platform development. The platform has the potential to meet IHI Triple Aim goals. Clinical adaptation requires planning, training, and support for health care providers to adjust their practices.