Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sum of Bernoulli Mixtures: Beyond Conditional Independence

We consider the distribution of the sum of Bernoulli mixtures under a general dependence structure. The level of dependence is measured in terms of a limiting conditional correlation between two of the Bernoulli random variables. The conditioning event is that the mixing random variable is larger than a threshold and the limit is with respect to the threshold tending to one. The large-sample distribution of the empirical frequency and its use in approximating the risk measures, value at risk and conditional tail expectation, are presented for a new class of models which we call double mixtures. Several illustrative examples with a Beta mixing distribution, are given. As well, some data from the area of credit risk are fit with the models, and comparisons are made between the new models and also the classical Beta-binomial model.
Non-small cell lung cancer tumour antigen, MUC-1 peptide-loaded non-aggregated poly (lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles augmented cellular uptake in mouse professional antigen-presenting cells: optimisation and characterisation

Abstract Aim: MUC-1 lipopeptide vaccine exhibited immense potential in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in both preclinical and clinical trials. However, it lacks triggering of mucosal immunity at the site of action. Therefore, in present investigation, MUC-1 peptide-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles (MUC-1 peptide-PLGA-NPs) and MUC-1 peptide-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) non-aggregated nanoparticles (MUC-1 peptide-PLGA-NA-NPs) using Central Composite Design (CCD) were customised. Methods and Results: The mean particle size of MUC-1 peptide PLGA-NPs was estimated to be 176.7 ± 32.7 nm, significantly (p < 0.05) higher than 100.3 ± 24.3 nm of MUC-1 peptide-PLGA-NA-NPs. Furthermore, integrity and stability of MUC-1 were maintained in MUC-1 peptide PLGA-NA-NPs. MUC-1 peptide-PLGA-NA-NPs exhibited augmented cellular uptake in mouse RAW264.7 macrophages preferably by clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway as compared to phagocytosis followed by MUC-1-peptide PLGA-NPs owing to size ≤100 nm, and spherical shape. Conclusion: MUC-1 peptide-PLGA-NA-NPs may be a potential candidate to study antitumor potential in xenograft model of NSCLC through inhalation route of administration.
Benefits of Lean Construction for Affordable Housing Master thesis

This paper presents an analysis of existing case studies of the application of the lean construction principles in affordable housing works in different countries of the world, including case studies in South America and Africa. Bring up the topic of lean construction, technique derived from lean thinking, philosophy enshrined in the manufacturing supply chain. When applied to the construction industry and covering different areas, not only production, but also product development, supplier relationships, strategy management and people management, it is used to meeting a new customer profile, which increasingly demands products with quality, better performance and lower cost. The application of the method demands a significant level of involvement by the company with the lean philosophy, representing an important step towards improving the management, search for better results, quality assurance processes, reducing losses and, therefore, improving productivity.
Long‐Run Development and the Legacy of Colonialism in Spanish America1

For more than a century, the countries of Spanish America have maintained their level of development relative to one another. This article argues that this enduring regional hierarchy is a path‐dependent legacy of Spanish colonialism. Those territories that constituted the centers of the Spanish colonial empire tended to become the region’s least developed countries; by contrast, those territories that were peripheral to the Spanish empire tended to become the most developed countries. Using methods for assessing both correlational causation and necessary/sufficient causation, the article explores competing hypotheses to explain this inverse relationship. It finds that the density of the indigenous population and the strength of liberal elites during the period from 1700 to 1850 were critical factors linking colonial and postcolonial development.
Euler-Lagrange Simulations of Bubble Cloud Dynamics Near a Wall

We present in this paper a two-way coupled EulerianLagrangian model to study the dynamics of microbubble clouds exposed to incoming pressure waves and the resulting pressure loads on a nearby rigid wall. The model simulates the twophase medium as a continuum and solves the N-S equations using Eulerian grids with a time and space varying density. The microbubbles are modeled as interacting spherical bubbles, which follow a modified Rayleigh-Plesset-Keller-Herring equation and are tracked in a Lagrangian fashion. A two-way coupling between the Euler and Lagrange components is realized through the local mixture density associated with the bubbles volume change and motion. Using this numerical framework, simulations involving a large number of bubbles were conducted under driving pressures of different frequencies. The results show that the frequency of the driving pressure is critical in determining the overall dynamics: either a collective strongly coupled cluster behavior or non-synchronized weaker multiple bubble oscillations. The former creates extremely high pressures with peak values orders of magnitudes higher than that of the excitation pressures. This occurs when the driving frequency matches the natural frequency of the bubble cloud. The initial distance between the bubble cloud and the wall is also critical on the resulting pressure loads. A bubble cloud collapsing very close to the wall exhibits a cascading collapse with the bubbles farthest from the wall collapsing first and the nearest ones collapsing last, thus the energy accumulates and then results in very violent pressure peaks at the wall. Farther from the wall, the bubble cloud collapses quasi spherically with the cloud center collapsing last. INTRODUCTION Collapse of clouds of bubbles near boundaries occur in various engineering applications such as in ultrasonic cavitation, cavitating jets, unsteady sheet cavities on propeller blades, etc. [1,2,3]. Numerical modeling of such a problem is very challenging, since it involves bubble-bubble, bubble-flow, and bubble-wall interactions. In addition the problem involves multi-scale physics ranging from micron-scale individual bubbles to meterscale flow field (e.g., propeller blade). In between, there are very rich and complex meso-scale phenomena at the scale of the bubble cloud, where the bubbles can act collectively [4-8]. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) or Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) which can fully resolve individual bubbles’ behavior provide details at several scales of interest with impressive progress reported [e.g.,8-11]. However, due to the computational cost these methods are mostly limited to small scale problems addressed for fundamental study purposes, such as developing subgrid relationships for larger scale models. For real applications, twophase bubbly flows are usually modeled using one of several approaches: equivalent homogeneous continuum models, Eulerian two-fluid models, or Eulerian-Lagrangian approaches wherein the bubbles are treated as discrete particles.
Equol: A Microbiota Metabolite Able to Alleviate the Negative Effects of Zearalenone during In Vitro Culture of Ovine Preantral Follicles

The impact of zearalenone (ZEN) on female reproduction remains an issue, since its effects may differ among exposed cell types. Besides the use of decontaminants in animal diet, other approaches should be considered to minimise ZEN effects after exposure. Since the first organ in contact with ZEN is the gastrointestinal tract, we hypothesise that products of microbiota metabolism may play a role in ZEN detoxification. We aimed to evaluate the effect of 1 µmol/L ZEN and 1 µmol/L equol (a microbial metabolite), alone or in combination, on the survival and morphology of in vitro cultured ovarian preantral follicles. Ovaries from 12 sheep were collected at a local abattoir and fragmented, and the ovarian pieces were submitted to in vitro culture for three days in the presence or absence of the test compounds. The follicular morphology was impaired by ZEN, but equol could alleviate the observed degeneration rates. While ZEN decreased cell proliferation in primary and secondary follicles, as well as induced DNA double-strand breaks in primordial follicles, all these observations disappeared when equol was added to a culture medium containing ZEN. In the present culture conditions, equol was able to counteract the negative effects of ZEN on ovarian preantral follicles.
Safety of Intra-articular Methotrexate Injection With and Without Electroporation for Inflammatory Small Joints in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

The general disease activity of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is well controlled by disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, but local inflammation often remains in a few small joints. Electroporation, making small pores in cell membranes, has proven useful for drug delivery. The safety of a combination therapy of methotrexate (MTX) and electroporation for local joint inflammation in RA was investigated in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory study (UMIN000016606). The patients were randomly allocated to groups receiving a combination of MTX and electroporation (True-EP) and MTX alone (False-EP) groups. The MTX solution was injected into finger joints under ultrasound guidance. The True-EP group underwent electroporation with MTX, and the False-EP group was given MTX but only pinched using the electrode. The ultrasound grade, disease activity, and safety were evaluated from baseline to 26 weeks. Five patients (3 True-EP and 2 False-EP) with a mean age of 57.4 years and disease duration of 10.2 years were enrolled. The grey-scale grade was unchanged in 3 cases (2 True-EP and 1 False-EP) and increased in 2 cases (1 True-EP and 1 False-EP). Disease activity was alleviated in 3 cases (2 True-EP and 1 False-EP). No patients experienced burned skin or electroshock. The combination therapy of electroporation and MTX was safe for RA patients.
Aguacero: A Semiotic Analysis of Paisaje Cubano con Lluvia by Leo Brouwer

This article attempts to posit that semiotic analysis—as outlined by the Finnish semiotician Eero Tarasti—can come to be a viable and efficient exercise that conciliates the gap between verbal activity and an accurate portrayal of the inner knowledge of music. In the article, I briefly discuss the feasibility of said theory as seen through the works of Peirce, Agawu, Tarasti, Wittgenstein, and the composer Paulo Chagas. However, the main objective of this
The association between orthostatic hypotension and cognition and stroke: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Abstract Purposes: Many studies have indicated that orthostatic hypotension (OH) may be a risk factor for dementia and stroke, but the results have been inconsistent. To further ascertain the links between OH and cognition or stroke, a meta-analysis was performed. Methods: The Chinese Biomedical Database, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library database were searched (up to March 2019) to identify prospective cohort studies that examined the associations between OH and the risks of stroke and dementia among adult populations. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression analyses were conducted to identify sources of heterogeneity. We also performed Begg’s test and Egger’s test to assess publication bias. Results: A total of 3490 articles were identified, and 18 prospective observational cohort studies were ultimately included. Among these studies, eight prospective studies were about stroke, nine studies were about cognition and one study reported data about both stroke and dementia. Meta-analysis revealed an association between OH and worse cognition (hazard ratio (HR): 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.35, I2 = 69.5%). For dementia, the pooled HR was 1.30, with 95% CI: 1.14–1.48, I2 = 31.0%. In addition, we found that OH was associated with a higher risk of stroke (HR: 1.36, 95% CI = 1.17–1.57, I2 = 67.3%). No publication bias was detected. Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides evidence that OH was associated with worse cognition. OH accounted for a 30% increase in the risk of dementia and a 36% increase in the risk of stroke.
Industry-wide competitiveness assessment through fuzzy synthetic evaluation: the case of cement industry

This study aims to develop a fuzzy force assessment model (FFAM) for quantifying industry-wide competition conditions (CCs) using five-force framework. It employed fuzzy synthetic evaluation to assess CCs of forces and industry, and real case of Turkish cement industry was demonstrated. As a result, FFAM provides a comprehensive and practical device. As empirical findings, CCs in cement industry are medium-to-high, and pressure from substitutes is the most effective force, followed by intensity of competitors’ rivalry, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, and threat of entrants. Consequently, this study is first to propose a structured and fuzzy five-force quantification model and to assess CCs in cement industry.
Transverse traceless gravitational waves in a spatially flat FLRW universe: Causal structure from dimensional reduction

This work was mainly driven by the desire to explore, to what extent embedding some given geometry in a higher dimensional flat one is useful for understanding the causal structure of classical fields traveling in the former, in terms of that in the latter. We point out, in the 4D spatially flat FLRW universe, that the causal structure of transverse-traceless (TT) gravitational waves can be elucidated by first reducing the problem to a 2D Minkowski wave equation with a time dependent potential, where the relevant Green's function is pure tail -- waves produced by a physical source propagate strictly within the null cone. By viewing this 2D world as embedded in a 4D one, the 2D Green's function can also be seen to be sourced by a cylindrically symmetric scalar field in 3D. From both the 2D wave equation as well as the 3D scalar perspective, we recover the exact solution of the 4D graviton tail, for the case where the scale factor written in conformal time is a power law. There are no TT gravitational wave tails when the universe is radiation dominated because the background Ricci scalar is zero. In a matter dominated one, we estimate the amplitude of the tail to be suppressed relative to its null counterpart by both the ratio of the duration of the source to the age of the universe $\eta_0$, and the ratio of the observer-source spatial distance (at the observer's time) to the same $\eta_0$. In a universe driven primarily by a cosmological constant, the tail contribution to the background FLRW geometry after the source has ceased, is the conformal factor $a^2$ times a spacetime-constant symmetric matrix proportional to the spacetime volume integral of the TT part of the source's stress-energy-momentum tensor. In other words, massless spin-2 gravitational waves exhibit a tail-induced memory effect in 4D de Sitter spacetime.
The importance and profitability of farmyard manure application to an organically managed crop rotation

The benefit from organically cultivated crops is strongly related to the maintenance of soil fertility based to a great extent on the soil organic matter content. Farmyard manure (FYM) is one of the more valuable organic fertilizers maintaining soil fertility in the systems of alternative agriculture. To investigate the influence of FYM from several aspects, a field experiment was carried out on a sandy loam Albic Stagnic Luvisol (LVab-st). A five-year crop rotation (potato → oats → barley → clover → rye) was organically managed without manure (ORG) and with manure (ORGFYM) treatments. 8.3 t ha-1 of organic dry matter as solid cattle farmyard manure was spread prior to the rye stubble ploughing for potato grown the next year. For the both treatments, the whole mass of clover and straw was ploughed into the soil. During a seven-year experimental period, no significant changes were found in the soil organic carbon (Corg) content. For the ORG treatment, a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in potassium, copper and boron contents in the soil occurred. The application of FYM significantly increased the contents of phosphorus and magnesium in the soil. Under the influence of FYM, the yields of potato, oats and barley increased by 52, 23 and 10 %, respectively; this allowed us to gain an extra 30 GJ metabolizable energy during the crop rotation. The economic calculations showed that the application of farm own manure was profitable even if the yield was sold as a non-organic product. If the yield is sold as an organic product, it would be profitable if the transportation distance of purchased manure to the fields is up to 15 km.
Human Resource Flexibility in Foreign Subsidiaries: An Empirical Investigation in Hong Kong

Human resource (HR) flexibility is highly desirable in firms. Yet very little is known about the characteristics of firms that are conducive to HR flexibility, particularly in multinational corporations (MNCs). In this study, we investigate the determinants of HR flexibility in foreign subsidiaries of MNCs. We argue that the relationship between headquarters (HQ) and its foreign subsidiary plays an important role in this regard. Our data was collected via a survey of HR directors/managers of foreign subsidiaries operating in Hong Kong. The results of regression analysis show that HQ's resource allocation, but not HQ's control, is positively related to the level of HR flexibility in its foreign subsidiary. We further find that the presence of a high-performance work system (HPWS) mediates the relationship between HQ's resource allocation and subsidiary's HR flexibility.
A LOW-DISPERSION SURVEY SPECTROGRAPH (LDSS-2) FOR THE WILLIAM HERSCHEL TELESCOPE

LDSS-2 is a wide-field, multiaperture, spectrograph recently installed on the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope (WHT) in La Palma. The spectrograph has high system throughput (including the telescope and atmosphere) of ~20% at blaze. The field of view is 11.5 arcmin, allowing it to produce spectra of several tens of objects simultaneously at spectral resolutions up to R=1,000. The multiaperture masks are of exceptional quality and can be designed and manufactured rapidly at the telescope to improve target-mask registration and observational flexibility. This apper describes the instrument, the mask manufacturing facility and the observing procedures required to aquire the target fields. Finally it presents examples of data obtained during the first commissioning run.
Tomography of X-ray Nova Muscae 1991: evidence for ongoing mass transfer and stream–disc overflow

We present a spectroscopic analysis of the black hole binary Nova Muscae 1991 in quiescence using data obtained in 2009 with MagE on the Magellan Clay telescope and in 2010 with IMACS on the Magellan Baade telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory. Emission from the disc is observed in H alpha, H beta and Ca II (8662 A). A prominent hotspot is observed in the Doppler maps of all three emission lines. The existence of this spot establishes ongoing mass transfer from the donor star in 2009-2010 and, given its absence in the 1993-1995 observations, demonstrates the presence of a variable hotspot in the system. We find the radial distance to the hotspot from the black hole to be consistent with the circularization radius. Our tomograms are suggestive of stream-disc overflow in the system. We also detect possible Ca II (8662 A) absorption from the donor star.
Microbiome responses during virulence adaptation by a phloem‐feeding insect to resistant near‐isogenic rice lines

Abstract The microbiomes of phloem‐feeding insects include functional bacteria and yeasts essential for herbivore survival and development. Changes in microbiome composition are implicated in virulence adaptation by herbivores to host plant species or host populations (including crop varieties). We examined patterns in adaptation by the green leafhopper, Nephotettix virescens, to near‐isogenic rice lines (NILs) with one or two resistance genes and the recurrent parent T65, without resistance genes. Only the line with two resistance genes was effective in reducing leafhopper fitness. After 20 generations on the resistant line, selected leafhoppers attained similar survival, weight gain, and egg laying to leafhoppers that were continually reared on the susceptible recurrent parent, indicating that they had adapted to the resistant host. By sequencing the 16s rRNA gene, we described the microbiome of leafhoppers from colonies associated with five collection sites, and continually reared or switched between NILs. The microbiomes included 69–119 OTUs of which 44 occurred in ≥90% of samples. Of these, 14 OTUs were assigned to the obligate symbiont Candidatus sulcia clade. After 20 generations of selection, collection site had a greater effect than host plant on microbiome composition. Six bacteria genera, including C. sulcia, were associated with leafhopper virulence. However, there was significant within‐treatment, site‐related variability in the prevalence of these taxa such that the mechanisms underlying their association with virulence remain to be determined. Our results imply that these taxa are associated with leafhopper nutrition. Ours is the first study to describe microbiome diversity and composition in rice leafhoppers. We discuss our results in light of the multiple functions of herbivore microbiomes during virulence adaptation in insect herbivores.
Process Design of Biodiesel Production from Rapeseed Oil.

An integrated design for biodiesel production process from rapeseed vegetable oil is developed. The process simulation software ASPEN Plus version V7.0 is used as a computer aided process engineering (CAPE) tool. The process consists of two steps. The acid-catalyzed pre-treatment achieves total conversion of free fatty acids and partial conversion of triglycerides. This is followed by an alkali-catalyzed step where high conversion of triglycerides is achieved. Compared to other designs reported in the literature, each operation which is common to both steps is performed in one unit, leading to smaller investment cost. Different types of vegetable oil are studied. Among them the rapeseed oil is chosen as raw material for biodiesel production because the rapeseed oil oleic acid content is high and because it is the most common oil in Romania. Moreover, the detailed composition of the rapeseed oil is taken into account. This is determined experimentally by transesterification combined with gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy.
Carbon protection and fire risk reduction: toward a full accounting of forest carbon offsets

Management of forests for carbon uptake is an important tool in the effort to slow the increase in atmospheric CO2 and global warming. However, some current policies governing forest carbon credits actually promote avoidable CO2 release and punish actions that would increase long-term carbon storage. In fire-prone forests, management that reduces the risk of catastrophic carbon release resulting from stand-replacing wild-fire is considered to be a CO2 source, according to current accounting practices, even though such management may actually increase long-term carbon storage. Examining four of the largest wildfires in the US in 2002, we found that, for forest land that experienced catastrophic stand-replacing fire, prior thinning would have reduced CO2 release from live tree biomass by as much as 98%. Altering carbon accounting practices for forests that have historically experienced frequent, low-severity fire could provide an incentive for forest managers to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and asso.