Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generalized Vascular Damage Including Glomerular Dysfunction in Newly-Detected Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Aim: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered a vascular disease, we intended to determine prevalence and nature of generalized and glomerular vascular abnormalities the moment it is diagnosed (ND-DM) in a cohort of patients with Arabic descent. Over 9 months, 216 out of 1208 asymptomatic Saudies were referred by the Primary Care Physicians on having risk factors for future development of DM for DM screening. Methods: For the 54 ND-DM patients and 18 non-diabetic controls, clinical examination including body mass index (BMI) and waist:hip ratio (WHR), ultrasound determination of common carotid artery (CCA) intimal-medial thickness (IMT), hemoglobin A 1C (A 1C ), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), CRP, albuminuria, serum creatinine (sCr), and glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were done. Results: About 4.5% were unaware of their diabetes and they had significant (35/54 vs 5/18 p=0.01) preclinical atherosclerosis (increased IMT and/or atheromatous plaques) with similar age, HDL-C, CRP and eGFR compared to controls. Also, they had pathologic microalbuminuria ([µA] 145.4±201.4 vs 18.9±7.1, p=0.013) with higher BMI (29.5±3.6 vs 27.2±1.8, p=0.043), WHR (0.94±0.12 vs 0.79±0.1, p=0.001), TC (5.1±0.9 vs 3.8±0.6, p=0.001) and TG (2.3±0.9 vs 1.2±0.4, p=0.001) compared to controls. Diabetic nephropathy (DN), as inferred from glomerular damage marker µA was significantly prevalent (17/54, p=0.014) in ND-DM patients. Those with DN had more IMT (0.96±0.1 vs 0.77±0.1, p=0.0001), WHR (0.98±0.1 vs 0.91±0.13, p=0.037), TC (5.4±0.7 vs 4.9±0.9, p=0.049) and TG (2.7±0.4 vs 2.02±0.4, p=0.012), lower eGFR (86.4±12 vs 104.1±13, p=0.0001), older age (40.9±5 vs 37.9±4, p=0.028) and worse glycamic control (A 1C =8.1±1.6 vs 7.3±1.5, p=0.048). Also, diabetic retinopathy (DR) was significantly prevalent (n=19) in ND-DM patients (p=0.047). Interestingly, DN and DR, were significantly correlated with each other (r=0.841, p=0.0001) and with IMT (r=0.38, p=0.005 and r=0.35, p=0.009, respectively). Conclusion: The newly-detected Saudi diabetics already had more vascular changes including glomerular damage than normal glucose-tolerant subjects with clustering of risk factors in particular abdominal obesity, and dyslipidaemia.
Conditional selectivity performance of Indian mutual fund schemes: An empirical study

The present study seeks to examine the stock-selection performance of the sample open-ended equity mutual fund schemes of Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund Company based on traditional and conditional performance measures. It is generally expected that inclusion of some relevant predetermined public information variables in the conditional CAPM provides better performance estimates as compared to the traditional measures. The study reports that after inclusion of conditioning public information variables, the selectivity performances of the schemes have dramatically improved relative to the traditional measure and also found that conditional measure is superior to traditional measure in statistical test.
DNA-Templated Surface Alignment and Characterization of Carbon Nanotubes.

DNA-TEMPLATED SURFACE ALIGNMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CARBON NANOTUBES Huijun Xin Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Doctor of Philosophy Carbon nanotubes are appealing materials for nanofabrication due to their unique properties and structures. However, for carbon nanotubes to be used in mass-fabricated devices, precise control of nanotube orientation and location on surfaces is critical. I have developed a technique to align single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on surfaces from a droplet of nanotube suspension under gas flow. Fluid motion studies indicate that alignment is likely due to circulation of SWNTs in the droplet. My work provides a facile method for generating oriented nanotubes for nanodevice applications. I have also devised an approach for localizing SWNTs onto 1pyrenemethylamine-decorated DNA on surfaces. I found that 63% of SWNTs on surfaces were anchored along DNA, and these nanotubes covered ~5% of the total DNA length. This technique was an initial demonstration of DNA-templated SWNT localization. In an improved method to localize SWNTs on DNA templates, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide was utilized to suspend SWNTs in aqueous media and localize them on DNA electrostatically. SWNT positioning was controlled by the surface DNA arrangement, and the extent of deposition was influenced by the SWNT concentration and number of treatments. Under optimized conditions, 83% of the length of surface DNAs was covered with SWNTs, and 76% of the deposited SWNTs were on DNA. In some regions, nearly continuous SWNT assemblies were formed. This approach should be useful for the fabrication of nanotube nanowires in nanoelectronic circuits. Using my improved procedures, I have localized SWNTs on DNA templates across electrodes and measured the electrical properties of DNA-templated SWNT assemblies. When a DNA-templated SWNT was deposited on top of and bridging electrodes, the measured conductance was comparable to literature values. In contrast, SWNTs with end-on contacts to the sides of electrodes had conductances hundreds of times lower than literature values, probably due to gaps between the SWNT ends and the electrodes. This work provides a novel approach for localizing SWNTs across contacts in a controlled manner. These results may be useful in the fabrication of nanoelectronic devices such as transistors with SWNTs as active components. Moreover, this approach could be valuable in arranging SWNTs as electrical interconnects for nanoelectronics applications.
Dealing with jamming in wireless sensor network

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have emerged as an important application area resulting from the advancement of efficient short-range radio communication and miniaturization of computing devices . As these networks (WSNs) are built upon a shared medium that makes it easy for adversaries to conduct radio interference, or jamming, attacks that effectively cause a denial of service of either transmission or reception functionalities. In this paper we survey different jamming attacks that may be employed against a sensor network, as well as different types of defense strategies in order to cope with the problem of jamming attacks. A jamming attack can be launched in data-link layer or physical layer. Link layer jamming attacks disturb the communication between sensor nodes around the jammer. Physical layer jamming attacks let the radios frequency interfere with the open wireless environment. In WSN architecture, Base Stations (BSs) are the prime target for jamming attack because of their importance in aggregating sensor readings, and for playing a role in security protocols. Our objective is to find a defense strategy against BS jamming attack in WSNs.
Direct Electroanalytical Determination of Fluvastatin in a Pharmaceutical Dosage Form: Batch and Flow Analysis

Abstract The reduction of luvastatin (FLV) at a hanging mercury-drop electrode (HMDE) was studied by square-wave adsorptive-stripping voltammetry (SWAdSV). FLV can be accumulated and reduced at the electrode, with a maximum peak current intensity at a potential of approximately −1.26 V vs. AgCl/Ag, in an aqueous electrolyte solution of pH 5.25. The method shows linearity between peak current intensity and FLV concentration between 1.0 × 10−8 and 2.7 × 10−6 mol L−1. Limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were found to be 9.9 × 10−9 mol L−1 and 3.3 × 10−8 mol L−1, respectively. Furthermore, FLV oxidation at a glassy carbon electrode surface was used for its hydrodynamic monitoring by amperometric detection in a flow-injection system. The amperometric signal was linear with FLV concentration over the range 1.0 × 10−6 to 1.0 × 10−5 mol L−1, with an LOD of 2.4 × 10−7 mol L−1 and an LOQ of 8.0 × 10−7 mol L−1. A sample rate of 50 injections per hour was achieved. Both methods were validated and showed to be precise and accurate, being satisfactorily applied to the determination of FLV in a commercial pharmaceutical.
Operational forecast uncertainty assessment for better information to stakeholders and crisis managers

Flood forecasting uncertainty is crucial information for decision makers. However, deterministic forecasts only have been communicated in France until now, like in many other countries. The French Flood Forecast Centres (FFCs) recently set up a new service which aims at publishing quantitative forecasts along with their associated uncertainty. Two surveys (one of the greater audience and identified end-users, another of FFCs worldwide) were conducted to design it. The forecasters' toolbox was then supplemented with two tools. The first one provides automatic forecasting uncertainty estimations calibrated on past forecasting error series. The second one allows the forecasters to incorporate their own expertise to adjust the automatically calculated uncertainty estimation. The evaluation of the forecast uncertainty estimations issued in real time in 2014 suggests that even if these assessments are perfectible, they are already informative and useful for end-users. The first feedbacks from forecasters and crisis managers also show that if the broadcast of probabilistic forecasts remains a technical challenge, it is foremost a human challenge. This move is a paradigm change for both forecasters and decision makers. Therefore, they have to be accompanied in order to achieve this deep shift in their professional practices.
STRUCTURING ACTIVITIES OF KNOWLEDGE CREATION FOR INNOVATION PROCESSES (KCFIP) IN INDONESIAN AUTOMOTIVE PART SMEs

Knowledge creation for innovation processes via knowledge socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization modes poses considerable challenges for SME managers. Many activities are involved in each mode. The objectives of this study are to identify the relevant activities of knowledge creation in each mode, to rank the identified activities, to find out the interaction among the identified activities, and to develop a structural diagram of the activities. This study utilized the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) methodology to obtain better understanding of the mutual influences among the activities in order to identify those influential and dependent activities. This study highlights the potential of using the ISM methodology and analyzes activities in each mode of knowledge creation. The case study of knowledge creation for innovation processes in Indonesian SMEs is used to formulate a general model of activities in each mode of knowledge creation.
Mathematics in Forensic Firearm Examination

ii Executive Summary. iv Chapter 1: Introduction. 1 History of Firearm Examination. 2 Structure of Evidence Examination. 5 Chapter 2: Forensic Firearm Examination and Identification. 7 Comparison Microscopy. 7 Characteristics of Evidence. 8 Theory of Identification. 9 Firearm Operation. 11 Microscopic Markings. 12 Microscopic Examinations. 23 Chapter 3: Admissibility and the Court of Law. 25 Frye and Daubert Standards. 25 The Federal Rules of Evidence. 26 The NAS Report. 27 Admissibility of Evidence in the Courtroom. 30 Chapter 4: Mathematical Analysis. 31 Propositions. 31 Probability. 35 Bayes’ Theorem. 40 Likelihood Ratios. 41 Statistics. 42 Error. 44 Confidence. 47 Consecutively Matching Striations. 48 Chapter 5: Automated Matching. 52 NIBIN. 52 Matching Algorithms.53 Imaging. 54 Topology. 55 Cross-Correlation Function. 56 Chapter 6: Conclusion. 58 Works Cited. 60 Table of
Credit and recessions

The paper develops a simple model on the asymmetric role of credit markets in output fluctuations. When credit markets are underdeveloped and enterprise activity is financed by trade credit, shocks may induce a break-up of credit and production chains, leading to sudden and sharp contractions. The development of a banking sector can reduce the probability of such collapses and hence plays a crucial role in softening output declines. However, the banking sector becomes a shock amplifier when shocks originate in the financial sector. Using industry-level data across a large cross-section of countries, we provide evidence in support of the model's predictions.
Effects of chemical speciation on the bioaccessibility of zinc in spiked and smelter‐affected soils

Previous studies have suggested that understanding soil metal speciation, rather than relying solely on total metal content, can improve the accuracy and utility of contaminated site risk assessments. Because soil properties and reaction time can alter metal speciation, speciation should influence metal bioaccessibility. For example, under gastrointestinal conditions, it is expected that metal species will differ in bioaccessibility depending on their stability in acidic pH environments. We studied the links between metal speciation and bioaccessibility. A combination of synchrotron‐based X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) was used to identify the zinc (Zn) speciation in spiked and smelter‐affected soils. After conducting in vitro digestion tests on the soil samples, XANES and linear combination fitting were carried out on the residual pellets to identify the species of Zn that remained after digesting the soils in the simulated gastric and duodenal fluids. The metal species that were not present in the residual pellets were inferred to have been dissolved and, thus, more bioaccessible. Sphalerite (ZnS), ZnO, and outer‐sphere Zn contributed more to Zn bioaccessibility than franklinite (ZnFe2O4) and Zn incorporated into a hydroxy interlayer mineral (Zn‐HIM). The bioaccessibility of Zn‐aluminum layered double hydroxides (Zn‐Al‐LDH) was found to be inversely proportional to its residence time in soil. It was also observed that the relatively high pH of the duodenum favors metal reprecipitation and readsorption, leading to a reduction in bioaccessible metal concentration. These results imply that metal speciation mainly controls metal bioaccessibility. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:448–459. © 2018 SETAC.
Folksonomy with practical taxonomy, a design for social metadata of the virtual museum of the Pacific

The Virtual Museum of the Pacific is a Digital Ecosystem that engages members of several communities, each with their own ontological relationships with the Pacific Collection of the Australian Museum. The Virtual Museum of the Pacific is intended to support on-line community interaction using social-media technologies to extend the annotation of objects to suit the stakeholder’s own needs. The success of the system depends on leveraging the diffusion of language and encouraging a conversation between on-line communities. In this paper we explore the relationships between stakeholders, folksonomy and taxonomy, to reveal the design forces on our digital ecosystem. Our analysis defines the scope for the social tagging component that progresses the design of our data model and gives us some confidence that we are capturing the right data for the system’s development into the future.
The relationship between action inhibition and athletic performance in elite badminton players and non-athletes

Racket sports are among the most popular sports in the world. They require higher-order cognitive processes to execute complex actions to achieve successful performance on the court. Action inhibition is the ability to suppress ongoing actions; it is crucial to achieving higher levels of sports performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of expertise on action inhibition in badminton players and non-athletes. Current study recruited forty-two professional badminton players and matched fifteen non-athlete controls to participate in the study. Badminton player was asked to fill out the questionnaire for collect their information of training background. Matched participants then performed the stop signal task for evaluation of their action inhibition ability. We compare the difference in cognitive performance between badminton player and non-athlete controls group. The results showed that badminton players had a greater likelihood than non-athletes of successfully inhibiting their responses during stop trials. Furthermore, a strong positive correlation indicated that badminton players who participated in higher levels of competition had better performance on response inhibition. To concluded, the present study links the relationship between cognitive ability and athletic performance in badminton player. Moreover, the results of the present study on action inhibition in sports expertise may provide information for future sports training and benefits for those who suffer from cognitive difficulties.
Pacific Northwest Fungi

Cantharellus formosus growing on the Olympic Peninsula of the Pacific Northwest was sampled from September – November 1995 for genetic analysis. A total of ninety-six basidiomes from five clusters separated from one another by 3 25 meters were genetically characterized by PCR analysis of 13 arbitrary loci and rDNA sequences. The number of basidiomes in each cluster varied from 15 to 25 and genetic analysis delineated 15 genets among the clusters. Analysis of variance utilizing thirteen apPCR generated genetic molecular markers and PCR amplification of the ribosomal ITS regions indicated that 81.41% of the genetic variation occurred between clusters and 18.59% within clusters. Proximity of the basidiomes within a cluster was not an indicator of genotypic similarity. The molecular profiles of each cluster were distinct and defined 2 Redman et al. 2006. Genetic structure of Cantharellus formosus populations. Pacific Northwest Fungi 1(7):1-13 as unique populations containing 2 6 genets. The monitoring and analysis of this species through non-lethal sampling and future applications is discussed.
Handling complex source structures in global EM induction studies: from C-responses to new arrays of transfer functions

The C -response is a conventional transfer function in global electromagnetic induction research and is traditionally determined from observations of magnetic variations in the vertical and horizontal components. Its interpretation relies on the assumption that the source of the variations is well approximated by a large-scale symmetric (magnetospheric) ring current, described by a single spherical harmonic. However, there is growing evidence for a more complex structure of this source. In this paper, we investigate the variability of C -responses due to sources different from the dominating large-scale symmetric ring current. We show that the effect is signiﬁcant and persists at all periods. Describing the magnetospheric source by a single spherical harmonic coefﬁcient thus injects substantial errors into the estimated responses. To overcome the problem, we introduce arrays of alternative transfer functions that relate the components of the magnetic variation to different spherical harmonic coefﬁcients. These transfer functions can handle a complex spatial structure of the magnetospheric source. Compared to C -responses, we observe a signiﬁcant increase in the coherencies relating input and output quantities of the new transfer functions, especially at high latitudes. This increases the usability of observatory magnetic data for the recovery of global 3-D mantle conductivity structure.
Unraveling Deep Structures Along A Rifted-Transform Margin: Insights From an Integrated Geophysical Study of The Northern Perth Basin

The Houtman Sub-basin lies adjacent to the Wallaby-Zenith Transform Margin, an under-explored region of Australia’s continental margin located at the transition between the non-volcanic margin of the northern Perth Basin and volcanic province of the Wallaby Plateau. New seismic data acquired in the northern Houtman Sub-basin enables better understanding of the structural architecture and rifting development along a rifted-transform margin and provides the framework for a detailed integrated margin-scale basin evaluation. Profile modelling of potential field data, combined with 2D seismic, reveals complex along-strike and dip variability in the crustal thinning of the Houtman Sub-basin, with extreme thinning (<5 km thick) beneath the main Permian depocentre. Outboard of this hyperextended zone, along the basin margin, is a zone of volcanic SDRs. Five different structural domains have been mapped across the margin, reflecting abrupt change in crustal thinning and volcanic emplacement. These domains trend roughly NW-SE to NNW-SSW, parallel to major basement terrane boundaries. Magnetic modelling suggests that the nature of the basement underlying the proximal domain and the hyperextended domain in the central Houtman Sub-basin are different and that a major Proterozoic basement terrane boundary lies beneath the necking domain. The margin was structured during polyphase Permian and Late Jurassic rifting events which led to hyperextension prior to continental magmatic break-up and formation of oceanic crust during the Early Cretaceous. Our results suggest that the distribution of Early Permian rifts localised strain during Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rifting and strongly controlled the location and style of rifted margin during Valanginian continental break-up.
The Limitation of Investment Development Path Theory. European Union Case

The analysis presented in this paper emphasize the applicability and the limitation of Investment Development Path (IDP) theory, taking into account the results of empirical studies that underlined the differences between the “narrow” and the “broad” version of the IDP framework. We analyse both in a static and dynamic manner, the specific indicators, respectively Gross Domestic Product per capita at PPP and Net Outward Investment /capita for the years 2005 and 2011, in the case of EU countries. The results of the analysis carried out for 27 Member States of the European Union demonstrate that the “narrow” version of the IDP is rather indicative, as the net outward investment position is not always accurately related to the level of economic development. Consequently, as some of the IDP theorists revealed, in order to analyse the relationship between foreign direct investment and economic development it is important to measure the quality of FDI received by a country.
How Well Does Consumer-Based Brand Equity Align with Sales-Based Brand Equity and Marketing-Mix Response?

Brand equity is the differential preference and response to marketing effort that a product obtains because of its brand identification. Brand equity can be measured using either consumer perceptions or sales. Consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) measures what consumers think and feel about the brand, whereas sales-based brand equity (SBBE) is the brand intercept in a choice or market share model. This article studies the extent to which CBBE manifests itself in SBBE and marketing-mix response using ten years of IRI scanner and Brand Asset Valuator data for 290 brands spanning 25 packaged good categories. The authors uncover a fairly strong positive association of SBBE with three dimensions of CBBE—relevance, esteem, and knowledge—but a slight negative correspondence with the fourth dimension, energized differentiation. They also reveal new insights on the category characteristics that moderate the CBBE–SBBE relationship and document a more nuanced association of the CBBE dimensions with response to the major marketing-mix variables than heretofore assumed. The authors discuss implications for academic researchers who predict and test the impact of brand equity, for market researchers who measure it, and for marketers who want to translate their brand equity into marketplace success.