Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alternative risk management: correlation and complexity

In recent years, spatiotemporal synchronisation within systems with multiple interacting components (Complex Systems), such as financial data, electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings and magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings, has been studied extensively, using the equal-time cross-correlation matrix. These Complex Systems are characterised by events such as Market Crashes or Seizures, which are associated with periods of hypersynchronisation. In this Thesis, the Risk Characterisation and Reduction of Complex Systems is studied, using the Cross-Correlation matrix to condense the system complexity. The systems studied display interactions between multivariate time series of varying granularities, including low frequency (Hedge Fund returns), medium frequency (Daily Stock returns) and high frequency (Intraday Stock returns & EEG seizure data). The information content of the correlation matrix between low-frequency Hedge Fund returns is investigated for the first time using Random Matrix Theory (RMT). The RMT filtered correlation matrix is shown to improve the risk-return profile of a portfolio of Hedge Funds. Through the use of the Wavelet transform, scaling properties of correlations are then investigated, with correlations calculated over longer horizons found to result in a better risk-return profile for a portfolio of Hedge Funds. Characterisation of market risk is then assessed, through the dynamics of the correlation structure and associated eigenspectrum for daily equity returns (medium frequency data), using a moving window approach. This novel characterisation, dependent on both large and small eigenvalue behaviour, is shown to be consistent across different time scales. Further, frequency dependent correlations were examined for medium and high-frequency intra-day stock returns using Wavelet multiscaling. Investigation of a comparative system example, specifically correlation scaling characteristics of high-frequency EEG Seizure data, revealed novel frequency dependent changes in the correlation structure between channels, which may be indicative of seizures. Large correlations were found between channels at high frequencies and conversely, smaller correlations at low frequencies during Seizures, with a corresponding switch in system energy. Our findings suggest that, even for the limited set of examples chosen, diverse applications demonstrate commonality, in terms of the interpretative power of time-series correlation structure. Through the integration of tools such as Random Matrix Theory, Wavelet multiscaling and eigenvalue analysis, we have shown the importance of the correlation matrix in risk characterisation and reduction. The potential for wider application of these methods in the detection of subtle triggers, giving advance warning of risky events, has also been demonstrated.
Regional analysis of planting date and cultivar maturity recommendations that improve soybean oil yield and meal protein concentration

Planting date and cultivar maturity group (MG) are major management factors affecting soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] yield, but their effect on seed oil and protein concentration, and in particular meal protein concentration, is less understood. We quantified changes in seed oil and protein, and estimated meal protein concentration, and total oil and protein yield in response to planting date and cultivar MG ranging from 3 to 6 and across locations comprising a 8.3° range in latitude in the U.S. Midsouth. Our results show that delayed planting date and later cultivar maturity reduced oil concentration, and this was partially associated with a decrease in temperature during the seed fill phase. Thus, optimum cultivar MG recommendations to maximize total oil yield (in kg ha–1) for planting dates in May and June required relatively earlier cultivar MGs than those recommended to maximize seed yield. For planting dates in April, short-season MG 3 cultivars did not increase oil yield compared to full-season MG 4 or 5 cultivars due to a quadratic yield response to planting date at most locations. Planting date and cultivar maturity effects on seed protein concentration were not always consistent with the effects on estimated meal protein concentration after oil extraction. Meal protein concentration decreased with lower temperatures during seed fill, and when the start of seed fill occurred after August 15, but relatively short-season cultivar MGs reduced the risk of low meal protein concentration. Meal protein concentration is a trait of interest for the feed industry that would be beneficial to report in future studies evaluating genetic, management, and environmental effects on seed protein concentration.
Household air pollution and childhood stunting in China: A prospective cohort study

Background Exposure to air pollution, especially indoor air pollution, was associated with an increased risk of childhood stunting. However, few longitudinal studies have explored the long-term impacts of indoor air pollution from household solid fuel use on child growth. We aimed to investigate the association between household air pollution (HAP) from solid fuel use and childhood stunting in Chinese children. Method The longitudinal data from the Chinese Family Panel Study over 2010–2018 were included in this study with a total of 6,013 children aged 0–15 years enrolled at baseline. Exposure to HAP was measured as solid fuel use for cooking, while solid fuel was defined as coal and firewood/straw according to the questionnaire survey. Stunting was defined as−2SD below the height-for-age z-score (HAZ) of the reference children. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying exposures were employed to estimate the association between childhood stunting and HAP exposure. Results At baseline, children with exposure to HAP from combusting solid fuels had a relatively higher risk of stunting [OR (95%CI): 1.42 (1.24–1.63)]. Among children without stunning at baseline, those living in households with solid fuel use had a higher stunting risk over an 8-year follow-up [HR (95%CI): 2.05 (1.64–2.57)]. The risk of childhood stunting was increased for those with HAP exposure from firewood/straw combustion or with longer exposure duration [HR (95%CI): 2.21 (1.74–2.79) and 3.01 (2.23–4.08), respectively]. Meanwhile, this risk was significantly decreased among children from households switching from solid fuels to clean fuels [HR (95%CI): 0.53 (0.39–0.70)]. Solid fuel use was suggested to be a mediator of the relationship between poor socioeconomic factors (i.e., household income and parental education level) and childhood stunning, with a mediation effect ranging from 11.25 to 14.26%. Conclusions HAP exposure from solid fuel use was associated with childhood stunting. Poor parental education and low household income might be socioeconomic factors contributing to solid fuel use. Therefore, household energy policies to facilitate access to clean fuels are urgently needed, especially for low-income and low-educated households.
The oral vaccination with Paenibacillus larvae bacterin can decrease susceptibility to American Foulbrood infection in honey bees—A safety and efficacy study

Pollination services to increase crop production are becoming more and more important, as we are facing both climate change and a growing world population. Both are predicted to impact food security worldwide. High-density, commercial beekeeping has become a key link in the food supply chain, and diseases have become a central issue in hive losses around the world. American Foulbrood (AFB) disease is a highly contagious bacterial brood disease in honey bees (Apis mellifera), leading to hive losses worldwide. The causative agent is the Gram+ bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, which is able to infect honey bee larvae during the first 3 days of their lives. It can be found in hives around the world with viable spores for decades. Antibiotics are largely ineffective in treating the disease as they are only efficient against the vegetative state. Once a hive shows the clinical manifestation of the disease, the only effective way to eradicate it and prevent the spread of the disease is by burning the hive, the equipment, and the colony. Because of its virulent nature and detrimental effects on honey bee colonies, AFB is classified as a notifiable disease worldwide. Effective, safe, and sustainable methods are needed to ensure the wellbeing of honey bee colonies. Even though insects lack antibodies, which are the main requisites for trans-generational immune priming (TGIP), they can prime their offspring against persisting pathogens. Here, we demonstrate an increased survival of infected honey bee larvae after their queen was vaccinated, compared to offspring of control queens (placebo vaccinated). These results indicate that TGIP in insects can be used to majorly enhance colony health, protect commercial pollinators from deadly diseases, and reduce high financial and material losses to beekeepers. Classification biological sciences, applied biological sciences
Early nutritional intake influences the serum levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in preterm newborns

Introduction Parenteral nutrition (PN) may have detrimental effects on neurodevelopment in preterm newborns. Moreover, enteral nutrition (EN) seems to be protective. To understand the mechanisms of how neurological development can be influenced by the route of administration of nutritional intake, we investigated the relationship between the serum levels of the nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nutritional intake received in early life by preterm newborns. Materials and methods Specimens of blood were obtained at 28 days of life (DOL) for NGF/BDNF determination in neonates <32 weeks of gestation and/or with birth weight <1,500 g, consecutively observed in the neonatal intensive care unit. We analyzed the relation between amino acid content and energy intake and NGF/BDNF measurements at 28 DOL. PN protein intake was referred to as the total amounts of amino acid intake received daily. Results We enrolled 20 newborns (gestational age 30.45 ± 1.76 weeks, birth weight 1,340 ± 352.63 g). Serum NGF value at 28 DOL was positively correlated with enteral protein and energy intake (r = 0.767; r = 0.746, p < 0.001), whereas, negatively correlated with parenteral amino acid and energy intake (r = −0.652, p < 0.001; r = −0.466, p < 0.05). Similar significant correlations were described between BDNF level at 28 DOL and enteral energy intake (r = 0.493, p < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that NGF level at 28 DOL depends on enteral protein and energy intake administrated in the 1st week of life. Conclusion Neurotrophin values varied according to the route of nutrition administration in preterm newborns. NGF/BDNF serum levels are influenced positively and negatively by EN and PN, respectively.
The predictive value of patient-reported outcomes on the impact of breast cancer treatment-related quality of life

Purpose Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have been widely used to measure breast cancer (BC) treatment outcomes. However, evidence is still limited on using routinely PROs to personalize treatment decision-making, including or not chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiotherapy. Using patient baseline PRO scores, we aimed to use PROs before treatment initiation to predict improvement or decline in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to treatment that they receive. Methods In two French cancer sites, women with non-metastatic BC completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 and BREAST-Q questionnaires to assess their PROs at baseline and again at 6 months. The outcome measured was post-operative change in PROs with minimal important difference for QLQ-C30 domains. We performed multivariate ordinal logistic regression to estimate the incremental probability of post-operative PRO improvements and deteriorations depending upon treatment options and baseline HRQoL. Results One hundred twenty-seven women completed questionnaires. Chemotherapy had significant negative impacts on Global health status (GHS) and on physical and social functioning. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy increased patient fatigue scores after adjusting for clinical factors (p< 0.01 and p< 0.05, respectively). The incremental probability of GHS deteriorations for chemotherapy was +0.3, +0.5, and +0.34 for patients with baseline GHS scores of 40, 70, and 100, respectively. This showed that different pre-treatment PROs might predict differential effects of chemotherapy on women change in HRQoL. Conclusion Patients with different baseline PRO scores may experience dissimilar impacts from BC treatments on post-operative PROs in terms of improvements and deteriorations. Oncologists might decide to adapt the treatment option based on a given level of the negative impact. Future studies should concentrate on incorporating this information into routine clinical decision-making strategies to optimize the treatment benefit for patients.
Metabolomic and transcriptomic changes in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) sprouts under salinity stress

Mungbean (Vigna radiata) sprouts are consumed globally as a healthy food with high nutritional values, having antioxidant and anticancer capacity. Under mild salinity stress, plants accumulate more secondary metabolites to alleviate oxidative stress. In this study, metabolomic and transcriptomic changes in mungbean sprouts were identified using a reference cultivar, sunhwa, to understand the regulatory mechanisms of secondary metabolites in response to salinity stress. Under salinity conditions, the contents of phenylpropanoid-derived metabolites, including catechin, chlorogenic acid, isovitexin, p-coumaric acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, and vitexin, significantly increased. Through RNA sequencing, 728 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and 20 DEGs were detected in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways. Among them, 11 DEGs encoding key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the secondary metabolites that increased after NaCl treatment were significantly upregulated, including dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (log2FC 1.46), caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (1.38), chalcone synthase (1.15), and chalcone isomerase (1.19). Transcription factor families, such as MYB, WRKY, and bHLH, were also identified as upregulated DEGs, which play a crucial role in stress responses in plants. Furthermore, this study showed that mild salinity stress can increase the contents of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids in mungbean sprouts through transcriptional regulation of the key enzymes involved in the biosynthetic pathways. Overall, these findings will provide valuable information for molecular breeders and scientists interested in improving the nutritional quality of sprout vegetables.
Simple and efficient protocol to isolate and culture brain microvascular endothelial cells from newborn mice

The neurovascular unit (NVU) is a multicellular structure comprising of neurons, glial cells, and non-neural cells, and it is supported by a specialized extracellular matrix, the basal lamina. Astrocytes, brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), pericytes, and smooth muscle cells constitute the blood–brain barrier (BBB). BMECs have a mesodermal origin and invade the nervous system early in neural tube development, forming the BBB anatomical core. BMECs are connected by adherent junction complexes composed of integral membrane and cytoplasmic proteins. In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that, given the proximity and relationship with neural cells, BMECs acquire a unique gene expression profile, proteome, and specific mechanical and physical properties compared to endothelial cells from the general vasculature. BMECs are fundamental in maintaining brain homeostasis by regulating transcellular and paracellular transport of fluids, molecules, and cells. Therefore, it is essential to gain in-depth knowledge of the dynamic cellular structure of the cells in the NVU and their interactions with health and disease. Here we describe a significantly improved and simplified protocol using C57BL/6 newborn mice at postnatal day 1 (PND1) to isolate, purify, and culture BMECs monolayers in two different substrates (glass coverslips and transwell culture inserts). In vitro characterization and validation of the BMEC primary culture monolayers seeded on glass or insert included light microscopy, immunolabeling, and gene expression profile. Transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurement and diffusion test were used as functional assays for adherent junction complexes and integrity and permeability of BMECs monolayers. The protocol presented here for the isolation and culture of BMECs is more straightforward than previously published protocols and yields a high number of purified cells. Finally, we tested BMECs function using the oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) model of hypoxia. This protocol may be suitable as a bioscaffold for secondary cell seeding allowing the study and better understanding of the NVU.
Nano-intrinsic security primitives with redox-based resistive memory

Physical unclonable function (PUF) exploits advantages of otherwise undesirable non-idealities to create physical systems that are difficult to copy even with the same manufacturing process. Nano-intrinsic PUFs use the variability of nanotechnology per hardware instance as a source of cryptographic randomness. Among various emerging memories, redox-based resistive memory (ReRAM) is a promising candidate for providing next-generation low-cost, low-power, ultra-small PUF-based security solutions. This review shows various ReRAM-based PUF implementations and their key features. We compare their performance and discuss which properties of ReRAM to focus on for effective PUF implementation.
Factors influencing patients' opt-in intention of exchanging health information

Introduction Health information exchange (HIE) exhibits tremendous benefits in improving the quality of healthcare and reducing healthcare costs. However, it also poses challenges related to data security, data privacy, patient engagement, etc. Objective This study aimed to explore the factors affecting patients' opt-in intention to HIE by using an empirical study based on the theory of planned behavior. Methods A Web-based survey was conducted involving 501 valid participants in China (69% validity rate). Results Information sensitivity and perceived HIE transparency affected the patients' opt-in intention to HIE through the mediation of perceived behavior control and trust in HIE. Information sensitivity negatively influenced perceived behavior control (−0.551, P < 0.001) and trust in HIE (−0.489, P < 0.001). Perceived transparency of HIE positively influenced perceived behavior control (0.396, P < 0.001) and trust in HIE (0.471, P < 0.001). Moreover, patients' opt-in intention to HIE can be positively affected by perceived HIE transparency (0.195, P < 0.001) and trust in HIE (0.294, P < 0.001). In addition, the moderating effect of health status was positive and significant between trust in HIE and opt-in intention to HIE but not between the perceived behavior control and opt-in intention to HIE. Conclusion This study contributes to the theory of planned behavior and enriches the literature on HIE efforts. HIE administrators should design personalized health services on the basis of these different health statuses to successfully achieve patients' opt-in intention to HIE.
Interpretation of Aeromagnetic Data of Guzabure and Its Environs Chad Basin Northeastern Nigeria, Using Source Parameter Imaging

--------------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT----------------------------------------------------------------The airborne magnetic data of Chad Basin areas have been interpreted qualitatively and quantitatively using source parameter imaging techniques. Six aeromagnetic data sheets covering an area bounded by latitudes 12 00' to 13 00' North and longitudes 12 30' to 14 00' East were used as basic data for determining the nature of the magnetic anomalies over the area. Regional anomaly was removed from the total magnetic intensity field to obtain the residual anomaly field using polynomial fitting method. The total magnetic intensity and residual intensity fields show range of magnetic anomalies which strongly revealed that the study area is magnetically heterogeneous. The horizontal derivatives maps show the occurrence of subsurface linear structures which suggests a significant presence of faults in the study area. Source Parameter Imaging (SPI) technique was employed in quantitative interpretation with the aim of determining depth/thickness of the sedimentary basin. The results from SPI estimated depth ranges from 345.0 m (shallow magnetic bodies) to 6880.6 m (deep lying magnetic bodies). The sedimentary thickness obtained in this work indicates the possibility of hydrocarbon accumulation in the study area.
Impact of Political Instability on Cointegration: Evidence from MENA Region Stock Markets during Pre and Post Egyptian Revolution Period

This paper explores inter-market linkages between the Egyptian equity market and the MENA region markets of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan during the pre and post Egyptian revolution period of the 25 th of January 2011. Johansen’s cointegration was used to study long-run linkages. Granger causality was applied using the Toda and Yamamoto procedure to study short-run linkages. Results provided evidence of increased levels of cointegration during the post revolution period between (i) Egypt and Turkey, (ii) Egypt and Israel, and (iii) Egypt and Jordan and decreased levels of cointegration between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Granger causality indicated a decrease in short-run linkages during the post revolution period between (i) Egypt and Turkey, (ii) Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and (iii) Egypt and Israel while short-run linkages between Egypt and Jordan remained the same.The variations in inter-market linkages between the two periods suggest that during the crisis period short term portfolio diversification may be successful while long term diversification is unlikely to be successful.
Diagnostic Checking of Time Series Models

Diagnostic checks have become a standard tool for identification of models before forecasting the data. The overall test for lack of fit for autoregressive moving average models proposed by Box and Pierce (1970) and a measure of lack of fit in time series models proposed by Ljung and Box (1978) are considered. In this paper, a modification is made and it is shown that a substantially improved approximation results from a simple improvement of this test. Cumulative periodogram check is also given.
Stau relic density at the big-bang nucleosynthesis era in the coannihilation scenario and a solution to the (7)Li problem

The work of K. K. was supported in part by PPARC Grant No. PP/D000394/1, EU Grant No. MRTN-CT-2006-035863, the European Union through the Marie Curie Research and Training Network "UniverseNet," MRTN-CT-2006-035863, and Grant-in-Aid for Scientific research from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture, Japan (No. 18071001). The work of M. K. was supported in part by the Grant-in-Aid for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Government of Japan (No. 22740140). The work of J. S. was supported in part by the Grant-in-Aid for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Government of Japan (Nos. 20025001, 20039001, and 20540251). The work of T. S. was supported in part by MEC and FEDER (EC) Grant No. FPA2005-01678. The work of M. Y. was supported in part by the Grant-in-Aid for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Government of Japan (No. 20007555).