Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flexible graphene-based lithium ion batteries with ultrafast charge and discharge rates

There is growing interest in thin, lightweight, and flexible energy storage devices to meet the special needs for next-generation, high-performance, flexible electronics. Here we report a thin, lightweight, and flexible lithium ion battery made from graphene foam, a three-dimensional, flexible, and conductive interconnected network, as a current collector, loaded with Li4Ti5O12 and LiFePO4, for use as anode and cathode, respectively. No metal current collectors, conducting additives, or binders are used. The excellent electrical conductivity and pore structure of the hybrid electrodes enable rapid electron and ion transport. For example, the Li4Ti5O12/graphene foam electrode shows a high rate up to 200 C, equivalent to a full discharge in 18 s. Using them, we demonstrate a thin, lightweight, and flexible full lithium ion battery with a high-rate performance and energy density that can be repeatedly bent to a radius of 5 mm without structural failure and performance loss.
Going South: Professional Baseball's Contraction in Canada

Historically, Canada is second only to the United States as a baseball nation. The League Alliance, recognized by many as the first minor league, had the Tecumseh club of London, Ontario, as a charter member in 1877. The Ontario and Canadian Leagues appeared in the mid-188os, and before the turn of the twentieth century, baseball franchises existed as far west as British Columbia. (1) Later franchises, like the Montreal Royals and Toronto Maple Leafs, loom large in any account of minor-league history; the Royals, of course, were the AAA team with which Jackie Robinson played prior to his elevation to the major-league Dodgers. Finally, Canada remains the only nation other than the U.S. to host MLB teams. Despite all this history and cultural resonance, the professional baseball situation in Canada at present is, to put it kindly, rather bleak. Only two Organized Baseball (OB) teams called Canada home in the 2009 season: the Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) and the Vancouver Canadians (short-season Northwest League). Four more professional teams (in Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, and Winnipeg) can be added if independent leagues are counted (see table 1). Table 1. Canadian pro baseball teams as of 2009 Team Year began MLB Toronto Blue Jays 1977 A (Short-Season) Vancouver Canadians 2000 Independents Winnipeg Gold Eyes 1994 Quebec Capitales (Capitals) 1999 Calgary Vipers 2005 Edmonton Cracker Cats 2005 The situation was much different as recently as the early 1990s. Canada then had two MLB teams (Montreal Expos, Toronto Blue Jays), four AAA (Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver), one AA (London), and five short-season or rookie teams (Hamilton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, St. Catharines, Welland) in OB (see table 2). In addition, independent baseball thrived in several other centers. Today, the decline in professional baseball's Canadian footprint is manifest; the independent Can-Am Association has only one Canada-based team (Quebec City) out of eight franchises, while teams in Calgary and Edmonton shifted for the 2008 season from the well-established Northern League (leaving only the highly successful Winnipeg Goldeyes) to the upstart Golden League. TABLE 2. Canada's pro baseball exodus since 1990 Team Life-span Relocated as MLB Montreal Expos 1969-2004 Washington Nationals AAA Ottawa Lynx 1993-2007 Lehigh Valley IronPigs Edmonton Trappers 1981-2004 Round Rock Express Calgary Cannons 1985-2002 Albuquerque Isotopes Vancouver Canadians 1978-1999 Sacramento RiverCats AA London Tigers 1989-1993 Trenton Thunder A (SHORT-SEASON) St. Catherines' Stompers 1986-1999 Queens Kings Welland Pirates 1989-1994 Erie Sea Wolves Hamilton Redbirds 1988-1992 Glens Falls Redbirds ROOKIE Medicine Hat Blue Jays 1978-2002 Helena Brewers Lethbridge Black Diamonds 1992-1998 Missoula Osprey Our paper explores some possible reasons for the decline of professional baseball in Canada. …
Radiation dose in a "triple rule-out" coronary CT angiography protocol of emergency department patients using 64-MDCT: the impact of ECG-based tube current modulation on age, sex, and body mass index.

OBJECTIVE "Triple rule-out" coronary CT angiography (CTA) using 64-MDCT technology is a new approach for evaluating emergency department patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Our objective was to evaluate the reduction in effective radiation dose through the use of tube current modulation in patients who underwent a triple rule-out coronary CTA evaluation and to document how effective radiation dose was impacted by patient age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis of triple rule-out coronary CTA examinations performed on a 64-MDCT scanner was ordered on a prospective cohort of 267 consecutive low- to moderate-risk emergency department patients with suspected ACS from a single university hospital between October 2006 and March 2008. Tube current modulation was generally used in patients with heart rates below 65 beats per minute during the second half of the study period as a way to reduce radiation exposure. We calculated effective radiation exposure using actual patient coronary CTA scanning parameters by age, sex, and BMI. RESULTS Among the 172 patients evaluated without tube current modulation, effective dose averaged (+/- SD) 18.0 +/- 5.6 mSv (range, 9.9-31.3 mSv). Of the 95 patients who underwent CTA examination with tube current modulation, effective dose was significantly lower at 8.75 +/- 2.64 mSv (range, 5.4-16.6 mSv; p < 0.0001) and image quality was better (p < 0.0001) as compared with examinations without tube current modulation. There were no significant radiation differences by patient age, but tube current modulation decreased radiation exposure by at least half. Among the studies in which tube current modulation was not used, women received less radiation than men (17.0 vs 19.5 mSv, respectively; p < 0.001). For the studies with tube current modulation, there were no radiation differences by sex. Obese patients received significantly more radiation than overweight and normal-weight patients in the non-tube current modulation groups (20.9 mSv vs 15.0 and 14.9 mSv, respectively; p < 0.0001) and in the tube current modulation groups (10.3 mSv vs 7.6 and 7.1 mSv, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION The overall effective radiation dose for triple rule-out coronary CTA was reduced by more than 50% with ECG-based tube current modulation without loss of image quality. Tube current modulation should be used for triple rule-out coronary CTA examinations whenever possible.
T Cell Costimulation by the TNF Ligand BAFF1

The TNF ligand family member B cell-activating factor belonging to TNF family (BAFF, also called Blys, TALL-1, zTNF-4, or THANK) is an important survival factor for B cells. In this study, we show that BAFF is able to regulate T cell activation. rBAFF induced responses (thymidine incorporation and cytokine secretion) of T cells, suboptimally stimulated through their TCR. BAFF activity was observed on naive, as well as on effector/memory T cells (both CD4+ and CD8+ subsets), indicating that BAFF has a wide function on T cell responses. Analysis of the signal transduced by BAFF into T cells shows that BAFF has no obvious effect on T cell survival upon activation, but is able to deliver a complete costimulation signal into T cells. Indeed, BAFF is sufficient to induce IL-2 secretion and T cell division, when added to an anti-TCR stimulation. This highlights some differences in the BAFF signaling pathway in T and B cells. In conclusion, our results indicate that BAFF may play a role in the development of T cell responses, in addition to its role in B cell homeostasis.
Reciprocal Reinsurance Treaties

In this paper we shall study the situation of two insurance companies which are negotiating with the view of concluding a reciprocal reinsurance treaty. We assume that the two companies are under no compulsion to reach an agreement. This means that if the companies conclude a treaty, the treaty must be such that both companies consider themselves better off than without any treaty. We futher assume that no third company can break into the negotiations. This means that the two companies either have to come to terms, or be without any reinsurance. How the two parties reach an agreement in a situation like this, is one of the classical problems of theoretical economics. It is usually referred to as the “Bargaining Problem”. The problem appears very simple, but this is a deception. It has proved extremely difficult to formulate generally acceptable assumptions which give the problem a determinate solution. The “Theory of Games”, developed by von Neumann and Morgenstern (10), does not give a determinate solution, but it has greatly increased our understanding of such problems, and the present paper will draw heavily on that theory. The situation which we propose to study, is very simple, may be too simple to have any bearing on reinsurance negotiations in real life. If there exists a reinsurance market, which also is a perfect market in the sense given to this term in economic theory, bartering between two companies does not make any sense. They could both do equally well or better by dealing in the market at the market price.
The Impact of Wage-Setting Institutions on the Incidence of Public Employment in the OECD: 1960-1998

Using data on 17 OECD countries for 1960-98, this paper studies the impact of unions on public employment incidence, using macrodata and microdata. Macrodata show that greater coverage by centralized collective bargaining institutions raises the public employment share, controlling for country effects and country-specific trends. Microdata show that this effect is more positive for outsiders: women, and younger and older men, suggesting that government is employer of last resort. Greater unionization lowers public sector wage premia, particularly for women, suggesting that some of the public employment results may reflect movements along the labor demand curve rather than conscious policy.
Development of an F57 Sequence-Based Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Milk

ABSTRACT A light cycler-based real-time PCR (LC-PCR) assay that amplifies the F57 sequence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis was developed. This assay also includes an internal amplification control template to monitor the amplification conditions in each reaction. The targeted F57 sequence element is unique for M.avium subsp. paratuberculosis and is not known to exist in any other bacterial species. The assay specificity was demonstrated by evaluation of 10 known M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates and 33 other bacterial strains. The LC-PCR assay has a broad linear range (2 × 101 to 2 ×106 copies) for quantitative estimation of the number of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis F57 target copies in positive samples. To maximize the assay's detection sensitivity, an efficient strategy for isolation of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis DNA from spiked milk samples was also developed. The integrated procedure combining optimal M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis DNA isolation and real-time PCR detection had a reproducible detection limit of about 10 M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis cells per ml when a starting sample volume of 10 ml of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-spiked milk was analyzed. The entire process can be completed within a single working day and is suitable for routine monitoring of milk samples for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis contamination. The applicability of this protocol for naturally contaminated milk was also demonstrated using milk samples from symptomatic M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-infected cows, as well as pooled samples from a dairy herd with a confirmed history of paratuberculosis.
Administration of FGF-2 to the Heart Stimulates Connexin-43 Phosphorylation at Protein Kinase C Target Sites

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) confers acute, preconditioning-like cardiac resistance to ischemic injury in a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent fashion. One of the downstream targets of PKC is the gap junction protein connexin-43 (Cx43). We thus examined the effects of FGF-2 on Cx43 phosphorylation at specific PKC sites in the adult heart. Rat hearts perfused ex vivo for 20 min with an FGF-2-containing solution displayed increased levels of phosphorylated 44-45 kDa Cx43, assessed by western blotting. In addition, FGF-2 significantly upregulated phosphorylation of the PKC target serines 262 and 368 on Cx43 at intercalated disks, assessed using phosphospecific antibodies in immunolocalization and western blotting assays. Our data show that FGF-2, administered by perfusion, can alter the phosphorylation status of Cx43 at cardiomyocyte intercalated disks, and suggest a link between phosphorylation of Cx43 at specific PKC sites and FGF-2 cardioprotection.
Focusing on Living Marine Resource Governance: The Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem and Adjacent Areas Project

This article provides an overview of living marine resource governance in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) and discusses how this relates to ecosystem-based management at the geographical scale of the LME. It also provides an overview of the approach to governance reform that will be taken by the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem and Adjacent Areas Project. The geopolitical complexity of the Caribbean region is such that regional governance appears to be more challenging there than in most other regions. The proximity of states leads to a high incidence of transboundary issues regarding living marine resources. The high proportion of small island developing states (SIDS), defined at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development as countries facing specific social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities, and high incidence of coastal use for industry, tourism, fisheries, and urban development leads to heavy impacts on coastal and marine resources. Regarding institutional arrangements, there are many organizations at regional and subregional levels already engaged in most aspects of marine resource management, sometimes in collaboration, sometimes in competition, and often in relative isolation. Likewise, at national and local levels there is a host of government and nongovernmental organizations with diverse aspirations and perspectives. The challenge then is to develop a regional approach that recognizes the existence of this diversity and works with it. The development of the Caribbean LME and Adjacent Areas Project has forced regional partners to reflect on the Caribbean living marine resource governance situation. It has led to the formulation and adoption of the LME Governance Framework. This framework, which departs somewhat from the conventional LME approach, appears to have the potential to meet the aforementioned challenge. It defines the relative roles of scientists, decision makers, and implementers at various levels and provides a basis for incremental implementation of improvements in governance.
Cannabis arteritis

The main causes of arteriopathy in young patients include drugs, metabolic diseases, pseudoxanthoma elasticum and Buerger's disease. Arteritis due to Cannabis indica was first reported in 1960, and the role of this drug as a risk factor for arteritis was confirmed in several subsequent publications. A 38‐year‐old smoker with no previous contributory medical history except for long‐standing cannabis abuse developed a dry necrotic lesion of the left big toe. Imaging examinations revealed proximal arteriopathy of the lower limbs that predominated on the left side. He had no atherogenic or thrombogenic risk factors, and no signs of pseudoxanthoma elasticum were found. Remarkably, the development of arteritis paralleled cannabis abuse. The course was slowly favourable after weaning from the drug, vasodilator treatment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Despite some subtle clinical differences (more proximal than distal involvement), cannabis arteritis may be considered as a particular form of Buerger's disease, where cannabis, along with tobacco, seems to cause arterial lesions. Along with the noxious effects of cannabis on vessels, a role for contaminating arsenic is also possible. Cannabis arteritis is not widely known, but may prove not to be so rare if one considers consumption of cannabis besides that of tobacco.
Identification of student achievement and academic profile in the Linear Algebra course: An analysis using the Rasch model

There has been great concern placed on the declining level of mathematical comprehension among engineering students. Earlier identification and classification of the students proves to be vital for future actions. Students profiling is important for any institution especially when the educator seeks to identify the factors of strengths and weaknessess of their students towards any subject knowledge. This paper presents an analysis of 215 students' profiling and Linear Algebra results for semester 1 Academic Session of 2010/2011 from the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FKAB), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) using the Rasch modeling technique. Students profiling which consists of gender, department, programme, pre-university qualifications and results are used as variables in this study. Students' final results of the Linear Algebra course are also considered as another variable. The major finding was highlighted to be the variables of pre-university qualification and sex, where students with Malaysia Higher School Certificate (STPM) holder and male students have been found to be performing well in this course, as comparison is being drawn to other qualifications and gender.
0.07 um InP HEMT MMIC Technology for G-band Power Amplifiers

We present a state-of-the art 0.07 um T-gate InP HEMT MMIC power amplifier at G-band frequencies. The fixtured amplifier MMIC exhibits greater than 20 mW output power at 175-191 GHz with a peak power of 25 mW output power at 184 GHz. The power density of the output stage is greater than 150 mW/mm and power added efficiency was 9.5%. We believe this represents the highest combination of output power at the highest frequency band ever reported for a solid state amplifier MMIC.
Emergence of Probiotics in Therapeutic Applications

The gastrointestinal tract of human body is considered as an ecosystem which had been developed physiologically and microbiologically. The probiotic organisms (lactic acid bacteria) are one of the most important groups present in the gastrointestinal tract. A good number of Lactobacillus species, Bifidobacterium species, Saccharomyces boulardii and some other microbes are now used as probiotic strains. These probiotic organisms are marketed as health care products, functional foods or food supplements. The details of clinical, therapeutic applications and safety aspects of probiotics are discussed.
Do Budget Deficits Raise Interest Rates? A Survey of the Empirical Literature

Do government budget deficits raise interest rates and thus “crowd out” private investment? This question has been the topic of a multitude of empirical studies, which proposed to evaluate the impact of financing government activity. We survey the theory and some empirical results. Traditional theories either support deficits having a positive or a neutral effect on interest rates. Various tests of these propositions yield diverse results, and one can find all conclusions – that deficits raise, decrease or do not effect interest rates. Also, there is little attempt to ground their assumption that rising interest rates result in a crowding out of private borrowing and investment. The problem with many of the empirical studies begins with their narrow theoretical underpinnings which are driven by assumptions of resource constraints, exogenous money supply, or government budget constraints. Alternatively, models that derive their economics from the demand side determining supply, have a transmission mechanisms missing from traditional models that may explain econometric testing incongruities. Such models take account of multi-asset markets, investment accelerators and consider the alternative causality - interest rates to budget deficits. They emphasize financial market instruments, investor behavior, and the relationship between the treasury and the central bank in determining fiscal and monetary policy. As a result, such models provide a richer understanding to the interaction between deficits and interest rates in their institutional setting.
High‐dose Tocopherol Acetate Therapy in Epidermolysis Bullosa Siblings of the Cockayne‐Touraine Type

We have employed a successful therapy for epidermolysis bullosa with high‐dose oral tocopherol acetate. Two siblings with dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa of the Cockayne‐Touraine type were reported. Both siblings suffered from tense blisters and erosions healing with scars and transient milia on the extremities. Electron microscopic study of the blisters revealed a cleavage beneath the lamina densa in both siblings. High‐dose oral tocopherol acetate therapy was administered to them with satisfactory clinical reduction of the blister formation.
Differences in autonomic activity in individuals with optimal, normal, and high-normal blood pressure levels.

OBJECTIVES We investigated differences in autonomic activity in normotensive individuals having optimal, normal and high-normal blood pressure (BP) levels according to the guidelines of the European Society of Hypertension and European Society of Cardiology (ESH/ESC). STUDY DESIGN The study included 294 normotensive subjects (135 males, 159 females; age range 16 to 75 years) with similar clinical, morphometric, biochemical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic features. The subjects were classified into the following BP groups: group 1 (n=113) with optimal BP (<120/80 mmHg); group 2 (n=104) with normal BP (120-129/80-84 mmHg), and group 3 (n=77) with high-normal BP (130-139/85-89 mmHg). All the subjects underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring to obtain heart rate variability (HRV) parameters of 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime periods. Normalized low (LFn) and high (HFn) frequency powers, and logarithmic (Log) values of HRV parameters were also calculated. RESULTS On 24-hour Holter monitoring, heart rates were similar in three groups. Compared to group 1 and 2, group 3 exhibited significantly higher LF/HF (p<0.001) and LFn (p=0.001) values, and significantly lower HFn (p=0.001), pNN50 (p=0.001), and rMSSD (p=0.005) values. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to daytime HRV parameters; however, nighttime LF/HF, LFn, and HFn values were significantly different between the groups. Log LF/HF values obtained during the 24-hour and nighttime periods showed significant differences between group 1 and group 3 (for 24 hours, p<0.001; for night, p=0.001) and between group 2 and group 3 (for 24 hours, p<0.001; for night, p=0.009), but group 1 and group 2 did not differ significantly in this respect (p>0.05). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that subjects with high-normal BP have increased sympathetic activity and decreased parasympathetic activity, possibly making them more liable to hypertension.
Modelling the Respiratory Chemoreflex Control of Acid-Base Balance

A mathematical model is presented describing the respiratory chemoreflex relations between the partial pressures of carbon dioxide and oxygen at the central and peripheral chemoreceptors and the resulting pulmonary ventilation. These chemoreflex relations in terms of carbon dioxide partial pressures are transformed to relations in terms of hydrogen ion concentrations in brain tissue and arterial blood using the Stewart approach to acid-base balance. In this way, the chemoreflex relations can be expressed in terms of the actual stimulus to the respiratory chemoreceptors