Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financing Slum Upgrading in Indonesia: Can Sustainability Reinvestment Help?

Sheltering for the urban poor of developing countries, like Indonesia, has been facing problems. Slums, characterised by crowded, unhealthy environment, poor quality buildings, and lacking public facilities and infrastructure have been of much concern. Around 24-62% of urban population in developing countries live in this kind of housing with no sign of decreasing trend. Despite promising progresses, sustainability is still the main challenge for slum upgrading, in which financing is an important aspect. The paper seeks a theoretical foundation of utilising sustainability reinvestment scheme, a somewhat forgotten function in Indonesia, to help financing slum upgrading. Sustainability reinvestment is among the methods of ensuring intra- and inter-generational equity in development, in which a significant portion of development benefits is reinvested for sustaining development. It is usually applied for restoring environmental damage caused by the development activities based, among others, on polluters pay principle. However, since hardly are people living in slums out of their freewill, inequity in development process must have something to do with it. Slum inhabitants are most probably deprived from their rights to get equitable benefits from development. Therefore, the application of sustainability reinvestment can be extended to include financing slum upgrading. By this, slum upgrading becomes an integrated part in ensuring sustainable development. Among the policy implications is tax policy reformulation. A new post in the tax yield, namely sustainability reinvestment pool, can be created. Equitable compensation for slum dwellers should be available from this post, and this would help financing slum upgrading.
Cognitive sequelae of blast-related versus other mechanisms of brain trauma

Abstract The use of improvised explosive devices has become the hallmark of modern warfare and has resulted in an ever-increasing number of blast-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Despite this fact, very little is actually known about the cognitive sequelae of blast-related TBIs. The purpose of the current study was to compare patterns of performance on neuropsychological measures in subjects who have sustained TBIs as a result of blast (or explosion) with those who have sustained TBIs from non-blast or blunt force trauma (motor vehicle accident, fall, assault, etc.). Participants were categorized as blast-related TBI or non-blast-related TBI and according to severity of injury (mild or moderate-to-severe). No main effects were observed in analysis of covariance between blast-related TBI participants and non-blast-related TBI participants across any of the neuropsychological variables, although an interaction was observed on a visual memory test showing stronger performance for mild blast-related and poorer performance for moderate-to-severe blast-related participants compared with both non-blast groups. Overall, the results do not provide any strong evidence that blast is categorically different from other TBI mechanisms, at least with regard to cognitive sequelae on select measures. Additional findings included a marginally increased incidence of reported posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among blast-injured participants. (JINS, 2009, 15, 1–8.)
An Incremental Hybrid System Diagnoser Automaton Enhanced by Discernibility Properties

This paper proposes a method to track the system mode and diagnose a hybrid system without building an entire diagnoser off-line. The method is supported by a hybrid automaton (HA) model that represents the hybrid system continuous and discrete behavioral dynamics. This model is built on request through parallel composition of the component HA models. Diagnosis is performed by interpreting the events and measurements issued by the physical system directly on the HA model. This interpretation allows us to construct the useful parts of the diagnoser developing only the branches that are required to explain the occurrence of incoming events. The resulting diagnoser adapts to the system operational life and is much less demanding in terms of memory storage than the entire diagnoser. In addition to this feature, the proposed framework subsumes previous works in that it copes with both structural and nonstructural faults. The method is validated by the application to a case study based on the sewer network of the city of Barcelona.
Remote Sensing Image Fusion With Deep Convolutional Neural Network

Remote sensing images with different spatial and spectral resolution, such as panchromatic (PAN) images and multispectral (MS) images, can be captured by many earth-observing satellites. Normally, PAN images possess high spatial resolution but low spectral resolution, while MS images have high spectral resolution with low spatial resolution. In order to integrate spatial and spectral information contained in the PAN and MS images, image fusion techniques are commonly adopted to generate remote sensing images at both high spatial and spectral resolution. In this study, based on the deep convolutional neural network, a remote sensing image fusion method that can adequately extract spectral and spatial features from source images is proposed. The major innovation of this study is that the proposed fusion method contains a two branches network with the deeper structure which can capture salient features of the MS and PAN images separately. Besides, the residual learning is adopted in our network to thoroughly study the relationship between the high- and low-resolution MS images. The proposed method mainly consists of two procedures. First, spatial and spectral features are respectively extracted from the MS and PAN images by convolutional layers with different depth. Second, the feature fusion procedure utilizes the extracted features from the former step to yield fused images. By evaluating the performance on the QuickBird and Gaofen-1 images, our proposed method provides better results compared with other classical methods.
Assessment of the PrPc Amino-Terminal Domain in Prion Species Barriers

ABSTRACT Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle are prion diseases that are caused by the same protein-misfolding mechanism, but they appear to pose different risks to humans. We are interested in understanding the differences between the species barriers of CWD and BSE. We used real-time, quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) to model the central molecular event in prion disease, the templated misfolding of the normal prion protein, PrPc, to a pathogenic, amyloid isoform, scrapie prion protein, PrPSc. We examined the role of the PrPc amino-terminal domain (N-terminal domain [NTD], amino acids [aa] 23 to 90) in cross-species conversion by comparing the conversion efficiency of various prion seeds in either full-length (aa 23 to 231) or truncated (aa 90 to 231) PrPc. We demonstrate that the presence of white-tailed deer and bovine NTDs hindered seeded conversion of PrPc, but human and bank vole NTDs did the opposite. Additionally, full-length human and bank vole PrPcs were more likely to be converted to amyloid by CWD prions than were their truncated forms. A chimera with replacement of the human NTD by the bovine NTD resembled human PrPc. The requirement for an NTD, but not for the specific human sequence, suggests that the NTD interacts with other regions of the human PrPc to increase promiscuity. These data contribute to the evidence that, in addition to primary sequence, prion species barriers are controlled by interactions of the substrate NTD with the rest of the substrate PrPc molecule. IMPORTANCE We demonstrate that the amino-terminal domain of the normal prion protein, PrPc, hinders seeded conversion of bovine and white-tailed deer PrPcs to the prion forms, but it facilitates conversion of the human and bank vole PrPcs to the prion forms. Additionally, we demonstrate that the amino-terminal domain of human and bank vole PrPcs requires interaction with the rest of the molecule to facilitate conversion by CWD prions. These data suggest that interactions of the amino-terminal domain with the rest of the PrPc molecule play an important role in the susceptibility of humans to CWD prions.
A study of the prevalence of rotavirus infection in children with gastroenteritis admitted to an infectious diseases hospital

In a 12 month survey of infants and children with gastroenteritis admitted to Fairfield Hospital, Melbourne, rotavirus was found in approximately 42% of patients. This virus was detected more often during the winter months, particularly in children aged between 12 months and 3 years. Detection of rotavirus by electron microscopy was found to be more sensitive than by counterimmunoelectrophoresis. Routine bacterial and viral studies revealed that bacterial pathogens and common enteric viruses were associated with relatively few cases of gastroenteritis. There is little doubt that rotavirus is the most important aetiological agent of acute gastroenteritis in young children in Melbourne.
Effect of 2008 Olympic Games on Beijing Economy

Based on 2002 input and output table, this paper discussed the effect of 2008 Olympic Games on Beijing economy. Firstly, according to input and output table of Beijing in 2002 and relevant statistical data, combining with investment scheme of 2008 Olympic Games, taking the new direct investment as research subject, the author estimated that the Olympic Games could make effect on entire economy and industrial structure adjustment in Beijing. Secondly, based on the influencing degree of 2008 Olympic Games on relative industry of Beijing, the author analyzed the challenge and opportunity of Olympic Games on future industrial structure adjustment.
Characterization and antibacterial efficacy of silver-coated Ca–Na–Zn–Si/Ti glasses

A glass series [xSiO2[−y]·0.36ZnO·0.17Na2O·0.05CaO (starting at x = 0.50, y = 0.08 TiO2)] was formulated with TiO2 substituting SiO2. Each glass/silver-coated glass was characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy. Surface area analysis revealed significant changes after silver coating, 0.43–0.95 m2/g (control), to 0.53–1.85 m2/g (AU-1), and 0.20–1.11 m2/g (AU-2). Ion release from uncoated glasses included sodium (0.08 mg/L), calcium (0.07 mg/L), and zinc (0.008 mg/L), where silver-coated glasses presented 0.42 mg/L (silver), 0.33 mg/L (sodium), 0.02 mg/L (calcium), and 0.01 mg/L (zinc). Ag-coated glasses presented inhibition zones of 7.75 mm (control) compared to 1.04 mm (AU-2).
Thirty Years of Evidence on the Efficacy of Drug Treatments for Chronic Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background— Treatments that reduce mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), &bgr;-blockers (BB), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), and angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI), have not been studied in a head-to-head fashion. This network meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of these drugs and their combinations regarding all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Methods and Results— A systematic literature review identified 57 randomized controlled trials published between 1987 and 2015, which were compared in terms of study and patient characteristics, baseline risk, outcome definitions, and the observed treatment effects. Despite differences identified in terms of study duration, New York Heart Association class, ejection fraction, and use of background digoxin, a network meta-analysis was considered feasible and all trials were analyzed simultaneously. The random-effects network meta-analysis suggested that the combination of ACEI+BB+MRA was associated with a 56% reduction in mortality versus placebo (hazard ratio 0.44, 95% credible interval 0.26–0.66); ARNI+BB+MRA was associated with the greatest reduction in all-cause mortality versus placebo (hazard ratio 0.37, 95% credible interval 0.19–0.65). A sensitivity analysis that did not account for background therapy suggested that ARNI monotherapy is more efficacious than ACEI or ARB monotherapy. Conclusions— The network meta-analysis showed that treatment with ACEI, ARB, BB, MRA, and ARNI and their combinations were better than the treatment with placebo in reducing all-cause mortality, with the exception of ARB monotherapy and ARB plus ACEI. The combination of ARNI+BB+MRA resulted in the greatest mortality reduction.
The tragic fate of group 3 innate lymphoid cells during HIV-1 infection.

HIV-1 infection usually leads to systemic chronic inflammation that is associated with gut microbial translocation. The recently defined group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are critical for maintenance of intestinal barrier function; however, it is not clear whether and how HIV-1 infection influences the function of these cells. In this issue of the JCI, Zhang and colleagues present compelling evidence that the survival and function of ILC3s are dramatically impaired by HIV-1 infection. The authors provide evidence that HIV-1 infection induces persistent activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and production of type I IFNs, which together increase expression of death receptor CD95 on ILC3s and thereby promote subsequent ILC3 apoptosis. Together, these results identify a mechanism that explains the impaired intestinal barrier function that results from chronic HIV-1 infection and shed light on the role of pDCs in HIV-1 immunopathogenesis and therapy. Commentary
Link Prediction in Evolutionary Graphs - The Case Study of the CCIA Network

Studying the prediction of new links in evolutionary networks is a captivating question that has received the interest of different disciplines. Link prediction allows to extract missing information and evaluate network dynamics. Some algorithms that tackle this problem with good performances are based on the sociability index, a measure of node interactions over time. In this paper, we present a case study of this predictor in the evolutionary graph that represents the CCIA co-authorship network from 2005 to 2015. Moreover, we present a generalized version of this sociability index, that takes into account the time in which such interactions occur. We show that this new index outperforms existing predictors. Finally, we use it in order to predict new co-authorships for CCIA 2016.
The Economic Consequences of Selective Disclosure

In this paper, we build on a rational expectation model to study the economic consequences of a firm's choice of disclosure audience in a market with heterogenous traders in terms of information processing abilities. Through costly expertise acquisition, some traders become sophisticated and can better process the information disclosed by the firm. In contrast to the common view that selective disclosure negatively impacts the market by allowing certain groups of investors to make profit from superior information, we show that, when the expertise acquisition is endogenous, price informativeness under selective disclosure is always higher than that in the public disclosure regime. The reason is that selective disclosure promotes the ex ante expertise acquisition among traders, and thereby improves the aggregate information quality impounded into the price. Moreover, the market liquidity and the welfare of traders may also be higher under selective disclosure, especially when the firm's information is noisy and the ability to process information matters the most to make the inference about the fundamentals.
Mutagenesis in Mammalian Cells Induced by Triple Helix Formation and Transcription-Coupled Repair

When mammalian cells were treated with triplex-forming oligonucleotides of sufficient binding affinity, mutations were specifically induced in a simian virus 40 vector contained within the cells. Triplex-induced mutagenesis was not detected in xeroderma pigmentosum group A cells nor in Cockayne's syndrome group B cells, indicating a requirement for excision repair and for transcription-coupled repair, respectively, in the process. Triplex formation was also found to stimulate DNA repair synthesis in human cell extracts, in a pattern correlating with the inhibition of transcription in such extracts. These findings may have implications for therapeutic applications of triplex DNA and raise the possibility that naturally occurring triple helices are a source of genetic instability.
What Really Drives Public Debt: A Holistic Approach

This paper presents a novel approach to detail the propagation of shocks to public debt. The modeling technique involves a structural vector auto-regression (SVAR) estimator with an endogenous debt accumulation equation. It explores how the main drivers of sovereign debt dynamics - the primary balance, the interest rate, growth and inflation - interact with each other. Such analysis is particularly useful for debt sustainability analysis. We find that some interactions exacerbate the impact of shocks to the accumulation of debt, while others act to stabilize debt dynamics. Furthermore, the choice of monetary policy regime plays an important role in these debt dynamics – countries with constrained monetary policy are more at risk from changes in market sentiment and must rely much more on fiscal policy to constrain debt.
Novel magnetoresistance effect in layered magnetic structures: Theory and experiment.

Etude dans les multicouches ferromagnetiques/non magnetiques. L'approche theorique utilise l'equation de Boltzmann. La conductivite augmente lorsque l'aimantation des couches ferromagnetiques change d'un alignement parallele a un alignement antiparallele. Les contributions du volume et de l'interface sont etudiees numeriquement en fonction du libre parcours moyen des electrons et de l'epaisseur des couches. Etude des systemes (Fe/Cr) n /Fe(n=1, 2 et 4) et Co/Au/Co. Comparaison entre la theorie et l'existence
Rapid whole-genome sequencing identifies a novel GABRA1 variant associated with West syndrome

A 9-mo-old infant was admitted with infantile spasms that improved on administration of topiramate and steroids. He also had developmental delay, esotropia, and hypsarrhythmia on interictal electroencephalogram (EEG), and normal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). West syndrome is the triad of infantile spasms, interictal hypsarrhythmia, and mental retardation. Rapid trio whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed a novel, likely pathogenic, de novo variant in the gene encoding γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptor, α1 polypeptide (GABRA1 c.789G>A, p.Met263Ile) in the proband. GABRA1 mutations have been associated with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy type 19 (EIEE19). We suggest that GABRA1 p.Met263Ile is associated with a distinct West syndrome phenotype.
Which Median Voter

Under the median voter model the demand for local government spending is a function of the median voter income and median tax price of spending in the jurisdiction. The theory provides a convenient framework for analytically aggregating the individuals' public spending demands into a community public demand function. ' It does not, however, provide guidance when selecting the proper definition of "median" income and tax share variables in empirical models. Data availability often dictates the selection of empirical proxies in applications, but the question nonetheless remains: is the appropriate empirical proxy median family income, median household income, or some other median income measure? This paper addresses this and related questions concerning the specification of empirical expenditure functions for local governments. The median voter model has proved to be an enduring device in public economics. But even while it continues to be widely used in both theoretical and empirical studies of local government spending behavior, the median voter model itself has become the focus of study. Although various specifications and modifications have been examined and compared in the literture, the question of the appropriate median definition in empirical models has been overlooked thus far. The usual methods of testing competing specifications in the local public spending literature is to evaluate prediction errors or the sign of key parameters in an estimated expenditure function [4; 6; 9; 11; 14; 19]. The nature of our question, however, requires a different type of test, one capable of evaluating competing hypotheses that entail mutually exclusive functional forms or sets of regressors. The Cox test represents an appropriate procedure for evaluating the competing median definitions and related functional form questions in this paper. This test, based on theoretical results by Cox [2; 3], has several advantages in our application. First, the test is tractable and the statistics have well-defined properties; the asymptotic distribution of the calculated statistics are known, thereby avoiding the use of bootstrap or other simulation methods in our evaluation. Second, the test allows for bilateral rejection, so that we
Changes in body composition after 9 months of treatment with exenatide twice daily versus glimepiride: comment letter on Jendle et al.

Jendle et al. have shown that treatment with liraglutidedecreases the body weight of patients with type 2 diabetesprimarily by decreasing visceral and subcutaneous adiposetissue [1]. SimilarresultswererecentlypresentedbyBuncket al.for treatment with exenatide (EXE) twice daily (BID) [2]. Bothstudies measured body composition with dual-energy X-rayabsorptiometry scan and, in a smaller subgroup, with single-slice abdominal computerized tomography [1]. These studiessuggestedthatglucagon-like-peptid1 (GLP-1)receptoragonisttherapy leads to a reduction of fat mass, including visceral fat,and may contribute to a cardiovascular risk reduction indiabetic patients [3]. The gold standard for measuring body composition is MRI,enabling thorough and precise quantiﬁcation of body fatstores [4]. To conﬁrm the available data by this more precisemethod, we evaluated body composition using abdominalMRI at baseline and after 9 months of treatment in asmall patient subgroup of the EURopean EXenAtide Study(EUREXA). EUREXA is a long-term, prospective, open-labelstudy comparing the effects of EXE versus glimepiride (GLIM)on maintenance of glycemic control [5]. Thirty-ﬁve patientswith type 2 diabetes entered the study addendum after givinginformed consent, 33 were eligible for analysis. Patients wererandomizedtoreceive EXE (n = 15)orGLIM(n = 18)asadd-on treatment to metformin. Data were analysed by descriptivestatistics;predeﬁned exploratorytreatment groupcomparisonswere performed by
Accumulation of mutations over the complete mitochondrial genome in tobacco-related oral cancer from northeast India

Northeast India has one of the world's highest incidences of oral cancer and 90% of them are related to tobacco. We examined the complete mitochondrial genome to determine hot spot mutations in oral cancer. The complete mitochondrial genome was sequenced using PGM™ from 10 patients matched blood and tumour tissue. Overall, 26 somatic mutations were found of which nine mutations in d-loop and 17 mutations in the coding region. The mutations at nucleotide positions 16294, 16325 and 16463 in d-loop and 4136, 13542 and 13869 in coding region are probably an indication to be a hot spot mutation in oral cancer. The knowledge about role, patterns and timing of mitochondrial mutations may serve to be facilitating clinical applications and hot spot mutations may be helpful in assessing cancer risk in tumour.