Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research on Dynamic Pricing Model Based on e-Supply Chain Management

With the influence of the uncertain factor in business trade, the research on dynamic pricing considering the random fluctuation of price has become an important project in managerial economics. In this paper, we introduce the uncertain factor, which produced by the random errors, into the pricing model of the dominant manufacturers. By introducing the expectation of retail price, variance and transfer price, we change the game of incomplete information into the game of complete information. Then we resolve the problem of optimal pricing about transfer price with extremum of function according to the optimal production and storage model.
Inhaled Hydrogen Gas Therapy for Prevention of Lung Transplant-Induced Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Background. Successful abrogation of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of lung grafts could significantly improve short- and long-term outcomes for lung transplant (LTx) recipients. Hydrogen gas has potent antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties and has been recently used in number of experimental and clinical studies. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether inhaled hydrogen gas could reduce graft I/R injury during lung transplantation. Methods. Orthotopic left LTxs were performed in syngenic Lewis rats. Grafts were perfused with and stored in low potassium dextran solution at 4°C for 6 hr. The recipients received 100% O2 or 98% O2 with 2% N2, 2% He, or 2% H2 during surgery and 1 hr after reperfusion. The effects of hydrogen were assessed by functional, pathologic, and molecular analysis. Results. Gas exchange was markedly impaired in animals exposed to 100% O2, 2% N2, or 2% He. Hydrogen inhalation attenuated graft injury as indicated by significantly improved gas exchange 2 hr after reperfusion. Graft lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced in the presence of hydrogen, demonstrating antioxidant effects of hydrogen in the transplanted lungs. Lung cold I/R injury causes the rapid production and release of several proinflammatory mediators and epithelial apoptosis. Exposure to 2% H2 significantly blocked the production of several proinflammatory mediators and reduced apoptosis with induction of the antiapoptotic molecules B-cell lymphoma-2 and B-cell lymphoma-extra large. Conclusion. Treatment of LTx recipients with inhaled hydrogen can prevent lung I/R injury and significantly improve the function of lung grafts after extended cold preservation, transplant, and reperfusion.
Subgroup identification from randomized clinical trial data

We consider the problem of identifying a subgroup of patients who may have an enhanced treatment effect in a randomized clinical trial, and it is desirable that the subgroup be defined by a limited number of covariates. For this problem, the development of a standard, pre‐determined strategy may help to avoid the well‐known dangers of subgroup analysis. We present a method developed to find subgroups of enhanced treatment effect. This method, referred to as ‘Virtual Twins’, involves predicting response probabilities for treatment and control ‘twins’ for each subject. The difference in these probabilities is then used as the outcome in a classification or regression tree, which can potentially include any set of the covariates. We define a measure Q(Â) to be the difference between the treatment effect in estimated subgroup Â and the marginal treatment effect. We present several methods developed to obtain an estimate of Q(Â) , including estimation of Q(Â) using estimated probabilities in the original data, using estimated probabilities in newly simulated data, two cross‐validation‐based approaches, and a bootstrap‐based bias‐corrected approach. Results of a simulation study indicate that the Virtual Twins method noticeably outperforms logistic regression with forward selection when a true subgroup of enhanced treatment effect exists. Generally, large sample sizes or strong enhanced treatment effects are needed for subgroup estimation. As an illustration, we apply the proposed methods to data from a randomized clinical trial. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical and Radiological Outcome after Periacetabular Osteotomy: A Cross-Sectional Study of 127 Hips Operated on from 1999-2008

Purpose Few papers have described results after periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) and risk factors for conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of the present paper was to analyse clinical and radiographic outcome, survival of the hip joint and risk factors of early conversion to THA in patients with PAO. Basic procedures In the period 1999-2008, 93 patients (127 hips, median patient age 31, range 13-49 years) were operated on with PAO. Median follow-up was 7 (SD 2.1) years. Analyses of clinical and radiographic examinations, including WOMAC, were performed. Osteoarthritis was measured using Tönnis grade. Survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method and predictors of conversion to THA were calculated using Cox regression analysis with THA as defined endpoint. Main findings Centre-edge angle improved significantly with a mean of 8.7 (95% CI: 7.1; 10.3) preoperatively to a mean of 24.6 (95% CI: 22.6; 26.6) at follow-up. Likewise the acetabular roof obliquity angle improved significantly with a mean of 21.2 (95% CI: 19.7; 22.6) preoperatively to 8.7 (95% CI: 7.1; 10.4) at follow-up. Eleven out of 127 hips had conversion to THA. The 11.7 years cumulated hip joint survival rate was 85% (95% CI: 0.753; 0.945). Significant predictors of converting to THA were preoperative high grade of OA and postoperative high degree of acetabular roof obliquity angle. An improvement was found in Harris Hip Score pain score after receiving a PAO (p = 0.01). Conclusions Our results, with almost 12 years survival data, are comparable with the literature. PAO is considered as an effective treatment for young adults with painful hip dysplasia, especially when preoperative criteria for conversion to THA are highlighted.
Adrenal lesions detection on low-contrast CT images using fully convolutional networks with multi-scale integration

Adrenal lesions include a wide variety of benign and malignant neoplasms of the adrenal gland, and are seen in up to 5% of computed tomography (CT) examinations of the abdomen. Better identification of these lesions is important for effective management and patient prognosis. Detection on low-contrast CT images, however, even for experienced physicians can be difficult and error-prone, because the lesions are often problematic to be separated from the normal surrounding structures. Existing lesion detection techniques have problems in identifying and differentiating low-contrast tumors, which is related to their use of low-level features rather than high level of semantics. Hence we propose an automated approach using fully convolutional networks (FCNs) and multi-scale integration to detect adrenal lesion on low-contrast CT scans. The architecture of FCNs includes deep, coarse, semantic information and shallow, fine, appearance information in a hierarchical manner and it enables the encoding of image-wide location and semantics, which are desirable characteristics for adrenal lesion detection. We also propose a multi-scale integration with a superpixel based random walk (MI-SRW) approach to refine the lesion boundaries on different scales. The MI-SRW technique enables us to constrain the spatial and appearance consistency and then use complementary information provided on different scales to detect adrenal lesions of various sizes and characteristics. We used 38 adrenal lesions detected on low-contrast CT and compared our approach to existing ‘state-of-the-art’ methods and found that our approach had superior detection performance.
Family-based association studies.

We review case-control designs for studying gene associations in which relatives of case patients are used as control subjects. These designs have the advantage that they avoid the problem of population stratification that can lead to spurious associations with noncausal genes. We focus on designs that use sibling, cousin, or pseudosibling controls, the latter formed as the set of genotypes not transmitted to the case from his or her parents. We describe a common conditional likelihood framework for use in analyzing data from any of these designs and review what is known about the validity of the various design and analysis combinations for estimating the genetic relative risk. We also present comparisons of efficiency for each of the family-based designs relative to the standard population-control design in which unrelated controls are selected from the source population of cases. Because of overmatching on genotype, the use of sibling controls leads to estimates of genetic relative risk that are approximately half as efficient as those obtained with the use of population controls, while relative efficiency for cousin controls is approximately 90%. However, we find that, for a rare gene, the sibling-control design can lead to improved efficiency for estimating a G x E interaction effect. We also review some restricted designs that can substantially improve efficiency, e.g., restriction of the sample to case-sibling pairs with an affected parent. We conclude that family-based case-control studies are an attractive alternative to population-based case-control designs using unrelated control subjects.
THE INFLUENCE OF SEX HORMONES ON COAGULATION AND INFLAMMATION IN THE TRAUMA PATIENT

Recent clinical studies have shown a sex dimorphism of morbidity and mortality due to shock, trauma, and sepsis, with females tolerating these insults better than males. Experimental animal studies have suggested that sex hormones have a pivotal role in this dimorphism. In the present investigation, a prospective cohort study at a university level-1 trauma center was conducted to evaluate the association between sex hormones and alterations in coagulation and inflammation. Patients with an admission to the intensive care unit, injury severity score (ISS) greater than 4, and obtainable consent were included in the study. In addition to routine clinical laboratories and patient outcomes, plasma TNF-&agr;, IL-6, IL-8, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone were measured. Sixty-two patients (71% men, 29% women) met criteria for entry. Mean age was 42 ± 17 years, and mean ISS was 23 ± 13, with no statistical difference in age or ISS between sexes. Estradiol levels were positively correlated with ISS (P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with TNF-&agr; (P < 0.01). Initial estradiol levels were higher in patients who developed an infection (P < 0.05). Testosterone was negatively correlated with age (P < 0.01) and was higher in patients who developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (P < 0.05) and in patients who did not survive (P < 0.05). The estradiol-to-progesterone ratio (E2-Pr) was higher in the survivors (P < 0.05). The E2-Pr had positive correlations with fibrinogen levels, rate of fibrin deposition and cross-linking, and overall clot strength (P < 0.05). Estradiol-to-progesterone ratio was negatively correlated with partial thromboplastin times (P < 0.01). In men, the E2-Pr was also negatively correlated with the time to onset of clot formation (P = 0.03). Sex hormone levels (or their ratios) were not correlated to platelet count or international normalized ratios. These findings provide evidence that sex hormone levels in the early posttraumatic period are significantly associated with alterations in the hemostatic and inflammatory response to trauma.
Liquidity, Monetary Policy, and Unemployment: A New Monetarist Approach

We discover a consumption channel of monetary policy in a model with money and government bonds. When the central bank withdraws government bonds (short-term or long-term) through open market operations, it lowers re- turns on bonds. The lower return has a direct negative impact on consumption by households that hold bonds, and an indirect negative impact on consumption by households that hold money. As a result, fi rms earn less pro fits from production, which leads to higher unemployment. The existence of such a consumption channel can help us understand the e¤ects of unconventional monetary policy.
History and recent progress in piezoelectric polymers

Electrets of carnauba wax and resin have exhibited good stability of trapped charges for nearly 50 years. Dipolar orientation and trapped charge are two mechanisms contributing to the pyro-, piezo-, and ferroelectricity of polymers. Since the 1950s, shear piezoelectricity was investigated in polymers of biological origin (such as cellulose and collagen) as well as synthetic optically active polymers (such as polyamides and polylactic acids). Since the discovery of piezoelectricity in poled polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in 1969, the pyro-, piezo-, and ferroelectricity were widely investigated in a number of polar polymers, such as copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene, copolymers of vinylcyanide and vinylacetate, and nylons. Recent studies involve submicron films of aromatic and aliphatic polyureas prepared by vapor deposition polymerization in vacuum and the piezoelectricity of polyurethane produced by the coupling of electrostriction and bias electric fields. Gramophone pickups using a piece of bone or tendon were demonstrated in 1959. Microphones using a stretched film of polymethyl glutamate were reported in 1968. Ultrasonic transducers using elongated and poled films of PVDF were demonstrated in 1972. Headphones and tweeters using PVDF were marketed in 1975. Hydrophones and various electromechanical devices utilizing PVDP and its copolymers have been developed during the past 30 years. This paper briefly reviews the history and recent progress in piezoelectric polymers.
Development of neurogenic placodes in Xenopus laevis

The development of neurogenic placodes in Xenopus laevis from the time of neural fold closure to larval stages is described. Placodes were reconstructed from camera lucida drawings of serial sections, and the spatiotemporal pattern of placodal neurogenesis was analyzed using in situ hybridization for the genes X‐NGNR‐1, XNeuroD, X‐MyT1, and X‐Delta‐1, all of which have been implicated in the regulation of neurogenesis. Olfactory, profundal, and trigeminal placodes, a series of dorsolateral placodes (otic placode and five lateral line placodes), a series of epibranchial placodes, and two hypobranchial placodes were identified. Earlier claims that all placodes in anurans develop from a common primordium could not be confirmed. Profundal and trigeminal placodes, however, are partially fused, and all lateral line placodes arise from a common precursor. Epibranchial and hypobranchial placodes develop ventral to other placodes and dorsal and ventral to the pharyngeal pouches, respectively. Hypobranchial placodes give rise to neurons that become intimately associated with the developing heart. All neurogenic placodes strongly express the neuronal differentiation gene XNeuroD. The neuronal determination gene X‐NGNR‐1, however, is expressed strongly in only some placodes and not in dorsolateral placodes, indicating that neurogenesis in the latter relies on other determination genes. X‐Delta‐1 is expressed not only in the neurogenic parts of the placodes but also in the primordia of the lateral lines. This suggests that Delta‐Notch‐mediated lateral inhibition may be involved not only in placodal neurogenesis, but also in the patterning of lateral line neuromasts. J. Comp. Neurol. 418:121–146, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Predictors of outcome after endovascular treatment of cerebral vasospasm.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Angioplasty and intra-arterial papaverine are promising treatments for severe symptomatic vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but there is little information on the clinical factors that predict treatment outcome. We sought to determine variables for predicting functional outcome in this setting. METHODS We reviewed 81 consecutive patients with symptomatic cerebral vasospasm from aneurysmal SAH treated with percutaneous balloon angioplasty or selective intra-arterial papaverine infusion between 1990 and 2000 (105 procedures). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the effect of various clinical and angiographic factors on outcome. RESULTS Mean patient age was 54 years (range, 29-88 years). Twenty-nine patients (36%) presented with poor-grade (World Federation of Neurologic Surgeons [WFNS] grade IV or V) SAH. Clinical deficits were global in 55 patients (70%), and angiographic vasospasm was diffuse in 53 (65%). Endovascular treatment consisted of transluminal angioplasty alone (18 procedures, 17%), intra-arterial papaverine infusion (65 procedures, 62%), or both (22 procedures, 21%). Unequivocal arterial dilatation was achieved in all but two patients, and major complications occurred in 2% of the procedures. Ten patients (12%) died in the hospital, and 36 (44%) recovered poorly. Permanent deficits attributable to cerebral vasospasm were present in 37 patients (52% of survivors). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, advanced age and poor WFNS grade at presentation were predictive of poor clinical outcome. CONCLUSION Advanced age and poor clinical status at the time of SAH onset are predictive of poor clinical outcome despite endovascular treatment with angioplasty or intra-arterial papaverine in patients with symptomatic vasospasm.
Evaluation of the Sensitivity of a pLDH-Based and an Aldolase-Based Rapid Diagnostic Test for Diagnosis of Uncomplicated and Severe Malaria Caused by PCR-Confirmed Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium falciparum, and Plasmodium vivax

ABSTRACT Plasmodium knowlesi can cause severe and fatal human malaria in Southeast Asia. Rapid diagnosis of all Plasmodium species is essential for initiation of effective treatment. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are sensitive for detection of uncomplicated and severe falciparum malaria but have not been systematically evaluated in knowlesi malaria. At a tertiary referral hospital in Sabah, Malaysia, we prospectively evaluated the sensitivity of two combination RDTs for the diagnosis of uncomplicated and severe malaria from all three potentially fatal Plasmodium species, using a pan-Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH)-P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) RDT (First Response) and a pan-Plasmodium aldolase-PfHRP2 RDT (ParaHIT). Among 293 hospitalized adults with PCR-confirmed Plasmodium monoinfection, the sensitivity of the pLDH component of the pLDH-PfHRP2 RDT was 74% (95/129; 95% confidence interval [CI], 65 to 80%), 91% (110/121; 95% CI, 84 to 95%), and 95% (41/43; 95% CI, 85 to 99%) for PCR-confirmed P. knowlesi, P. falciparum, and P. vivax infections, respectively, and 88% (30/34; 95% CI, 73 to 95%), 90% (38/42; 95% CI, 78 to 96%), and 100% (12/12; 95% CI, 76 to 100%) among patients tested before antimalarial treatment was begun. Sensitivity in severe malaria was 95% (36/38; 95% CI, 83 to 99), 100% (13/13; 95% CI, 77 to 100), and 100% (7/7; 95% CI, 65 to 100%), respectively. The aldolase component of the aldolase-PfHRP2 RDT performed poorly in all Plasmodium species. The pLDH-based RDT was highly sensitive for the diagnosis of severe malaria from all species; however, neither the pLDH- nor aldolase-based RDT demonstrated sufficiently high overall sensitivity for P. knowlesi. More sensitive RDTs are needed in regions of P. knowlesi endemicity.
Speech synchronization between speech and lip shape movements for service robotics applications

Synchronization between speech and mouth shape includes technologies, such as computer vision, speech synthesis, and speech recognition. We present a method to synchronize the image and the speech, and we use Microsoft's Speech Application Programming Interface (SAPI) to be the speech synthesis tool. Speech animation includes two components, the speech and the image. Speech synthesis output is obtained from Text-to-Speech (TTS), and the images of visemes are generated from software, FaceGen Modeller. Import three key pictures to this software to calibrate and generate the face model. The viseme event handler in C# will connect the image of mouth shape and viseme together. Load the images sequentially and the visemes will one by one match with the images correctly. The main applications of speech synthesis are used as assistive devices, e.g. the use of screen readers for people with visual impairment. A mute person can take advantage of this technology to talk to others. In recent years, speech synthesis is extensively applied in service robotics and entertainment productions such as language learning, education, video games, animations, and music videos.
Experimental identification of specificity determinants in the domain linker of a LacI/GalR protein: Bioinformatics‐based predictions generate true positives and false negatives

In protein families, conserved residues often contribute to a common general function, such as DNA‐binding. However, unique attributes for each homolog (e.g. recognition of alternative DNA sequences) must arise from variation in other functionally‐important positions. The locations of these “specificity determinant” positions are obscured amongst the background of varied residues that do not make significant contributions to either structure or function. To isolate specificity determinants, a number of bioinformatics algorithms have been developed. When applied to the LacI/GalR family of transcription regulators, several specificity determinants are predicted in the 18 amino acids that link the DNA‐binding and regulatory domains. However, results from alternative algorithms are only in partial agreement with each other. Here, we experimentally evaluate these predictions using an engineered repressor comprising the LacI DNA‐binding domain, the LacI linker, and the GalR regulatory domain (LLhG). “Wild‐type” LLhG has altered DNA specificity and weaker lacO1 repression compared to LacI or a similar LacI:PurR chimera. Next, predictions of linker specificity determinants were tested, using amino acid substitution and in vivo repression assays to assess functional change. In LLhG, all predicted sites are specificity determinants, as well as three sites not predicted by any algorithm. Strategies are suggested for diminishing the number of false negative predictions. Finally, individual substitutions at LLhG specificity determinants exhibited a broad range of functional changes that are not predicted by bioinformatics algorithms. Results suggest that some variants have altered affinity for DNA, some have altered allosteric response, and some appear to have changed specificity for alternative DNA ligands. Proteins 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.