Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empirical Research on Price Discovery Function of China Futures Market

From the findings that the author and others have researched,they found there is a long-term balanced relation between China domestic futures price and spot price as well as domestic futures price and foreign futures price.And the price discovery function of China futures market is enhancing gradually.But its price discovery function hasn't been brought into play enough.Therefore,it is necessary to further utilize the price discovery function of China futures market.On the basis of this viewpoint,two measures should be taken:the first is to perfect China futures market price form mechanism,and the second is to further enhance China futures market price information function and pricing power in the international market.
Prolonged duration of response to infliximab in early but not late pediatric Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVES:Tumor necrosis factor-α plays a central role in chronic intestinal inflammation of Crohn's disease. Targeting this cytokine with the chimeric monoclonal antibody infliximab has emerged as an effective form of therapy in adult Crohn's disease patients. We sought to determine whether infliximab treatment would benefit pediatric patients with medically refractory Crohn's disease. We also assessed the duration of response, comparing children with early disease to children with long-standing (late) Crohn's disease.METHODS:Fifteen consecutive children (mean age 12.8 ± 3.2 yr) with medically refractory Crohn's disease were enrolled in a prospective, open-label trial of a single, 5-mg/kg infliximab intravenous infusion. Medically refractory disease was defined as an inability to taper steroids, lack of response to immunomodulator therapy over 4 months, and active disease as measured by the Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI). Primary endpoints included measurements of disease activity (PCDAI), steroid use, and duration of clinical response.RESULTS:In all, 14/15 children (94%) improved after infliximab infusion, with a significant decrease of both PCDAI and daily steroid use by 4 wk. Ten patients (67%) achieved complete remission by 10 wk. Among the 14 patients who responded, three of six children (50%) with early disease maintained clinical response through the 12-month trial period, compared to none of eight children with late disease. There were no serious complications associated with the use of infliximab in any of the patients.CONCLUSIONS:Infliximab is safe and effective in the short-term treatment of medically refractory pediatric Crohn's disease. More importantly, there is a remarkably prolonged duration of response after infliximab therapy in children with early compared to late Crohn's disease.
Solution structure of conserved hypothetical protein HP0892 from Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori has uniqueness to survive in the extreme acidic environment in the stomach.1,2 In addition, it is an important human bacterial pathogen in that it is present in approximately half of the world’s population,3 and that it can cause diverse gastric diseases such as peptic ulcers, chronic gastritis, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and gastric cancer.4–6 We have determined the solution structure of conserved hypothetical protein HP0892 from Helicobacter pylori strain 26695 which is the target organism of our structural genomics study. HP0892 (O25552_HELPY) is a 90-residue protein with calculated pI value of 9.38 and molecular weight of 10.41 kDa. In the Pfam7 database, HP0892 belongs to the plasmid stabilization system protein family (PF05016; this family encompasses RelE/ ParE). According to Pfam database, members of this family are involved in plasmid stabilization, but the exact molecular function of these proteins is not known.
Developmental study of benzodiazepine effects on monosynaptic GABAA-mediated IPSPs of rat hippocampal neurons.

1. The effects of type I (BZ1) and type II (BZ2) benzodiazepine receptor ligands on monosynaptic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) and on responses to exogenously applied GABA were studied using intracellular recordings from CA3 pyramidal cells of rat hippocampal slices taken at different postnatal stages [postnatal day 4 (P4)-P35)]. 2. The effects of midazolam, a BZ1 and BZ2 receptor agonist, were tested on the monosynaptic IPSPs at different stages. Monosynaptic, bicuculline-sensitive IPSPs were evoked by hilar stimulation in presence of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists [6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (10 microM) and D(-)2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (50 microM)]. Midazolam at 300 nM maximally increased the duration and amplitude of monosynaptic GABAA-mediated IPSPs in neurons from pups (P4-P6, n = 6) and young (P7-P12, n = 8) and adult (P25-P35, n = 9) rats. All the effects of midazolam on IPSPs were reversed by the antagonist Ro 15-1788 (10 microM). 3. The effect of midazolam was also tested on the response to exogenously applied GABA (5 mM) in the presence of tetrodotoxine [TTX (1 microM)]. In neurons from young rats (n = 9), midazolam (1 nM-1 microM) did not change the responses to exogenously applied GABA, whereas in adult rats (n = 8) midazolam maximally increased GABA currents at 30 nM. 4. The effect of zolpidem, a BZ1 receptor agonist, was tested on monosynaptic IPSPs and GABA currents at different stages. Zolpidem (10 nM-1 microM) was inactive in cells from young rats (n = 12). In neurons from adult rats, zolpidem maximally increased the duration and amplitude of the monosynaptic IPSPs at 300 nM (n = 5) and the amplitude of GABA current at 30-100 nM (n = 5). 5. Methyl-6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (DMCM) (300 nM), an inverse agonist of BZ1 and BZ2 receptors, decreased the amplitude and duration of monosynaptic IPSPs in neurons from pups (n = 3) and young (n = 4) and adult (n = 5) rats. In all cases, full recovery was obtained after exposure to R0 15-1788 (10 microM). DMCM (300 nM-10 microM) failed to reduce GABA responses in cells from young (n = 3) or adult (n = 7) rats. 6. Results indicate that the regulation by benzodiazepine of GABAA-mediated IPSPs varies with the developmental stage. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Breast Self-examination: Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Female Dental Students in Hyderabad City, India

Aim: The aim was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding breast self-examination (BSE) in a cohort of Indian female dental students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire study was conducted on dental students at Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 12). Chi-square test was used for analysis of categorical variables. Correlation was analyzed using Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient. The total scores for KAP were categorized into good and poor scores based on 70% cut-off point out of the total expected score for each. P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: This study involved a cohort of 203 female dental students. Overall, the total mean knowledge score was 14.22 ± 8.04 with the fourth year students having the maximum mean score (19.98 ± 3.68). The mean attitude score was 26.45 ± 5.97. For the practice score, the overall mean score was 12.64 ± 5.92 with the highest mean score noted for third year 13.94 ± 5.31 students. KAP scores upon correlation revealed a significant correlation between knowledge and attitude scores only (P<0.05). Conclusion: The study highlights the need for educational programs to create awareness regarding regular breast cancer screening behavior.
TCP Aware Link Layer Agent for Seamless Vertical Handoff in the Cellular/WLAN Integrated Network

In cellular/WLAN integrated networks, a TCP-aware link layer agent, called VH agent, is proposed to resolve the packet reordering problem of Downward Vertical HandOver (DVHO) and the premature timeout and excessive transmission that occur during Upward VHO (UVHO). The simulation results show that the proposed agent achieves better performance with respect to throughput and end-to-end delay, compared with TCP NewReno and Westwood.
Modelling population growth, shrinkage and aging using a hybrid simulation approach: Application to healthcare

This paper describes a hybrid simulation model that integrates the System Dynamic approach with discrete time control to formulate the projections of population evolution. The study relies on historical demographic data and the officially formulated scenarios for the most likely population projections developed for the region. The results of the simulation experiments provide valuable insights into dynamics of regional demographic trends and offer a well-defined starting point for future research in the health policy field. The intensity and structure of the demand for healthcare services depend heavily on age-gender profiles that change due to ongoing extensions of the average expected length of life, the aging of population, the continuing trend of declining number of births and the steadily growing number of deaths. The preliminary findings show promise in using the hybrid simulation approach for more advanced exploration of demography dependent health policy issues.
Patient outcomes following tricompartmental total knee replacement. A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To provide estimates of patient outcomes following tricompartmental knee replacement and to examine variation in outcomes due to patient and prosthesis characteristics. DATA SOURCES English-language articles identified through a computerized literature search and bibliography review. STUDY SELECTION Studies were included if they enrolled 10 or more patients at the time of initial knee replacement and measured patient outcomes using a global knee-rating scale. DATA EXTRACTION Each study was subjected to a blinded qualitative assessment and unblinded abstraction of patient characteristics, surgical techniques, and outcomes. DATA SYNTHESIS A total of 130 studies reporting patient outcomes on 154 cohorts satisfied inclusion criteria. The total number of enrolled patients was 9879 with a mean enrollment of 64.1 patients. The mean follow-up was 4.1 years. The mean patient age was 65.0 years, 71.7% of patients were women, 62.6% had osteoarthritis, and 26.6% underwent bilateral knee replacement. Global rating scale scores improved by 100% for the typical enrolled patient, and 89.3% of patients reported good or excellent outcomes. Anatomic classification of the prosthesis, percentage of enrolled patients with osteoarthritis, publication year, and number of enrolled patients explained 27% of the variation in reported mean postoperative global rating scale scores. The weighted mean complication rate was 18.1%, and the mean mortality rate per year of follow-up was 1.5%. The overall rate of revision during 4.1 years was 3.8%. CONCLUSIONS Tricompartmental knee replacement was a safe and effective procedure for the patients reported in these studies. The knee pathology and the type of prosthesis were significant predictors of outcomes. Limitations in the reporting style of these articles severely constrain the ability to explore variation in outcomes due to study, patient, or prosthesis characteristics and restrict their generalizability.
Disorders of Sexual Development and Abnormal Early Development in Domestic Food-Producing Mammals: The Role of Chromosome Abnormalities, Environment and Stress Factors

The management of disorders of sexual development (DSD) in humans and domestic animals has been the subject of intense interest for decades. The association between abnormal chromosome constitutions and DSDs in domestic animals has been recorded since the beginnings of conventional cytogenetic analysis. Deviated karyotypes consisting of abnormal sex chromosome sets and/or the coexistence of cells with different sex chromosome constitutions in an individual seem to be the main causes of anomalies of sex determination and sex differentiation. In recent years, a growing interest has developed around the environmental insults, such as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDC) and heat stressors, which affect fertility, early embryonic development and, in some instances, directly the sex ratio and/or the development of 1 specific sex versus the other. A variety of chemical compounds present in the environment at low doses has been shown to have major effects on the reproductive functions in human and domestic animals following prolonged exposure. In this review, we present an overview of congenital/chromosomal factors that are responsible for the DSDs and link them and the lack of proper embryonic development to environmental factors that are becoming a major global concern.
Joint Source Coding and Network-Supported Distributed Error Control for Video Streaming in Wireless Multihop Networks

Real-time video communication over wireless multihop networks has gained significant interest in the last few years. In this paper, we focus our attentions on the problem of source coding and link adaptation for packetized video streaming in wireless multihop networks when network nodes are media-aware. We consider a system where source coding is employed at the video encoder by selecting the encoding mode of each individual macro-block, while error control is exercised through application-layer retransmissions at each media-aware network node. For this system model, the contribution of each communication link on the end-to-end video distortion is considered separately in order to achieve globally optimal source coding and ARQ error control. To reach the globally optimal solution, we formulate the problem of joint source and distributed error control (JSDEC) and devise a low-complexity solution algorithm based on dynamic programming. Extensive experiments have been carried out on the basis of H.264/AVC codec to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm over the existing joint source and channel coding (JSCC) algorithm in terms of PSNR perceived at the decoder under time-varying multihop wireless links.
Stability Improvement of Micro-grids with Coordinate Control of Fuel Cell and Ultracapacitor

A control scheme for fuel cell (FC) generation system is proposed in this paper to increase the transient stability and damping performance of micro-grids. With aids of ultracapacitors (UC) and the fast adjustment of power electronic conditioning systems, FC generation system can bring many benefits to distribution systems. In this paper, we will focus on the transient stability enhancement and dynamic performance improvement of micro-grids in which multiple synchronous generators and other distributed generators are installed. Power modulation technique is used to control the FC generator and improve the stability and power swing damping of the micro-grids. Coordinate between FC and UC is designed to control their power outputs taking into account the stability requirement of micro-grids and characteristics of both FC and UC.
Temperature and structural effects on transfer of double-stranded RNA among isolates of the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica)

Cryphonectria parasitica is a unique fungus which can serve as a model for understanding transfer of genes between eukaryotic microorganisms. We studied transfer of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) between compatible and incompatible strains of C. parasitica to determine whether hyphal types or temperature could restrict that exchange. Hyphal connections between incompatible strains occurred at about 30% of the frequency of connections between compatible strains and differed morphologically. Gel electrophoresis and in situ hybridization confirmed that dsRNA was transferred through substrate hyphae but not through aerial hyphae. Freezing temperatures resulted in the loss of dsRNA from the new mycelium of the donor colony and stimulated the production of virulent pycnidiospores. These temperature and structural restrictions may help to explain the lack of spread of the dsRNA despite its presence in the field.
Decision support systems for IT service management

Group decision support systems (GDSS) and knowledge-based systems (KBS) have the potential to assist information technology service managers make sound decisions. We use narrative enquiry and reflective processes to review two recent projects that designed decision support system (DSS) tools for IT service management. The software mediated process assessment project includes a GDSS module to enable the selection of processes for assessment. The decision support recommendation system for IT service operation used a knowledge base to provide recommendations specific to the problem domain of IT service support. From the use of prior literature, rigorous methods and empirical evidence, contributions are made to ITSM theory and practice. The process selection decision model is a novel and effective combination of balanced scorecard, SERV-QUAL and the IT infrastructure library (ITIL) guidelines. In terms of methodology, the incorporation of task-technology theory in design science research enables design principles to be articulated. Outcomes from projects of this nature demonstrate exemplary cases of success stories where the primary research objective is to develop innovative solutions that work in practice and are grounded in academic rigour.
Power and Energy Management in Integrated Power System

Integrated Power System (IPS) makes more intensive use of power electronics and control than the traditional shipboard power system. This paper proposes to develop a high level Power and Energy Management System (PEMS) for a ship incorporated with IPS. PEMS will be integrated in the ship's automation system and will be responsible for the functions like - generator start/stop control, load dependent start/stop, blackout monitoring, load shedding, ship operation mode selection, start sequence program, etc. The PEMS is designed as a two-layer hierarchical architecture viz. system level layer and zonal level layer. A Power CONtrol module (PCON) is developed in both the two layers that will coordinate with other modules in the PEMS to realize its functions. Using PEMS, power and energy can be generated and delivered in an effective manner from generators to consumers. The benefits of this proposed approach are in minimizing the fuel consumption, improving the survivability, assuring the quality of service, etc.
Low complexity fast filter bank-based channelization in L-DACS1 for aeronautical communications

Studies related to the growth of air traffic forecast that the air traffic is likely to double in next decade, which will heavily increase the load on aeronautical communications. Current systems will not be able to support this increase in the aeronautical communications; and hence there is a need of new reliable and high speed communication system for the air-to-ground (A/G) communications. European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) has proposed the use of IEEE L-band for A/G communications. Currently, two candidate systems are being studied for this proposed L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (L-DACS), namely L-DACS1 and LDACS2, under the initiatives funded by EUROCONTROL. In this paper we consider one of the candidate systems, L-DACS1, and propose a fast filter bank (FFB)-based channelizer for L-DACS1. We show that use of FFB enables simultaneous extraction of up to eight L-DACS1 channels (frequency bands), with 49% to 85% savings in number of multipliers over conventional methods and faster filtering operation without compromising on the filtering performance.
High Accumulation of Platinum-DNA Adducts in Strial Marginal Cells of the Cochlea Is an Early Event in Cisplatin but Not Carboplatin Ototoxicity

Ototoxicity is a typical dose-limiting side effect of cancer chemotherapy with cisplatin but much less so with carboplatin. To elucidate the underlying molecular pathological mechanisms, we have measured the formation and persistence of drug-induced DNA adducts in the nuclei of inner ear cells of guinea pigs after short-term exposure to either cisplatin or carboplatin using immunofluorescence staining and quantitative image analysis. After application of carboplatin, all cells of the cochlea exhibited a similar burden of guanine-guanine intrastrand cross-links in DNA. In contrast, we observed a pronounced 3- to 5-fold accumulation of this cytotoxic adduct exclusively in the marginal cells of the stria vascularis between 8 and 48 h after treatment with cisplatin. In the kidney, the other critical target tissue of cisplatin toxicity, a similar high preferential formation of cytotoxic DNA adducts was measured in the tubular epithelial cells but not in other renal cell types. As for the ear, this excessive formation of DNA damage in a particular cell type was seen in animals treated with cisplatin but not those treated with carboplatin. Because cisplatin ototoxicity is often attributed to oxidative stress mediated by the generation of radical oxygen species (ROS), we have measured in parallel the levels of the lead DNA oxidation product 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) in cochlear cryosections. Compared with basal levels in untreated control cochleas, no additional formation of 8-oxoG was detectable up to 48 h after cisplatin treatment in the DNA of either inner-ear cell type. This suggests that the generation of ROS may be a secondary event in cisplatin ototoxicity.
The Advantages of Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Modules in Grid-Tied Systems

Amorphous silicon (a-Si) technology developed by Energy Photovoltaics, Inc. (EPV) has significant performance and cost advantages over traditional crystalline (c-Si) photovoltaic modules. Testing conducted in warm sunny, as well as cooler and cloudier, climates has shown that a-Si modules typically outperform c-Si modules on a normalized energy basis. The higher performance arises from a more favorable power loss temperature coefficient, and a band gap that facilitates the conversion of blue-rich light. Also, a-Si benefits from a relative increase in power during the spring and summer months due to the thermal annealing of metastable defects. Tandem junction a-Si modules produced by EPV capture these benefits at the lowest reported module cost/watt in the industry. As a result, the energy production cost is lower for an EPV a-Si PV system than for a similarly rated c-Si system. The projected cost reductions for an EPV system, using technology improvements already demonstrated on a small scale, indicate that future EPV systems in Europe will have an installed cost no greater than that of c-Si and an energy cost that is ~20% lower
From Divides to Capitals: An Exploration of Digital Divides as Expressions of Social and Cultural Capital

Abstract Purpose As the deployment of ICT and the Internet especially increases all around the world, the urgency of providing access to the “have-nots” appears at least diminished, with new issues and urgencies at the forefront. However, studies show that even when the best conditions for access are established, not everyone uses their digital devices for the same purposes, even when sharing the same goals, or when participating in the same experiences. Methodology/approach To explore potential explanations of these phenomena, this study examines survey data from students from a private university in Peru regarding their backgrounds and expertise with ICT. We use the twin concepts of social and cultural capital to establish a connection between their larger lifeworld experiences and their use of digital media. For this purpose, we analyze the data using polychoric correlations to explore patterns resulting from self-perception of access and skills, as well as processes related to social capital such as differentiated media use. Findings Findings indicate that there are differentiated processes of capital accrual using ICTs, but, at the same time, the productive and leisure dimensions of ICT use must be considered.