Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial Cycle Of Indonesia – Potential Forward Looking Analysis

Kebutuhan akan referensi yang baik dalam rangka implementasi peraturan countercyclical menjadi alasan utama dari penelitian untuk mengkonstruksi siklus keuangan. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian lanjutan Alamsyah et al (2014) yang telah menghasilkan siklus keuangan Indoneisa dengan mengikuti tata cara pembuatan yang dilakukan oleh Drehman et al (2012). Siklus keuangan pada penelitian ini akan diperbaharui dengan penggunaan harga aset dan cara pengolahan data lanjutan. Untuk meningkatkan kepercayaan dalam penggunaan siklus keuangan sebagai referensi kebijakan di masa yang akan datang, penelitan ini akan melakukan forecasting. Hasil dari forecasting menunjukan bahwa siklus keuangan cukup robust dan cenderung untuk mengikuti pola masa lalu. Hal ini memberikan dorongan untuk penelitian terkait karakteristik dari siklus keuangan dan indikator tambahan sebagai referensi untuk dapat menangkap kemungkinan terjadinya perubahan struktural di masa yang akan datang.
Construction of nonbinary LDPC codes using λ-FRC for circle elimination

In this paper, an improved full rank condition (named as λ-FRC) is proposed for the construction of nonbinary LDPC codes. Compared with the conventional FRC, the λ-FRC introduces a metric λ to evaluate the reliability of the messages passing through the circle. Codes with better performance can be obtained by selecting elements of the parity matrix according to the metric. Based on the λ-FRC, a greedy search algorithm is proposed to design the codes efficiently. In order to further improve the performance of the codes constructed, an iterative search algorithm is applied in the construction. Simulation results show that the performance of codes constructed by the λ-FRC methods outperforms those by the FRC methods, and the iterative search algorithm improves the performance of the codes as the iteration number increases1.
Serum creatinine level, a surrogate of muscle mass, predicts mortality in peritoneal dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND In hemodialysis patients, higher serum creatinine (Cr) concentration represents larger muscle mass and predicts greater survival. However, this association remains uncertain in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. METHODS In a cohort of 10 896 PD patients enrolled from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2006, the association of baseline serum Cr level and change during the first 3 months after enrollment with all-cause mortality was examined. RESULTS The cohort mean ± SD age was 55 ± 15 years old and included 52% women, 24% African-Americans and 48% diabetics. Compared with patients with serum Cr levels of 8.0-9.9 mg/dL, patients with serum Cr levels of <4.0 mg/dL and 4.0-5.9 mg/dL had higher risks of death {HR 1.36 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.19-1.55] and 1.19 (1.08-1.31), respectively} whereas patients with serum Cr levels of 10.0-11.9 mg/dL, 12.0-13.9 mg/dL and ≥14.0 mg/dL had lower risks of death (HR 0.88 [95% CI 0.79-0.97], 0.71 [0.62-0.81] and 0.64 [0.55-0.75], respectively) in the fully adjusted model. Decrease in serum Cr level over 1.0 mg/dL during the 3 months predicted an increased risk of death additionally. The serum Cr-mortality association was robust in patients with PD treatment duration of ≥12 months, but was not observed in those with PD duration of <3 months. CONCLUSIONS Muscle mass reflected in serum Cr level may be associated with survival even in PD patients. However, the serum Cr-mortality association is attenuated in the early period of PD treatment, suggesting competing effect of muscle mass versus residual renal function on mortality.
Design and Applications of Novel Enhanced-Performance Force Sensor

We recently developed a novel force sensor in which the restoring force of the traditional spring is replaced by an axial magnetic attraction force. In this letter, the linearity of the axial magnetic attraction force-displacement curve is further improved via the addition of two yokes. The performance of the proposed force sensor is numerically characterized by means of simulations and then verified experimentally using a prototype. The results show that the proposed force sensor has a higher linearity of the axial magnetic attraction force-displacement curve (improvement around 1.53%). Moreover, a novel cell phone camera module using the proposed structure is demonstrated with a fast response (≤9 ms) and an improved power efficiency (≤11 mA).
Percutaneous ethanol injection of autonomous thyroid nodules with a volume larger than 40 ml: three years of follow-up.

AIM Autonomous thyroid nodules are conventionally treated by surgery or radioiodine. Percutaneous ethanol injection is a recognized alternative approach. An assessment of the long-term success and safety was conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-four patients (seven men and 27 women; age range: 32-80 years; mean: 56 +/- 13 years) with an autonomous thyroid nodule (ATN) > 40 ml (volume range 41-180 ml; mean: 63.6 +/- 34.5 ml) were treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI). All patients were hyperthyroid with increased radionuclide uptake in the nodule at scintigraphy. Serial serum (free T3, free T4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)) and ultrasound studies were performed at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months after the first PEI session. Scintigraphy was performed before treatment and 1 month after the serum TSH became detectable or alternatively after 6 months, even if the TSH was still undetectable. RESULTS Each patient had 1-11 sessions of PEI, with an injection of 3-14 ml of ethanol per session (total amount of ethanol per patient: 20-125 ml). Within 3 months from the end of the treatment, the recovery of extranodular uptake on isotope scan and the normalization of TSH levels were observed in 30/34 patients. A reduction (average: 62.9%) of nodule volume was recorded in all patients and only 4/34 patients were refractory to PEI. The responsiveness of ATN to PEI appeared to be dependent on the initial nodule volume (3/4 failures in patients had nodule volumes > 60 ml). Side-effects were always self-limiting. During follow-up (6-36 months) no recurrence was observed. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the treatment of ATN > 40 ml with PEI would appear to be a valid alternative approach to traditional methods of treatment. It is safe, well tolerated and inexpensive. Its acceptability when compared with surgery and radiodioine has still to be assessed.
Effects of quebracho tannin extract (Schinopsis balansae Engl.) and activated charcoal on nitrogen balance, rumen microbial protein synthesis and faecal composition of growing Boer goats

ABSTRACT Under irrigated arid conditions, organic fertiliser rich in slowly decomposable nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) is needed for soil fertility maintenance. Feeding ruminants with condensed tannins will lower ruminal protein degradation, reduce urinary N excretion and might increase the faecal fraction of slowly decomposable N. Supplementation with activated charcoal (AC) might enrich manure with slowly degrading C. Therefore, we investigated the effects of feeding quebracho tannin extract (QTE) and AC on the N balance of goats, the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis in the rumen (EMPS) and the composition of faeces. The feeding trial comprised three periods; in each period, 12 male Boer goats (28 ± 3.9 kg live weight) were assigned to six treatments: a Control diet (per kg diet 500 g grass hay and 500 g concentrate) and to further five treatments the Control diet was supplemented with QTE (20 g and 40 g/kg; diets QTE2 and QTE4, respectively), with AC (15 g and 30 g/kg, diets AC1.5 and AC3.0, respectively) and a mixture of QTE (20 g/kg) plus AC (15 g/kg) (diet QTEAC). In addition to the N balance, EMPS was calculated from daily excretions of purine derivatives, and the composition of faecal N was determined. There was no effect of QTE and AC supplementation on the intake of organic matter (OM), N and fibre, but apparent total tract digestibility of OM was reduced (p = 0.035). Feeding QTE induced a shift in N excretion from urine to faeces (p ≤ 0.001) without altering N retention. Total N excretion tended to decrease with QTE treatments (p = 0.053), but EMPS was not different between treatments. Faecal C excretion was higher in QTE and AC treatments (p = 0.001) compared with the Control, while the composition of faecal N differed only in concentration of undigested dietary N (p = 0.001). The results demonstrate that QTE can be included into diets of goats up to 40 g/kg, without affecting N utilisation, but simultaneously increasing the excretion of slowly decomposable N and C fractions. Feeding AC up to 30 g/kg of the diet increases slowly degradable faecal C concentration, without negative effects on N metabolism of goats.
Low Concentrations of Chlorpromazine and Related Phenothiazines Stimulate Gene Transfer in HeLa Cells Via Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

Chlorpromazine and related phenothiazine antipsychotic compounds at the low concentration of 10 -5 M stimulated luciferase pRSVL DNA uptake and expression in HeLa cells. On the other hand, chloroquine at a 10 -5 M was without effect at this low concentration. However, at the higher normally used concentration of 10 -4 M (100 μM), chloroquine strongly stimulated luciferase expression and activity. Unfortunately, at 10 -4 M, the phenothiazines were toxic to the cells and could not be tested at this concentration. Further experimental work was carried out to elucidate the mechanism of action of phenothiazines and chloroquine on DNA uptake and expression. Interaction of [3 H] pBR 322 DNA with chlorpromazine, perphenazine, and chloroquine was studied using these compounds as their free bases dissolved in chloroform, followed by their impregnation onto Whatman No. 1 filter paper discs. Both phenothiazines on filter paper discs bound [3 H] pBR 322 DNA to a far greater extent than chloroquine. The method of assay (free base) suggests that the major contribution to binding is through intercalation. A further possible assay for studying the interaction of phenothiazines and chloroquine made use of the ethidium bromide/calf thymus DNA intercalation method. Intercalated calf thymus (CT) DNA complexes with ethidium bromide (EB) were examined for possible dissociation into free DNA and EB on the addition of either chloroquine. SO 4 or chlorpromazine.HCl (soluble salts). Partial dissociation was observed with both compounds. Further experiments on the stability of pBR 322 DNA-polylysine complexes were also carried out using an alternative method of assay. Chloroquine (10 -2 - 10 -4 M) and chlorpromazine (10 -4 M) did not bring about a dissociation of [3 H] pBR 322 DNA-polylysine 200 complexes when reactions were studied by nitrocellulose filter assays to measure released double-stranded DNA. The results indicate that chlorpromazine and related phenothiazines stimulate luciferase DNA uptake expression at 10 -5 M. Chloroquine at this concentration had practically no effect on expression of luciferase activity. Further studies of chloroquine and chlorpromazine on their interaction with plasmid DNA as well as DNA-polylysine complexes are reported.
Heart Rate Response to Fear Conditioning and Virtual Reality in Subthreshold PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant health concern for U.S. military service members (SMs) returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Early intervention to prevent chronic disability requires greater understanding of subthreshold PTSD symptoms, which are associated with impaired physical health, mental health, and risk for delayed onset PTSD. We report a comparison of physiologic responses for recently deployed SMs with high and low subthreshold PTSD symptoms, respectively, to a fear conditioning task and novel virtual reality paradigm (Virtual Iraq). The high symptom group demonstrated elevated heart rate (HR) response during fear conditioning. Virtual reality sequences evoked significant HR responses which predicted variance of the PTSD Checklist-Military Version self-report. Our results support the value of physiologic assessment during fear conditioning and combat-related virtual reality exposure as complementary tools in detecting subthreshold PTSD symptoms in Veterans.
A high‐throughput system for segmenting nuclei using multiscale techniques

Automatic segmentation of cell nuclei is critical in several high‐throughput cytometry applications whereas manual segmentation is laborious and irreproducible. One such emerging application is measuring the spatial organization (radial and relative distances) of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) DNA sequences, where recent investigations strongly suggest a correlation between nonrandom arrangement of genes to carcinogenesis. Current automatic segmentation methods have varying performance in the presence of nonuniform illumination and clustering, and boundary accuracy is seldom assessed, which makes them suboptimal for this application. The authors propose a modular and model‐based algorithm for extracting individual nuclei. It uses multiscale edge reconstruction for contrast stretching and edge enhancement as well as a multiscale entropy‐based thresholding for handling nonuniform intensity variations. Nuclei are initially oversegmented and then merged based on area followed by automatic multistage classification into single nuclei and clustered nuclei. Estimation of input parameters and training of the classifiers is automatic. The algorithm was tested on 4,181 lymphoblast nuclei with varying degree of background nonuniformity and clustering. It extracted 3,515 individual nuclei and identified single nuclei and individual nuclei in clusters with 99.8 ± 0.3% and 95.5 ± 5.1% accuracy, respectively. Segmented boundaries of the individual nuclei were accurate when compared with manual segmentation with an average RMS deviation of 0.26 μm (∼2 pixels). The proposed segmentation method is efficient, robust, and accurate for segmenting individual nuclei from fluorescence images containing clustered and isolated nuclei. The algorithm allows complete automation and facilitates reproducible and unbiased spatial analysis of DNA sequences. Published 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ, an integrator of transcriptional repression and nuclear receptor signaling

The three PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) isoforms are critical regulators of lipid homeostasis by controlling the balance between the burning and storage of long chain fatty acids. Whereas PPARα and PPARγ have been studied extensively, the function of PPARδ remains the most elusive. Intriguingly, in cotransfection experiments, PPARδ is a potent inhibitor of ligand-induced transcriptional activity of PPARα and PPARγ. This inhibition is achieved, in part, by binding of PPARδ to a peroxisome proliferator response element and the association of nonliganded PPARδ with corepressors SMRT (silencing mediator for retinoid and thyroid hormone receptors), SHARP (SMRT and histone deacetylase-associated repressor protein), and class I histone deacetylases. Stable expression of PPARδ inhibits the expression of endogenous PPARα target gene expression in 3T3-PPARα cells, whereas a PPARδ mutant that does not interact with the corepressor SMRT loses its ability to repress the induction of PPARα target gene. Similarly, stable expression of PPARδ in 3T3-PPARγ cells leads to inhibition of PPARγ target gene expression and PPARγ-mediated adipogenesis. Given the widespread expression of PPARδ and the restricted pattern for PPARα and PPARγ, these results suggest a role for PPARδ as a gateway receptor whose relative levels of expression can be used to modulate PPARα and PPARγ activity.
Autosomal Genome-Wide Scan for Coronary Artery Calcification Loci in Sibships at High Risk for Hypertension

Abstract—Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality in the developed world. Although several CAD risk factors, including measures of lipid metabolism, obesity, and blood pressure, have a genetic basis, many genes for CAD susceptibility have yet to be identified. Coronary atherosclerosis is the major cause of CAD, but many with coronary atherosclerosis lack symptoms. Thus, a major limitation of using symptomatic CAD endpoints (eg, sudden coronary death, myocardial infarction) as a study outcome is substantial disease misclassification. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is part of the atherosclerotic process and is an independent predictor of CAD endpoints. In the present study, CAC was noninvasively quantified by electron beam computed tomography. We performed genome-wide multipoint mode-of-inheritance-free linkage analysis on affected sib pairs, defined as being ≥ the 70th sex- and age-specific percentile for CAC quantity, in a sample of 29 families enriched for hypertension. Almost 95% of participants were asymptomatic for CAD. Our LOD score (log10 odds in favor of linkage) results provide evidence that chromosomal regions 6p21.3 (maximum LOD score=2.22, P =0.00070) and 10q21.3 (maximum LOD score=3.24, P =0.000057) may harbor genes associated with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.
Platelets directly enhance neutrophil transmigration in response to oxidised low-density lipoprotein

Summary Beyond their primary role in haemostasis and tissue repair, platelets are causally involved in the onset of inflammatory reactions, cell proliferation and immune response. Platelet activation and platelet binding to the endothelium result in release of chemokines and increased expression of adhesion molecules, which promote the recruitment of leukocytes that will eventually migrate across the endothelium into the tissue. Here, we provide the first evidence that platelets stimulated with oxidised low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) directly enhance recruitment and transmigration of neutrophils, via cell-cell interaction. OxLDL immediately activates platelets, which then rapidly bind to neutrophils, foster their activation and facilitate transmigration through an endothelial monolayer. The observed effects of oxLDL on platelet-neutrophil aggregate (PNA) formation depend on incubation time, lipoprotein concentration and the degree of oxidative modification of LDL. PNA form within minutes following stimulation by oxLDL and remain for up to 1 h post stimulation, while native LDL is unable to induce platelet-neutrophil interactions. In the presence of acetylsalicylic acid the formation of PNA in response to oxLDL is virtually absent, and platelets fail to further enhance oxLDL-induced neutrophil transmigration. P2Y1 and P2Y12 inhibitors have less pronounced effects on PNA formation in response to oxLDL. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the PI3K pathway is essential for efficient neutrophil transmigration induced by oxLDL. Consequently, platelets enhance neutrophil transmigration in response to oxLDL and might thereby contribute essentially to the amplification of inflammatory processes within the vessel wall, which fosters the development of atherosclerosis.
Amino acids outside of the loops that define the agonist binding site are important for ligand binding to insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nAChRs) are the targets of several kinds of insecticides. Based on the mutagenesis studies of Torpedo californica nAChRs and solved structure of a molluscan, glial‐derived soluble ACh‐binding protein, a model of the agonist site was constructed with contributing amino acids from three distinct loops (A, B, and C) of the α subunits and another three loops (D, E, and F) of the non‐α subunits. According to this model, most insect nAChR subunits can form the functional heteromeric or homomeric receptors. Actually, insect subunits themselves did not form any functional receptor at various combinations as yet, and only part of them can form the functional receptors with vertebrate non‐α subunits. These findings suggested that the agonist binding for insect nAChRs was not only contributed by those key amino acids in six loops, but also some unidentified amino acids from other regions. In our previous studies on nAChRs for Nilaparvata lugens, a target‐site mutation (Y151S) was found within two α subunits (Nlα1 and Nlα3). In Drosophila S2 cells and Xenopus oocytes, Nlα1 can form functional receptors with rat β2 subunit. However, the same thing was not observed in Nlα3. In the present paper, by exchanging the corresponding regions between Nlα1 and Nlα3 to generate different chimeras, amino acid residues or residue clusters in the regions outside the six loops were found to play essential roles in agonist binding, especially for the amino acid clusters between loop B and C. This result indicated that the residues in the six loops could be necessary, but not enough for the activity of agonist binding.
Extrahepatic Exoerythrocytic Forms of Rodent Malaria Parasites at the Site of Inoculation: Clearance after Immunization, Susceptibility to Primaquine, and Contribution to Blood-Stage Infection

ABSTRACT Plasmodium sporozoites are inoculated into the skin of the mammalian host as infected mosquitoes probe for blood. A proportion of the inoculum enters the bloodstream and goes to the liver, where the sporozoites invade hepatocytes and develop into the next life cycle stage, the exoerythrocytic, or liver, stage. Here, we show that a small fraction of the inoculum remains in the skin and begins to develop into exoerythrocytic forms that can persist for days. Skin exoerythrocytic forms were observed for both Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium yoelii, two different rodent malaria parasites, suggesting that development in the skin of the mammalian host may be a common property of plasmodia. Our studies demonstrate that skin exoerythrocytic stages are susceptible to destruction in immunized mice, suggesting that their aberrant location does not protect them from the host's adaptive immune response. However, in contrast to their hepatic counterparts, they are not susceptible to primaquine. We took advantage of their resistance to primaquine to test whether they could initiate a blood-stage infection directly from the inoculation site, and our data indicate that these stages are not able to initiate malaria infection.
A comprehensive review and update on the non-biologic treatment of adult noninfectious uveitis: part I

Introduction: Treatment of adult, noninfectious uveitis remains a challenge for ophthalmologists around the world. The disease accounts for almost 10% of preventable blindness in the US and can be idiopathic or associated with infectious and systemic disorders. Strong evidence is still emerging to indicate that pharmacologic strategies presently used in rheumatologic or autoimmune disease may be translated to the treatment of intraocular inflammation. Corticosteroid monotherapy is widely regarded as wholly inappropriate, due to the unfavorable risk/benefit profile and poor long-term outcomes. Treatment plans have shifted away from low-dose, chronic corticosteroid therapy for maintenance, towards medium- to high-dose therapy for acute inflammation, followed immediately by initiation of immunomodulatory therapy. These therapies follow the ‘stepladder approach’, whereby least to more aggressive therapies are trialed to induce remission of inflammation, eventually without corticosteroids of any form (topical, local and systemic). Areas covered: This two-part review gives a comprehensive overview of the existing medical treatment options for patients with adult, noninfectious uveitis, as well as important advances for the treatment of ocular inflammation. Part I covers classic immunomodulation and latest information on corticosteroid therapy. Expert opinion: The hazard of chronic corticosteroid use for the treatment of adult, noninfectious uveitis is well-documented. Corticosteroid-sparing therapies, which offer a very favorable risk–benefit profile when administered properly, should be substituted.