Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Portfolio optimization with incorporation of preferences and many criteria

Graphical Abstract Insert grafical abstract figure here Abstract. Portfolio optimization is one of the most addressed areas in operational research, mainly because of its practical relevance and interesting theoretical challenges. Recently, Solares et al . (2018) have proposed using probabilistic confidence intervals as criteria to select the most convenient portfolio. An approach following this idea allows the investor to consider not only the expected impact of the portfolios but also the risk of not obtaining that expected impact. Moreover, it identifies the behavior of the investor in presence of risk and gives her/him support depending on her/his own preferences. On the other hand, there are situations where the investor is not satisfied with the knowledge provided by probabilistic information (e.g., such information is precarious or the investor gives importance to other information, such as financial data). In this case, the investor may be interested in considering many criteria in order to select the most convenient portfolio.
The Potato Virus X TGBp2 Movement Protein Associates with Endoplasmic Reticulum-Derived Vesicles during Virus Infection1

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene was fused to the potato virus X (PVX) TGBp2 gene, inserted into either the PVX infectious clone or pRTL2 plasmids, and used to study protein subcellular targeting. In protoplasts and plants inoculated with PVX-GFP:TGBp2 or transfected with pRTL2-GFP:TGBp2, fluorescence was mainly in vesicles and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). During late stages of virus infection, fluorescence became increasingly cytosolic and nuclear. Protoplasts transfected with PVX-GFP:TGBp2 or pRTL2-GFP:TGBp2 were treated with cycloheximide and the decline of GFP fluorescence was greater in virus-infected protoplasts than in pRTL2-GFP:TGBp2-transfected protoplasts. Thus, protein instability is enhanced in virus-infected protoplasts, which may account for the cytosolic and nuclear fluorescence during late stages of infection. Immunogold labeling and electron microscopy were used to further characterize the GFP:TGBp2-induced vesicles. Label was associated with the ER and vesicles, but not the Golgi apparatus. The TGBp2-induced vesicles appeared to be ER derived. For comparison, plasmids expressing GFP fused to TGBp3 were transfected to protoplasts, bombarded to tobacco leaves, and studied in transgenic leaves. The GFP:TGBp3 proteins were associated mainly with the ER and did not cause obvious changes in the endomembrane architecture, suggesting that the vesicles reported in GFP:TGBp2 studies were induced by the PVX TGBp2 protein. In double-labeling studies using confocal microscopy, fluorescence was associated with actin filaments, but not with Golgi vesicles. We propose a model in which reorganization of the ER and increased protein degradation is linked to plasmodesmata gating.
Identification of a mutation at codon 65 in the IKKK motif of reverse transcriptase that encodes human immunodeficiency virus resistance to 2',3'-dideoxycytidine and 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine

The technique of in vitro selection was used to generate variants of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 that are resistant to 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC). Most of the pol regions of such viruses, including the complete reverse transcriptase open reading frame and portions of flanking protease and integrase genes, were cloned and sequenced, using PCR-based procedures. Mutations were variously detected at amino acid site 65 (Lys-->Arg; AAA-->AGA) and at a previously reported codon, site 184 (Met-->Val; ATG-->GTG). We introduced the site 65 mutation into the pol gene of infectious, cloned HxB2-D DNA by site-directed mutagenesis in order to confirm by viral replication assay the importance of this site in conferring resistance to ddC. The recombinant virus possessed greater than 10-fold resistance against this compound in comparison with parental HxB2-D. Cross-resistance of approximately 20- and 3-fold, respectively, was detectable against the (-) enantiomer of 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine and 2',3'-dideoxyinosine but not against 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine. Combinations of the site 65 and 184 mutations did not yield levels of resistance higher than those attained with the site 65 mutation alone. The presence of the site 65 mutation was confirmed by PCR analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients on long-term ddC therapy in 4 of 11 cases tested. Viruses that possessed a ddC resistance phenotype were isolated from subjects whose viruses contained the site 65 mutation in each of four instances. Four of these clinical samples were also demonstrated to possess the Met-184-->Val mutation, and one of them possessed both the Lys-65-->Arg and Met-184-->Val substitutions. Direct cloning and sequencing revealed the site 65 mutation in viruses isolated from these individuals.
Neoclassical versus Kaldorian Explanations of Southern Europe’s Productivity Slowdown

The productivity slowdown in European countries is among the major stylised facts of the last two decades. Several explanations have been proposed: some focus on demand-side effects, working through Kaldor’s second law of economic growth (also known as Verdoorn’s law), others on supply- side effects determined by a misallocation of the factors of production, caused either by labour market reforms or by perverse effects of financial integration (in Europe, related to the adoption of the euro). The latter explanation is put forward by some recent studies that stress how low interest rates brought about by the monetary union may have lowered productivity by inducing capital misallocation. The aim of this paper is to investigate the robustness of the latter empirical findings and to compare them with the alternative explanation offered by the post-Keynesian growth model, which instead emphasises the relation between foreign trade and productivity, along lines that go back to Adam Smith. To do so, we use a panel of industry-level data extracted from the EU KLEMS database, comparing these alternative explanations by panel cointegration techniques. The results shed some light on the role played by the single currency in the structural divergences among euro area member countries.
Bile acids: short and long term effects in the intestine

Abstract Bile acids have secretory, motility and antimicrobial effects in the intestine. In patients with bile acid malabsorption the amount of primary bile acids in the colon is increased compared to healthy controls. Deoxycholic acid is affecting the intestinal smooth muscle activity. Chenodeoxycholic acid has the highest potency to affect intestinal secretion. Litocholic acid has little effect in the lumen of intestine compared to both deoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid. There is no firm evidence that clinically relevant concentrations of bile acids induce colon cancer. Alterations in bile acid metabolism may be involved in the pathophysiology of constipation.
The 2014 thermal stress event on offshore archipelagoes in the South China Sea

Episodes of coral bleaching and subsequent mortality due to abnormal ocean warming have happened more frequently in the world's tropical seas. In 2014, a significant level of thermal stress event was predicted by NOAA CRW in the South China Sea(SCS). In this paper, we estimated the thermal stress anomaly and severity based on NOAA CRW HotSpot and Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) products. An ecological survey was also conducted on nine reefs of Xisha Islands in the SCS from June 2 to June 6, where coral reefs suffered serious damage due to the crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks in 2007. Satellite results suggest that the beginning of thermal stress in 2014 in the SCS was in mid-May while the ending was in mid-September. Satellite seawater temperature anomalies of +1-2.5°C were recorded at a number of locations. Except the southern portion of Nansha Islands, four offshore archipelagoes tend to be all influenced by this significant warming event. At the time of survey, no significant warming event in Xisha Islands was predicted by NOAA CRW, but scattered coral bleaching was found on Yinyu. Besides, coral cover index of scleractinians indicates obvious coral recovery in Xisha Islands since 2007. The effects of thermal stress in 2014 on coral reefs in the SCS deserve to pay attention and need further investigation.
Increased Mitral Regurgitation During the Valsalva Maneuver in a Patient with Pheochromocytoma, Uncontrolled Hypertension, Cardiac Hypertrophy, and Dynamic Outflow Tract Obstruction

Dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction is a common feature of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but it can also be demonstrated in other conditions that result in increased thickness of the left ventricular septal wall. Severe uncontrolled hypertension may lead to severe hypertrophy of the left ventricle and produce systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve and an outflow gradient. We report a case of pheochromocytoma with echocardiographic demonstration of markedly increased mitral regurgitation during the Valsalva maneuver in a patient with left ventricular hypertrophy and a dynamic outflow tract obstruction.
A systematic review on the neural effects of music on emotion regulation: implications for music therapy practice.

BACKGROUND Emotion regulation (ER) is an internal process through which a person maintains a comfortable state of arousal by modulating one or more aspects of emotion. The neural correlates underlying ER suggest an interplay between cognitive control areas and areas involved in emotional reactivity. Although some studies have suggested that music may be a useful tool in ER, few studies have examined the links between music perception/production and the neural mechanisms that underlie ER and resulting implications for clinical music therapy treatment. Objectives of this systematic review were to explore and synthesize what is known about how music and music experiences impact neural structures implicated in ER, and to consider clinical implications of these findings for structuring music stimuli to facilitate ER. METHODS A comprehensive electronic database search resulted in 50 studies that met predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pertinent data related to the objective were extracted and study outcomes were analyzed and compared for trends and common findings. RESULTS Results indicated there are certain music characteristics and experiences that produce desired and undesired neural activation patterns implicated in ER. Desired activation patterns occurred when listening to preferred and familiar music, when singing, and (in musicians) when improvising; undesired activation patterns arose when introducing complexity, dissonance, and unexpected musical events. Furthermore, the connection between music-influenced changes in attention and its link to ER was explored. CONCLUSIONS Implications for music therapy practice are discussed and preliminary guidelines for how to use music to facilitate ER are shared.
Critical Factors to Achieve Dockless Bike-Sharing Sustainability in China: A Stakeholder-Oriented Network Perspective

In China, dockless bike-sharing programs (DBSPs) play a significant role in promoting the goals of sustainable urban travel and carbon emissions reduction. However, the sustainability of DBSPs is increasingly being challenged as various issues associated with different stakeholders emerge. While numerous studies have focused on the barriers to traditional bike-sharing programs, the sustainability performance of new-generation DBSPs is largely overlooked. It is accordingly imperative to understand the primary challenges that impede the sustainability of DBSPs and to consider what stimulative measures can be taken. In this study, we investigate the factors that are critical to DBSPs’ sustainability from a network perspective. Stakeholder-associated factors and their interrelations were identified via literature analysis and interviews, and the social network analysis (SNA) method was employed to recognize the critical factors and links in DBSPs. As a result, 10 critical factors and 10 major interactions were identified and further classified into six challenges. Sharing transport schemes, legislative perfection, public private partnership (PPP), and product lifecycle management (PLM) were proposed to govern these challenges. This paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge of bike-sharing programs via a network approach that integrates the key influencing factors with those factors’ associated stakeholders. Furthermore, these findings provide the government and operators with implications for mitigating the tough challenges and facilitating the sustainability of DBSPs.
Comparative Analysis of Dielectric-Modulated FET and TFET-Based Biosensor

An extensive study is presented to describe the impact of partial hybridization on the device electrostatics and on current of a silicon dielectric-modulated tunnel field effect transistor (DM-TFET). To gain insight into the various design considerations and factors influencing the sensitivity, both process-related issue such as cavity length variation and real-time issues related to biomolecules behavior such as partial hybridization, charge, and position of receptors/target molecules have been investigated through extensive numerical simulations. The results indicate that TFET-based sensor does not suffer from scaling issues and thus can help in miniaturization without compromising the sensitivity, unlike a nanogap-embedded DM-FET.
A Pilot Study of the Effects of a Perflubron Emulsion, AF 0104, on Mixed Venous Oxygen Tension in Anesthetized Surgical Patients

A pilot study of a perfluorochemical (PFC) emulsion was undertaken to determine whether administration of a perflubron emulsion could result in measurable changes in mixed venous oxygen tension.Seven adult surgical patients received a 0.9-g PFC/kg intravenous dose of perflubron emulsion after acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH). Hemodynamic and oxygen transport data were collected before and after ANH, immediately after PFC infusion, and at approximate 15-min intervals throughout the surgical period. There were no clinically significant hemodynamic changes associated with the administration of the PFC emulsion. There was a significant increase in mixed venous oxygen tension (PVO2) after the PFC infusion, while cardiac output and oxygen consumption were unchanged. As surgery progressed, the hemoglobin concentration decreased with ongoing blood loss while PVO2 values remained at or above predosing levels. Peak perflubron blood levels were 0.8 g/dL immediately postinfusion, and approximately 0.3 g/dL at 1 h. This pilot study demonstrates that administration of perflubron emulsion results in measurable changes in mixed venous oxygen tension during intraoperative ANH. (Anesth Analg 1996;82:103-7)
Chemokine and Inflammatory Cell Response to Hypoxia-Ischemia in Immature Rats

Hypoxia-ischemia induces an inflammatory response in the immature central nervous system that may be important for development of brain injury. Recent data implicate that chemoattractant cytokines, chemokines, are involved in the recruitment of immune cells. The aim was to study α- and β-chemokines in relation to the temporal activation of inflammatory cells after hypoxia-ischemia in immature rats. Hypoxia-ischemia was induced in 7-day-old rats (left carotid artery occlusion + 7.7% oxygen). The pups were decapitated at different times after the insult. Immunohistochemistry was used for evaluation of the inflammatory cell response and RT-PCR to analyze the cytokine mRNA and chemokine mRNA expression. A distinct interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α cytokine expression was found 0-24 h after hypoxia-ischemia that was accompanied by induction of α-chemokines (growth related gene and macrophage inflammatory protein-2). In the next phase, the β2-integrin expression was increased (12 h and onward) and neutrophils transiently invaded the vessels and tissue in the infarct region. The mRNA induction for the β-chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, and RANTES preceded the expression of markers for lymphocytes [cluster of differentiation (CD)4, CD8], microglia/macrophages (MHC I), and natural killer cells in the infarct area. The activation of microglia/macrophages, CD4 lymphocytes, and astroglia persisted up to at least 42 d of postnatal age implicating a chronic component of immunoinflammatory activation. The expression of mRNA for α- and β-chemokines preceded the appearance of immune cells suggesting that these molecules may have a role in the inflammatory response to insults in the immature central nervous system.
The effects of renovascular hypertension on repolarization of ventricular epicardium.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Alterations in the recovery sequence of hypertrophied myocardium favour the development of cardiac arrhythmias. The aim of the present study was to investigate apex-to-base and interventricular heterogeneities in the duration of epicardial ventricular repolarization in rats with renovascular hypertension. METHOD Renovascular hypertension was induced in six Wistar rats by constricting the left renal artery for one month. Six sham-operated Wistar rats served as normotensive controls. Epicardial mapping was performed using 32 unipolar leads distributed over the apex and base of the heart ventricles under sinus rhythm. Activation-recovery intervals (ARIs) were calculated from electrograms. RESULTS The ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight was increased in hypertensive rats compared with controls. In control rats, ARIs at the base of both ventricles were shorter than those at the apex. In hypertrophied hearts, ARIs were prolonged on both the left and right ventricular epicardium. Heterogeneous prolongation was observed via reduced apex-to-base differences in ARIs and increased interventricular differences, with a trend toward increasing dispersion of ARIs. In rats with renovascular hypertension, nonuniform prolongation of epicardial ARIs on both ventricles and the changes in the ARI distribution resulted in a reduction of the repolarization time gradient between the ventricles. CONCLUSION Nonuniformly prolonged ARIs across the ventricular epicardium and the interventricular electrical inhomogeneity in rats with renovascular hypertension should be considered when interpreting the T wave alterations together with the reduction of the transmural and apex-to-base repolarization gradients.
PSD retrieval by Bayesian data fusion via metropolis-hastings and the Jackknife procedure

This article analyzes the performance of combining information from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs with Static Light Scattering (SLS) measurements for retrieving the so-called Particle Size Distribution (PSD). The corresponding data fusion, which is formulated as a Bayesian inverse problem, is implemented using an emblematic Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) technique, the Metropolis-Hastings (MH) algorithm. Furthermore, the actual PSD is assumed to be exactly represented by a log-normal distribution, in order to reduce additional processing errors. The prior statistics corresponding to the SEM micrographs have been achieved by means of the Jackknife procedure used as a resampling technique. Monte Carlo-based statistical tools are also employed to assess the quality of these priors. The likelihood term for the Bayesian approach is computed considering independent normal measurements generated from a simplified SLS model, the Local Monodisperse Approximation (LMA), also used as the forward linear model. Finally, an experimental example is analyzed using the priors generated with the proposed procedure and parametrization and resulting estimations are compared to the achieved in a previous article and discussed.
Integrating Variable Renewable Energy on Electricity Grids Through a Multi-Scaled Energy Modelling Approach: from Capacity Expansion to Production Cost Modelling

The global wind and solar PV industry has transitioned from a subsidy-dependent niche market to a commercially viable sector that is dominating global capacity expansions. However, integrating these renewable energy resources, with their variable nature, onto the electricity grid poses new challenges for system operations. This thesis explores variable renewable energy (VRE) integration, through multiple scales of energy modelling and analysis from the integrated assessment model MESSAGE, to the country-scale electricity system model LEAP, and the production cost model introduced in this work entitled SILVER. The MESSAGE and LEAP models have large-scale, long-term representations of the energy system that enable analysis of alternative energy policies, cross-sector environmental impacts, and overarching cost trends, but do not have the spatial-temporal resolution to represent site-specific, variable VRE generation profiles. Thus, SILVER, for the Strategic Integration of Large-capacity Variable Energy Resources, is designed as a highly flexible production cost dispatch tool. Technologically, SILVER represents the full gamut of grid balancing strategies: building flexible and dispatchable generation assets, interconnecting geographically dispersed resources and VRE types, shifting flexible loads through demand response, shifting generation profiles through storage
Specification of Somatosensory Area Identity in Cortical Explants

The H-2Z1 transgene is restricted to a subset of layer IV neurons in the postnatal mouse cortex and delineates exactly the somatosensory area. Expression of the H-2Z1 transgene was used as an areal marker to determine when the parietal cortex becomes committed to a somatosensory identity. We have shown previously that grafts dissected from embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5) H-2Z1 cortex and transplanted into the cortex of nontransgenic newborns express H-2Z1 according to their site of origin. Expression was not modified on heterotopic transplantation (Cohen-Tannoudji et al., 1994). In the present study, whole cortical explants were isolated at E12.5 from noncortical tissues. The explants developed a regionalized expression of H-2Z1, indicating that regionalization takes place and is maintained in vitro. We used this property and confronted embryonic H-2Z1 cortex with presumptive embryonic sources of regionalizing signals in an in vitro grafting procedure. A great majority of E11.5–E13.5 grafts maintained their presumptive expression of H-2Z1 when grafted heterotopically on nontransgenic E13.5–E15.5 explants. However, a significantly lower proportion of E11.5 parietal grafts expressed H-2Z1 in occipital compared with parietal cortex, indicating that somatosensory identity may be partially plastic at E11.5. Earlier stages could not be tested because the E10.5 grafts failed to developin vitro. The data suggest that commitment to the expression of a somatosensory area-specific marker coincides with the onset of neurogenesis and occurs well before the birth of the non-GABAergic neurons that express H-2Z1 in vivo.