Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bacterial contamination of platelet products in Dongguan Blood Center, Guangdong Province of China

Background: Due to the importance of their preservation and collection methods, it is critical to assess accurately the risk of bacterial contamination of pooled platelets and apheresis platelets. The incidence of bacterial contamination was observed after four preventive measures (FPM) (including: sterilizing donation environment, screening donors, depleting white blood cells from pooled platelets, and removing the first 15 ml of collected platelet) were taken. Methods: Platelet product samples (pooled and apheresis platelet products) from Dongguan Blood Center were tested by bacterial cultures including initial culture, subculture and identification. If initial culture was positive, subculture would be performed, and if subculture was positive, bacterial identification would be done. 3073 platelet samples were examined in 2006. Platelet samples were collected in 2006 and in 2007 until 2016 after the introduction of FPM. Recipient’s blood and transfused platelets were tested for bacterial cultures when adverse reactions occurred after platelet transfusion. Results: In 2006, 0.72% and 0.47% bacterial contamination were found in pooled platelets and apheresis platelets, respectively. A total of 63 out of 28,711 (0.22%) bacterial contaminations were detected from 2006 to 2016 in pooled and apheresis platelets. From 2007 to 2016, the positive rates of contaminated platelet products declined significantly to 0.33% (pooled platelets) and 0.14% (apheresis platelets). Only 44 positive samples could be identified after the introduction of FPM. In 50 patients with post-platelet transfusion adverse reaction, no bacterial contamination could be identified. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the improvement of platelet transfusion safety by FPM, The rate of bacterial contamination in pooled platelets is higher than that of apheresis platelets.
Mutation Operators for Concurrent Java ( J 2 SE 5 . 0 ) 1

The current version of Java (J2SE 5.0) provides a high level of support for concurreny in comparison to previous versions. For example, programmers using J2SE 5.0 can now achieve synchronization between concurrent threads using explicit locks, semaphores, barriers, latches, or exchangers. Furthermore, built-in concurrent data structures such as hash maps and queues, built-in thread pools, and atomic variables are all at the programmer’s disposal. We are interested in using mutation analysis to evaluate, compare and improve quality assurance techniques for concurrent Java programs. Furthermore, we believe that the current set of method mutation operators and class operators proposed in the literature are insufficient to evaluate concurrent Java source code because the majority of operators do not directly mutate the portions of code responsible for synchronization. In this paper we will provide an overview of concurrency constructs in J2SE 5.0 and a new set of concurrent mutation operators. We will justify the operators by categorizing them with an existing bug pattern taxonomy for concurrency. Most of the bug patterns in the taxonomy have been used to classify real bugs in a benchmark of concurrent Java applications.
Entwicklung einer versetzungsbasierten Kontinuumstheorie mittels mechanismusbasierter Homogenisierung

Die Entwicklung einer physikalischen Kontinuumstheorie aus einer Versetzungsdichtetheorie erfordert eine homogenisierte Darstellung der physikalische Grundlagen der Versetzungsdynamik. Dabei lassen sich die Wechselwirkungen von Versetzungen mittels einer homogenisierten Darstellung der freien Energie bzw. der resultierenden Krafte des Systems oder durch des explizite Homogenisieren einzelner Mechanismen in das System einbringen. In beiden Fallen werden die Informationen aus diskreten Versetzungsdynamiksimulationen gewonnen und es stellt sich die Frage, unter welchen Bedingungen eine Allgemeingultigkeit der entsprechenden Theorie erzielt werden kann. In dieser Arbeit wird die mechanismusbasierte Homogenisierung der Wechselwirkung von Versetzungen eines Gleitsystems in 2D und eine Homogenisierung des Frank-Read-Mechanismus zur Produktion von Versetzungsdichte hergeleitet. Hierbei ist speziell der Ubergang von Systemen in denen einzelne Versetzungen dominieren hin zu Systemen von Versetzungsensemblen von Interesse. In diesem Zusammenhang wird das Konzept des Kontinuumslimits eingefuhrt und untersucht, in wie weit sich dieses Konzept dazu eignet, die Gultigkeit von physikalischen Kontinuumstheorien zu charakterisieren.
Metabolic Steatosis & Fibrosis: Review of the Non-Invasive Tools for Diagnosis and Screening

Hepatic steatosis affects 20% to 30% of the general adult population in affluent countries. Metabolic syndrome and its components—type 2 diabetes mellitus and central obesity— lead to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in part due to insulin resistance, apoptosis and altered adipokine and cytokine pathways. Indeed, NAFLD is now considered the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Globally, NAFLD is a common cause of chronic liver disease and, as the obesity epidemic continues, the prevalence of NAFLD is anticipated to increase. Non Alcoholic Fatty Disease (NAFLD) encompasses a histological spectrum ranging from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the latter characterized by steatosis plus necroinflammation. NASH can have different stages of fibrosis ranging from absent (stage F0) to cirrhosis (stage F4). Currently, the technique of choice for determining hepatic fat deposition and the stage of fibrosis is liver biopsy. However, it is an invasive procedure and its use is limited. It may also be subject to sampling error. Non-invasive techniques such as ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) can detect hepatic steatosis, but currently cannot distinguish between simple steatosis and steatohepatitis, or stage the degree of fibrosis accurately. Four new non-invasive methods received independent validation to assess NASH diagnosis (serologic tests) or to stage advanced fibrosis (blood tests, magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE)). The chapter is organized as follows: section 2 describes natural history of NAFLD and NASH. The epidemiology is detailed section 3 and the risk factors in section 4. Than the limitations of liver biopsy are explained section 5; section 6 contains a description of non invasive tools clinically used or at the contrary new development not yet clinically evaluated. Advantages and limitations of these devices are detailed. Their applications in NAFLD diseases are described. Eventually, discussion and conclusion are drawn in section 6 and section 7, respectively.
Optimizing Video Request Routing in Mobile Networks with Built-in Content Caching

Built-in content caching in mobile networks can help improve quality of service, reduce operation expenses, simplify inter-network cooperation, and thus is a promising approach for more efficient network architectures. In addition to the complexity of content placement, routing video requests remains a challenging issue. Two problems need to be addressed: (i) how to select servers to fulfill a request (i.e., server selection); (ii) how to route the requested video data (i.e., traffic engineering). In this work, we jointly formulate these two problems with two objectives considered, namely, minimizing maximum link utilization and minimizing total link cost. We propose fast algorithms to solve the problems with provable approximation guarantees. We then develop a hop-by-hop routing protocol, which implements the optimization solutions by generating a set of flow-splitting and routing decisions for each router/caching node. Simulation results show that our algorithms significantly outperform the ShortestPath-based algorithm under various system settings, reducing up to 68% of maximum link utilization and more than 50% of link cost, and supporting over 60% more of traffic load.
Comment on Ben-Amotz and Honig, "Average entropy dissipation in irreversible mesoscopic processes," Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 020602 (2006)

We point out that most of the classical thermodynamics results in the paper have been known in the literature, see Kestin and Woods, for quite some time and are not new, contrary to what the authors imply. As shown by Kestin, these results are valid for quasistatic irreversible processes only and not for arbitrary irreversible processes as suggested in the paper. Thus, the application to the Jarzynski process is limited.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND ONE DIGIT STANDARD INTERNATIONAL TRADE CLASSICIFICATION

The relationship between trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been indicated as one of prominent development paths toward economic development. However, this relation is not straightforward due to the complex multinational companies’ investment motivation. This paper develops an exploratory research on the FDI-trade relation in one digit Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) for Indonesia with Japan and the United States of America during 1991-2003, using a Granger causality test. The result indicates strong FDI-trade relationship in natural resources and mining industry, showing that resources endowment is an advantage for Indonesia. It also finds that resource-seeking FDI has predominantly happened during that period. Keywords: Foreign direct investment, trade, one-digit SITC, granger causality JEL classification numbers: F12, F14
Stability of Dissipative Interconnections

This paper is concerned with the stability analysis of the interconnection of two systems. The idea is that, under suitable assumptions, the interconnection of dissipative systems is Lyapunov stable. This is the basis of the classical stability criteria such as the small gain theo- rem, the positive operator theorem, IQC's, etc. In terms of quadratic differential forms, this paper derives stabil- ity conditions for the interconnection consisting of a linear time-invariant subsystem and a general (nonlinear, time- varying) subsystem in the general setting where the supply rate is induced by a polynomial or rational matrix.
A Versus K Revisited: Evidence from Selected MENA Countries

This paper reconsiders the A versus K debate, namely, which factor is the leading contributor to economic growth? productivity gains (A) or factor accumulation (K). The growth accounting analysis is conducted for ten Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries over the period 1960-1998. The long-run share of capital in national income is estimated using cointegration (country-specific) and panel data (region-specific) methods. We find that for most of the countries in our sample the share of capital is much higher than the conventional share of 0.3-0.4. The growth accounting exercise conducted with the incorporation of human capital reveals that for the MENA region the contribution of productivity gains to economic growth is negligible and frequently even detrimental. Thus, we conclude that it is factor (both physical and human) accumulation that drives the economic performance of MENA economies.
An Empirical Assessment of Factors Impeding Effective Password Management

Abstract Since passwords are one of the main mechanisms used to protect data and information, it is important to ensure that passwords are managed correctly and that those factors which will have a significant impact on password management are identified and prioritized. Therefore, in order for an information and communication technology (ICT) overall security program to be successful, a security awareness program or component must be included. The aim of this paper is to perform an exploratory study with the objective of introducing certain fundamental causes that may impact password management. Empirical results, followed by a survey as well as the application of several management science techniques are presented.
Producers ’ choice of certi fi cation

Consumers are in general less informed than producers about the quality of agricultural goods. To reduce the information gap, consumers can rely on standards (labels, certifications, geographic indications) that insure quality and origin of the goods. However, these standards do not always fully reveal information. Some of them may just signal that the good is more likely to be of high quality. We investigate what kind of standards are most desirable for producers, and for society in general knowing that any system is costly to implement. One of our findings is that for intermediate values of certification costs, certification that fully reveals information makes high quality producers better off, but make the entire industry worse off. In this case, the benefit from the revelation of the quality does not outweigh certification costs and the loss incurred by low quality producers. Furthermore, the industry may be better off under partial revelation of information rather than full revelation for some values of the certification costs.
Incidence and outcome of acute kidney injury after open heart surgery in children

Introduction. Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is commonly perceived as a risk factor for decline in renal function. Hypothermia, hypoxia, hypotension, non-pulsatile blood flow during CPB, use of ACE inhibitors, inotropic and (or) vasoactive support affect kidney and contribute to the acute kidney injury (AKI). Objective. To evaluate incidence and outcome of AKI in children undergoing open heart surgery. Methods. We conducted a prospective, non-randomized observational study at the tertiary care of the University Children’s Hospital Pediatric ICU. We enrolled 30 patients, 12 boys and 18 girls with CHD. Their median body weight was 6.8 kg (IQR 5.2 < 8.2 kg) and the median age was 7 months (IQR 5 < 10 months). SCr was determined and preoperative and postoperative creatinine clearance (ClCr) was estimated using the Schwarz formula. During surgical repair and till the end of the first 24 hours urine was collected to measure ClCr, using the difference in urine (UCr) and SCr concentrations. Urine output, body temperature, duration of aortic cross clamping and cardiopulmonary bypass were recorded. Results. Median intraoperative urine output was 2.4 ml/kg/h (IQR 1.29 < 3.15 ml/kg/h). Median CPB time was 147 min, IQR 116.75 < 205 min, median aortic cross-clamping time was 95 min, IQR 70.5 < 133 min, cooling during CPB to 29.75 °C. Intraoperative SCr rised to 35 µmol/l (IQR 27.5 < 50.5) vs. preoperative SCr 29 µmol/l (IQR 24 < 32.9), P < 0.0001. GFR declined from pre­ operative 98.4 ml/min/1.73 m2 (IQR 89.6 < 123.04) to intraoperative 39.8 ml/min/1.73 m2 (IQR 24.9 < 65.5), P < 0.0001. Observed incidence of AKI was 30% (9/30). We observed statistically significant (P = 0.006) inverse correlation (r = 0.522) between CPB time and ClCr. Conclusions. Open heart surgery in children has severe, but transient effect on expression of renal biomarkers. Observed incidence of AKI was 30% (9 from 30 of our patients). Before discharge from the hospital both biomarkers returned to normal values.
On the use of Neural Networks in Statistical Shape Analysis

There are different kinds of tumours that can appear in childhood: nephroblastoma, clear cell sarcoma, neuroblastoma etc. The chosen therapy depends upon the diagnosis of the radiologist which is done with the help of MRI (Magnetic resonance images). Our research is the first mathematical approach on MRI of renal tumours (n=80). We are using transversal, frontal and sagittal images and compare their potential for differentiation of the different kind of tumours by use of Statistical Shape Analysis. We determine the key points or three dimensional landmarks of the renal tumours by using the edges of the platonic body (C60). Furthermore we use a combination of Neural Networks and Statistical Shape Analysis to consider all kinds of linear transformations and compare the results to the one obtained by the traditional test of Ziezold test for the determination and differentiation of the mean shape.
A note on twisted Changhee polynomials and numbers with weight

The Changhee polynomials and numbers are introduced by D.S. Kim et al in [5]. Some interesting identities and properties of those polynomials are derived from umbral calculus(see [5]). In this paper, we consider Witt-type formula for the twisted Changhee numbers and polynomials with weight derive some new interesting identities and properties of those polynomials and numbers from the Witt-type formula which are related to the weighted Euler polynomials. Mathematics Subject Classification: 11S80, 11B68, 05A30
Purification and Biochemical Characterization of a Cystatin-Like Thiol Proteinase Inhibitor from Cicer arietinum (Chickpea)

Cystatins are thiol proteinase inhibitors ubiquitously present in many plants as well as animal tissues. In the present study, a cystatin like a thiol proteinase inhibitor was isolated from chickpea using ammonium sulfate fractionation (40-60%) and gel filtration chromatography on a Sephacryl S-100 HR column with 21.09% yield and fold purification of 78.89. It gave a molecular mass of about 25.3 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and from its gel filtration behavior. The inhibitor was found to have very low carbohydrate content (0.34%) and meager amount (1.45%) of sulfhydryl content. The Stokes radius, frictional, diffusion and sedimentation coefficients of CPC were 4.299 × 10-8 g/s, 22.82 A, 12.68 × 10-7 cm2 s-1 and 2.64 S, respectively. Kinetic analysis of CPC with thiol proteinases (papain, ficin, bromelain) revealed the reversible and competitive mode of inhibition with CPC showing the highest inhibitory efficiency against papain (Ki=0.82 nM) followed by ficin (Ki=17.6 nM) and then bromelain (Ki=41.3 nM). CPC possessed about 25.34% α-helical content as assessed by CD spectroscopy. UV-Visible and fluorescence spectra indicated that upon formation of papain-CPC complex there is a significant conformational change in one or both the proteins of the complex.
Rank-penalized nonnegative spatiotemporal deconvolution and demixing of calcium imaging data

Calcium imaging is an increasingly powerful and popular technique for studying large neuronal ensembles. However, data interpretation remains challenging; the fast spiking of neurons is indirectly observed through a noisy slower calcium signal, obtained at a low imaging rate. FOOPSI [1] and “peeling” [2] are two algorithms for extracting spikes from imaging data using nonnegative sparse deconvolution. They both use a simple linear model in each pixel: upon each spike, the calcium signal increases by a fast stereotypical transient and then it decays slowly towards a baseline concentration. Although effective, these methods are typically applied on a pixel-by-pixel basis (or summed across the full ROI) and do not combine information optimally across pixels.
Tagging Click-Spamming Suspicious Installs in Mobile Advertising Through Time Delta Distributions

Fraud in the mobile advertising world is a topic gaining momentum recently. Different reports agree that invalid traffic is generating losses in the order of billions of dollars[1] and that there is a significant amount of fraud with ongoing efforts against it[5]. Here at Jampp we use an automated fraud detection algorithm for a recent type of mobile advertising fraud, which can be referred to as click-spamming, click-injection or mobile-hijacking. We propose a metric to measure suspicious installs, and use a heuristic to compare the fits of theoretical distributions to this metric. This allows us to derive a threshold for suspicious installs. Our metric is based on the time-delta distributions, which amounts to the time it takes from a click in an ad to be converted into an install. The model is currently in use with satisfactory results. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first algorithm in production used to tackle this specific kind of fraud.
Dietary effects of n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios on the antioxidant status of the liver in goslings.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios on the oxidative stress of the liver in goslings. A total of 160 healthy Yangzhou geese was randomly divided into 4 groups, and each group was fed on diets with different n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios: A (12:1), B (9:1), C (6:1), and D (3:1), respectively. The liver was separated and antioxidant functions were evaluated on days 42, 56, and 70. The results showed that the activities of total superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase decreased when the geese aged, and were highest on d 42 in each group (P<0.05). The activities of these enzymes increased as the n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios decreased and were highest in the 3:1 group at all tested ages (P<0.05). It was also observed that the levels of H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO) in liver tissue tended to increase with age, and were relatively higher on d 70. Furthermore, the levels of H2O2, MDA, and NO decreased as n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios decreased and were lowest at 3:1 and 6:1 at all studied ages (P<0.05). Overall, diets containing comparatively low n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios, such as 3:1 or 6:1, could increase antioxidant function and decrease hepatocyte damage in liver tissue.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTEREST RATES AND INFLATION TOWARD THE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN MALAYSIA

This study analyses the relationship between interest rates and inflation toward the economic growth in Malaysia. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to assess the prospective relationships between the economic growth and the inflation rates and interest. The quarterly data employed for 10 year from 2004 until 2013. The findings showed there was a positive relationship between interest rate with economic growth besides, the negative relationship could be observed between the inflation rate with economic growth. From the regression result, it showed that the interest rate is a significant and have an impact on the economic growth in Malaysia.
Identifying Tidal Disruption Events via Prior Photometric Selection of Their Preferred Hosts

A nuclear transient detected in a post-starburst galaxy or other quiescent galaxy with strong Balmer absorption is likely to be a tidal disruption event (TDE). Identifying such galaxies within the planned survey footprint of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) before a transient is detected will make TDE classification immediate and follow-up more efficient. Unfortunately, spectra for identifying most such galaxies are unavailable, and simple photometric selection is ineffective; cutting on “green valley” UV/optical/IR colors produces samples that are highly contaminated and incomplete. Here we propose a new strategy using only photometric optical/UV/IR data from large surveys. Applying a machine-learning random forest classifier to a sample of ∼400,000 SDSS galaxies with Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) photometry, including 13,592 quiescent Balmer-strong galaxies, we achieve 53%–61% purity and 8%–21% completeness, given the range in redshift. For the subset of 1299 post-starburst galaxies, we achieve 63%–73% purity and 5%–12% completeness. Given these results, the range of likely TDE and supernova rates, and that 36%–75% of TDEs occur in quiescent Balmer-strong hosts, we estimate that 13%–99% of transients observed in photometrically selected host galaxies will be TDEs and that we will discover 119–248 TDEs per year with LSST. Using our technique, we present a new catalog of 67,484 candidate galaxies expected to have a high TDE rate, drawn from the SDSS, Pan-STARRS, DES, and WISE photometric surveys. This sample is 3.5× larger than the current SDSS sample of similar galaxies, thereby providing a new path forward for transient science and galaxy evolution studies.