Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autonomous self-evolving forecasting models for price movement in high frequency trading: Evidence from Taiwan

Among FinTech research and applications, forecasting financial time series data has been a challenging task because this kind of data is typically quite noisy and non-stationary. A recent line of financial research centers around trading through financial data on the microscopic level, which is the holy grail of high-frequency trading (HFT), as the higher the data frequency, the more profitable opportunities may appear. The advancement in HFT modeling has also facilitated more understanding towards price formation because the supply and demand of a stock can be comprehended more easily from the microstructure of the order book. Instead of traditional statistical methods, there has been increasing demand for the development of more reliable prediction models due to the recent progress in Computational Intelligence (CI) technologies. In this study, we aim to develop novel CI-based methodologies for the forecasting task of price movement in HFT. Our goal is to conduct a study for autonomous genetic-based models that allow the forecasting systems to self-evolve. The results show that our proposed method can improve upon the previous ones and advance the current state of Fintech research.
Clinical Characteristics of Cognitive Impairment and 1-Year Outcome in Patients With Anti-LGI1 Antibody Encephalitis

Introduction: Anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 antibody (anti-LGI1) encephalitis is one of the most common autoimmune encephalitis. Anti-LGI1 encephalitis presented with subacute or acute onset of cognitive impairment, psychiatric disturbances, faciobrachial dystonic seizures (FBDSs), convulsions, and hyponatremia. The common sequela of anti-LGI1 encephalitis is cognitive disorder, but there are few studies on the recovery of cognitive function after immunotherapy. This study aimed to explore clinical characteristics of cognitive impairment and 1-year outcome in patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis. Methods: The clinical data and characteristics of cognitive impairment of 21 patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis from 2016 to 2019 in Nanjing Brain Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. At the time of onset of hospitalization and 1 year after discharge, the cognitive functions in these patients were assessed using two cognitive screening scales—Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic (MoCA-B). Results: Among the 21 patients, 13 were male and 8 were female, aged 51.10 ± 14.69 (age range 20–72) years. Nineteen patients, comprising 90.48%, had recent memory deterioration. Routine electroencephalography (EEG) results of 13 cases were abnormal. EEG results were epileptic or slow-wave activity involving the temporal lobes. Eleven cases of brain MRI were abnormal, and the focus involved the hippocampus and mediotemporal lobe. The decrease of short-term memory [recall scores: 0.57 ± 0.81 (MMSE), 0.76 ± 1.34 (MoCA-B)] is the most obvious at the time of admission. After intravenous (IV) injection of methylprednisolone and/or immunoglobulin, the clinical symptoms of the patients improved obviously. Total MMSE and MoCA-B scores of patients were significant increased after 1 year (21.19 ± 3.54 vs. 26.10 ± 3.02, P < 0.001; and 19.00 ± 4.38 vs. 25.19 ± 4.25, P < 0.001, respectively). Recall scores and orientation scores of MoCA-B were significantly improved after 1 year (0.76 ± 1.34 vs. 3.24 ± 1.48, P < 0.001; and 3.10 ± 1.26 vs. 5.00 ± 1.22, P < 0.001, respectively). However, 3/21 (14.29%) patients still have obvious short-term memory impairment (recall scores ≤ 1). Conclusion: Cognitive impairment is one of the most common manifestations of anti-LGI1 encephalitis, with the main prominent being acute or subacute short-term memory loss. Although most patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis respond well to immunotherapy, a small number of patients still have cognitive disorders, mainly recent memory impairment, after 1 year.
A new robust LMI-based model predictive control for continuous-time uncertain nonlinear systems

ABSTRACT This paper presents a new robust predictive controller for a special class of continuous-time non-linear systems with uncertainty. These systems have bounded disturbances with unknown upper bound as well as constraints on input states. The controller is designed in the form of an optimization problem of the ‘worst-case’ objective function over an infinite moving horizon. Through this objective function, constraints and uncertainties can be applied explicitly on the controller design, which guarantees the system stability. Next, LMI tool is used to improve the calculation time and complexity. To do this, in order to find the optimum gain for state-feedback, the optimization problem is solved using LMI method in each time step. Finally, to show the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, a surge phenomenon avoidance problem in centrifugal compressors is solved.
Technical Validation of a Hepatitis C Virus Whole Genome Sequencing Assay for Detection of Genotype and Antiviral Resistance in the Clinical Pathway

Choice of direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in the United Kingdom and similar settings usually requires knowledge of the genotype and, in some cases, antiviral resistance (AVR) profile of the infecting virus. To determine these, most laboratories currently use Sanger technology, but next-generation sequencing (NGS) offers potential advantages in throughput and accuracy. However, NGS poses unique technical challenges, which require idiosyncratic development and technical validation approaches. This applies particularly to virology, where sequence diversity is high and the amount of starting genetic material is low, making it difficult to distinguish real data from artifacts. We describe the development and technical validation of a sequence capture-based HCV whole genome sequencing (WGS) assay to determine viral genotype and AVR profile. We use clinical samples of known subtypes and viral loads, and simulated FASTQ datasets to validate the analytical performances of both the wet laboratory and bioinformatic pipeline procedures. We show high concordance of the WGS assay compared to current “gold standard” Sanger assays. Specificity was 92.3 and 96.1% for AVR and genotyping, respectively. Discordances were due to the inability of Sanger assays to assign the correct subtype or accurately call mixed drug-resistant variants. We show high repeatability and reproducibility with >99.8% sequence similarity between sequence runs as well as high precision for variant frequency detection at >98.8% in the 95th percentile. Post-sequencing bioinformatics quality control workflows allow the accurate distinction between mixed infections, cross-contaminants and recombinant viruses at a threshold of >5% for the minority population. The sequence capture-based HCV WGS assay is more accurate than legacy AVR and genotyping assays. The assay has now been implemented in the clinical pathway of England’s National Health Service HCV treatment programs, representing the first validated HCV WGS pipeline in clinical service. The data generated will additionally provide granular national-level genomic information for public health policy making and support the WHO HCV elimination strategy.
Cloning and Expression Analysis of Sugarcane Phenylalanin Ammonia-lyase (PAL) Gene

【Objective】The aim of this study was to clone full-length cDNA of sugarcane phenylalanin ammonia-lyase(PAL) gene(ScPAL),a key enzyme gene related to phenylpropanoid metabolism in sugarcane,investigate its sequence characteristics,analyze its expressions in different organs and under five different stress conditions,thus providing a theoretical support for using this gene in sugarcane stress tolerance breeding. 【Method】 The differentially expressed protein was identified by MALDI TOF/TOF and analyzed using Applied Biosystems GPS Explorer software with Mascot analysis against the NCBI and Uniprot database using a combined peptide mass fingerprint and MS/MS search,then the full sequence of ScPAL was cloned from sugarcane variety ROC22 using RT-PCR and RACE techniques.The bioinformatics method was used to analyze the putative amino acid sequence,and real-time PCR method was used to analyze the expression of ScPAL in different tissues and under different stresses. 【Result】 The full-length cDNA of ScPAL(GenBank accession number: KC172559) in sugarcane was cloned.The sequence consists of 2590 bp with an intact open reading frame of 2115 bp,encoding a polypeptide of 704 amino acids.Sequence analysis showed that it contains the typical PAL enzyme active site sequence(GTITASGDLVPLSYIA). Homology analysis showed that the deduced ScPAL protein was highly homologous to other PAL proteins from different species.Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that ScPAL was very closely related to PAL of sorghum.Real-time PCR results showed that the ScPAL expressed in root,stalk and leaf,respectively,and its expression was different among three organs.The mRNA of ScPAL in root was the highest among three organs and was about sixty-six times higher than that in leaf.Furthermore,ScPAL transcription level was induced under the treatment of low temperature,PEG,NaCl and H2O2stresses,but the expression patterns were different. 【Conclusion】 The gene ScPAL which was firstly cloned and characterized from sugarcane(ROC22) is a member of PAL family typically.The results of study indicated that it participated in sugarcane resistance to smut,also played a role in the sugarcane resistance to chilling,drought and salt stress processes.
ASSESSMENT AND COMPARISON OF HORMONAL IMMUNOEXPRESSION AND THE CLINICAL PICTURE IN PATIENTS WITH PITUITARY ADENOMAS.

Introduction Symptoms related to hypersecretion of hormones in patients with pituitary adenomas do not always correlate with immunohistochemical staining results. Objective To evaluate the relationship between the pituitary adenomas hormone immunoexpressions and endocrine presentations. Patients and methods The clinical status and immunoexpression of 72 patients who underwent transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas were analyzed. Results Macroadenomas were diagnosed in 51 cases (70.84%), while microadenomas were found in 21 cases (29.16%). The 72 adenoma specimens were divided into 22 monohormonal, 21 plurihormonal, 21 immunonegative and 8 unreliable specimens. The positive immunohistochemical staining results occurred as follows: prolactin and growth hormone 25% each, adrenocorticotropic hormone 13.89%, thyroid-stimulating hormone 5.56%, leuteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone 12.5%, glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit 22.22%. Statistically significant relationships between the immunohistochemical presentation and the preoperative diagnosis were found for prolactin and hyperprolactinemia, growth hormone and acromegaly and adrenocorticotropic hormone and Cushing's syndrome. Conclusions The lack of full concordance between the clinical presentations and immunohistochemical staining was mainly a result of the presence of nonfunctioning adenomas, plurihormonal adenomas and unreliable specimens. The morphometric method introduced in this study, utilizing the immunoexpression index, provided a very precise evaluation of pituitary adenomas pathology.
IL-37 Gene and Cholesterol Metabolism: Association of Polymorphisms with the Presence of Hypercholesterolemia and Cardiovascular Risk Factors. The GEA Mexican Study

Interleukin 37 (IL-37) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine involved in the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis, reducing the levels of plasma cholesterol, fatty acids, and triglycerides. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of the IL-37 polymorphisms with the presence of hypercholesterolemia (HC), and with cardiovascular risk factors. Nine IL-37 polymorphisms (rs2708965, rs2708962, rs6717710, rs2708961, rs2708960, rs2708958, rs2723187, rs2708947, and rs2723192) were determined by TaqMan assays in a group of 1292 individuals (514 with and 778 without hypercholesterolemia) belonging to the cohort of the GEA Mexican Study. The associations were evaluated by logistic regression, using inheritance models adjusted by confounding variables. Under codominant 1 model, the rs2708961 (OR = 0.51, p = 0.02), rs2723187 (OR = 0.35, p = 0.005), and rs2708947 (OR = 0.49, p = 0.02) polymorphisms were associated with low risk of HC. The association of the polymorphisms with cardiovascular risk factors was evaluated independently in HC and non-HC individuals. In non-HC individuals, some polymorphisms were associated with the risk of having high levels of LDL-C, glucose, and high risk of T2DM, and low risk of having high visceral abdominal fat. On the other hand, in individuals with HC five, polymorphisms were associated with high levels of C-reactive protein. The IL-37 rs2708961, rs2723187, rs2708947 polymorphisms were associated with low risk of HC, and some IL-37 polymorphisms were associated with cardiometabolic factors in both individuals with and without HC.
Screening-level assessment of cancer risk associated with ambient air exposure in Aamjiwnaang First Nation

ABSTRACT The manuscript reports findings from a screening-level assessment of cancer risk from outdoor air in Aamjiwnaang First Nation. Ambient air pollution can contribute to cardiovascular/respiratory diseases, and certain types of cancer. Certain communities may be at higher risk to the negative health impacts due to their geographical proximity to pollution sources. Outdoor air concentrations were mapped and the Lifetime Excess Cancer Risks (LECR) associated with long-term exposure to known carcinogens were estimated. LECR results for both benzene and 1,3-butadiene were above one per million. The LECR for benzene was 6.4 per million when the Health Canada slope factor was applied and 12.0 when using the US EPA. For 1,3-butadiene the LECR estimate was 8.8 per million. This work provides a better understanding of environmental exposures and potential associated cancer risks for residents in the Aamjiwnaang community and highlights the need for further air monitoring and a more detailed risk assessment.
Identi®cation of seven S-alleles from the European pear (Pyrus communis) and the determination of compatibility among cultivars

Summary The European pear (Pyrus communis) belongs to the Rosaceae, which carries the gametophytic self-incompatibility fertilization system (GSI). GSI is haplotype speci®c and controlled by the S-locus. The S-locus carries a multi-allelic gene that encodes for RNase (S-RNase), which is involved in executing pollen rejection in a speci®c manner. The different S-alleles also serve for molecular identi®cation of the S-haplotypes. Orchards of trees carrying GSI contain at least two cultivars, which are fertilization-compatible with each other. However, compatibility may be full when the cultivars differ in both their S-loci or partial when they share one of the two S-loci. Semi-compatibility between cultivars can lead to yield reduction, since half of the pollinator's pollen is rejected. Identi®cation of semi-compatibility according to yield levels is not always trivial, since many factors are involved in yield production. On the contrary, the application of molecular analysis, for the identi®cation of S-RNase alleles can clearly determine the genetic compatibility between cultivars. Many S-alleles of Rosaceae fruit trees have been identi®ed, but only a few of them are from European pear cultivars. In Israel the yield of the European pear is relatively low. To elucidate if semi-S-allele compatibility could provide the explanation, the S-allele content of the four cultivars grown in the Israel was determined. It was found that `Spadona', the main cultivar carries the alleles Sj and Sk, and its pollinators, `Coscia', `Gentile' and `Spadochina' carry Sb-Sk, Si-Sj and Sk-Sl, respectively. Thus, each of the pollinators shares one of the `Spadona' S-alleles and therefore is semi-compatible with it. All of the alleles are new, apart from Sb, which has been identi®ed previously by Zuccherelli et al. (2002). To identify potential fully compatible pollinators for `Spadona', ®ve additional cultivars that are being considered for introduction into the Israel pear orchard were analysed. It was discovered that `Bon Rouge', `Doctor Jill Guyot', `Forelle' and `Red Clapp' are semi-compatible and that `Lawson' is fully compatible with `Spadona'. In this latter analysis, three additional European pear S-alleles, Sm, Sn and So were identi®ed.
DIFFERENCES IN OPINION BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA IN RELATION TO RELEVANT ISSUES ON ACADEMIC SERVICE QUALITY: A STUDY ON MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Purpose – The purpose of the present study is to explore empirically the disparities in view between industry and academia on the programme quality with a special reference to management education. This research also establishes the key areas of difference by employing scientific testing procedure. Methodology / approach – A sample of 278 respondents, including executives from 15 industries and faculty members from 14 premier management institutes of West Bengal, have been selected by random sample technique. A questionnaire, consisting of 25 items related to the quality of an ideal management programme has been administered. The One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for testing the normality of said 25 observations have been employed. Test infers that observations are non-normal in nature. Thus, any non-parametric test is suitable to examine the hypothesis. Therefore, the Mann-Whitney U test has been carried out to ascertain the differences between two groups of populations. Findings This paper identifies the gap (differences in opinion) between the industry and academia on the 11 key issues related to the quality of management programme. Practical implications – Industry raises question on academics vis-ą-vis industry readiness of their pass out students. This research highlights the specific issues for which management graduates from B-schools are less employable to the industry. Thus, this research benefits industry and academia both.
Nocturnal peripheral vasoconstriction predicts the frequency of severe acute pain episodes in children with sickle cell disease

The basic model of SCD physiology states that vaso‐occlusion occurs when hemoglobin S‐containing red blood cells (RBC) undergo sickling before they escape the capillary into a larger vessel. We have shown that mental stress, pain and cold, and events reported by patients to trigger SCD vaso‐occlusive crisis (VOC), cause rapid and significant decrease in blood flow, reducing the likelihood that RBC could transit the microvasculature before sickling occurs. However, the critical link between decrease in microvascular blood flow and the incidence of future sickle VOC has never been established experimentally in humans. Using data from centrally adjudicated, overnight polysomnograms (PSG), previously collected in a prospective multi‐center cohort sleep study, we analyzed the beat‐to‐beat amplitudes of vasoconstriction reported by the fingertip photoplethysmogram in 212 children and adolescents with SCD and developed an algorithm that detects vasoconstriction events and quantifies the magnitude (Mvasoc), duration, and frequency of vasoconstriction that reflect the individual's inherent peripheral vasoreactivity. The propensity to vasoconstrict, quantified by median Mvasoc, predicted the incidence rate of post‐PSG severe acute vaso‐occlusive pain events (P = .006) after accounting for age and hemoglobin. Indices of sleep‐disordered breathing contributed to median Mvasoc but did not predict future pain rate. Median Mvasoc was not associated with vaso‐occlusive pain events that occurred prior to each PSG. These results show that SCD individuals with high inherent propensity to vasoconstrict have more frequent severe acute pain events. Our empirical findings are consistent with the fundamental SCD hypothesis that decreased microvascular flow promotes microvascular occlusion.
Prevalence of sarcopenia in kidney transplants and their association with determinant factors of muscle homeostasis.

INTRODUCTION Sarcopenia is characterized by the involuntary loss of lean body mass associated with a progressive reduction of muscle strength. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in kidney transplant recipients and its association with the determining factors that control muscle homeostasis. METHODS We evaluated renal transplant recipients undergoing follow-up at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Maranhão from June 2017 to July 2018 and who met the inclusion criteria. Sarcopenia was defined according to the European criteria. The skeletal muscle mass index was measured by dual-energy radiological absorptiometry; the values <7,26 kg/m2 for men and <5,5 kg/m2 for women were adopted for muscle depletion. For handgrip strength, values of <30 kg for men and <20 kg for women were considered as reduced muscle strength. In both sexes, the cutoff point for walking speed was <0,8 m/s. RESULTS We evaluated 83 renal transplant recipients with a mean age of 48.8 ± 12,1 years and predominantly males (57,8%). The prevalence of sarcopenia was 19,3%. Among individuals without sarcopenia, 17,9% had a decrease in handgrip strength and 40,3% has altered gait speed. DISCUSSION Individuals submitted to renal transplant may develop sarcopenia while still young and already present altered muscle function and strength even before the depletion of lean body mass. CONCLUSION Early diagnosis may allow the prevention of sarcopenia and provide a better quality of life for patients.
Using structural analysis to explore the role of hepatitis B virus mutations in immune escape from liver cancer in Chinese, European and American populations

Abstract Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important problem threatening human health. After HBV virus invades human body, it may assemble a complete virus particle in the cytoplasm to trigger the immune reaction, especially the interaction between the HBV virus and the host that mediated by CD8+ T cell. We collected the sequences of HBV from the HBVdb database, then screened candidate mutation sites in Chinese, European and American populations based on conservation and physicochemical properties. After that we constructed the three-dimensional structure of Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) -peptide complexes, performed molecular docking, run molecular dynamics to compare the binding free energy, stability, and affinity of MHC I-peptide complexes with the aim to estimate the effect of peptide mutation. The specific HBV virus subtypes of the Chinese, European and American population were studied and the candidate mutation sites were used to predict the mutant peptide antigen. Finally, based on physical and chemical properties and peptide antigen prediction scores, 21 HBV mutation sites were selected. Then combined with specific Human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) subtypes, 11 mutations were found to have a significant negative impact on affinity, stability and binding free energy. Overall, our work found important potential mutations, which provide an evaluation of HBV mutations and a clue of it in immunotherapy. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma