Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EVALUATION OF TRANSPORT PROPERTIES BY EXCHANGE MATRIX METHOD

** Summary This work is devoted to the study of transport properties of materials in chaotic two-dimensional stirring, using Spencer & Wiley matrix method. This study is important for applying in problems of pollutant transport (such as petroleum patches) in tidal flows. In order to construct this special exchange matrix we use an approximation of such flows suggested by Zimmerman, who adopted the idea of chaotic advection, first put forward by Aref. Then for a quantitative estimation of the transport properties we explore a coarse-grained density description introduced by Gibbs and Welander. Such coarse-grained representations over an investigation area show a “residence place” for the pollutant material at any instant. The exchange matrix can show transport of patches or particles from any place in the area under consideration to an arbitrary location in the tidal sea and time if it happens.
Seasonality, flexibility and dynamic of services in leisure spaces of the Potiguar coast (Brazil)

Leisure express in the space an economic dynamics and an urbanization with specificities that is directly related to the seasonal characteristics of areas intended for this purpose. This work carried out with the objective to bring some contribution in order to better understand the nature of the relationships and interaction spaces established in the specialized areas for leisure activities and tourism, from the analysis of the functioning and dynamics of the Service Sector. The research had the following methodological procedures: survey data in bodies and governmental institutions; survey and georeferencing of commercial establishments and services; mapping of establishments; conducting interviews with entrepreneurs of commercial and service sectors. We conclude that although areas being addressed are different from each other as regards the aspects of population and socioeconomic factors, they feature an urban dynamics very similar, due to the flexibility of the flows and fixed, which are governed by the seasonal characteristics of specialized areas for recreation. As a result, we have a coastal urbanization, linear, fragmented and flexible, due to the flexibility of the flows (tourists and users of second leisure real estate) and fixed uses (commercial establishments and services).
Investigation into PCB Routing Loss for Coupled Inductor Based VR (Voltage Regulator) Design in Server Computing System

Coupled inductor is one appealing technology to improve transient response and reduce output decoupling significantly in interleaved multi-phase voltage regulators (VRs). One well known problem is that coupled inductor winding structure causes PCB routing path longer than discrete inductor design. This paper investigates possible PCB routing schemes for coupled inductor and conducts a fair and quantitative comparison with discrete inductor in a server VR design. Simulation and measurement are also conducted to verify the analysis.
Ju l 1 99 8 A new method for numerical inversion of the Laplace transform

A formula of Doetsch (Math. Zeitschr. 42, 263 (1937)) is generalized and used to numerically invert the one-sided Laplace transform Ĉ(β). The necessary input is only the values of Ĉ(β) on the positive real axis. The method is applicable provided that the functions Ĉ(β) belong to the function space Lα defined by the condition that G(x) = exαĈ(ex), α > 0 has to be square integrable. This space includes sums of exponential decays Ĉ(β) = ∑∞ n ane −βEn , e.g. partition functions with an = 1. In practice, the inversion algorithm consists of two subsequent fast Fourier transforms. High accuracy inverted data can be obtained, provided that the signal is also highly accurate. The method is demonstrated for a harmonic partition function and resonant transmission through a barrier. We find accurately inverted functions even in the presence of noise.
A Study of Analyst Forecast Reliability in Australia

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether time weighted consensus estimates offer a more effective method for predicting company actual EPS figures than simple mean or median analysis. The study aims to construct a more comprehensive earnings forecast signal using analyst earnings forecasts that have been weighted based on the timeliness of updates. Aimed at extracting valuable information from timely analyst forecasts, the time weighted earnings signal (TWES) methodology allows extracting valuable information from analysts who possess some unique insights about the market and issue their updates more frequently. One would expect the time signal to reflect a more realistic representation of analyst estimate changes and thus be more effective in predicting the companies’ reported EPS than the mean and median.
Exploring the Evolution of Innovation Networks in Science-driven and Scale-intensive Industries: New Evidence from a Stochastic Actor-based Approach

Our primary goal is to analyse the drivers of evolutionary network change processes by using a stochastic actor-based simulation approach. We contribute to the literature by combining two unique datasets, concerning the German laser and automotive industry, between 2002 and 2006 to explore whether geographical, network-related, and techno-logical determinants affect the evolution of networks, and if so, as to what extent these determinants systematically differ for science-driven industries compared to scale-intensive industries. Our results provide empirical evidence for the explanatory power of network-related determinants in both industries. The 'experience effect' as well as the 'transitivity effects' are significant for both industries but more pronounced for laser manufacturing firms. When it comes to 'geographical effects' and 'technological effects' the picture changes considerably. While geographical proximity plays an important role in the automotive industry, firms in the laser industry seem to be less dependent on geographical closeness to cooperation partners; instead they rather search out for cooperation opportunities in distance. This might reflect the strong dependence of firms in science-driven industries to access diverse external knowledge, which cannot necessarily be found in the close geographical surrounding. Technological proximity negatively influences cooperation decisions for laser source manufacturers, yet has no impact for automotive firms. In other words,technological heterogeneity seems to explain, at least in science-driven industries, the attractiveness of potential cooperation partners.
The Hypercholesterolemia Paradox in Relation To Mortality in Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis Review

Background: For numerous decades it has been known that individuals with high cholesterol levels in their body are at increased risk of developing Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). However a number of researches in the recent past have been composed, scrutinizing the relevance of such a notion. Objective: The general objective was to search, analyze and compile relevant studies done to show an inverse relationship between high levels of cholesterol in relation to acute coronary syndrome. Methodology: We sought relevant articles from Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews (2014), PubMed, BMJ, Clinical Cardiology journal, Journal of American College of Cardiology, journal of Critical Care Medicine, Journal of Lipid research, New England journal of Medicine and several circulations. Results: More than 167685 patients were involved in the chosen studies and they have shown significant inverse association between high cholesterol and ACS while a few of the studies displayed no association. Conclusion: There is a well-founded paradox of hypercholesteremia in relation to ACS. Our study can be used as a set point for more researches to explore on this concept and review the various guidelines on the treatment of elevated cholesterol. It can as well be used to open doors for studies to be performed in African countries so as to test the validity of the concept.
Exploring the Mechanism of Action of Herbal Medicine (Gan-Mai-Da-Zao Decoction) for Poststroke Depression Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Background Poststroke depression (PSD) is the most common and serious neuropsychiatric complication occurring after cerebrovascular accidents, seriously endangering human health while also imposing a heavy burden on society. Nevertheless, it is difficult to control disease progression. Gan-Mai-Da-Zao Decoction (GMDZD) is effective for PSD, but its mechanism of action in PSD is unknown. In this study, we explored the mechanism of action of GMDZD in PSD treatment using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Material and methods. We obtained the active components of all drugs and their targets from the public database TCMSP and published articles. Then, we collected PSD-related targets from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. Cytoscape 3.8. 2 was applied to construct PPI and composite target disease networks. In parallel, the DAVID database was used to perform GO and KEGG enrichment analyses to determine the biological processes enriched in the treatment-related drugs in vivo. Finally, molecular docking was used to verify the association between the main active ingredients and their targets. Results The network pharmacological analysis of GMDZD in PSD revealed 107 active ingredients with important biological effects, including quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, naringenin, and isorhamnetin. In total, 203 potential targets for the treatment of this disease were screened, including STAT3, JUN, TNF, TPT53, AKT1, and EGFR. These drugs are widely enriched in a series of signaling pathways, such as TNF, HIF-1, and toll-like receptor. Moreover, molecular docking analysis showed that the core active components were tightly bound to their core targets, further confirming their anti-PSD effects. Conclusion This prospective study was based on the integrated analysis of large data using network pharmacology technology to explore the feasibility of GMDZD for PSD treatment that was successfully validated by molecular docking. It reflects the multicomponent and multitarget characteristics of Chinese medicine and, more importantly, brings hope for the clinical treatment of PSD.
Big Data on Cloud Computing, Challenges and Opportunities – A Conceptual Model

: The rapid growth of the Internet, Internet of Things(IoT) and cloud computing have been resulting to the explosive growth of big data in almost most of the industries and academia. However, analyzing the large volumes of data which generated from various sources requires a lot of efforts at multiple levels to extract knowledge for decision making. Cloud computing is one such powerful technology to perform massive scales of data and complex computing. The paper will introduce the concepts and definitions of big data and cloud computing, challenges of big data and possible cloud solutions to address the challenges. Further, this will suggest a conceptual model which expressing three segments of challenges including data, processing and organizational and also provide ideal cloud solutions in order to handle the proposed challenges.
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM LISTED FIRMS IN CHINA

In 2001 the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) issued the regulation “Guidelines for Establishing Independent Director System in Listed Firms” (No.102) stipulating a minimum number of independent directors on corporate boards, with the objective to introduce better governance practices and protect the interest of minority shareholders. We investigate whether the regulation had its intended effect of enhancing firm performance and shareholders wealth of listed state-owned and non-state-owned Chinese firms. Using a large sample of 2646 firm-year observations from 2001 to 2003, we find that both SOE and non-SOE firms improved their board independence significantly from the pre to the post regulation period, and firm performance significantly increased in the post regulation period for both types of firms, with the increase being greater in the case of SOE firms. JEL Classification Codes: G30, G32, G38
Effects of 7-Week Hip Thrust Versus Back Squat Resistance Training on Performance in Adolescent Female Soccer Players

Hip thrust (HT) is a loaded bridging exercise that requires more hip extension than a back squat (SQ) does, while in a back squat, triple flex extension occurs. Due to the specificity of each exercise, it is claimed that HT gains can be better transferred to actions where hip extension occurs. In addition, strength improvements during squatting can be transferred in a greater way to vertical plane movement, such as vertical jumping. However, its effects on the performance of female soccer players are unclear. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to analyze a 7-week training program on performance variables using either HT or SQ exercises in female adolescent soccer players without lifting experience (N = 24, age = 16.82 ± 1.56 years, height = 1.64 ± 0.55 cm, body mass = 58.35 ± 6.28 kg). Players were randomized into three groups: A back squat group (SQG; N = 8), hip thrust group (HTG; N = 8), and control group (CG; N = 8). Participants in the HTG and SQG joined a progressive resistance training program twice per week for 7 weeks with either HT or SQ exercises. A countermovement jump, 10–20 m sprint, T-test, and barbell velocity during HTs and SQs (with the load that represents ~60 and ~80% RM) were measured before and after the intervention. The HTG showed greater improvements in the 10-m sprint (d = 0.7), 20-m sprint (d = 0.46), T-test (d = 0.36), and barbell velocity at 80% repetition maximal (RM) (d = 0.53) and 60% RM (d = 1.02) during hip thrusts, while the SQG showed higher barbell velocity at 80% RM (d = −0.7) during back squats. These results may be useful for strength and conditioning coaches working with adolescent female soccer athletes, since both strengthening exercises improved performance in different ways due to the nature of the exercise.
Discoidin Domain Receptor 1 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression through Modulation of SLC1A5 Expression

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers with the highest mortality rate in the world. Receptor tyrosine kinases play an important role in the occurrence and development of cancer. Discoid protein domain receptors 1 (DDR1) are a special type of transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase. Here, we show DDR1 is significantly increased in Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), which is related to poor prognosis of HCC patients. Methods DDR1 expression in HCC cell lines and paired HCC specimens were determined by western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). At the same time, the correlation between the DDR1 and SLC1A5 was also studied in HCC specimens. Cell proliferation ability were evaluated by CCK8 and colony formation assays. Knock-down and overexpression experiments, CHX, NH4CL and Mg132 intervention experiments, Immunoprecipitation experiments, and nude mouse xenograft models were used to determine the potential mechanism by which DDR1 promotes tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. Results In this study, we find that overexpression of DDR1 promotes the proliferation of HCC cells and accelerates the growth of tumor xenografts, while downregulation of DDR1 has the opposite effect. We also proved that loss or gain of DDR1 could affect the cell cycle progression of liver cancer cells. Mechanistically, DDR1 interacts with the SLC1A5 that belongs to the solute carrier (SLC) family of transporters and regulates its stability, thereby regulating the mTORC1 signaling pathway. In addition, we found that the regulation of SLC1A5 by DDR1 can be restored by lysosome inhibitors. Otherwise, we found that DDR1 was highly expressed in HCC and elevated DDR1 expression predicted shorter overall survival (OS) time for HCC patients. We further revealed that the expression of SLC1A5 was positively correlated with DDR1.In summary, our data shows that DDR1 is a tumor-promoting factor that can control cell proliferation and cell cycle by stabilizing SLC1A5 in a lysosome-dependent pathway, which provides a new treatment target for HCC. Conclusions This study reveals a new mechanism through which DDR1 can play the role of cancer-promoting genes in the progression of liver cancer. We also found that the expression of DDR1 is an independent prognostic indicator of OS, and the expression of DDR1 and SLC1A5 are positively correlated in clinical samples. Our findings provide a new perspective for understanding the development of HCC, which may provide new targets for the treatment and management of this challenging cancer.
HUMAN CAPITAL FORMATION:

THE CASE OF QATAR* Hend A. Jolo College of Business and Economics Qatar University This paper is an exploratory study that investigates human capital (HC) formation in the state of Qatar. It is carried out with the intention to provide an insight into such a process among Qataris and to ascertain how government's investment in education has been an effective influence on the formation of HC in Qatar. The study provides new evidence about the actual process and indicators of indigenous HC over the last three decades and revealed that Qatari government has been investing well over that period and its educational indicators are accepted internationally. However, the research showed that even when backwardness occurs, this was mainly referring to the structures of the Qatari population and related labour force, quality of educational outcomes and expenditures boundaries. It is also appeared that the education system in Qatar has gained an increasingly high degree of independence from the economy since its establishment. However, the Qatari education system is not entirly to blame for such shortcomings. Indeed, a comprehensive, realistic and workable manpower development and overall development plan at national level would appear to be a crucial element of any HC strategy to enable the country to fully integrate its social and economic growth with the desired manpower. * This paper is derived from larger study that investigates human capital formation in Qatar.
ICT YOUNG 2012 TRUST MANAGEMENT IN WSN – CASE STUDY EVALUATION

The paper presents a case study related to WSN application in the e-health domain. It was assumed that the network implements the method of distributed trust management which leads to detection and isolation of sensors violating the network policies. To measure the effectiveness of such detection a set of metrics was derived in a systematic way, using Goal-Question-Metrics approach. The network was simulated with the help of a dedicated simulator and the resulting data were used to obtain values of the metrics which demonstrate how effectively the broken nodes are eliminated from the network
Evaluation of Four Multiple Imputation Methods for Handling Missing Binary Outcome Data in the Presence of an Interaction between a Dummy and a Continuous Variable

Multiple imputation by chained equations (MICE) is the most common method for imputing missing data. In the MICE algorithm, imputation can be performed using a variety of parametric and nonparametric methods. The default setting in the implementation of MICE is for imputation models to include variables as linear terms only with no interactions, but omission of interaction terms may lead to biased results. It is investigated, using simulated and real datasets, whether recursive partitioning creates appropriate variability between imputations and unbiased parameter estimates with appropriate confidence intervals. We compared four multiple imputation (MI) methods on a real and a simulated dataset. MI methods included using predictive mean matching with an interaction term in the imputation model in MICE (MICE-interaction), classification and regression tree (CART) for specifying the imputation model in MICE (MICE-CART), the implementation of random forest (RF) in MICE (MICE-RF), and MICE-Stratified method. We first selected secondary data and devised an experimental design that consisted of 40 scenarios (2 × 5 × 4), which differed by the rate of simulated missing data (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%), the missing mechanism (MAR and MCAR), and imputation method (MICE-Interaction, MICE-CART, MICE-RF, and MICE-Stratified). First, we randomly drew 700 observations with replacement 300 times, and then the missing data were created. The evaluation was based on raw bias (RB) as well as five other measurements that were averaged over the repetitions. Next, in a simulation study, we generated data 1000 times with a sample size of 700. Then, we created missing data for each dataset once. For all scenarios, the same criteria were used as for real data to evaluate the performance of methods in the simulation study. It is concluded that, when there is an interaction effect between a dummy and a continuous predictor, substantial gains are possible by using recursive partitioning for imputation compared to parametric methods, and also, the MICE-Interaction method is always more efficient and convenient to preserve interaction effects than the other methods.
Initiatives to increase the prescribing of low cost generics: the case of Scotland in the international context

Getting the most out of the pharmaceutical budget is critical across all countries as the financial pressures on healthcare systems intensify. In this paper, we review global practice on encouraging the use of low costs generics versus branded pharmaceuticals, including patented products in the same class where care is not compromised across countries to guide future practice. Our review ranges widely across European countries as well as other high income countries, including Abu Dhabi, Japan and the USA, and other low and middle income Countries. There is a particular focus on Scotland, building on previous publications. We conclude based on multiple publications, including several case studies, that achieving efficiency in pharmaceutical spending is possible in virtually all environments, although there are examples of technologies where generic or therapeutic substitution should not be encouraged. However, there is no magic bullet to achieving full and appropriate use of generics. Countries have to be prepared to use a number of different education, economic, engineering and enforcement methods including prescribing restrictions to achieve success. Similarly, different approaches to achieve low prices for good quality generics given the considerable price differences that currently exist. The combination of low prices and increased use of generics will help achieve or attain universal healthcare, benefiting all key stakeholder groups. We conclude with a call for greater cross-country learning in pursuit of what should be a common goal for all health systems.
Sex Differences in Play Networks and Self-Reported Physical Activity Among Children at Summer Care Programs

Abstract This study examined sex differences in child friendship networks relative to summer care programs and associations with self-reported physical activity (PA) across summer. Children (n = 182; mean age = 9.93 years; SD = 1.28) at two summer care programs reported PA and information about up to five people they hung around with at the program and five outside the program at the beginning and end of summer. Male children reported significantly more PA than females at both timepoints. Average PA of in-program friends was significantly associated with PA for both sexes. More studies should acknowledge access to summer care programming when assessing summertime PA.