Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of Novel Drug-Eluting Stents for Acute Myocardial Infarction

Delayed arterial healing at culprit sites after drug-eluting stent (DES) placement for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with increased risk of late stent thrombosis. The Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry was established in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Korea Circulation Society. Between November 2005 and December 2016, more than 62,000 patients were registered from 50 primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centers in Korea. DES in AMI may be safe and effective, however, there is concern about increased stent thrombosis after DES implantation in AMI patients, requiring longer-term dual anti-platelet therapy to reduce the risk of late stent thrombosis. Device innovation is needed to overcome issues such as stent thrombosis and restenosis by using new coating materials with biocompatible polymers, different coating methods using non-polymer techniques, bioabsorbable stents and pro-healing stents. In this review article, we describe the current usage of DES in AMI in Korea and introduce novel DES uses in development for patients with AMI. We have developed many types of DES in our research laboratory. Abciximab-coated stents inhibited platelet thrombi and restenosis. Furthermore, anti-oxidants (carvedilol, probucol and alpha-lipoic acid) were used for stent coating. Currently we are developing novel DESs using polymer-free and natural binding techniques, peptide coating stents, gene-and-drug delivery, bioabsorbable stents using 3D printing, endothelial progenitor cell capturing stents to promote reendothelialization and reduce stent thrombosis. New DESs in development may be safe and effective in preventing late stent thrombosis and restenosis in patients with AMI.
Predicting stock market responses by debiasing the financial analyst consensus

Few researchers have explored the use of crowd aggregation techniques for aggregating financial analyst forecasts. Therefore, this thesis investigates a relatively new technique in the financial analyst environment: The Contribution Weighted Model (CWM), proposed by Budescu and Chen (2014). It is common knowledge that the average of all analyst forecasts, the analyst consensus, is often biased. This model attempts to mitigate the effect of biases by identifying expertise amongst the analysts and assigning weights to forecasts based on a total contribution score. The question ‘To what extent is it possible to more accurately forecast earnings than the analyst consensus using the contribution weighted model of Budescu and Chen (2014) and to use the difference to predict stock market responses? ’ will be answered. This research extracts forecast data from the Institutional Brokers’ Estimate System (I/B/E/S) for analyst forecasts in the sample period of January 2011 to December 2017. Firstly, accuracy of the CWM is compared to the analyst consensus and adjusted versions of the CWM. Results of statistical analyses indicate the CWM is more accurate than the analyst consensus, but not more accurate than the adjusted versions. Secondly, the difference between the CWM and the analyst consensus is used to proxy for earnings surprises. Accuracy of the CWM does not seem to be sufficiently high to function as a relevant proxy, as no relation seem to exist between predicted earnings surprises and actual earnings surprises using the full sample. Thirdly, there does not seem to be a relation between predicted earnings surprises and stock market responses. Also, imposing multiple benchmarks does not seem to have an effect on the predictability of market responses. Further research could focus on refining the input of the CWM and investigating the drivers of market responses.
Struggling toward Indigenous representation and service improvement within the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development

This article explores organizational conditions for change to promote active Indigenous representation and service outcome improvements in a provincial child welfare program responsible for the ongoing oppression of Indigenous Peoples. Specific structural and environmental variables that support or impede Indigenous professionals’ efforts toward critically needed improvements to Indigenous child welfare services are explored. Amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis level of Indigenous children in care, the results indicate that developing highly specialized and equitably resourced Indigenous services, rather than ongoing ineffective and vague organizational approaches toward “indigenizing” provincial child welfare programs, are strongly indicated. Sommaire : Cet article se penche sur les conditions organisationnelles favorables au changement, afin de promouvoir une représentation active des Autochtones et d’améliorer les résultats de service au sein d’un programme d’aide à l’enfance provincial qui continue d’oppresser les peuples autochtones. Nous étudions les variables structurelles et environnementales particulières qui soutiennent ou entravent les efforts des professionnels autochtones pour améliorer les services d’aide à l’enfance autochtones qui sont d’une nécessité cruciale. Alors que la crise humanitaire touchant les enfants autochtones pris en charge persiste, nos résultats préconisent fortement le développement de services autochtones hautement spécialisés et dotés de ressources équitables, plutôt que de poursuivre des approches organisationnelles vagues et inefficaces visant à « autochtoniser » les programmes d’aide à l’enfance provinciaux. The Elders took me out and taught me how to crawl around underneath the trees so I could see the tea. I couldn’t see it. “Where is it? ” You know what? Unless you are lying on the ground looking, you can’t see the tea. The Elder introduced me to the tea and then I could see it and it was everywhere. It’s the same with the Ministry – unless you get down on your knees, and you’re down here [in the communities] working and experiencing, how do you know what it is? You can’t see it. (MCFD Indigenous Professional)
A Cross-Layer Approach to Reducing Packet Delay in Polling-Based Multiuser Systems

We consider a system where users are polled for transmission by a central server, and the link layer of each user employs automatic repeat request (ARQ) to ensure error-free delivery of packets. We present a cross-layer approach for reducing average packet delay (queuing delay plus service time). It is known that forward error correction (FEC) schemes can potentially lower the average packet delay by reducing the packet error probability (PEP) and, hence, the number of retransmissions. However, more precise results in the literature are few and far between. In this paper, we first establish that relative to an uncoded system, it is sufficient to reduce the average service time (AST) using FEC to achieve lower average packet delay. We then study and quantify the reduction in AST that can be achieved using the best possible FEC codes. The specific findings and contributions from our work are as follows: 1) We provide several bounds on the reduction in AST using the best possible FEC codes; 2) we give a sufficient condition when no FEC scheme can reduce the AST; 3) for Gaussian channels, we find that a relatively high PEP $(\sim\! \! \text{10}^{-2})$, which is obtained using as high a coding rate as possible, typically results in sufficiently small AST; 4) the performance of optimum maximum-likelihood decoding can be approached by a lower complexity bounded distance decoder; and 5) average packet delay can be further reduced in certain cases by opportunistically combining and encoding several packets jointly.
Characterizing Behavioral Differences of Autonomous Vehicles and Human-Driven Vehicles at Signalized Intersections Based on Waymo Open Dataset

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are being introduced to the traffic system with the promise of improving current traffic status. However, the empirical data also indicate contrary effects with estimated higher crash rate and change of crash patterns. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the driving behavior of AVs and human-driven vehicles (HDVs) in real mixed traffic. Current studies have analyzed the driving behavior of AVs and HDVs, as well as behavioral adaptations of drivers of HDVs based on empirical data. While they play an important role in traffic systems, signalized intersections have not been studied sufficiently in this context. Therefore, this study aims to utilize the Waymo open dataset to characterize and quantify the behavioral differences of AVs and HDVs at signalized intersections. Five parameters of driving behavior related to signalized intersections were characterized according to five critical maneuver phases, which were identified by wavelet transform and threshold-based method. Statistically significant differences in driving behavior between AVs and HDVs were found, from three categorized situations: vehicle approaching the red light/queue, vehicle responding to the green light (as the first vehicle), and vehicle responding to its preceding vehicle (in the queue). Further, behavioral adaptations of HDV drivers were revealed in that they tended to keep closer to the stopped AVs in a queue and to react more strongly to AV start-up maneuvers when the traffic light turns to green.
Motivating Factors for Sustainable Accountant Potentials in Malaysia

Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) emphasizes that the country has a pool of resources to steer towards Malaysia’s aspirations to become a developed and high-income nation. The ETP Roadmap highlights accountancy, an integral function in all businesses as part of the significant ETP driver. However, Malaysia still lacks the required number of qualified accountants by the year 2020. This challenges higher learning institutions to produce suitable accounting graduates. Despite taking an accounting subject in schools, not all these students later opt to enrol accounting in higher learning institutions as many factors influence their career choices. This study aims to explore these motivating factors. A quantitative approach was applied whereby primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey. Respondents were students from seven elite schools in Melaka. The study found eight motivating factors; family members in the accounting profession, public accountant as a career choice, students’ interest in receiving relevant information, choosing private accountants as a career, parents, school counsellor and career talk. However, only four of these factors were significant to students’ decisions to pursue professional accounting courses. In addition, parents’ influence plays a greater role in motivating students to opt for professional accounting courses as compared to an accounting degree.
A Review of Promising Natural Chemopreventive Agents for Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) accounts for 300,000 deaths per year worldwide, and overall survival rates have shown little improvement over the past three decades. Current treatment methods including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy leave patients with secondary morbidities. Thus, treatment of HNSCC may benefit from exploration of natural compounds as chemopreventive agents. With excellent safety profiles, reduced toxicities, antioxidant properties, and general acceptance for use as dietary supplements, natural compounds are viewed as a desirable area of investigation for chemoprevention. Though most of the field is early in development, numerous studies display the potential utility of natural compounds against HNSCC. These compounds face additional challenges such as low bioavailability for systemic delivery, potential toxicities when consumed in pharmacologic doses, and acquired resistance. However, novel delivery vehicles and synthetic analogues have shown to overcome some of these challenges. This review covers 11 promising natural compounds in the chemoprevention of HNSCC including vitamin A, curcumin, isothiocyanate, green tea, luteolin, resveratrol, genistein, lycopene, bitter melon, withaferin A, and guggulsterone. The review discusses the therapeutic potential and associated challenges of these agents in the chemopreventive efforts against HNSCC. Cancer Prev Res; 11(8); 441–50. ©2018 AACR.
Residual stresses in Stellite 6 layers cladded on AISI 420 steel plates with a Nd:YAG laser

Clad tracks/layers with good geometry, desirable dilution, and hardness can be produced using optimal process parameters. However, cracking and deformation can occur in the laser cladded products. The tensile residual stress is mainly responsible for the failure of the cladded products. Therefore, different residual stresses’ control strategies during laser cladding were investigated, such as preheating the substrate, using an intermediate layer, and using different energy inputs. The residual stresses in clad layers were measured with layer removal and hole drilling techniques. The depth residual stress distributions obtained from both techniques show a good agreement. The residual stresses acting along the cladding direction σx and the maximum residual stresses within the clad layer were analyzed. The cooling rate and thermal gradient were simulated from our previously developed 2D thermal model. The relationships among the cooling rates, thermal gradients, maximum residual stresses, and absorbed energy were investigated and the results are discussed. Thermal gradients, cooling rates, and the maximum residual stresses decrease with energy input. The decay factors between maximum residual stress and absorbed energy and between the cooling rate and absorbed energy are close to each other indicating that a correlation between the maximum residual stress and cooling rate exists. An empirical relation is used to describe such a correlation.Clad tracks/layers with good geometry, desirable dilution, and hardness can be produced using optimal process parameters. However, cracking and deformation can occur in the laser cladded products. The tensile residual stress is mainly responsible for the failure of the cladded products. Therefore, different residual stresses’ control strategies during laser cladding were investigated, such as preheating the substrate, using an intermediate layer, and using different energy inputs. The residual stresses in clad layers were measured with layer removal and hole drilling techniques. The depth residual stress distributions obtained from both techniques show a good agreement. The residual stresses acting along the cladding direction σx and the maximum residual stresses within the clad layer were analyzed. The cooling rate and thermal gradient were simulated from our previously developed 2D thermal model. The relationships among the cooling rates, thermal gradients, maximum residual stresses, and absorbed energy.
Institute for Mathematical Physics Gravitational Collapse on the Brane Gravitational Collapse on the Brane

We investigate how braneworld gravity affects gravitational collapse and black hole formation by studying Oppenheimer-Snyder-like collapse on a Randall-Sundrum type brane. Without making any assumptions about the bulk, we show that the exterior spacetime on the brane is non-static. In the special case where there is no matter but only collapsing Weyl " dark radiation " , a static black hole may be formed, with purely 5-dimensional gravitational potential on the brane.
How the Brain Translates Money into Force

Abstract Unconscious motivation in humans is often inferred but rarely demonstrated empirically. Weimaged motivational processes, implemented in a paradigm that varied the amount andreportability of monetary rewards for which subjects exerted physical effort. We show that, evenwhen subjects cannot report how much money is at stake, they nevertheless deploy more force forhigher amounts. Such a motivational effect is underpinned by engagement of a specific basalforebrain region. Our findings thus reveal this region as a key node in brain circuitry that enablesexpected rewards to energize behavior, without the need for the subjects’ awareness.Humans tend to adapt the degree of effort they expend according to the magnitude of rewardthey expect. Such a process has been proposed as an operant concept of motivation (1-3). Motivational processes may be obvious, as when a prospector spends days in extremeconditions seeking gold. The popular view is that motivation can also be unconscious, suchthat a person may be unable to report the goals or rewards that drive a particular behavior.However, empirical evidence on this issue is lacking, and the potential brain mechanismsinvolved in converting expected rewards into behavioral activation are poorly understood.We developed an experimental paradigm to visualize unconscious motivational processes,using functional magnetic resonance imaging. A classical approach to trigger unconsciousprocessing is subliminal stimulation, which can be implemented by means of maskingprocedures. The terminology we use in this report is based on a recent taxonomy (4), inwhich a process is considered subliminal if it is attended but not reportable. Successful brainimaging studies of subliminal processes have focused so far on processing words (5, 6) aswell as emotional stimuli (7, 8). In our study, the object of masking was an incentivestimulus for a future action, represented by the amount of reward at stake. The question weasked is whether, and how, the human brain energizes behavior in proportion to subliminalincentives.We developed an incentive force task, using money as a reward: a manipulation that isconsistently shown to activate reward circuits in the human brain (9-11). The exact level ofmotivation was manipulated by randomly assigning the amount at stake as one pound or onepenny. Pictures of the corresponding coins were displayed on a computer screen at thebeginning of each trial, between two screenshots of “mask” images (Fig. 1). The reportabiity
Flagellate infections of Brazilian sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae): isolation in vitro and biochemical identification of Endotrypanum and Leishmania.

Flagellate infections were found in 1,063 of 18,895 sand flies collected in the states of Amazonas, Pará, Rondonia and Acre, Brazil. Infection rates were 13.4% (species group Shannoni); 7.5% (subgenus Nyssomyia); 6.7% (subgenus Lutzomyia series Cruciata); 0.5% (genus Psychodopygus) and 3.1% for other sand flies (various subgenera). Leishmania braziliensis guyanensis and L. mexicana amazonensis were isolated, respectively, from the known vectors, Lutzomyia umbratilis and L. flaviscutellata. Single stocks of L. braziliensis-like and L. mexicana-like organisms were isolated, respectively, from L. whitmani and L. yuilli. Thirty-eight flagellate stocks, isolated by direct culture from sand flies were characterized in detail by morphology in culture, behavior in hamsters and mice and by enzyme profiles. Sixteen stocks from Lutzomyia sp. (Shannoni group) were identified as Endotrypanum schaudinni; 8 stocks from Lutzomyia sp. (Shannoni group) were identified as Endotrypanum sp. ; 7 stocks from Psychodopygus ayrozai and P. paraensis were identified as Leishmania sp. previously isolated from the armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus; 2 stocks of Trypanosoma rangeli were isolated from recently fed Lutzomyia sp. (Shannoni group) sand flies; the remaining 5 stocks from L. umbratilis and L. yuilli could not be identified. Observations suggested that Shannoni group sand flies were the natural vectors of Endotrypanum. Leishmania sp. infections in the man-biting flies P. ayrozai and P. paraensis were restricted to the midgut and associated with recent bloodmeals. Unidentified flagellates in L. umbratilis and L. yuilli were distributed throughout the digestive tract with no trace of bloodmeals.
[The study for the immuno-protection of E. coli O157:H7 outer membrane protein].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the protective efficacy against a lethal dose of E. coli O157:H7 after intranasal, oral and subcutaneous immunization with the outer membrane protein (OMP) extracted from the whole cell of E. coli O157:H7. METHODS Female BALB/C mice were immunized three times (on days 0, 7 and 14) with OMP and CT or Complete Frund adjuvant. On the 21st day after the last immunization, serum, fecal extracts and vaginal washes were collected for the detection of antigen-specific antibody responses by ELISA before the oral challenge with E. coli O157:H7 933. And the antigens that induced the specific antibody responses were analysed by Western-blotting. Then, the mice were orally challenged with 0.3 ml 4.25 x 10(10)/ml live E. coli O157:H7, and the mortality was recorded. On the 7th day after the challenge, the mice were sacrificed and the heart, liver, lung, kidney, small intestine and colon were collected. Then the histology lesions were observed by light microscopy. RESULTS In ELISA, both intranasal and oral immunization, with CT as a mucosal adjuvant, induced strong anti-OMP IgA responses in serum, fecal extract and vaginal washes, and anti-OMP IgG responses in serum. However, the intranasal immunization was much more effective to induce specific IgA and IgG responses than the oral immunization. In contrast to mucosal immunization, subcutaneous immunization only induced high levels of specific IgG antibodies in serum, and did not effectively promote IgA immune response. The results of the protective efficacy after challenge showed that both intranasal and oral immunizations with OMP provided significant protection (86.7% to 40%, P < 0.01 and 73.3% to 40%, P < 0.05) against a lethal dose of E. coli O157:H7 challenge, and intranasal immunization possessed a better protective ability (86.7% to 73.3%, P < 0.05). In contrast, the mice immunized subcutaneously were not protected. They were died more early after oral challenge. Furthermore, the histopathological features of the kidney, colon and other organs also appeared to be well correlated with immunization route. In comparison with the mice immunized subcutaneously and those in control group, the severity of the histopathological lesions in the tissues of the mice immunized intranasally was minimal. CONCLUSION These results suggested that the intranasal immunization should be the best choice of vaccine development against E. coli O157:H7.