jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
Policy Options for Low and Sustainable Lending Rates in Nigeria

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance (Social Sciences)

The average prime and maximum lending rates were as high as 16.96 per cent 24.65 per cent in 2012. Conversely, the weighted average savings and term deposit rates stabilized at 5.30 per cent between July and October 2012.The level of interest rate is important in the mobilization and allocation of funds in an economy. Therefore, it is not surprising why the current high lending interest rate regime in Nigeria remains a source of concern to policy makers. This paper articulates the factors explaining the present high cost of funds in the Nigerian banking system and policy options useful in achieving low and sustainable interest rate objectives in Nigeria. Using descriptive analysis covering the 1990s, when the interest rate was fully deregulated in Nigeria, up until 2012; the paper notes that high interest rate is largely driven by high sunk costs due to dearth of infrastructure. It recommends a strong legal framework for addressing loan defaults. In this direction, review of the legal clause which gives undue advantage to borrowers is critical. A time frame for the disposal of loan default cases need to be set as prolonged litigations at the instance of loan defaulters usually stall the process of take over and the consequent auctioning of borrowers’ collateral by lenders to recover their loans. In addition, provision of constant electricity is necessary to significantly reduce bank cost of funds. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n3p147
Adamantinoma of the Tibia.- Report of a Case with Findings of Ultrastructural nd Immunohistochemical Studies,

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

ABSTRACT: A case of tibial adamantinoma in a one-year and ten-month old girl is reported. She had gait disturbance and her roentogenogram showed a well circumscribed radiolucent area in the tibia. Light microscopic examination showed the epithelial component of nests and pseudoglandular arrays in the loose fibrous connective tissue. We finally diagnsed the tumor as adamantinoma of the tibia based on roentogenographical and histological findings. Moreover, the nature of the neo-plastic cells was studied by the immunohistochemical and electron microscopic methods. The adamantinoma is regarded as a unique neoplasm capable of differen-tiating into epithelial elements as well as mesenchymal ones. Detection of epithelial component is important to differentiate from similar disorders. The fibrous dys-plasia-like lesion in stroma is interpreted as a part of the spectrum of mesenchymal differentiation.
A method for the determination of substitution pattern in coumarins using a lanthanide shift reagent

Field: Chemistry (Physical Sciences)

The n.m.r. shift reagent tris-(7,7-dimethyl-1,1,1,2,2,3,3-heptafluoro-octane-4,6-dionato)europium(III)[Eu(fod)3] complexes with the carbonyl oxygen of coumarins so that all shifts can be related to a position for the europium atom in the plane of the ring and on the 3-H side of the CO bond; relatively large shifts are produced for an 8-substituent, and information about other substituent positions can be obtained.
Low Bit-Rate Coding from the Autocorrelation Method of Linear Prediction

Field: Computer Science (Physical Sciences)

The term “autocorrelation method” encompasses the inverse filter, maximum likelihood, and PARCOR method. This method has a significant computational advantage over Atal's covariance method since the analysis does not require polynominal root testing programs and associated modifications, and is thus much easier to implement. Informal listening tests indicate that for low bitrate coding, the resulting synthetic speech is very similar for both methods with fixed frame analysis. Directly from the autocorrelation equation solution, the filter parameters, k parameters (also referred to as reflection coefficients and PARCOR parameters) are obtained, along with the synthesizer gain parameter. Low bit-rate coding based upon the k parameters has been obtained by performing the following steps: (1) prefilter sharply at the half-sampling frequency; (2) prewhiten and Hamm before analysis; (3) transform the parameter values to [ −0.7, 0.7]; (4) quantize with rounding; and (5) interpolate synthesis parameters pitch synchronously. These operations are all very fast and easily implemented. Good quality synthesis over a 3200-Hz input bandwidth is obtainable with [ki BITS, i = 0,1, ⋯,7,] = [6,6,3, ⋯,3]. Examples coded at 2100 and 1400 bits/sec (50-and 33-Hz frame rates, respectively) are presented.
3PC-014 Stability of 1 mg/ml and 4 mg/ml hydrocortisone solium succinate solutions in 0.9% sodium chloride and 5% glucose

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (Life Sciences)

Background

Hydrocortisone in high doses is given to haemodynamicly unstable patients as a vasopressor. Frequently the same patients have volume restriction, and high concentrations of hydrocortisone are necessary. Although there is no certain evidence of the benefits of continuous infusion over bolus injection, continuous infusion is a well-established practice in our hospital. Manufacturers state that the solution after reconstitution and dilution should be used immediately, however it is not defined how long this infusion can be used after application. There are limited data on the stability of hydrocortisone in concentrations greater than 1 mg/ml.

Purpose

The aim of our study was to determine the physical and chemical stability of hydrocortisone sodium succinate in two concentrations (1 mg/ml and 4 mg/ml) at room temperature up to 24 hours after reconstitution and dilution. These are the most frequent circumstances in the wards in our hospital.

Material and methods

We used duplicate samples of hydrocortisone sodium succinate diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride and 5% glucose to concentrations 1 mg/ml and 4 mg/ml. Samples were stored at room temperature (25°C) and at elevated temperature (30°C). Another set of reconstituted and diluted solutions stored at room temperature was protected from light. Concentrations were measured by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method to determine the percentage of degradation after 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 24 and 48 hours.

Results

Our study demonstrates that hydrocortisone is equally stable at concentrations 1 mg/ml and 4 mg/ml, in both 0.9% sodium chloride and 5% glucose, regardless whether it is protected from light or not. At room temperature, degradation of hydrocortisone after 12, 24 and 48 hours was 3%, 5% and 10%, respectively. Declines from the initial hydrocortisone concentration in samples stored at 30°C after 3, 5, 12 and 24 hours were 3%, 5%, 9% and 14% respectively.

Conclusion

Hydrocortisone sodium succinate is physically and chemically stable for 12 hours at 25°C.

References and/or acknowledgements

Sincere thanks to pharmacists in the chair of biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics in supporting my idea and completing the survey. No conflict of interest.
Fusion expression,purification and bioactivity detection of human defensinα (HDα)

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (Life Sciences)

AIM: To obtain recombinant human defensin α(HDα) and detect its biological activity, so as to facilitate further research. METHODS: The HDα gene fragment with hydroxylamine cleavage site was synthesized, and then cloned into pBV220-IL-4 vector to construct pBV220-IL-4-HDα. The constructed vector which was confirmed to be correct by sequencing was transformed into E.coli DH5α and the IL-4-HDα fusion protein was expressed under temperature induction. After fusion protein was cleaved to remove IL-4 by hydroxylamine, purification and renaturation was performed. HDα’s characteristics were identified by SDS-PAGE and bioactivity detection. RESULTS: After temperature induction, the expressed fusion protein which accounted for about 20% of total bacterial protein existed mainly in the form of inclusion body. After cleaving by hydroxylamine, the purity of obtained HDα was about 99.8%. Bacteriostatic test and clone forming test showed that recombinant HDα could obviously inhibit the growth of bacteria. CONCLUSION: The recombinant expression plasmid for HDα gene has been constructed successfully and obtained engineering bacteria can stably express target protein. Furthermore, techniques of purification and renaturation was set out, which lays the foundation for further functional study and application of HDα.
Pseudo-isotopy classes of diffeomorphisms of the unknotted pairs $(S^{n+2},~S^n)$ and $(S^{2p+2},~S^p\times S^p)$

Field: Mathematics (Physical Sciences)

We consider two pairs: the standard unknotted $n$-sphere in $S^{n+2}$, and the product of two $p$-spheres trivially embedded in $S^{2p+2}$, and study orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of these pairs. Pseudo-isotopy classes of such diffeomorphisms form subgroups of the mapping class groups of $S^n$ and $S^p\times S^p$ respectively and we determine the algebraic structure of such subgroups when $n>4$ and $p>1$.
Na channels in the rat connecting tubule

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Epithelial Na channels were investigated using patch-clamp techniques in connecting tubule (CNT) segments isolated from rat kidney. Cell-attached patches with Li + in the patch pipette contained channels with conductances for inward currents of 13–16 pS and slow opening and closing kinetics, similar to properties of Na channels in the cortical collecting tubule (CCT). Macroscopic amiloride-sensitive currents ( I Na ) were also observed under whole cell clamp conditions. These currents were undetectable in cells from control rats but were large when the animals were infused with aldosterone (1,380 ± 340 pA/cell at a holding potential of -100 mV) or fed a high-K diet (670 ± 260 pA/cell) for 1 wk. Under both of these conditions, currents in cells of the CNT were two- to fourfold larger than currents in cells of the CCT of the same animals. In aldosterone-treated animals, currents in cells of the initial collecting tubule (iCT) were intermediate, such that the relative magnitude of I Na was as follows: CNT > iCT > CCT. Quantitative analysis of the results suggests that the maximal capacity of the aggregate population of CNTs to reabsorb Na could be as high as 18 μmol/min, or ∼10% of the filtered load of Na. This capacity is ∼10 times higher than that of the CCT.
Taxonomic revision of Balantiopsaceae (Marchantiophyta) of Colombia

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

This paper presents the taxonomic treatment of Balantiopsaceae for Colombia. In Colombia, the family is represented by three genera: Isotachis, Neesioscyphus and Ruizanthus. A re-evaluation of the morpho-anatomical characters used to delimit species within these genera is presented. Seven species are recognized of which four belong to Isotachis, two to Neesioscyphus and one to Ruizanthus. Two species, I. lindigiana and I. mascula are treated as synonyms of I. serrulata, and I. tenax is synonymous to I. multiceps. Keys for the three genera and seven species, descriptions, illustrations and distribution maps are provided.
Authentic Artificial Love

Field: Arts and Humanities (Social Sciences)

Abstract There is some reason to think that romantic relationships go best when partners share the same moral, political, and religious values—when they are value-aligned. This article connects this point to the project of value alignment in AI research, in which researchers aim to design artificial intelligence systems that behave in ways that are in accordance with human values. There are good reasons to pursue the project of value alignment in connection with romantic chatbots—artificial intelligence systems designed to allow human users to simulate or replicate elements of romantic relationships that ordinarily exist only between human beings. However, this paper argues that certain types of value alignment in such systems would preclude them from entering into authentic loving relationships. Some important features of authentic love require a capacity for value misalignment between romantic partners. A romantic chatbot whose values were locked in to match those of its human user only allows for a kind of inauthentic love that does not treat the artificial partner as a person in their own right but at most makes them into a kind of tool. The arguments presented draw on the existentialist feminist views of Simone de Beauvoir and her understanding of authentic romantic love. De Beauvoir held that inauthentic loving relationships entail that certain interactions between partners lack the significance or meaning they would have in cases of authentic love, that authentic love promotes self-knowledge and reflection, and that authentic love allows individuals to accomplish projects they could not accomplish on their own, including projects of self-transformation. The article explores ways in which the project of value alignment involving romantic chatbots interferes with such things.
Assembly of DNA-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles with Gaps and Overhangs in Linker DNA

Field: Chemistry (Physical Sciences)

DNA-directed assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been extensively studied because of its important applications in analytical chemistry, materials science, and nanomedicine. In a typical system, two DNA-functionalized AuNPs are assembled via a linker DNA to form large aggregates. In the majority of the previous reports, the linker DNA is fully base paired with no gaps or overhangs present. Introducing such nonbase-paired regions in the linker DNA has been recently shown to be important for making stimuli-responsive materials and in crystallization of such AuNPs. In this work, we systematically studied the effect of introducing gaps and overhangs in the linker DNA to understand the kinetics of assembly and the melting transition of these aggregates. We found that the assembly kinetics decreased with increasing linker DNA length. The melting temperature decreased with the loss of base stacking by introducing gaps as well as the steric effect of overhangs. Additional insights were obtained by measuring the melting curves of the free DNAs in the absence of AuNPs. For example, it appeared that DNA base stacking at the nick site was favored in assembled nanoparticles compared to that in free DNA. Our results indicate that, while it is possible to form AuNP assemblies with linker DNAs containing various types of unpaired regions, these kinetic and thermodynamic factors need to be considered when designing related sensors and materials.
Pear, Seasonal Pear Psylla Control Experiment, 1987

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

Abstract Experimental sprays were applied to replicated 4- to 5-tree plots consisting of Bartlett (9 yr old). Each treatment was replicated 5 times. Trees were planted to a spacing of 7.4 × 7.4 m. Treatments were applied with a handgun from a truck-mounted hydraulic sprayer at 375 psi. Dates of application were bud burst (BB), 3 Apr; white-bud (WB), 21 Apr; petal fall (PF), 6 May; first cover (IC), 26 May; third cover (3C), 19 Jun; fourth cover (4C), 8 Jul; sixth cover (6C), 30 Jul. Approximately 1.75 gal of spray was applied/tree. Treatments were evaluated for pear psylla control by counts of eggs and nymphs at 1- to 2-wk intervals. Counts were made by sampling 10 mid-terminal or spur leaves from the middle tree in each replicate. Beginning on 1 Jun counts were made by sampling 5 mid-terminal and 5 distal leaves from each tree. Pear psylla pressure was moderate through the experiment.
Effects of spray cryotherapy on cough receptors and airway microenvironment in a canine model of chronic bronchitis

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of spray cryotherapy (SCT) on cough receptors and airway microenvironment in a canine model of chronic bronchitis. We examined the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1/4 (TRPV1/4) and the neuropeptides substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) at the gene and protein levels before and after SCT. In addition, we explored whether TRPV1/4 could regulate inflammatory factors via mediator adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The levels of ATP and cytokines in alveolar lavage fluid and cell supernatant were measured using ELISA. SCT effectively downregulated the expression of TRPV1/4 and SP/CGRP in canine airway tissues with chronic bronchitis and reduced the levels of inflammatory mediators and cytokines that affect cough receptor sensitivity, achieving cough relief. TRPV1/4 - ATP - inflammatory cytokines axis has been demonstrated at the cellular level, which in turn modulate the milieu of the airways and promote the formation of a cough feedback loop. Our study has fully revealed the specific mechanism of SCT in treating cough in a canine model of chronic bronchitis, providing a solid theoretical basis for future clinical treatment.
Nondestructive testing of specularly reflective objects using reflection three-dimensional computer vision technique

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

Michael Y. Y. HungCity University of Hong KongDepartment of Manufacturing Engineeringand Engineering ManagementTat Chee Avenue, KowloonHong KongE-mail: bcmhung@cityu.edu.hkH. M. ShangNanyang Technological UniversitySchool of Mechanical andProduction Engineering50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore 639798Abstract. We review an optical method referred to as 3-D computervision technique for nondestructive inspection of three-dimensional ob-jects whose surfaces are specularly reﬂective. In the setup, a computer-generated cosinusoidal fringe pattern in the form of linear, parallel fringelines of equal spacing is displayed on a TV monitor. The monitor isplaced in front of the test object, whose specularly reﬂective surfacebehaves as a mirror. A virtual image (or mirror image) of the fringe linesis thus formed. For a planar surface, the fringe pattern of the image isundistorted. The fringe lines, however, are distorted according to theslope distribution if the surface is not ﬂat. By digitizing the distorted fringelines, employing a phase-shift technique, the fringe phase distribution isdetermined, hence enabling subsequent determination of the surfaceslope distribution. When applied to nondestructive ﬂaw detection, twoseparate recordings of the virtual image of the fringe lines are made, onebefore and another after an incremental load is applied on the test ob-ject. The difference of the two phase-fringe distributions, or the phasechange, represents the change in surface slope of the object due to thedeformation. As a subsurface ﬂaw also affects surface deformation, bothsurface and subsurface ﬂaws are thus revealed from anomalies in thesurface slope change. The method is simple, robust, and applicable inindustrial environments.
Optical afterglow of the not so dark GRB 021211

Field: Physics and Astronomy (Physical Sciences)

We determine Johnson $B,V$ and Cousins $R,I$ photometric CCD magnitudes for the afterglow of GRB 021211 during the first night after the GRB trigger. The afterglow was very faint and would have been probably missed if no prompt observation had been conducted. A fraction of the so-called ``dark'' GRBs may thus be just ``optically dim'' and require very deep imaging to be detected. The early-time optical light curve reported by other observers shows prompt emission with properties similar to that of GRB 990123. Following this, the afterglow emission from $\sim 11$ min to $\sim 33$ days after the burst is characterized by an overall power-law decay with a slope $1.1\pm0.02$ in the $R$ passband. We derive the value of spectral index in the optical to near-IR region to be 0.6$\pm$0.2 during 0.13 to 0.8 day after the burst. The flux decay constant and the spectral slope indicate that optical observations within a day after the burst lies between cooling frequency and synchrotron maximum frequency.
A study of major Mobile payment systems' functionality in Europe

Field: Business, Management and Accounting (Social Sciences)

Mobile payment is an exciting domain, which will rapidly evolve in the years to come. The key to mobile payment acceptance is in the hands of customers. In this paper first some of the major European mobile payment systems are introduced and evaluated base on security, cost , convenes and functionality requirement criteria, then the results of past researches about the customer and merchant adoption of mobile payment systems (mp) are reviewed and barriers and drivers from both customer and merchant view are compared. Here by, this paper tries to find shortcomings in major mp systems and presents the major barriers and drivers to wide spread adoption of mobile payment from both customer and merchant point of view.
FRET Studies of Quinolone-Based Bitopic Ligands and Their Structural Analogues at the Muscarinic M1 Receptor

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (Life Sciences)

Aiming to design partial agonists as well as allosteric modulators for the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine (M1AChR) receptor, two different series of bipharmacophoric ligands and their structural analogues were designed and synthesized. The hybrids were composed of the benzyl quinolone carboxylic acid (BQCA)-derived subtype selective allosteric modulator 3 and the orthosteric building block 4-((4,5-dihydroisoxazol-3-yl)oxy)-N,N-dimethylbut-2-yn-1-amine (base of iperoxo) 1 or the endogenous ligand 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acetate (base of acetylcholine) 2, respectively. The two pharmacophores were linked via alkylene chains of different lengths (C4, C6, C8, and C10). Furthermore, the corresponding structural analogues of 1 and 2 and of modified BQCA 3 with varying alkyl chain length between C2 and C10 were investigated. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements in a living single cell system were investigated in order to understand how these compounds interact with a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) on a molecular level and how the single moieties contribute to ligand receptor interaction. The characterization of the modified orthosteric ligands indicated that a linker attached to an orthoster rapidly attenuates the receptor response. Linker length elongation increases the receptor response of bitopic ligands, until reaching a maximum, followed by a gradual decrease. The optimal linker length was found to be six methylene groups at the M1AChR. A new conformational change is described that is not of inverse agonistic origin for long linker bitopic ligands and was further investigated by exceptional fragment-based screening approaches.
Clock Network Design: Basics

Field: Computer Science (Physical Sciences)

This chapter discusses some basic issues in clock network design. It introduces the metrics used in designing clock networks. The chapter describes algorithms to generate clock networks with tree structures and nontree structures. It examines the clock skew scheduling technique, which makes use of intentional clock skew to optimize performance. The chapter presents clock network design techniques that focus on handling variability. Clock skew refers to the spatial variation in the arrival time of a clock transition. Transition times also need to be substantially less than the clock period to allow the clock to achieve a rail-to-rail transition, to provide adequate noise immunity. Phase delay is defined as the maximum delay from the clock generator to any clock terminal. The clock distribution and generation circuitry is known to consume up to 40 percent and 36 percent of the total power budget of high-performance and embedded microprocessors, respectively.