Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glycemic control and coronary heart disease risk in persons with and without diabetes: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.

BACKGROUND Chronic hyperglycemia has been hypothesized to contribute to coronary heart disease (CHD), but the extent to which hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) level, a marker of long-term glycemic control, is independently related to CHD risk is uncertain. METHODS We conducted a prospective case-cohort study of 1321 adults without diabetes and a cohort study of 1626 adults with diabetes from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Using proportional hazards models, we assessed the relation between HbA(1c) level and incident CHD during 8 to 10 years of follow-up. RESULTS In adults with diabetes, the relative risk (RR) of CHD was 2.37 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50-3.72) for the highest quintile of HbA(1c) level compared with the lowest after adjustment for CHD risk factors. In persons without diabetes, the adjusted RR of CHD in the highest quintile of HbA(1c) level was 1.41 (95% CI, 0.90-2.30); however, there was evidence of a nonlinear relationship in this group. In nondiabetic adults, HbA(1c) level was not related to CHD risk below a level of 4.6% but was significantly related to risk above that level (P<.001). In diabetic adults, the risk of CHD increased throughout the range of HbA(1c) levels. In the adjusted model, the RR of CHD for a 1-percentage point increase in HbA(1c) level was 2.36 (95% CI, 1.43-3.90) in persons without diabetes but with an HbA(1c) level greater than 4.6%. In diabetic adults, the RR was 1.14 (95% CI, 1.07-1.21) per 1-percentage point increase in HbA(1c) across the full range of HbA(1c) values. CONCLUSION Elevated HbA(1c) level is an independent risk factor for CHD in persons with and without diabetes.
Prostaglandins facilitate peptide release from rat sensory neurons by activating the adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate transduction cascade

Prostaglandins sensitize sensory neurons to activation by mechanical, thermal and chemical stimuli. This sensitization also results in an increase in the stimulus-evoked release of the neuroactive peptides, substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide from sensory neurons. The cellular transduction cascade underlying the prostaglandin-induced augmentation of peptide release is not known. Therefore, we examined whether the sensitizing action of prostaglandins on peptide release from sensory neurons grown in culture is mediated by the second messenger, adenosine 3′, 5′ cyclic monophosphate (cAMP). Prostaglandin E2 and carba prostacyclin (a stable analog of prostaglandin I2) significantly increase the content of cAMP-like immunoreactive substance (icAMP) in the sensory neuron cultures at concentrations that also augment the bradykinin- or capsaicin-evoked release of peptides. Furthermore, pretreating sensory neurons with agents that increase intracellular cAMP mimics the sensitizing action of prostaglandins. Exposing cultures to either forskolin (0.1–10 microM), cholera toxin (1.5 micrograms), or 8-bromo-cAMP (100 microM) results in a significant enhancement of the bradykinin- or capsaicin-stimulated release of both substance P-like and calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive substances. Pretreating sensory neurons with the adenylyl cyclase inhibitor, 9-tetrahydro-2-furyl adenine (5 mM), abolishes the prostaglandin-induced increases in icAMP content and attenuates the prostaglandin E2 or carba prostacyclin enhancement of the evoked release of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive substance. These results demonstrate that the cAMP transduction cascade mediates the sensitizing actions of prostaglandins on peptide release from sensory neurons.
Guest Workers' Remittances and Output Fluctuations in Host and Home Countries : The Case of Remittances from Turkish Workers in Germany

Over the past decades, different Mediterranean countries have sent considerable numbers of workers to the EU area, generating sizable amounts of foreign exchange receipts through the remittances these guest workers have transferred back home. In some instances, however, the share of remittances in foreign exchange receipts has risen so high as to cause concern for policymakers, as they imply potentially serious effects on macroeconomic balances following sudden drops or jumps in remittances. Despite the importance of implications of the volatility of remittance receipts, the current literature severely lacks thorough investigations into the sources of this volatility. This paper aims to help fill this gap in the literature by documenting some key business cycle properties of workers' remittances received by the Turkish economy. More specifically, the paper investigates whether there is a relationship between the amount of remittances sent to Turkey by the large number of Turkish workers living and working in Germany, and up- and downswings that Turkish and German economies experience. For this purpose, regularities between fluctuations in the national outputs of respective economies and remittance flows to Turkey are analyzed by using time series data, and implications of results for the Turkish economy are discussed.
Offline handwritten and printed Urdu digits recognition using Daubechies Wavelet

This paper presents an optical character recognition system for Urdu Language Digits (Handwritten and Printed). A lot of work has been done in recognition of characters and numerals of various languages like Devanagari, English, Chinese, and Arabic etc. But in case of Urdu Digits very less work has been reported. Different Daubechies Wavelet transforms are used in this work for feature extraction. Total 4000 samples of digits- Handwritten and Printed have been used. The back propagation neural network has been used for classification. An average recognition accuracy of Handwritten Digit is 92.07% and for Printed Digit is 99.95% been achieved.
Connectivity of wood thrush breeding, wintering, and migration sites based on range‐wide tracking

Many migratory animals are experiencing rapid population declines, but migration data with the geographic scope and resolution to quantify the complex network of movements between breeding and nonbreeding regions are often lacking. Determining the most frequently used migration routes and nonbreeding regions for a species is critical for understanding population dynamics and making effective conservation decisions. We tracked the migration of individual Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) (n = 102) from across their range with light‐level geolocators and, for the first time, quantified migration routes and wintering regions for distinct breeding populations. We identified regional and species‐level migratory connectivity networks for this declining songbird by combining our tracking results with range‐wide breeding abundance estimates and forest cover data. More than 50% of the species occupied the eastern wintering range (Honduras to Costa Rica), a region that includes only one‐third of all wintering habitat and that is undergoing intensive deforestation. We estimated that half of all Wood Thrushes in North America migrate south through Florida in fall, whereas in spring approximately 73% funnel northward through a narrow span along the central U.S. Gulf Coast (88–93°W). Identifying migratory networks is a critical step for conservation of songbirds and we demonstrated with Wood Thrushes how it can highlight conservation hotspots for regional populations and species as a whole.
On the Numerical Dimension of Pseudo-Effective Divisors in Positive Characteristic

Let X be a smooth projective variety over an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic. We prove that if D is a pseudo-effective R-divisor on X which is not numerically equivalent to the negative part in its divisorial Zariski decomposition, then the numerical dimension of D is positive. In characteristic zero, this was proved by Nakayama using vanishing theorems.
Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells Decrease in Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Increase after Inhaled Nitric Oxide

Background Impairment of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has been shown to contribute to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). In the current study, the relationship between EPC changes of after birth and the development of BPD was investigated, and the effects of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) on EPCs were evaluated. Methods Sixty infants with a gestational age of less than 32 weeks and a birth weight of less than 1500 g were studied. NO was administered to infants who were receiving mechanical ventilation or CPAP for at least 2 days between the ages of 7 and 21 days. EPC level was determined by flow cytometry at birth, 7, 21 and 28 days of age and 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age (PMA), before and after the iNO treatment. Plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), stromal cell-derived factor-1 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor were determined via immunochemical assay. Results Twenty-five neonates developed BPD, 35 neonates survived and did not develop BPD. EPC level was decreased on day 7 and 21 in infants who later developed BPD compared with infants that did not develop BPD. From birth to 21 days of age, BPD infants had a persistently lower VEGF concentration compared with non-BPD infants. No difference was found between the two groups at day 28 or 36 weeks PMA. In infants that later developed BPD, iNO raised the KDR+CD133+ and CD34+KDR+CD133+ EPC numbers along with increasing the level of plasma VEGF. Conclusion EPC level was reduced at 7 days of age in infants with BPD, and iNO increased the EPC number along with increasing the level of VEGF. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism leading to the decrease of EPCs in infants with BPD and to investigate the role of iNO treatment in the prevention of BPD.
The Kinematics in the Cores of Low Surface Brightness Galaxies

Systematic effects on HI and Hα long-slit observations make a measurement of the inner slope of the dark matter density distribution difficult to determine. Halos with constant density cores and ones with r-1 profiles both appear consistent with the data, although constant density cores generally provide better fits. High-resolution, two-dimensional velocity fields remove most of the systematic effects, yet as a result of noncircular and random motions the inner slopes still cannot be accurately measured. Halo concentration parameters provide a more useful test of cosmological models because they are more tightly constrained by observations. The concentration parameters for LSB galaxies appear consistent with, but on the low end of the distribution predicted by CDM.
Bayesian networks for continuous values and uncertainty in the learning process

This paper proposes a method for Bayesian networks that handles uncertainty and discretization of continuous variables when learning the networks from a database of cases. The database is reorganised in a new form of representation called reduced database where data are treated as distributions on symbolic values. K e y w o r d s : Bayesian networks, uncertainty, knowledge representation, fuzzy partition.
Globalization and European welfare states : challenges and change

Preface PART 1: GLOBALIZATION CHALLENGES Challenges and Change: Issues and Perspectives in the Analysis of Globalization and the European Welfare States B.Palier and R.Sykes Globalization and Welfare States J.Clarke Globalization, Economic Change and the Welfare State: the 'Vexatious Inquisition of Taxation'? C.Hay International Organizations, the EU and Global Social Policy B.Deacon PART 2: EUROPEAN WELFARE STATE CHANGES Globalization and the Bismarckian Welfare States M.Daly Globalization and the Southern Welfare States A.Guillen and S.Alvarez Welfare and 'Ill-fare' Systems in Central-Eastern Europe Z.Ferge Globalization and the Nordic Welfare States P.Kosonen Globalization and the Liberal Welfare States N.Ginsburg CONCLUSION Globalization and the European Welfare States: Evaluating the Theories and Evidence P.Prior and R.Sykes Bibliography Index
Regulierung der Terminierungsentgelte der deutschen Mobilfunknetze

Die Regulierungsbehorden einiger Lander sind daran gegangen, bestimmte Bereiche des Mobilfunks intensiver zu regulieren. Ins Visier der Regulierer ist vor allem die Mobilterminierung, d.h. die Realisierung eines Mobilfunkgesprachs vom Ubergabepunkt eines Netzbetreibers zum Endgerat eines anderen Netzbetreibers, geraten. Aufgrund der Richtlinien der EU Kommission wird die Regulierung der Mobilterminierung auch fur Deutschland diskutiert. Wie wird die geplante Preisregulierung begrundet? Welche Masstabe sollten fur die Beurteilung der Terminierungsentgelte angelegt werden? Ist eine Regulierung dieses Mobilfunkbereiches ordnungspolitisch zu rechtfertigen?
Low uptake of prenatal screening for Down syndrome in minority ethnic groups and socially deprived groups: a reflection of women's attitudes or a failure to facilitate informed choices?

BACKGROUND It is not known if lower uptake of prenatal screening for Down syndrome in women from minority ethnic groups and socioeconomically disadvantaged women reflects more negative attitudes towards undergoing the test or women not acting in line with their attitudes i.e. not making an informed choice. METHODS Uptake of prenatal screening, attitudes towards undergoing the test, uptake-attitude consistency, and informed choice were assessed in a prospective study of 1499 pregnant women attending two UK hospitals. RESULTS Uptake was higher in white and socioeconomically advantaged women than in other women. There were no differences in attitudes towards undergoing the test; all women expressed relatively positive attitudes. Uptake-attitude consistency was higher in white and socioeconomically advantaged women than others, particularly in those with positive attitudes towards undergoing the test (76% white women with positive attitudes had the test compared with 45% South Asian women [difference 31%, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 18-43] and 78% socioeconomically advantaged women compared with 63% more disadvantaged women (difference 15%, 95% CI 7-24)). Controlling for demographic variables, South Asian and socioeconomically disadvantaged women with positive attitudes were less likely to make an informed choice than other women [odds ratio (OR) 0.22, 95% CI 0.10-0.45 and OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.41-0.93, respectively]. CONCLUSION Lower uptake of screening for Down syndrome in women from minority ethnic groups and socioeconomically disadvantaged women does not reflect more negative attitudes towards screening but rather lower rates of informed choice, as assessed in this study. Healthcare systems appear to facilitate informed choices in the context of prenatal screening for Down syndrome screening less well for women from minority ethnic groups and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged than for other women.
Correlations, feature‐binding and population coding in primary visual cortex

&NA; To test the hypothesis that correlated neuronal activity serves as the neuronal code for visual feature binding, we applied information theory techniques to multiunit activity recorded from pairs of VI recording sites in anaesthetised cats while presenting either single or separate bar stimuli. We quantified the roles of firing rates of individual channels and of cross‐correlations between recording sites in encoding of visual information. Between 89 and 96% of the information was carried by firing rates; correlations contributed 4–11% extra information. The distribution across the population of either correlation strength or correlation information did not co‐vary systematically with changes in perception predicted by Gestalt psychology. These results suggest that firing rates, rather than correlations, are the main element of the population code for feature binding in primary visual cortex.
A LABOCA SURVEY OF THE EXTENDED CHANDRA DEEP FIELD SOUTH—SUBMILLIMETER PROPERTIES OF NEAR-INFRARED SELECTED GALAXIES

Using the 330 hr ESO-MPG 870 μm survey of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDF-S) obtained with the Large Apex BOlometer CAmera (LABOCA) on the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), we have carried out a stacking analysis at submillimeter (submm) wavelengths of a sample of 8266 near-infra-red (near-IR) selected (Kvega ⩽ 20) galaxies, including 893 BzK galaxies, 1253 extremely red objects (EROs), and 737 distant red galaxies (DRGs), selected from the Multi-wavelength Survey by Yale-Chile (MUSYC). We measure average 870 μm fluxes of 0.22 ± 0.01 mJy (22.0σ), 0.48 ± 0.04 mJy (12.0σ), 0.39 ± 0.03 mJy (13.0σ), and 0.43 ± 0.04 mJy (10.8σ) for the Kvega ⩽ 20, BzK, ERO, and DRG samples, respectively. For the BzK, ERO, and DRG sub-samples, which overlap to some degree and are likely to be at z ≃ 1–2, this implies an average far-IR luminosity of ∼(1–5) × 1011 L☉ and star formation rate (SFR) of ∼20–90 M☉ . Splitting the BzK galaxies into star-forming (sBzK) and passive (pBzK) galaxies, the former is significantly detected (0.50 ± 0.04 mJy, 12.5σ) while the latter is only marginally detected (0.34 ± 0.10 mJy, 3.4σ), thus confirming that the sBzK and pBzK criteria to some extent select obscured, star-forming, and truly passive galaxies, respectively. The Kvega ⩽ 20 galaxies are found to contribute 7.27 ± 0.34 Jy deg−2 (16.5% ± 5.7%) to the 870 μm extragalactic background light (EBL). sBzK and pBzK galaxies contribute 1.49 ± 0.22 Jy deg−2 (3.4% ± 1.3%) and 0.20 ± 0.14 Jy deg−2 (0.5% ± 0.3%) to the EBL. We present the first delineation of the average submm signal from the Kvega ⩽ 20 selected galaxies and their contribution to the submm EBL as a function of (photometric) redshift, and find a decline in the average submm signal (and therefore IR luminosity and SFR) by a factor ∼2–3 from z ∼ 2 to z ∼ 0. This is in line with a cosmic star formation history in which the star formation activity in galaxies increases significantly at z ≳ 1. A linear correlation between the average 24 μm and 870 μm flux densities is found for the Kvega ⩽ 20 galaxies with 24 μm fluxes ≲350 μJy (corresponding to LIR ≃ 1.5 × 1012 L☉ at z ≃ 2), while at higher 24 μm fluxes there is no correlation. This behavior suggests that star formation, and not active galactic nuclei (AGNs), is in general responsible for the bulk of the mid-IR emission of LIR ≲ 1.5 × 1012 L☉ systems, while in more luminous systems the AGN makes a significant contribution to the 24 μm emission. By mapping the stacked 870 μm signal across the B − z versus z − K diagram we have confirmed the ability of the sBzK selection criterion to select star-forming galaxies at z > 1, although our analysis suggests that the subset of sBzK galaxies which are also EROs are responsible for >80% of the submm emission from the entire sBzK population.
Entrapment of H1N1 Influenza Virus Derived Conserved Peptides in PLGA Nanoparticles Enhances T Cell Response and Vaccine Efficacy in Pigs

Pigs are believed to be one of the important sources of emerging human and swine influenza viruses (SwIV). Influenza virus conserved peptides have the potential to elicit cross-protective immune response, but without the help of potent adjuvant and delivery system they are poorly immunogenic. Biodegradable polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticle (PLGA-NP) based vaccine delivery system enhances cross-presentation of antigens by the professional antigen presenting cells. In this study, Norovirus P particle containing SwIV M2e (extracellular domain of the matrix protein 2) chimera and highly conserved two each of H1N1 peptides of pandemic 2009 and classical human influenza viruses were entrapped in PLGA-NPs. Influenza antibody-free pigs were vaccinated with PLGA-NPs peptides cocktail vaccine twice with or without an adjuvant, Mycobacterium vaccae whole cell lysate, intranasally as mist. Vaccinated pigs were challenged with a virulent heterologous zoonotic SwIV H1N1, and one week later euthanized and the lung samples were analyzed for the specific immune response and viral load. Clinically, pigs vaccinated with PLGA-NP peptides vaccine had no fever and flu symptoms, and the replicating challenged SwIV was undetectable in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Immunologically, PLGA-NP peptides vaccination (without adjuvant) significantly increased the frequency of antigen-specific IFNγ secreting CD4 and CD8 T cells response in the lung lymphocytes, despite not boosting the antibody response both at pre- and post-challenge. In summary, our data indicated that nanoparticle-mediated delivery of conserved H1N1 influenza peptides induced the virus specific T cell response in the lungs and reduced the challenged heterologous virus load in the airways of pigs.
Inside the capitalist firm: An evolutionary theory of the principal agent-relation

This book deals with the inner life of the capitalist firm. There we find numerous conflicts, the most important of which concerns the individual employment relationship which is understood as a principal-agent problem between the manager, the principal, who issues orders that are to be followed by the employee, the agent. Whereas economic theory traditionally analyses this relationship from a (normative) perspective of the firm in order to support the manager in finding ways to influence the behavior of the employees, such that the latter – ideally – act on behalf of their superior, this book takes a neutral stance. It focusses on explaining individual behavioral patterns and the resulting interactions between the actors in the firm by taking sociological, institutional, and above all, psychological research into consideration. In doing so, insights are gained which challenge many assertions economists take for granted.
Modelling the integration-performance relationship : Collaborative practices, enablers and contextual factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different dimensions of supply chain integration on performance, while considering both the interconnections between these supply chain integration dimensions and the effect of context. Specifically, the authors investigate the relationship between two enablers (communication infrastructure and cooperative behaviour) and two practices (planning information and joint improvement), and the moderating effect of supply complexity on their relationship with performance.Design/methodology/approach – A survey among 145 Dutch and Spanish manufacturers is used to gather data on the buyer‐supplier relationship. Both the sample and two subsamples – for high and low supply complexity – are analysed using SmartPLS.Findings – The paper finds that two dimensions – communication infrastructure and cooperative behaviour – enable the two collaborative practices: joint improvement and planning information. All mentioned supply chain integration dimensions, .
Diversity of the candidate phylum Poribacteria in the marine sponge Aplysina fulva

Poribacterial clone libraries constructed for Aplysina fulva sponge specimens were analysed with respect to diversity and phylogeny. Results imply the coexistence of several, prevalently “intra-specific” poribacterial genotypes in a single sponge host, and suggest quantitative analysis as a desirable approach in studies of the diversity and distribution of poribacterial cohorts in marine sponges.
Advertising and information: an empirical study of search, experience and credence goods

Investigates empirically the importance of buyer characteristics as well as product and service classifications on the informational content of advertising supply by sellers utilizing Yellow Pages advertisements from six US cities. The analysis and tests extend the categories used in previous tests by including so-called “credence goods” by analysing the impact of alternative buyer characteristics as proxies for time and information costs. The intra-city and, to a lesser extent, inter-city comparisons lend support to the contemporary theory of advertising as information.