Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Variants and Their Interactions in the Prediction of Increased Pre-Clinical Carotid Atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

The relative contribution of genetic risk factors to the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis is poorly understood. It is likely that multiple variants are implicated in the development of atherosclerosis, but the subtle genotypic and phenotypic differences are beyond the reach of the conventional case-control designs and the statistical significance testing procedures being used in most association studies. Our objective here was to investigate whether an alternative approach—in which common disorders are treated as quantitative phenotypes that are continuously distributed over a population—can reveal predictive insights into the early atherosclerosis, as assessed using ultrasound imaging-based quantitative measurement of carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). Using our population-based follow-up study of atherosclerosis precursors as a basis for sampling subjects with gradually increasing IMT levels, we searched for such subsets of genetic variants and their interactions that are the most predictive of the various risk classes, rather than using exclusively those variants meeting a stringent level of statistical significance. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the predictive value of the variants, and cross-validation was used to assess how well the predictive models will generalize to other subsets of subjects. By means of our predictive modeling framework with machine learning-based SNP selection, we could improve the prediction of the extreme classes of atherosclerosis risk and progression over a 6-year period (average AUC 0.844 and 0.761), compared to that of using conventional cardiovascular risk factors alone (average AUC 0.741 and 0.629), or when combined with the statistically significant variants (average AUC 0.762 and 0.651). The predictive accuracy remained relatively high in an independent validation set of subjects (average decrease of 0.043). These results demonstrate that the modeling framework can utilize the “gray zone” of genetic variation in the classification of subjects with different degrees of risk of developing atherosclerosis.
Regular motions in double bars – II. Survey of trajectories and 23 models

We show that stable double-frequency orbits form the backbone of double bars, because they trap around themselves regular orbits, as stable closed periodic orbits do in single bars, and in both cases the trapped orbits occupy similar volume of phase space. We perform a global search for such stable double-frequency orbits in a model of double bars by constructing maps of trajectories with initial conditions well sampled over the available phase space. We use the width of a ring sufficient to enclose a given map as the indicator of how tightly the trajectory is trapped around a double-frequency orbit. We construct histograms of these ring-widths in order to determine the fraction of phase space occupied by ordered motions. We build 22 further models of double bars, and we construct histograms showing the fraction of the phase space occupied by regular orbits in each model. Our models indicate that resonant coupling between the bars may not be the dominant factor reducing chaos in the system.
Surgical Treatment of Combined Posterior Root Tears of the Lateral Meniscus and ACL Tears

Background The treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture complicated with posterior lateral meniscus root (PLMR) tears remains controversial. The goal of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of PLMR tear refixation versus left untreated at the time of reconstruction. Material/Methods From August 2001 to January 2012, 31 patients who undergone repair of PLMR tears were evaluated and compared with a matched control group with untreated PLMR tears. Clinical evaluation consisted of the Lysholm scale, subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) questionnaires, and radiographic evaluation with MRI. Results Regarding to the Lysholm score and the subjective questionnaire score, there were no statistical difference between the 2 groups. However, patients after operative treatment reach higher functional scores and lower rates of osteoarthritis (normal: group A, 80%, and group B, 48%, respectively) with statistical significance (P<0.05) compared to the matched control group. Conclusions Surgical and conservative treatment of the PLMR can both effectively improve knee function. However, a tendency towards higher functional scores and lower rates of osteoarthritis for patients with operative treatment was observed.
Macrophage Microbicidal Mechanisms In Vivo: Reactive Nitrogen versus Oxygen Intermediates in the Killing of Intracellular Visceral Leishmania donovani

To determine the relative contributions of respiratory burst–derived reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) versus reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) to macrophage-mediated intracellular host defense, mice genetically deficient in these mechanisms were challenged with Leishmania donovani, a protozoan that selectively parasitizes visceral tissue macrophages. During the early stage of liver infection at wk 2, both respiratory burst–deficient gp91phox −/− (X-linked chronic granulomatous disease [X-CGD]) mice and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) knockout (KO) mice displayed comparably increased susceptibility. Thereafter, infection was unrestrained in mice lacking iNOS but was fully controlled in X-CGD mice. Mononuclear cell influx into infected liver foci in X-CGD and iNOS KO mice was also overtly impaired at wk 2. However, granuloma assembly in parasitized tissue eventually developed in both hosts but with divergent effects: mature granulomas were functionally active (leishmanicidal) in X-CGD mice but inert in iNOS-deficient animals. These results suggest that (a) ROI and RNI probably act together in the early stage of intracellular infection to regulate both tissue recruitment of mononuclear inflammatory cells and the initial extent of microbial replication, (b) RNI alone are necessary and sufficient for eventual control of visceral infection, and (c) although mature granulomas have traditionally been associated with control of such infections, these structures fail to limit intracellular parasite replication in the absence of iNOS.
Probabilistic Roadm Aps for Path Planning in High-dimensional Connguration Spaces

A new motion planning method for robots in static workspaces is presented. This method proceeds in two phases: a learning phase and a query phase. In the learning phase, a probabilistic roadmap is constructed and stored as a graph whose nodes correspond to collision-free conngurations and whose edges correspond to feasible paths between these conngurations. These paths are computed using a simple and fast local planner. In the query phase, any given start and goal conngurations of the robot are connected to two nodes of the roadmap; the roadmap is then searched for a path joining these two nodes. The method is general and easy to implement. It can be applied to virtually any type of holonomic robot. It requires selecting certain parameters (e.g., the duration of the learning phase) whose values depend on the scene, that is the robot and its workspace. But these values turn out to be relatively easy to choose. Increased eeciency can also be achieved by tailoring some components of the method (e.g., the local planner) to the considered robots. In this paper the method is applied to planar articulated robots with many degrees of freedom. Experimental results show that path planning can be done in a fraction of a second on a contemporary workstation (150 MIPS), after learning for relatively short periods of time (a few dozen seconds).
Moral disengagement and self-reported harassment proclivity in men: the mediating effects of moral judgment and emotions

ABSTRACT Three online studies investigated the association between moral disengagement and men’s self-reported harassment proclivity. Participants (total N = 336) were required to read a vignette depicting either quid pro quo harassment (studies 1 and 2) or hostile work environment harassment (study 3). A salience manipulation was used in each study to explore the causal directionality of this association. The mediating effects of moral judgment, negative affect (guilt and shame) and positive affect (happiness) about the harassment were also assessed as participants were asked to imagine themselves as the harassment perpetrator. Across the three studies, it was shown that moral disengagement had an indirect effect in predicting men’s proclivity to harass by lowering their moral judgment and negative affect about the harassment, conversely amplifying positive affect. Overall, the findings support social cognitive theory, indicating that moral disengagement may enable people to self-regulate their own behavioural inclinations to harass.
Curriculum Transformation in China: Trends in Student Perceptions of Classroom Practice and Engagement

In the late-1990s, education policymakers began a process of curriculum reform with the goal of transforming Chinese schooling from exam-oriented education to student-centered learning. Traditional education practices have expected students to passively accept and memorize material presented by teachers, and to reproduce the knowledge on often high-stakes examinations. The new curriculum is designed to reduce teacher-centered instruction in favor of student-centered learning characterized by active learners creatively solving problems, challenging existing knowledge, and participating in lively discussion. Despite such a dramatic shift in curriculum policy, little is known about the whether reform efforts are truly transforming the educational experiences of students. In this paper, we describe these changes in curriculum policy. Second, using data from three waves of the Gansu Survey of Children and Families (2000, 2004, 2007), we investigate how student perceptions of classroom and teaching practices have changed as over time as the new curriculum has been implemented. Finally, we examine the relationship between new curriculum practices and student engagement. The perspective of the students is a crucial dimension to understanding the shift in the practices of teaching and learning that seek to cultivate creativity and innovativeness in students to bolster China’s entrance into the global information age. Comments Adams, J. & Sargent, T. C. (2012) Curriculum Transformation in China: Trends in Student Perceptions of Classroom Practice and Engagement (Working Paper). Gansu Survey of Children and Families. This working paper is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/gansu_papers/34 Curriculum Transformation in China: Trends in Student Perceptions of Classroom Practice and Engagement † Jennifer Adams Stanford University Tanja Carmel Sargent Rutgers University 2012 Jennifer Adams Assistant Professor Stanford University School of Education 485 Lasuen Mall Stanford, CA 94305 jennifer.adams@stanford.edu Tanja Sargent Assistant Professor Rutgers University Graduate School of Education 10 Seminary Place New Brunswick, NJ 08901 tsargent@rci.rutgers. edu Acknowledgments: The Gansu Survey of Children and Families is supported by a grant from the United Kingdom Economic and Social Research Council and Department for International Development (ESRC RES-167-25-0250). Earlier support for data collection came from The Spencer Foundation Small and Major Grants Programs, The World Bank, and NIH Grants 1R01TW005930-01 and 5R01TW005930-02. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, March 2009, Chicago, IL.
Low surface brightness galaxies around the HDF-S - I. Object extraction and photometric results

Aim. The aim of this study is to extend the parameter space for Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies to reach lower central surface brightnesses, smaller sizes and higher number densities. Methods. This study reports on photometric results of a search for LSB galaxies in a 0.76 deg(2) field centered on the Hubble Deep Field-South (HDF-S). We present results from photometric analysis of the derived sample galaxies and compare number densities to results of former surveys. We used public data from the NOAO Deep Wide-Field survey and the multi-wavelength Goddard Space Flight Center survey. The former reaches a limiting surface brightness of mu(Bw) similar to 29 mag arcsec(-2) and is therefore one of the most sensitive ground based data sets systematically analyzed for LSB galaxies. The search was performed with two methods. For faint objects, with a blue central surface brightness of mu(Bw) >= 24 mag arcsec(-2), we applied a spatial filtering method in combination with an object search by eye. For brighter objects (mu(Bw) = 22 mag arcsec(-2)) we used an automatic search routine. To reduce the contamination by High Surface Brightness (HSB) galaxies at higher redshift, mimicking LSBs due to the "Tolman Dimming" effect, we placed a lower diamater limit of 10. "8 and compared the colors of our candidate galaxies with the redshift tracks of 5 "standard" HSB galaxy types. Results. We report the detection of 37 galaxies with low apparent central surface brightness (mu(Bw) = 22 mag arcsec(-2)). Using color-color diagrams we were able to derive a subsample of 9 LSB galaxy candidates with intrinsic central surface brightnesses below mu(0,Bw) = 22.5 mag arcsec(-2) and diameters larger than the preselected size limit of 10. "8. We selected three additional LSB candidates due to there extreme low blue central surface birghntess (mu(Bw) = 25 mag arcsec(-2)). These galaxies were only found in the larger and more sensitive NOAO data. So finally we derived a sample of 12 LSB galaxy candidates and therefore this survey results in a four times higher surface density than other CCD based surveys for field galaxies before.
Exercise prevents the augmentation of postprandial lipaemia attributable to a low-fat high-carbohydrate diet

There is concern that replacement of dietary fat with carbohydrate may not reduce the overall risk of CHD because this replacement strategy elevates postprandial plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) concentrations. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that daily exercise can offset the augmented postprandial lipaemia associated with a short-term high-carbohydrate diet. Nine healthy, normolipidaemic men aged 33 (SD 4) YEARS CONSUMED A TEST MEAL (G/KG BODY MASS; 1·2 FAT, 1·1 CARBOHYDRATE, 0·2 PROTEIN) ON THREE OCCASIONS: AFTER 3 D ON A TYPICAL WESTERN DIET (46, 38 AND 16 % ENERGY FROM CARBOHYDRATE, FAT AND PROTEIN RESPECTIVELY); AFTER 3 D ON AN ISOENERGETIC HIGH-CARBOHYDRATE DIET (CORRESPONDING VALUES: 70, 15 AND 15 % ENERGY); AFTER 3 D ON THE SAME HIGH-CARBOHYDRATE DIET WITH 30 MIN MODERATE EXERCISE DAILY. FASTING PLASMA TAG CONCENTRATION WAS HIGHER AFTER THE HIGH-CARBOHYDRATE DIET (1·15 (se 0·16) mmol/l) than after the Western diet (0·83 (se 0·10) mmol/l; P=0·03). Similarly, postprandial lipaemia (6 h total area under plasma TAG concentration v. time curve) was higher after the high-carbohydrate diet (12·54 (se 2·07) mmol/l·h) than after the Western diet (9·30 (se 1·30) mmol/l·h; P=0·004). The addition of exercise to the high-carbohydrate diet significantly reduced postprandial lipaemia (9·95 (se 1·94) mmol/l·h; P=0·01 when compared with the high-carbohydrate diet) but not fasting TAG concentration (1·02 (se 0·24) mmol/l). In conclusion, daily exercise prevented the augmentation of postprandial lipaemia attributable to the short-term high-carbohydrate diet and, thus, exercise may be a powerful adjunct to dietary change.
Fe–Al–Mn–C lightweight structural alloys: a review on the microstructures and mechanical properties

Abstract Adding a large amount of light elements such as aluminum to steels is not a new concept recalling that several Fe–Al–Mn–C alloys were patented in 1950s for replacement of nickel or chromium in corrosion resistance steels. However, the so-called lightweight steels or low-density steels were revisited recently, which is driven by demands from the industry where steel has served as a major structural material. Strengthening without loss of ductility has been a triumph in steel research, but lowering the density of steel by mixing with light elements will be another prospect that may support the competitiveness against emerging alternatives such as magnesium alloys. In this paper, we review recent studies on lightweight steels, emphasizing the concept of alloy design for microstructures and mechanical properties. The influence of alloying elements on the phase constituents, mechanical properties and the change of density is critically reviewed. Deformation mechanisms of various lightweight steels are discussed as well. This paper provides a reason why the success of lightweight steels is strongly dependent on scientific achievements even though alloy development is closely related to industrial applications. Finally, we summarize some of the main directions for future investigations necessary for vitalizing this field of interest.
Preventing violence by developing life skills in children and adolescents

Series of briefings on violence prevention This briefing for advocates, programme designers and implementers and others is one of a seven-part series on the evidence for interventions to prevent interper sonal and self-directed violence. The other six briefings look at reducing access to lethal means; increasing safe, stable and nurturing relationships between children and their parents and caregivers; reducing availability and misuse of alcohol; promoting gender equality; changing cultural norms that support violence; and victim identification, care and support.
Operant Conditioning of Rat Soleus H-Reflex Oppositely Affects Another H-Reflex and Changes Locomotor Kinematics

H-reflex conditioning is a model for studying the plasticity associated with a new motor skill. We are exploring its effects on other reflexes and on locomotion. Rats were implanted with EMG electrodes in both solei (SOLR and SOLL) and right quadriceps (QDR), and stimulating cuffs on both posterior tibial (PT) nerves and right posterior femoral nerve. When SOLR EMG remained in a defined range, PTR stimulation just above M-response threshold elicited the SOLR H-reflex. Analogous procedures elicited the QDR and SOLL H-reflexes. After a control period, each rat was exposed for 50 d to a protocol that rewarded SOLR H-reflexes that were above (HRup rats) or below (HRdown rats) a criterion. HRup conditioning increased the SOLR H-reflex to 214 ± 37% (mean ± SEM) of control (p = 0.02) and decreased the QDR H-reflex to 71 ± 26% (p = 0.06). HRdown conditioning decreased the SOLR H-reflex to 69 ± 2% (p < 0.001) and increased the QDR H-reflex to 121 ± 7% (p = 0.02). These changes remained during locomotion. The SOLL H-reflex did not change. During the stance phase of locomotion, ankle plantarflexion increased in HRup rats and decreased in HRdown rats, hip extension did the opposite, and hip height did not change. The plasticity that changes the QDR H-reflex and locomotor kinematics may be inevitable (i.e., reactive) due to the ubiquity of activity-dependent CNS plasticity, and/or necessary (i.e., compensatory) to preserve other behaviors (e.g., locomotion) that would otherwise be disturbed by the change in the SOLR H-reflex pathway. The changes in joint angles, coupled with the preservation of hip height, suggest that compensatory plasticity did occur.
Counterterrorism and democracy: EU policy in the Middle East and North Africa after the uprisings

Abstract This paper explores European Union (EU) counterterrorism (CT) policy in relation to the Southern Mediterranean in the aftermath of the Arab Uprisings. A number of themes may be observed in the recent literature on Euro-Mediterranean relations. Firstly, the rhetoric of the EU repeatedly lays stress on its commitment to democracy and human rights. However, secondly, and equally repeatedly, the actions (or inaction) of the Union in its dealings with Southern Mediterranean regimes demonstrate that when the perceived security interests of the EU or its member states are threatened by its normative commitments, concern for the latter is readily sacrificed. Thus, while the formal responses of the EU to the Arab Uprisings have, once more, invoked its concern to promote economic development and build democracy, critics have focused on their incoherence as reflecting an underlying concern to restore the pre-2011 ‘stability’ that characterized the region. This framing of the core interests and priorities of the Union carries through to its CT policy and practices with respect to the Southern Mediterranean, and determines the nature of its engagement with key actors in the region in ways that carry the potential for counter-productive outcomes.
A Database-Reduction-Based Algorithm for Episode Mining

Event sequence arises naturally in many applications. Episode mining can discovery the knowledge hidden in the event sequence. Currently, the most influential algorithm for episode mining is WINEPI. However, it is likely to suffer from the tendency of generating too many of candidate episodes. In this paper, a novel algorithm named DRE for mining frequent episodes is presented. It studied the conditions for the events which can be pruned from the database, so the size of database is reduced gradually. The performance of algorithm DRE was evaluated and compared with WINEPI algorithm. The results demonstrate that the DRE has better performance
Characterizing Conversation Patterns in Reddit: From the Perspectives of Content Properties and User Participation Behaviors

It becomes the norm for people to communicate with one another through various online social channels, where different conversation structures are formed depending on platforms. One of the common online communication patterns is a threaded conversation where a user brings up a conversation topic, and then other people respond to the initiator or other participants by commenting, which can be modeled as a tree structure. This paper seeks to investigate (i) the characteristics of online threaded conversations in terms of volume, responsiveness, and virality and (ii) what and how content properties and user participation behaviors are associated with such characteristics. To this end, we collect 700~K threaded conversations from 1.5~M users in Reddit, one of the most popular online communities allowing people to communicate with others in the form of threaded conversations. Using the collected dataset, we find that `social' words, difficulties of texts, and document relevancy are associated with the volume, responsiveness, and virality of conversations. We also discover that large, viral conversations are mostly formed by a small portion of users who are reciprocally communicate with others by analyzing user interactions. Our analysis on discovering user roles in conversations reveal that users who are interested in multiple topics play important roles in large and viral conversations, whereas heavy posting users play important roles in responsive conversations. We expand our analysis to topical communities (i.e., subreddits) and find that news-related, image-based, and discussion-related communities are more likely to have large, responsive, and viral conversations, respectively.
Modernizing Plan-Composition Studies

Plan composition is an important but under-studied topic in programming education. Most studies were done three decades ago, under assumptions that miss important issues that today's students must confront. This paper presents rationale and details for a modernized study of plan composition that accommodates a broader range of programming languages and problem features. Our study design has two novelties: the problems require students to deal with data-processing challenges (such as noisy data), and the questions ask students to not only produce but also evaluate programs. We present preliminary results from using our study in multiple courses from different linguistic paradigms. We discuss several future studies that are prompted by these results.