Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do Plant Inspections Predict Future Quality? The Role of Investigator Experience

Plant inspections enable firms to manage their quality risk in global supply chains. However, surprisingly little research examines the relationship between such inspections and future product quality. In this paper, we study how well plant inspection outcomes predict the hazard of a future recall and analyze how investigator experience affects this predictive relationship. Using secondary data spanning a seven-year period in the medical device industry and a recurrent-event Cox proportional hazard model, our analysis shows that inspection outcomes reliably predict future product recalls. However, inspection outcomes become an unreliable predictor of recalls with an increase in site-specific investigator experience. Through post hoc analysis, we also show that the hazard of a recall at a plant increases with site-specific experience, independent of the inspection outcome. Compared to the first visit by an investigator, the recall hazard increases by 21% the second time the investigator visits a specific p.
DETERMINATION OF THE NUMBER OF TEXTURE SEGMENTS USING WAVELETS

This paper presents a robust method of determining the number of texture segments in an image. We take an N N image and decompose it into n n blocks. A three-scale two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform is performed on each n n block. For each n n block, this transformation produces coecients for 25 wavelet channels. The energy of each channel is used as a tuple for a vector in the feature space. Nearest neighbor clustering is used to segment the feature space. A measure is dened to determine the \goodness" of the clustering. The optimal number of segments is taken to be the clustering which maximizes our measure.
3D Printed Optical Quality Silica and Silica–Titania Glasses from Sol–Gel Feedstocks

A method for fabricating optical quality silica and silica–titania glasses by three‐dimensional (3D) printing is reported. Key to this success is the combination of sol–gel derived silica and silica–titania colloidal feedstocks, direct ink writing (DIW) technology, and conventional glass thermal processing methods. Printable silica and silica–titania sol inks are prepared directly from molecular precursors by a simple one‐pot method, which is optimized to yield viscous, shear‐thinning colloidal suspensions with tuned rheology ideal for DIW. After printing, the parts are dried and sintered under optimized thermal conditions to ensure complete organic removal and uniform densification without crystallization. Characterizations of the 3D‐printed pure silica and silica–titania glasses show that they are equivalent to commercial optical fused silica and silica–titania glasses. More specifically, they exhibit comparable chemical composition, SiO2 network structure, refractive index, dispersion, optical transmission, and coefficient of thermal expansion. 3D‐printed silica and silica–titania glasses also exhibit comparable polished surface roughness and meet refractive index homogeneity standards within range of commercial optical grade glasses. This method establishes 3D printing as a viable tool to create optical glasses with compositional and geometric configurations that are inaccessible by conventional optical fabrication methods.
Variable Selection via A Combination of the L0 and L1 Penalties

Variable selection is an important aspect of high-dimensional statistical modeling, particularly in regression and classification. In the regularization framework, various penalty functions are used to perform variable selection by putting relatively large penalties on small coefficients. The L1 penalty is a popular choice because of its convexity, but it produces biased estimates for the large coefficients. The L0 penalty is attractive for variable selection because it directly penalizes the number of non zero coefficients. However, the optimization involved is discontinuous and non convex, and therefore it is very challenging to implement. Moreover, its solution may not be stable. In this article, we propose a new penalty that combines the L0 and L1 penalties. We implement this new penalty by developing a global optimization algorithm using mixed integer programming (MIP). We compare this combined penalty with several other penalties via simulated examples as well as real applications. The results show that the new penalty outperforms both the L0 and L1 penalties in terms of variable selection while maintaining good prediction accuracy.
Genetic variants associated with response to oral antihyperglycemic agents metformin

License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress. com/permissions.php Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine 2014:7 367–377 Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine Dovepress
Comparison of Parallel High-Throughput RNA Sequencing Between Knockout of TDP-43 and Its Overexpression Reveals Primarily Nonreciprocal and Nonoverlapping Gene Expression Changes in the Central Nervous System of Drosophila

The human Tar-DNA binding protein, TDP-43, is associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders. TDP-43 contains two conserved RNA-binding motifs and has documented roles in RNA metabolism, including pre-mRNA splicing and repression of transcription. Here, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model, we generated loss-of-function and overexpression genotypes of Tar-DNA binding protein homolog (TBPH) to study their effect on the transcriptome of the central nervous system (CNS). By using massively parallel sequencing methods (RNA-seq) to profile the CNS, we find that loss of TBPH results in widespread gene activation and altered splicing, much of which are reversed by rescue of TBPH expression. Conversely, TBPH overexpression results in decreased gene expression. Although previous studies implicated both absence and mis-expression of TDP-43 in ALS, our data exhibit little overlap in the gene expression between them, suggesting that the bulk of genes affected by TBPH loss-of-function and overexpression are different. In combination with computational approaches to identify likely TBPH targets and orthologs of previously identified vertebrate TDP-43 targets, we provide a comprehensive analysis of enriched gene ontologies. Our data suggest that TDP-43 plays a role in synaptic transmission, synaptic release, and endocytosis. We also uncovered a potential novel regulation of the Wnt and BMP pathways, many of whose targets appear to be conserved.
Pattern-Recognition Receptors and Gastric Cancer

Chronic inflammation has been associated with an increased risk of several human malignancies, a classic example being gastric adenocarcinoma (GC). Development of GC is known to result from infection of the gastric mucosa by Helicobacter pylori, which initially induces acute inflammation and, in a subset of patients, progresses over time to chronic inflammation, gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and finally intestinal-type GC. Germ-line encoded receptors known as pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) are critical for generating mature pro-inflammatory cytokines that are crucial for both Th1 and Th2 responses. Given that H. pylori is initially targeted by PRRs, it is conceivable that dysfunction within genes of this arm of the immune system could modulate the host response against H. pylori infection, and subsequently influence the emergence of GC. Current evidence suggests that Toll-like receptors (TLRs) (TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR9), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors (NLRs) (NOD1, NOD2, and NLRP3), a C-type lectin receptor (DC-SIGN), and retinoic acid-inducible gene (RIG)-I-like receptors (RIG-I and MDA-5), are involved in both the recognition of H. pylori and gastric carcinogenesis. In addition, polymorphisms in genes involved in the TLR (TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, TLR9, and CD14) and NLR (NOD1, NOD2, NLRP3, NLRP12, NLRX1, CASP1, ASC, and CARD8) signaling pathways have been shown to modulate the risk of H. pylori infection, gastric precancerous lesions, and/or GC. Further, the modulation of PRRs has been suggested to suppress H. pylori-induced inflammation and enhance GC cell apoptosis, highlighting their potential relevance in GC therapeutics. In this review, we present current advances in our understanding of the role of the TLR and NLR signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of GC, address the involvement of other recently identified PRRs in GC, and discuss the potential implications of PRRs in GC immunotherapy.
Prediction of Human Papillomavirus 16 E6 Gene Expression and Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Progression by Methylation Status

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection represents the most important risk factor for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer. We aimed to analyze the consequences of methylation of the E6 gene promoter in distinct stages of HPV-16-induced cellular transformation to assess its importance for disease progression. Methods: Human papillomavirus 16 was detected by sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Determination of E6 gene promoter methylation was analyzed by digestion with specific restriction endonuclease McrBC followed by PCR amplification. Expression of the E6 gene was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Of 103 cervical smears from asymptomatic women with no cytological and colposcopic abnormalities, 20.4% were HPV-16-positive. Human papillomavirus 16 was present in 44.4% of 18 patients with CIN I, in 62.2% of 143 patients with CIN II/III, and in 74.2% of 31 cervix carcinoma specimens. The incidence of HPV-16 in all lesions compared with asymptomatic women was statistically significant (P < 0.001, Pearson χ2 test). Methylation was detected in 81% (n = 21) of HPV-16-positive asymptomatic smears compared with 62.5% in CIN I (n = 8), 31.5% (n = 89) in CIN II/III, and 43.4% (n = 23) in carcinomas; a statistical significance between lesions and healthy women was found (P < 0.001, Pearson χ2 test). Expression of E6 mRNA correlated with methylation status (P = 0.010, Mann-Whitney U test). Conclusions: We conclude that methylation of the E6 gene promoter in HPV-16 genome is a predictive biomarker for cervical cancer progression by regulating the expression of the E6 oncogene.
Person Organization Fit, Organizational Commitment and Knowledge Sharing Attitude-An Analytical Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship among Person Organization Fit (POF), Organizational Commitment (OC) and Knowledge Sharing Attitude (KSA). The paper develops a conceptual frame based on a theory and literature review. A quantitative approach has been used to measure the level of POF and OC as well as to explore the relationship of these variables with KSA & with each other by using a sample of 315 academic managers of public sector institutions of higher education. POF has a positive relationship with OC and KSA. A positive relationship also exists between OC and KSA. It would be an effective contribution in the existing body of knowledge. Managers and other stakeholders may be helped to recognize the significance of POF, OC and KSA as well as their relationship with each other for ensuring selection of employee's best fitted in the organization and for creating and maintaining a conducive environment for improving organizational commitment and knowledge sharing of the employees which will ultimately result in enhanced efficacy and effectiveness of the organization.
An evolution of the infrared-radio correlation at very low flux densities?

In this paper, we investigate the radio-mid-infrared (MIR) correlation at very low flux densities using extremely deep 1.4-GHz subarcsec angular resolution Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer+Very Large Array observations of a field centred upon the Hubble Deep Field-North, in conjunction with Spitzer 24-? m data. From these results, the MIR-radio correlation is extended to the very faint (~? Jy) radio source population. Tentatively, we detect a small deviation from the correlation at the faintest infrared flux densities. We suggest that this small observed change in the gradient of the correlation is the result of a suppression of the MIR emission in faint star-forming galaxies. This deviation potentially has significant implications for using either the MIR or non-thermal radio emission as a star formation tracer of very low luminosity galaxies.
On Convergence of Emphatic Temporal-Difference Learning

We consider emphatic temporal-difference learning algorithms for policy evaluation in discounted Markov decision processes with finite spaces. Such algorithms were recently proposed by Sutton, Mahmood, and White (2015) as an improved solution to the problem of divergence of off-policy temporal-difference learning with linear function approximation. We present in this paper the first convergence proofs for two emphatic algorithms, ETD($\lambda$) and ELSTD($\lambda$). We prove, under general off-policy conditions, the convergence in $L^1$ for ELSTD($\lambda$) iterates, and the almost sure convergence of the approximate value functions calculated by both algorithms using a single infinitely long trajectory. Our analysis involves new techniques with applications beyond emphatic algorithms leading, for example, to the first proof that standard TD($\lambda$) also converges under off-policy training for $\lambda$ sufficiently large.
Cancer-associated malnutrition, cachexia and sarcopenia: the skeleton in the hospital closet 40 years later

An awareness of the importance of nutritional status in hospital settings began more than 40 years ago. Much has been learned since and has altered care. For the past 40 years several large studies have shown that cancer patients are amongst the most malnourished of all patient groups. Recently, the use of gold-standard methods of body composition assessment, including computed tomography, has facilitated the understanding of the true prevalence of cancer cachexia (CC). CC remains a devastating syndrome affecting 50–80 % of cancer patients and it is responsible for the death of at least 20 %. The aetiology is multifactorial and complex; driven by pro-inflammatory cytokines and specific tumour-derived factors, which initiate an energy-intensive acute phase protein response and drive the loss of skeletal muscle even in the presence of adequate food intake and insulin. The most clinically relevant phenotypic feature of CC is muscle loss (sarcopenia), as this relates to asthenia, fatigue, impaired physical function, reduced tolerance to treatments, impaired quality of life and reduced survival. Sarcopenia is present in 20–70 % depending on the tumour type. There is mounting evidence that sarcopenia increases the risk of toxicity to many chemotherapy drugs. However, identification of patients with muscle loss has become increasingly difficult as 40–60 % of cancer patients are overweight or obese, even in the setting of metastatic disease. Further challenges exist in trying to reverse CC and sarcopenia. Future clinical trials investigating dose reductions in sarcopenic patients and dose-escalating studies based on pre-treatment body composition assessment have the potential to alter cancer treatment paradigms.
Experimental Parameter Extraction in the Single-Diode Photovoltaic Model via a Reduced-Space Search

The behavior of a photovoltaic (PV) module may be captured via its current-voltage (I-V) characteristic. The single-diode model is able to adequately fit this characteristic while featuring limited parameterization difficulty, and is thus widely adopted to represent the performance of a PV module. However, the identification of the model's parameters is a complex task due to the nonconvex nature of the underlying optimization problem. In this paper, an efficient method for the parameter extraction of the single-diode PV model from experimental I-V curves is developed. This method features two advantages with respect to the existing procedures. On the one hand, it is able to find high-quality solutions at a reduced computational complexity. On the other hand, it does not rely on any preliminary data selection and it can thus be fully automated without user intervention. Numerical results obtained for case studies common in the literature and a large-scale repository show its performance. A computer program implementing the proposed methodology is available upon request via an e-mail to all interested researchers.
A multivariate analysis of risk factors for the air-trapping asthmatic phenotype as measured by quantitative CT analysis.

BACKGROUND Patients with severe asthma have increased physiologically measured air trapping; however, a study using CT measures of air trapping has not been performed. This study was designed to address two hypotheses: (1) air trapping measured by multidetector CT (MDCT) quantitative methodology would be a predictor of a more severe asthma phenotype; and (2) historical, clinical, allergic, or inflammatory risk factors could be identified via multivariate analysis. METHODS MDCT scanning of a subset of Severe Asthma Research Program subjects was performed at functional residual capacity. Air trapping was defined as >or= 9.66% of the lung tissue < - 850 Hounsfield units (HU). Subjects classified as having air trapping were then compared to subjects without air trapping on clinical and demographic factors using both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. RESULTS Subjects with air trapping were significantly more likely to have a history of asthma-related hospitalizations, ICU visits, and/or mechanical ventilation. Duration of asthma (odds ratio [OR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 1.87), history of pneumonia (OR, 8.55; 95% CI, 2.07 to 35.26), high levels of airway neutrophils (OR, 8.67; 95% CI, 2.05 to 36.57), airflow obstruction (FEV(1)/FVC) [OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.21 to 2.14], and atopy (OR, 11.54; 95% CI, 1.97 to 67.70) were identified as independent risk factors associated with the air-trapping phenotype. CONCLUSIONS Quantitative CT-determined air trapping in asthmatic subjects identifies a group of individuals at high risk for severe disease. Several independent risk factors for the presence of this phenotype were identified: perhaps most interestingly, history of pneumonia, neutrophilic inflammation, and atopy.
Early Frontofacial Symmetry After Correction of Unilateral Coronal Synostosis: Frontoorbital Advancement vs Endoscopic Strip Craniectomy and Helmet Therapy

AbstractFrontoorbital advancement (FOA) improves forehead and superior orbital asymmetry associated with unilateral coronal synostosis but has little effect on facial asymmetry. This study compares frontofacial symmetry after FOA and endoscopically assisted suturectomy (ESC) and postoperative helmet therapy.A retrospective review of 2 cohorts of patients with nonsyndromic unilateral coronal synostosis who had either FOA or ESC was undertaken. Choice of procedure was determined by age of patient at referral (younger than 4 months, FOA or ESC; older than 4 months, only FOA). Vectra 3D imaging system (Canfield Imaging Systems, Fairfield, NJ) was used to capture and analyze three-dimensional digital images. Comparative anthropometric measurements were made and statistically analyzed.Twenty-two patients met the inclusion criteria; 11 underwent ESC at mean age of 2 months (range, 1–4 months) and 11 underwent FOA at mean age of 12 months (range, 8–25 months). Mean age at three-dimensional digital imaging was 45.9 months (range, 18–64 months) for the FOA group and 34.5 months (range, 20–66 months) for the ESC group (P = 0.054). There was no difference between the 2 groups with regard to supraorbital symmetry (P = 0.54). The ESC group exhibited better facial symmetry in midline deviation (3.6° vs 1.4°; P = 0.018), nasal tip deviation (5.6° vs 2.3°; P = 0.006), and middle facial depth (6.9 vs 4.4 mm; P = 0.042). Lower facial depth was similar (3.8 vs 2.3 mm; P = 0.54). Early ESC and helmet therapy results in comparable brow symmetry and better overall facial symmetry than FOA done in late infancy.
Have plants evolved to self-immolate?

By definition fire prone ecosystems have highly combustible plants, leading to the hypothesis, first formally stated by Mutch in 1970, that community flammability is the product of natural selection of flammable traits. However, proving the “Mutch hypothesis” has presented an enormous challenge for fire ecologists given the difficulty in establishing cause and effect between landscape fire and flammable plant traits. Individual plant traits (such as leaf moisture content, retention of dead branches and foliage, oil rich foliage) are known to affect the flammability of plants but there is no evidence these characters evolved specifically to self-immolate, although some of these traits may have been secondarily modified to increase the propensity to burn. Demonstrating individual benefits from self-immolation is extraordinarily difficult, given the intersection of the physical environmental factors that control landscape fire (fuel production, dryness and ignitions) with community flammability properties that emerge from numerous traits of multiple species (canopy cover and litter bed bulk density). It is more parsimonious to conclude plants have evolved mechanisms to tolerate, but not promote, landscape fire.
GCViR: grid content‐based video retrieval with work allocation brokering

Nowadays TV channels generate a large amount of video data each day. A very huge number of videos of news, shows, series, movies, and so on have to be stored with the aim of being accessed later on. Moreover, channels have a clear need of sharing videos so as to settle a real collaboration among them that minimizes the cost of information acquisition. These features demand a huge storage capacity and a sharing information environment. Both requirements can be solved by using grid computing. It provides both computing and storage capacities to store that great volume of data required, as well as the resource sharing capabilities for the cooperation of different TV channels. This paper presents a video retrieval system that covers these needs and suggests a work allocation (WA) broker to improve the performance of video accesses. An evaluation shows the feasibility and the scalability of this approach showing the benefits of the WA made to store and retrieve large video data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.