Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal network design for spatial prediction, covariance parameter estimation, and empirical prediction

Inferences for spatial data are affected substantially by the spatial configuration of the network of sites where measurements are taken. In this article, criteria for network design that emphasize the utility of the network for prediction (kriging) of unobserved responses assuming known spatial covariance parameters are contrasted with criteria that emphasize the estimation of the covariance parameters themselves. It is shown, via a series of related examples, that these two main design objectives are largely antithetical and thus lead to quite different “optimal” designs. Furthermore, a hybrid design criterion that accounts for the effect that the sampling variation of spatial covariance parameter estimates has on prediction is described and illustrated. Situations in which the hybrid optimal design resembles designs that are optimal with respect to each of the other two criteria are identified. An application to the optimal augmentation of an acid deposition monitoring network in the eastern US is presented. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Childhood Exposure to Verbal Aggression and Desensitization to Conflict in Young Adulthood

In this dissertation, I examine how childhood exposure to familial verbal aggression may desensitize people to experiences of aggression within adult romantic relationships. More specifically, I aim to understand how individuals who were exposed to verbal aggression in childhood adapt to conflict as reflected in their physiological stress response system. As a foundation for understanding the influence of familial verbal aggression, I begin Chapter 1 by elaborating on the definition of verbal aggression. Next, I review the frequency of conflict, origins of conflict, and effects of conflict in familial relationships. Then, I discuss research highlighting how exposure to conflict affects children, and I describe the mechanisms that explain how childhood exposure to conflict influences future experiences of conflict. This dissertation positions exposure to familial verbal aggression during childhood as a source of stress. Accordingly, in Chapter 2, I discuss stress, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and the production of cortisol. I also describe the negative psychological, behavioral, and physiological outcomes associated with an impaired HPA axis due to chronic stress. In addition, I argue that frequent familial conflict can operate as a source of chronic stress. Finally, I offer desensitization as a process that can explain how children’s exposure to familial verbal aggression can undermine the development of the HPA axis and influence an individual’s physiological response to subsequent conflict interactions, specifically conflict interactions between college-aged dating partners. In Chapter 3, I consider the proximal influences on the experience of conflict in romantic relationships. I first describe the objectives of conflict. Next, I review how conflict between romantic partners reflects and affects relationship well-being. I then argue that it is important to consider proximal factors that impact the experience of conflict. In particular, I hypothesize that
An Empirical Analysis of Strategic Behaviour Models

Existing theoretical models indicate that intraday patterns on stock exchanges are caused by the strategic interaction of informed and liquidity traders. Using unique data from the Helsinki Stock Exchange, which allows individual trades to be attributed to informed and liquidity traders, this paper examines strategic behaviour and intraday patterns. We find that both informed and liquidity traders concentrate trading at the open and close. The results illustrate that a significant proportion of intraday patterns can be explained by strategic trading by informed and liquidity traders.
A consideration of the variation in development effort consistency due to function points

Various software development factors are usually assumed to have differing degrees of influence on actual effort. For example, in the measurement of Function Points the ISBSG suggest that different allowances should be made for different types of programming language; and, calibration of MK II Function Points to different problem domains is also advised. We examine a data source (which comprises project data from several different companies) and show that only about 41% of the variability in development effort can be explained by Albrecht’s Adjusted Function Point measure. However, about 60% of the variability can be explained by the covariates Adjusted Function Points and Maximum Team Size. In addition, dependency on language type (which includes categories 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation languages and application program generators) and language type within development type can be identified and the explanation in variability appears to increase to 62%; and, subsequent removal of extreme outliers gives a minimal increase in explanation. However, we find no evidence for dependence on or interactions with application problem type and development platform, i.e. the explanation of variation in effort does not increase. We used a Hierarchical Bayesian inference procedure in this study. We did so because it conveniently represents potential random effects (e.g. Language Type and Development Type) without loss of information from the data, which can occur due to combining categories to achieve tractable solutions using other methods, such as categorical regression. Our results differ, in part, from those derived from another study in which the number of empirical categories was reduced (leading to information loss from the data) to accommodate categorical regression. The latter study had identified dependence on platform and application type. Additionally, we provide an explanation of the necessity to consider Team Size as a treatment variable, when using Albrecht’s Adjusted Function Points as a control variable in the estimation of development effort.
Risk of Terrorism, Trust in Government, and e-Government Services: An Exploratory Study of Citizens’ Intention to use e Government Services in a Turbulent Environment

For the last several years, US citizens have been experiencing severe threats of terrorism. While such threats can significantly impact important factors for effective government operations such as citizens’ information demand and attitude toward the government, little is known about their potential effect on citizens’ acceptance of e-Government services. In order to fill this gap, this study examines the effects of perceived risks of terrorism and trustworthiness of the government, on citizens’ e-Government usage intentions. The data was collected through two surveys with a one-year interval: during and after the war in Iraq. The analysis revealed that citizens’ e-Government usage intentions can be significantly influenced by perceived risks of terrorism and trustworthiness of the supreme government, as well as other factors suggested by previous research. These relationships appear to vary depending on the domain and the type of the particular e-Government service. Other findings and future research needs are also discussed. Lee and Rao ♦ Risk of Terrorism, Trust in Government, and e-Government Services /
Equality of Medical Health Resource Allocation in China Based on the Gini Coefficient Method

Background: The Chinese government is trying to achieve the goal of “universal access to basic health care services”. However, the inequality of the distribution of health care resources across the country is the biggest obstacle. This paper aims to explore these inequalities and the extent to which the method of analysis influences the perception. Methods: The indicators of health care resource distribution studied consisted of the number of health care institutions, the number of beds in health care institutions and the number of medical personnel. Data were obtained from the China Statistical Yearbook 2014. The extent of equality was assessed using the Lorenz Curve and Gini Coefficient Method. Results: Health care resource distribution in China demonstrates inequalities. The demographic Gini Coefficients based on the Lorenz Curves for the distribution of health care institutions, beds in health care institutions and medical personnel are 0.190, 0.070 and 0.070 respectively, while the corresponding Coefficients based on geographical areas are 0.616, 0.639 and 0.650. Conclusion: The equality of China’s demographically assessed distribution of health care resources is greater than that of its geographically measured distribution. Coefficients expressed by population imply there is ready access to healthcare in all regions, whilst the Coefficients by geographical area apparently indicate inequality. This is the result of the sparsity of population.
Effect of visceral pleural invasion on the prognosis of patients with lymph node negative non‐small cell lung cancer

Visceral pleural invasion (VPI) is an adverse prognostic factor in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, its effect in relation to tumor size remains under debate. To better understand the prognostic impact and potential consequences for staging, we examined correlations between VPI and clinicopathologic characteristics in patients with NSCLC, particularly those with lymph node negative NSCLC.
Perfectionism, Decision-Making, and Post-error Slowing

The construct of perfectionism is an important topic of research due to its influence on a large number of psychopathologies. Recently researchers have sought to better understand the cognitive mechanisms associated with perfectionism using forced-choice two-alternative tasks. In particular, perfectionist characteristics were expected to predict the behavioral measure of post-error slowing. However, research has found little association between inventory scores of perfectionism and post-error slowing. I developed a quantitative model for the Simon task, and tested several hypotheses regarding the mechanisms underlying post-error slowing and their association with perfectionism. I controlled for several confounding effects such as fatigue, motivation, learning, and multiple types of post-error adjustments. Critically, a core assumption past researchers have made regarding the interpretation of post-error slowing was found not to hold, leading to important implications regarding the study of the cognitive mechanisms underlying perfectionism.
Genetic recombination in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Summary: Genetic recombination has been shown to occur in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Crosses between 18 biochemical mutants of 4 strains were studied and, although non-random segregation was found for non-selective markers, it has not yet been possible to draw conclusions concerning gene order or linkage. The progeny obtained from crosses tended to resemble one parent more than the other. The 4 strains of P. aeruginosa used were interfertile in certain combinations but self-sterile. There was no evidence for an infectious principle affecting fertility but fertility changes may occur amongst recombinant progeny.
The Concept and Measurement of Violence Against Women and Men

The extent of violence against women is currently hidden. How should violence be measured? How should research and new ways of thinking about violence improve its measurement? Could improved measurement change policy? The book is a guide to how the measurement of violence can be best achieved. It shows how to make femicide, rape, domestic violence, and FGM visible in official statistics. It offers practical guidance on definitions, indicators and coordination mechanisms. It reflects on theoretical debates on ‘what is gender’, ‘what is violence’, and ‘the concept of coercive control’. and introduces the concept of ‘gender saturated context’. Analysing the socially constructed nature of statistics and the links between knowledge and power, it sets new standards and guidelines to influence the measurement of violence in the coming decades.
Risk, Trust and the Problem Solving Approach: A Cross Cultural Negotiation Study

This study investigates three antecedents to the problem solving strategy in negotiations - risk, trust and perceptions of counterpart’s strategy. Using two culturally diverse sample groups - Americans and Filipino industrial exporters - we found that these groups only had one variable common. Both groups’ problem solving orientation was greatly influenced by their impressions of their counterparts. Traits relating to risk and trust influenced only the American sample.
Sox1 Is Required for the Specification of a Novel p2-Derived Interneuron Subtype in the Mouse Ventral Spinal Cord

During mouse development, the ventral spinal cord becomes organized into five progenitor domains that express different combinations of transcription factors and generate different subsets of neurons and glia. One of these domains, known as the p2 domain, generates two subtypes of interneurons, V2a and V2b. Here we have used genetic fate mapping and loss-of-function analysis to show that the transcription factor Sox1 is expressed in, and is required for, a third type of p2-derived interneuron, which we named V2c. These are close relatives of V2b interneurons, and, in the absence of Sox1, they switch to the V2b fate. In addition, we show that late-born V2a and V2b interneurons are heterogeneous, and subsets of these cells express the transcription factor Pax6. Our data demonstrate that interneuron diversification in the p2 domain is more complex than previously thought and directly implicate Sox1 in this process.
Hierarchy, networks, or markets: how does the EU shape environmental policy adoptions within and beyond its borders?

In this study we scrutinize the strength of the European Union's ‘external governance’ in the area of environmental policy. We explore whether accession candidates and third countries adopted European environmental legislation along with the member states. In doing so, we focus on Community laws that limit nitrogen oxides in the emissions into the air from large combustion plants, and introduce the European ecolabel scheme and environmental impact assessments. Our analysis reveals that hierarchical governance is the most significant and robust determinant of policy adoption. Additionally, our results lend some support to the relevance of network governance, indicating that this mode could become more effective at greater length.
Comparative Analysis of the Expression Profile of Wnk1 and Wnk1/Hsn2 Splice Variants in Developing and Adult Mouse Tissues

The With No lysine (K) family of serine/threonine kinase (WNK) defines a small family of kinases with significant roles in ion homeostasis. WNK1 has been shown to have different isoforms due to what seems to be largely tissue specific splicing. Here, we used two distinct in situ hybridization riboprobes on developing and adult mouse tissues to make a comparative analysis of Wnk1 and its sensory associated splice isoform, Wnk1/Hsn2. The hybridization signals in developing mouse tissues, which were prepared at embryonic day e10.5 and e12.5, revealed a homogenous expression profile with both probes. At e15.5 and in the newborn mouse, the two probes revealed different expression profiles with prominent signals in nervous system tissues and also other tissues such as kidney, thymus and testis. In adult mouse tissues, the two expression profiles appeared even more restricted to the nervous tissues, kidney, thymus and testis, with no detectable signal in the other tissues. Throughout the nervous system, sensory tissues, as well as in Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1), CA2 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus, were strongly labeled with both probes. Hybridization signals were also strongly detected in Schwann and supporting satellite cells. Our results show that the expression profiles of Wnk1 isoforms change during the development, and that the expression of the Wnk1 splice variant containing the Hsn2 exon is prominent during developing and in adult mouse tissues, suggesting its important role in the development and maintenance of the nervous system.
Adaptive spread-spectrum multicarrier multiple-access over wirelines

In this paper, we investigate the dynamic resource allocation adapted to spread-spectrum multicarrier multiple-access (SS-MC-MA) systems in a multiuser power line communication (PLC) context. The developed adaptive system is valid for uplink, downlink, as well as for indoor and outdoor communications. The studied SS-MC-MA system is based on classical multicarrier modulation like digital multitone (DMT), combined with a spread-spectrum (SS) component used to multiplex several information symbols of a given user over the same subcarriers. The multiple-access task is carried out using a frequency-division multiple-access (FDMA) approach so that each user is assigned one or more subcarrier sets. The number of subcarriers in each set is given by the spreading code length as in classical SS-MC-MA systems usually studied in the wireless context. We derive herein a new loading algorithm that dynamically handles the system configuration in order to maximize the data throughput. The algorithm consists in an adaptive subcarrier, code, bit, and energy assignment algorithm. Power-spectral density constraint due to spectral mask specifications is considered, as well as finite-order modulations. In that case, it is shown that SS-MC-MA combined with the proposed loading algorithm achieves higher throughput than DMT in a multiuser PLC context. Because of the finite granularity of the modulations, some residual energy is indeed wasted on each subcarrier of the DMT spectrum. The combining of a spreading component with DMT allows to merge these amounts of energy so that one or more additional bits can be transmitted in each subcarrier subset leading to significant throughput gain. Simulations have been run over measured PLC channel responses and highlight that the proposed system is all the more interesting than the signal-to-noise ratio is low.
Unraveling the role of KIAA1199, a novel endoplasmic reticulum protein, in cancer cell migration.

BACKGROUND Cell migration is a critical determinant of cancer metastasis, and a better understanding of the genes involved will lead to the identification of novel targets aimed at preventing cancer dissemination. KIAA1199 has been shown to be upregulated in human cancers, yet its role in cancer progression was hitherto unknown. METHODS Clinical relevance was assessed by examining KIAA1199 expression in human cancer specimens. In vitro and in vivo studies were employed to determine the function of KIAA1199 in cancer progression. Cellular localization of KIAA1199 was microscopically determined. SNAP-tag pull-down assays were used to identify binding partner(s) of KIAA1199. Calcium levels were evaluated using spectrofluorometric and fluorescence resonance energy transfer analyses. Signaling pathways were dissected by Western blotting. Student t test was used to assess differences. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS KIAA1199 was upregulated in invasive breast cancer specimens and inversely associated with patient survival rate. Silencing of KIAA1199 in MDA-MB-435 cancer cells resulted in a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition that reduced cell migratory ability in vitro (75% reduction; P < .001) and decreased metastasis in vivo (80% reduction; P < .001). Gain-of-function assays further demonstrated the role of KIAA1199 in cell migration. KIAA1199-enhanced cell migration required endoplasmic reticulum (ER) localization, where it forms a stable complex with the chaperone binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP). A novel ER-retention motif within KIAA1199 that is required for its ER localization, BiP interaction, and enhanced cell migration was identified. Mechanistically, KIAA1199 was found to mediate ER calcium leakage, and the resultant increase in cytosolic calcium ultimately led to protein kinase C alpha activation and cell migration. CONCLUSIONS KIAA1199 serves as a novel cell migration-promoting gene and plays a critical role in maintaining cancer mesenchymal status.
Practice Variance, Prevalence, and Economic Burden of Premature Infants Diagnosed With GERD.

OBJECTIVE To determine the practice variance, prevalence, and economic burden of clinically diagnosed gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in preterm infants. METHODS Applying a retrospective cohort study design, we analyzed data from 18 567 preterm infants of 22 to 36 weeks' gestation and >400 g birth weight from the NICUs of 33 freestanding children's hospitals in the United States. GERD prevalence, comorbidities, and demographic factors were examined for their association with average length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization cost. RESULTS Overall, 10.3% of infants received a diagnosis of GERD (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.8-10.7). There was a 13-fold variation in GERD rates across hospitals (P < .001). GERD diagnosis was significantly (P < .05) associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and necrotizing enterocolitis, as well as congenital anomalies and decreased birth weight. GERD diagnosis was associated with $70 489 (95% CI: 62 184-78 794) additional costs per discharge and 29.9 additional days in LOS (95% CI: 27.3-32.5). CONCLUSIONS One in 10 of these premature NICU infants were diagnosed with GERD, which is associated with substantially increased LOS and elevated costs. Better diagnostic and management strategies are needed to evaluate reflux-type symptoms in this vulnerable NICU population.
High-Resolution Imaging of the OH Megamaser Emission in IRAS 12032+1707 and IRAS 14070+0525

We present results from Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of the 1667 and 1665 MHz OH lines in two OH megamaser galaxies, IRAS 12032+1707 and IRAS 14070+0525. For IRAS 12032+1707 we also present Arecibo H I absorption data. Almost all OH emission previously detected by single-dish observations has been recovered in IRAS 12032+1707 and is found on a compact scale of <100 pc. The emission shows an ordered velocity field that is consistent with a single disk. However, the data are also consistent with a scenario including two physically different gas components. We explore this possibility, in which the two strongest and most blueshifted maser features are identified as the tangent points of a circumnuclear torus. The redshifted maser features would be extended in a direction perpendicular to the torus, which is in the direction of the merger companion. Thus, redshifted emission could be associated with an inflow triggered by a tidal interaction. H I absorption covers the velocities of the redshifted maser emission, suggesting a common origin. In the second source, IRAS 14070+0525, a large fraction of the OH emission is resolved out with the VLBA. We find no significant evidence of an ordered velocity field in this source, but these results are inconclusive because of a very low signal-to-noise ratio.
Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) in Cancers: Overexpression and Therapeutic Implications

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor family having tyrosine kinase activity. Dimerization of the receptor results in the autophosphorylation of tyrosine residues within the cytoplasmic domain of the receptors and initiates a variety of signaling pathways leading to cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. Amplification or overexpression of HER2 occurs in approximately 15–30% of breast cancers and 10–30% of gastric/gastroesophageal cancers and serves as a prognostic and predictive biomarker. HER2 overexpression has also been seen in other cancers like ovary, endometrium, bladder, lung, colon, and head and neck. The introduction of HER2 directed therapies has dramatically influenced the outcome of patients with HER2 positive breast and gastric/gastroesophageal cancers; however, the results have been proved disappointing in other HER2 overexpressing cancers. This review discusses the role of HER2 in various cancers and therapeutic modalities available targeting HER2.