Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Breast Cancer Patients with p53 Pro72 Homozygous Genotype Have a Poorer Survival

Purpose: The p53 R72P polymorphism has been suggested to play a role in many cancers, including breast cancer. Our aim was to evaluate association of R72P with breast cancer risk as well as histopathologic features of the breast tumors and survival. Experimental Design: The germ line R72P genotype was defined among 939 Finnish familial and 888 unselected breast cancer patients and 736 healthy population controls. The clinical and biological variables were tested for association by univariate analysis and the effects of several variables on survival by Cox's proportional hazards regression model. Results: The distribution of the genotypes was similar in all groups studied, suggesting no association with breast cancer risk. Unselected breast cancer patients with 72P homozygous genotype presented significantly more often with lobular carcinoma, whereas R72 allele carriers had a significantly higher frequency of ductal carcinomas (P = 0.004). No significant association with other histopathologic variables, like tumor grade, hormone receptor status (estrogen and progesterone receptors), or tumor-node-metastasis stage, was observed. Survival analysis showed that unselected breast cancer patients with 72P homozygous genotype had significantly poorer survival than patients with other genotypes (P = 0.003). This effect on survival was independent of p53 expression in the tumors and multivariate analysis showed that 72P homozygous genotype was overall an independent prognostic factor (risk ratio of death, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-3.3; P = 0.001). Conclusions: These results suggest no effect of either R72P allele on breast cancer risk but a significantly reduced survival for 72P homozygous breast cancer patients. The finding of codon 72 genotype as an independent prognostic marker for breast cancer warrants further studies.
On Eliminating Disjunctions in Stable Logic Programming

Disjunction is generally considered to add expressive power to logic programs under the stable model semantics, which have become a popular programming paradigm for knowledge representation and reasoning. However, disjunction is often not really needed, in that an equivalent program without disjunction can be given. In this paper, we consider the question, given a disjunctive logic program, P, under which conditions an equivalent normal (i.e., disjunction-free) logic program P' exists. In fact, we study this problem under different notions of equivalence, viz. for ordinary equivalence (considering the collections of all stable models of the programs) as well as for the more restrictive notions of strong and uniform equivalence. We resolve the issue for propositional programs on which we focus here, and present a simple, appealing semantic criterion from which all disjunctions can be eliminated under strong equivalence. Testing this criterion is coNP-complete, but the class of programs satisfying it has the same complexity as disjunctive logic programs in general. We also show that under ordinary and uniform equivalence, disjunctions can always be eliminated. In all cases, we give constructive methods to achieve this. However, we also provide evidence that disjunctive logic programs are a more succinct knowledge representation formalism than normal logic programs under all these notions of equivalence.
Ofqual’s Reliability Programme: a case study exploring the potential to improve public understanding and confidence

In May 2008, Ofqual established a two-year programme of research to investigate the nature and extent of (un)reliability within the qualifications, examinations and assessments that it regulated. It was particularly concerned to improve understanding of, and confidence in, this technically complex and politically sensitive phenomenon. The following article presents an account of this programme, from the perspective of one of its initiators, the author. It describes: the context prior to the programme, where little information on (un)reliability was routinely available to the public; the rationale for the programme, in terms of the tension between improving public understanding and the concomitant threat of decreasing public confidence; and ways in which aspects of the programme were constructed through media reports. It concludes with lessons learned from running the programme and with an extended discussion of the challenge of talking about reliability and error.
Cosmological and astrophysical parameters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey flux power spectrum and hydrodynamical simulations of the Lyman α forest

The flux power spectrum of the Lyman a forest in quasar [quasi-stellar object (QSO)] absorption spectra is sensitive to a wide range of cosmological and astrophysical parameters and instrumental effects. Modelling the flux power spectrum in this large parameter space to an accuracy comparable to the statistical uncertainty of large samples of QSO spectra is very challenging. We use here a coarse grid of hydrodynamical simulations run with GADGET-2 to obtain a 'best-guess' model around which we calculate a finer grid of flux power spectra using a Taylor expansion of the flux power spectrum to first order. In this way, we investigate how the interplay between astrophysical and cosmological parameters affects their measurements using the recently published flux power spectrum obtained from 3035 Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) QSOs. We find that the SDSS flux power spectrum alone is able to constrain a wide range of parameters including the amplitude of the matter power spectrum σ 8 , the matter density Ω m , the spectral index of primordial density fluctuations n, the effective optical depth τ eff and its evolution. The thermal history of the intergalactic medium (IGM) is, however, poorly constrained and the SDSS data favour either an unplausibly large temperature or an unplausibly steep temperature-density relation. By enforcing a thermal history of the IGM consistent with that inferred from high-resolution QSO spectra, we find the following values for the best-fitting model (assuming a flat universe with a cosmological constant and zero neutrino mass): Ω m = 0.28 ± 0.03, n = 0.95 ± 0.04 and σ 8 = 0.91 ± 0.07 (1σ error bars). The values for a 8 and n are consistent with those obtained by McDonald et al. with different simulations for similar assumptions. We argue, however, that the major uncertainties in this measurement are still systematic rather than statistical.
Keeping up with the Joneses: The relationship of perceived descriptive social norms, social information, and charitable giving

We study the influence of perceived descriptive social norms on subsequent giving behavior to nonprofits, explore how social information can influence these norms, and provide insight for fundraising practice. A survey conducted in a nonprofit organization first shows that donors use their beliefs about the descriptive social norm to inform their own donation behavior. Donors who believe that others make high contributions tend to make high contributions themselves. Next, a laboratory experiment demonstrates the influence of social information on the descriptive social norm and consequently on giving. These results suggest strategies for fundraising practice. Informing donors of contributions made by another person influences their perceptions about the descriptive social norm, which in turn influences their giving behavior. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications.
Real-Time Object Tracking and Classification Using a Static Camera

Understanding objects in video data is of particular interest due to its enhanced automation in public security surveillance as well as in traffic control and pedestrian flow analysis. Here, a system is presented which is able to detect and classify people and vehicles outdoors in different weather conditions using a static camera. The system is capable of correctly tracking multiple objects despite occlusions and object interactions. Results are presented on real world sequences and by online application of the algorithm.
The Relationship Between Enjoyment and Affective Responses to Exercise

Exercise-related affective changes are well documented across a variety of settings and populations. In addition to the stimulus properties of exercise itself, social environmental factors are thought to influence affective responses. One factor that may be associated with psychological responses to exercise is enjoyment. Individuals who enjoy exercise may exhibit more positive affective responses compared to those who enjoy exercise less. The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercise enjoyment was related to affective changes associated with an acute bout of exercise in a naturalistic setting. Study 1 used a categorical approach to assess affect and sampled college-aged female group fitness participants. Study 2 was based on a dimensional affect conceptualization and sampled corporate fitness participants. Across both studies, results revealed a significant decrease in negative affect and increase in positive affect following exercise. Enjoyment was positively related to increases in positive affect but unrelated to changes in negative affect.
Uniprocessor Schedulability and Sensitivity Analysis of Multiple Criticality Tasks with Fixed-Priorities

Safety-critical real-time standards define several criticality levels for the tasks (e.g., DO-178B - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification). Classical models do not take into account these levels. Vestal introduced a new multiple criticality model, to model more precisely existing real-time systems, and algorithms to schedule such systems. Such task model represents a potentially very significant advance in the modeling of safety-critical real-time systems. Baruah and Vestal continues this investigation, with a new algorithm under fixed and dynamic priority policies. In this paper, we provide some results about the optimality of Vestal's algorithm and analyze an interesting property of this algorithm. We also adapt sensitivity analysis developed by Bini et al. for multiple criticality systems
Validation of the Knowledge Management Stage Model: A Triangulation Approach

An effort for validating and refining an existing knowledge management (KM) stage model was made by a triangulation approach. A survey and a multiple case study were conducted and analyzed based on related literature. Our findings verify the existence of the temporal sequence in KM implementations, validating the KM stage model. In an effort to update the stage model, we propose a new management object, community of practice (COP), which has come to the front of knowledge management issues lately and supplementary managerial actions.
Community Turnover of Wood-Inhabiting Fungi across Hierarchical Spatial Scales

For efficient use of conservation resources it is important to determine how species diversity changes across spatial scales. In many poorly known species groups little is known about at which spatial scales the conservation efforts should be focused. Here we examined how the community turnover of wood-inhabiting fungi is realised at three hierarchical levels, and how much of community variation is explained by variation in resource composition and spatial proximity. The hierarchical study design consisted of management type (fixed factor), forest site (random factor, nested within management type) and study plots (randomly placed plots within each study site). To examine how species richness varied across the three hierarchical scales, randomized species accumulation curves and additive partitioning of species richness were applied. To analyse variation in wood-inhabiting species and dead wood composition at each scale, linear and Permanova modelling approaches were used. Wood-inhabiting fungal communities were dominated by rare and infrequent species. The similarity of fungal communities was higher within sites and within management categories than among sites or between the two management categories, and it decreased with increasing distance among the sampling plots and with decreasing similarity of dead wood resources. However, only a small part of community variation could be explained by these factors. The species present in managed forests were in a large extent a subset of those species present in natural forests. Our results suggest that in particular the protection of rare species requires a large total area. As managed forests have only little additional value complementing the diversity of natural forests, the conservation of natural forests is the key to ecologically effective conservation. As the dissimilarity of fungal communities increases with distance, the conserved natural forest sites should be broadly distributed in space, yet the individual conserved areas should be large enough to ensure local persistence.
"The Same But Not the Same": The Discursive Constitution of Large Housing Estates in Germany, France, and Poland

Since the 1960s, large housing estates have shaped the geography of suburbia in many Western and Eastern European cities. This paper examines the constitution of the social and spatial meanings of large housing estates within three different national contexts: in Germany, Poland, and France. Employing discourse theory and an empirical analysis of the coverage of major national newspapers, we identify cross-national and specific national patterns of discourses that (re)produce particular social spaces and distinct social orders. Quantitative discourse analysis reveals differences, similarities, and ruptures in various constructions of the meaning of large housing estates. We find that large housing estates in France and Germany are constituted in print media as threatening places and as places of foreignness located "outside" the "proper society. " In contrast, Polish large housing estates are framed discursively as threatened places located in the social "inside. "
Optimal allocation to hedge funds: an empirical analysis

What percentage of their portfolio should investors allocate to hedge funds? The only available answers to the above question are set in a static mean-variance framework, with no explicit accounting for uncertainty on the active manager's ability to generate abnormal return, and usually generate unreasonably high allocations to hedge funds. In this paper, we apply the model introduced in Cvitanic et al (2002b Working Paper USC) for optimal investment strategies in the presence of uncertain abnormal returns to a database of hedge funds. We find that the presence of the model risk significantly decreases an investor's optimal allocation to hedge funds. Another finding of this paper is that low beta hedge funds may serve as natural substitutes for a significant portion of investor risk-free asset holdings.
A validity and reliability study of assessment and screening for sustained withdrawal reaction in infancy: The Alarm Distress Baby scale†

Un comportement prolonge de repli et retrait est un signal d'alarme important attirant l'attention sur a la fois des troubles organiques et des troubles relationnels. Une echelle de retrait et repli (echelle d'alarme pour le desarroi chez le bebe, abrege ADBB en anglais) pour les nourissons entre 2 et 24 mois a ete construite. Cet article decrit la construction de l'echelle et l'evaluation de ses proprietes psychometriques. L' ADBB a une bonne validite de teneur, basee sur les conseils de sept experts. L'echelle a une bonne validite de critere: d'abord en tant que mesure de la reaction de repli et retrait du nourrisson, avec une tres bonne correlation entre le pediatre et l'infirmiere sur la ADBB (rs=0,84); et deuxiemement en tant que procedure de depistage du risque dans le developpement du nourrisson. La limite placee a 5 avec une sensibilite de 0,82 et une specificite de 0,78 fut determinee afin d'etre optimale pour le depistage. L'echelle a un bonne validite conceptuelle, avec une bonne validite de convergence avec les listes de symptomes de depression du nourrisson de Spitz (1951) et Herzog et Rathbun (1982) (rs: 0,61 et 0,60). Les analyses exploratoires de facteur ont montre deux facteurs differents, correspondant a la conceptualisation de l'echelle. La fiabilite est satisfaisante avec une bonne coherence interne pour a la fois les sous-echelles (l'alpha de Cronbach = 0,80 pour la premiere sous-echelle et 0,79 pour la seconde) et pour l'echelle globale (alpha=0,83). La procedure de test-retest a montre une bonne stabilite au fil du temps (rs=0,90 et 0,84 pour deux evaluateurs differents). L'echelle pourrait etre utilisee dans des contextes cliniques differents, a condition qu'un niveau suffisant de stimulation sociale soit donnee au nourrisson dans un periode relativement breve. L'echelle peut etre utilisee par les infirmieres et les psychologues ou par les docteurs, apres un courte periode de formation.
Inventário de artigos científicos na área de marketing no Brasil

In this article, the authors elaborated an inventory of basic methodologic characteristics of the scientific production of the marketing area in Brazil, in the years 90 (until 1998). This scientific production is available in the periodics Revista de Administracao de Empresas da Fundacao Getulio Vargas (RAE) and Revista de Administracao da Universidade de Sao Paulo (RAUSP), and in the anuals of Encontros Anuais da Associacao Nacional dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao em Administracao (ENANPAD). From 217 identified articles, 134 have been analised, because the remainder 83 refered to conceptual dimensions or reviews. From the 134 articles, 55 have an exploratory view (41%), 71 have a descriptive nature (53%) and only 8 explore the casual relations (6%). In the article they are analised yet the methodolical characteristics such as: presentation and significance of the research question, research design, the kind of colected data, validity, as well as mention to limitations and recomendations for future researchs.
Molecular cloning and sequencing of cDNA encoding for human FA‐1 antigen

The cDNA encoding for the human FA‐1 sperm antigen was cloned and sequenced from the in‐house constructed subtractive human testis cDNA expression library in λZiplox using the FA‐1 monoclonal antibody (mAb). The full‐length sequence was obtained by using the 5′ rapid amplification of 5′‐cDNA end (5′‐RACE) procedure. It is 1,576‐bp long, and has an open reading frame (ORF) of 283 amino acids (aa) with the first ATG Met start codon at nucleotide (nt) 57 and the stop codon TAG at nt 906. It has two termination codons at the 5′ end before the ATG start codon. The translated protein has a calculated molecular weight of 32.1 kDa and estimated isoelectric point (pI) of 11.59. It has one potential N‐linked glycosylation site and one tyrosine phosphorylation site, besides several O‐linked glycosylation and serine and threonine phosphorylation sites. Hydrophilicity analysis of the deduced aa sequence showed it to be a membrane‐anchored protein. Extensive computer search in the database did not identify any known nt/aa sequence having homology with FA‐1 cDNA or deduced aa, indicating it to be a novel gene. The Northern blot and reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR)–Southern blot analyses indicated the testis‐specific expression of FA‐1 antigen at the mRNA level. The ORF of the FA‐1 was subcloned into pGEX‐1λT for expression. The expressed FA‐1 recombinant protein had a molecular size of ∼40 kDa, and was recognized by the FA‐1 mAb, and not by the myeloma control Ig. The rabbit antibodies (Ab) raised against the recombinant (r) FA‐1 antigen recognized the rFA‐1 antigen as well as the native (n) FA‐1 antigen. The rFA‐1 Ab specifically recognized a protein band of ∼50 kDa in human testis extract in the Western blot involving 11 types of human tissue extracts, indicating the testis‐specific expression of FA‐1 at the protein level. The Ab showed binding with live and methanol‐fixed human sperm at the post‐acrosomal, mid‐piece, and tail regions. The Ab caused a significant (P < 0.001) and concentration‐dependent inhibition of human sperm capacitation/acrosome reaction by blocking tyrosine phosphorylation of the FA‐1 antigen. The sperm‐specific human FA‐1 recombinant antigen may find applications in immunocontraception, and diagnosis and treatment of immunoinfertility in humans. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 63: 256–268, © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Controlled Composition Analysis of Hybrid Automata

A controlled hybrid automaton is a hybrid automaton whose continuous-state dynamics are described by inhomogeneous differential equations. This paper presents a sufficient condition for the existence of global non-terminating solutions in controlled hybrid automata. The condition is based on a recursive algorithm that can always terminate after a finite number of iterations to a limit set of states called the inner viability kernel. If the inner viability kernel is non-empty, then there exists a measurable control under which the hybrid automaton generates a global non-terminating solution. The inner viability kernel is easily computed for controlled hybrid automata whose underlying continuous dynamics have controllability manifolds of dimension n− 1 or higher (where n is the dimension of the continuous state space). The more important is that this result can also be used to infer the existence of global solutions to compositions of controlled hybrid automata, thereby providing a foundation for the analysis of large scale hybrid systems.
Lean Breed Landrace Pigs Harbor Fecal Methanogens at Higher Diversity and Density than Obese Breed Erhualian Pigs

The diversity of fecal methanogens of Erhualian (obese type) and Landrace (lean type) pigs was examined using separate 16S rRNA gene libraries for each breed. A total of 763 clones were analyzed; 381 from the Erhualian library and 382 from the Landrace library were identified belonging to the genus Methanobrevibacter. Others were identified belonging to the genus Methanosphaera. The two libraries showed significant differences in diversity (P < 0.05) and composition (P < 0.0001). Only two operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found in both libraries, whereas six OTUs were found only in the Erhualian library and 23 OTUs were found only in the Landrace library. Real-time PCR showed that the abundance of fecal methanogens in Landrace pigs was significantly higher than that in Erhualian pigs (P < 0.05). Results showed that the Landrace pig (lean) harbored a greater diversity and higher numbers of methanogen mcrA gene copies than the Erhualian pig (obese). These differences may be related to the fatness or leanness in these two pig breeds. The results provide new leads for further investigations on the fat storage of pigs or even humans.
The Development of Goal Plans of Action in the Narration of a Picture Story.

The construction of coherent narrations of events in a picture storybook by children was studied. A causal network discourse analysis (Trabasso, van den Broek, & Suh, 1989) was applied to the narrations by children, 3, 4, 5, and 9 years in age, and adults, 20 years and older. The analysis was successfully applied at the clausal level by deriving interacting causal network representations for the perspective of each character in each of the narrations. The structure and content of the network representation of the main character were analyzed in detail. The analysis indicated that 9‐year‐olds and adults narrate according to a hierarchical goal plan of action. It also showed striking developmental differences from age 3 to 5. The 3‐year‐old children described states and neutral outcomes that are unrelated to the central theme. The 4‐year‐olds, in contrast, encoded actions relevant to the central theme but omitted goals and purposes. The 5‐year‐olds added these purposes to attempts. Coherence in the narratio.