Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultrasonic Evaluation of Early Atherosclerosis in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE To assess early atherosclerosis using B-mode imaging of the carotid artery in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and to evaluate the relationship between various risk factors and intimal plus medial thickness (IMT) in this population. METHODS Fifty-two children and adolescents (aged 3-18 years) with uncomplicated T1DM and 43 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were examined. B-mode imaging was used to determine the intimal plus medial thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery in all subjects. Patients with T1DM and control subjects were divided into two groups according to age and gender. Furthermore, duration of DM was considered for comparison. RESULTS Patients and control subjects showed no association between IMT and sex, systolic blood pressure (sBP), diastolic blood pressure (dBP), serum lipid levels or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). However, statistical analysis indicated a good correlation between age and carotid arterial wall thickness in both diabetic and control groups. These findings were consistent with those in the literature. No correlation was found between IMT and the duration of DM. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that there is no association between T1DM and IMT in children and adolescents with T1DM.
Enhanced affective brain representations of chocolate in cravers vs. non‐cravers

To examine the neural circuitry involved in food craving, in making food particularly appetitive and thus in driving wanting and eating, we used fMRI to measure the response to the flavour of chocolate, the sight of chocolate and their combination in cravers vs. non‐cravers. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analyses showed that the sight of chocolate produced more activation in chocolate cravers than non‐cravers in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum. For cravers vs. non‐cravers, a combination of a picture of chocolate with chocolate in the mouth produced a greater effect than the sum of the components (i.e. supralinearity) in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and pregenual cingulate cortex. Furthermore, the pleasantness ratings of the chocolate and chocolate‐related stimuli had higher positive correlations with the fMRI blood oxygenation level‐dependent signals in the pregenual cingulate cortex and medial orbitofrontal cortex in the cravers than in the non‐cravers. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that there are differences between cravers and non‐cravers in their responses to the sensory components of a craved food in the orbitofrontal cortex, ventral striatum and pregenual cingulate cortex, and that in some of these regions the differences are related to the subjective pleasantness of the craved foods. Understanding individual differences in brain responses to very pleasant foods helps in the understanding of the mechanisms that drive the liking for specific foods and thus intake of those foods.
Synergy Disclosures in Mergers and Acquisitions

We examine bidding firms' motives for disclosing a synergy forecast when announcing a merger or acquisition. Our sample consists of 1990 M&A deals, of which 345 announce synergy estimates. Our results suggest that synergy disclosures serve to obtain a more favorable market reception for deals that would otherwise induce highly negative bidder announcement returns. After controlling for the endogeneity of the disclosure decision, synergy forecast disclosures result in approximately 5% higher bidder stock returns. The main deterrents of disclosing synergy values are lack of precise information on synergy values available to bidding firm management, and shareholder litigation risk. Bidders do not seem to use synergy disclosures to strategically influence takeover premiums or competition for the target.
Effect of Endothelin 1 Genotype on Blood Pressure Is Dependent on Physical Activity or Fitness Levels

Contributions of the DNA sequence variation at the endothelin 1 locus to the risk of hypertension and to endurance training–induced changes in blood pressure were investigated in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study and the Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training and Genetics Family Study cohorts. We identified 586 normotensive control subjects and 607 incident hypertensive case subjects from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study cohort (all whites) who were normotensive and healthy at their first clinic visit. The case subjects were diagnosed with hypertension during an average follow-up of 9.5 years, whereas the control subjects remained normotensive. The allele and genotype frequencies of 5 endothelin 1 haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms did not differ significantly between the case and control subjects. However, we observed a significant (P=0.0025) interaction between the endothelin 1 rs5370 (G/T; Lys198Asn) genotype and cardiorespiratory fitness level on the risk of hypertension: among low-fit subjects, the rs5370 minor allele (T; 198Asn) was associated with higher risk of hypertension (odds ratio: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.36 to 2.81; P=0.0003), whereas the risk did not differ among genotypes in high-fit subjects. In the white Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training and Genetics subjects (N=480), the rs5370 T allele was associated with blunted systolic blood pressure (P=0.0046) and pulse pressure (P=0.0016) responses to a 20-week endurance training program. The Lys198Asn variant of the endothelin 1 locus is associated with blood pressure phenotypes in whites. However, the expression of the genotype effect is modulated by physical activity or cardiorespiratory fitness level. Our study provides an illustrative example of how physical activity and fitness level modifies the associations between a candidate gene and outcome phenotype.
Patent Thicket and Market Value: An Empirical Analysis *

The pro-patent shift of the United States has created a patent thicket. This has made the use of other firms’ innovations more costly, due to higher transaction costs and the possibility of hold up. Using a panel data on publicly traded US manufacturing firms from 1979 to 1996, this study finds a negative impact from the patent thicket on the market value of the firm. I also find that firms with larger patent portfolios experience a smaller effect, likely because stronger bargaining position lowers the occurrence of the hold-up problem for these firms. The advantage of larger firms is even more prominent following the pro-patent shift. My results also capture heterogeneity in the impact of the patent thicket across industries.
Indirect role of T cells in development of polioencephalitis and encephalomyelitis induced by encephalomyocarditis virus

Infection of female BALB/c mice with encephalomyocarditis virus results in the development of a paralytic syndrome in 7 to 10 days postinoculation. Previous studies had suggested the involvement of an immune component in the development of central nervous system pathology. We have examined the effects of T-cell depletion on the development of polioencephalitis (neuronal necrosis and inflammation of the brain and brain stem) and the relative contribution of the CD4+ and CD8+ subsets following the establishment of viremia. We show that monoclonal antibody depletion of T cells is effective in the reduction of polioencephalitis when given prior to viral inoculation. However, administration of the antibodies 12 h or more after viral inoculation failed to alter the development of polioencephalitis or encephalomyelitis. We conclude that T cells are involved in the development of central nervous system disease during the initial stages of infection but are not responsible for the later progression of disease.
The AGA1 product is involved in cell surface attachment of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell adhesion glycoprotein a-agglutinin

Saccharomyces cerevisiae a and alpha cells express the complementary cell surface glycoproteins a-agglutinin and alpha-agglutinin, respectively, which interact with one another to promote cellular aggregation during mating. Treatment of S. cerevisiae a cells with reducing agents releases the binding subunit of a-agglutinin, which has been purified and characterized; little biochemical information on the overall structure of a-agglutinin is available. To characterise a-agglutinin structure and function, we have used a genetic approach to clone an a-agglutinin structural gene (AGAI). Mutants with a-specific agglutination defects were isolated, the majority of which fell into a single complementation group, called aga1. The aga1 mutants showed wild-type pheromone production and response, efficient mating on solid medium, and a mating defect in liquid medium; these phenotypes are characteristic of agglutinin mutants. The AGA1 gene was cloned by complementation; the gene sequence indicated that it could encode a protein of 725 amino acids with high serine and threonine content, a putative N-terminal signal sequence, and a C-terminal hydrophobic sequence similar to signals for the attachment to glycosyl phosphatidylinositol anchors. Active a-agglutinin binding subunit is secreted by aga1 mutants, indicating that AGA1 is involved in cells surface attachment of a-agglutinin. This result suggests that AGA1 encodes a protein with functional similarity to the core subunits of a-agglutinin analogs from other budding yeasts. Unexpectedly, the AGA1 transcript was expressed and induced by pheromone in both a and alpha cells, suggesting that the a-specific expression of active a-agglutinin results only from a-specific regulation of the a-agglutinin binding subunit.
Facilitative and Inhibiting Effects of Distraction on Attitude Change

In a situation in which subjects listened to a persuasive communication while working on a task, they were told either to attend primarily to the communication (message set) or to the task (task set). There was, in addition, a message-only condition. Relative to the message-only condition, message set increased attitude change and communicationfavorable thoughts, and decreased number of counterarguments and recall. Relative to the message-set and message-only conditions, task set decreased attitude change, recall and effort attending to the communication. On the basis of these results it was argued that different mediational models are operating for message-set distraction and task-set distraction. Specifically, it was proposed that message set produces a causal chain running from an increase in communication-favorable thoughts to a decrease in counterarguments to an increase in attitude change. On the other hand, it was proposed that task set decreases attitude change partially through a consistency-achieving devaluation of the interfering communication, and partially through a large decrement in recall. Application of Blalock's method of testing causal hypotheses with correlational data was used to illustrate the theoretical models.
Observations on the helminth parasites of fish in Insukamini Dam, Zimbabwe.

samples o f Clarias gariepinus (n=10), Oreochromis m acrochir (n=12), Oreochromis mossambicus (n=18) and Serranochromis robustus (n=10) were c aught in I nsukamini Dam bet ween February and April 2006. Nine helminth species includ ing 4 nematodes ( Paracamallanus cyathopharynx, Capillaria, Contracaecum sp. larvae and Eustrongylides sp. larvae), 3 cestodes (Bothriocephalus acheilognathi, Polyonchobothrium clarias and Proteocephalus glanduliger), 1 digenean trematode (Glossidium pedalum) and 1 acanthocephala ( Acanthogyrus) were found i n C. gariepinus, O. m acrochir, O. massambicus and S. robustus.
Switched beam antenna design principles for Angle of Arrival estimation

Switched Beam Antennas support radio positioning via Angle Of Arrival (AOA) information collected from nearby devices. Using an analytical approach, first we present the Crame´r–Rao Bound (CRB) for AOA estimates using identically and equally spaced antenna elements. Then we analyze the results to devise design guidelines for improved AOA estimation. The design parameters considered are: 1) the number of antenna elements, 2) their directivity, and 3) the type of polarization. The effect of each parameter is discussed in detail; additionally, experimental results at 2.45 GHz are reported to evaluate the effect of different antenna polarization on the CRB.
Intelligent tracking control for robot manipulator including actuator dynamics via TSK-type fuzzy neural network

In this paper, a Takagi-Sugeno-Kang-type fuzzy-neural-network control (T-FNNC) scheme is constructed for an n-link robot manipulator to achieve high-precision position tracking. According to the concepts of mechanical geometry and motion dynamics, the dynamic model of an n-link robot manipulator including actuator dynamics is introduced initially. However, it is difficult to design a suitable model-based control scheme due to the uncertainties in practical applications, such as friction forces, external disturbances and parameter variations. In order to cope with this problem, a T-FNNC system without the requirement of prior system information and auxiliary control design is investigated to the joint position control of an n-link robot manipulator for periodic motion. In this model-free control scheme, a five-layer fuzzy-neural-network is utilized for the major control role, and the adaptive tuning laws of network parameters are established in the sense of projection algorithm and Lyapunov stability theorem to ensure the network convergence as well as stable control performance. In addition, experimental results of a two-link robot manipulator actuated by dc servomotors are provided to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed T-FNNC methodology.
We are all friends nowadays: but what is the outcome of online friendship for young people in terms of individual social capital?

For contemporary young people friendship has changed considerably from previous generations and nowadays weak ties represent the bulk of youth online friendships. These acquaintances do not provide quality relationships as young people do not seek to gain anything from such friends nor do they expect to help them out. Nevertheless weak ties have an indirect benefit to social capital and are extremely important in demonstrating popularity and status. Other online friends directly benefit from the individual’s social capital. Firstly, social networking provides a unique extra dimension to bonding friendship and unlike previous generations online friends benefit from instantaneous textual therapy, which promotes good health and well-being. Secondly, social networking has opened up the channels of sociability between young people and a diverse range of others. Thus linking social capital is increased and the traditional concept of youthyouth friendship has been joined by youth-professional and youth-business friendships. Young people essentially view these friends as ‘in between’ or ‘just in case’ friends who are instrumental in terms of sourcing new information while businesses and organisations welcome online friendship as a new marketing tool. As such, some online friends represent a desire to ‘get ahead’ rather than ‘get along’.
Inflation and Earnings Uncertainty and Volatility Forecasts: A Structural Form Approach

We propose a new structural form methodology for understanding the fluctuations and predictability of volatilities and covariances of asset returns. In our model, a representative agent learns about the joint movements in inflation and real earnings through business cycles. We extract investors' beliefs about fundamentals from the prices and volatilities of stocks and bonds. The duration of episodes of enhanced investors' uncertainty are forecastable and lead to forecasts of volatilities that are far more precise than those based on reduced-form models that include lags and macroeconomic variables. The model's success stems largely from endogenous and time varying weights that investors assign to news about real fundamental growth and their pricing kernel.
Determinants of polybrominated biphenyl serum decay among women in the Michigan PBB cohort.

Accidental contamination of the food chain in Michigan in 1973 with polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) led to the establishment of a registry of exposed individuals in 1976. Serum was collected and analyzed for PBB at the time of enrollment and for targeted studies in the following years. We used the archived PBB data to study the elimination of PBB and to identify factors associated with elimination. A total of 380 women >= 16 years of age who had an initial PBB level of 2 ppb and at least two serum samples drawn when they were not pregnant were included in the analysis. The mean initial PBB level was 20.9 ppb (median 4) and mean time between the first and last measurement was 4.2 years (range 0.5-11.1). PBB was assumed to reach equilibrium in the body before substantial amounts were eliminated and before the first serum measurements were taken; therefore, the entire body was modeled as a single compartment for PBB with exponential decay. Subject-specific decay rate estimates were regressed on predictor variables including initial age, body mass index (BMI), smoking history, breast-feeding duration, and parity. In women with an initial PBB level < 10 ppb, the median half-life was 12.9 years; in those with > 10 ppb, the median half-life was 28.7 years. Decay was significantly slower among women with an initial BMI at or above the median (BMI >= 23). The calculated half-life values are estimates of decay and can be used to estimate body burden of PBB at various points in time other than at the time of serum collection.
Maternal thyroid function at eleven to thirteen weeks of gestation and subsequent delivery of small for gestational age neonates.

BACKGROUND Studies have shown that altered thyroid function in early pregnancy may affect normal placental development and hence fetal growth. Our hypothesis is that maternal thyroid function in the first trimester is altered in pregnancies that subsequently deliver small for gestational age (SGA) neonates. METHODS Maternal serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and free triiodothyronine (FT3) were measured at 11(+0) to 13(+6) weeks' gestation in 212 singleton pregnancies with no history of thyroid disease that subsequently delivered SGA neonates and the values were compared with the results of 3598 normal pregnancies delivering neonates with birth weight above the 5th percentile for gestation. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the normal and SGA groups in median multiple of the median (MoM) TSH (1.07 vs. 1.061 MoM), FT4 (0.992 vs. 1.010 MoM), and FT3 (0.991 vs. 0.990 MoM). CONCLUSION In women with no history of thyroid disease delivering SGA neonates, thyroid function during the first trimester of pregnancy is not significantly different from women delivering non-SGA neonates.
Nations of Joiners: Explaining Voluntary Association Membership in Democratic Societies

Levels of voluntary association membership for 33 democratic countries are compared using data from surveys of nationally representative samples of adults from the 1990s. Four explanations of national differences in association involvement are identified and tested: economic development, religious composition, type of polity, and years of continuous democracy. The analyses consider total and working association memberships, both including and excluding unions and religious associations. Americans volunteer at rates above the average for all nations on each measure, but they are often matched and surpassed by those of several other countries, notably the Netherlands, Canada, and a number of Nordic nations, including Iceland, Sweden, and Norway. Hierarchical linear models show that voluntarism tends to be particularly high in nations that have: (1) multidenominational Christian or predominantly Protestant religious compositions, (2) prolonged and continuous experience with democratic institutions, (3) social democratic or liberal democratic political systems, and (4) high levels of economic development. With some exceptions for working memberships, these factors, both separately and in combination, are clearly important predictors of cross-national variation in voluntary association membership.
Achievable Performance of Orthogonal STBC Over Spatially Correlated Rician Channels

The effect of spatial correlation on the performance of orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs) over multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) Rician fading channels is studied. Asymptotic error-rate formulas for OSTBC with high average signal-to-noise ratios (ASNRs) over arbitrarily correlated Rician MIMO channels are derived in terms of the diversity and coding gains. Our results show that, in correlated fading, the phase vector phi of the channel line-of-sight (LOS) components affects the effective Rice K-factor at the OSTBC receiver output and, hence, may result in a coding gain that is significantly higher than that for independent Rician MIMO channels. Furthermore, when the channel covariance matrix is rank deficient and under some additional mild conditions, the error and outage probabilities of OSTBC achieve those in a nonfading additive-white-Gaussian-noise channel. For both cases of full-rank and rank-deficient channel covariance matrices, analytical expressions of optimal and worst case phase vectors phi, and exact upper and lower bounds of OSTBC performance are derived. These results provide new insights into the achievable performance of OSTBC over correlated Rician MIMO channels and, if incorporated into future multiple antenna systems design, will bring about significant performance enhancement
Productivity and Quality in MT Post-editing

Machine-translated segments are increasingly included as fuzzy matches within the translation-memory systems in the localisation workflow. This study presents preliminary results on the correlation between these two types of segments in terms of productivity and final quality. In order to test these variables, we set up an experiment with a group of eight professional translators using an on-line postediting tool and a statistical-base machine translation engine. The translators were asked to translate new, machine-translated and translation-memory segments from the 80-90 percent value using a post-editing tool without actually knowing the origin of each segment, and to complete a questionnaire. The findings suggest that translators have higher productivity and quality when using machinetranslated output than when processing fuzzy matches from translation memories. Furthermore, translators’ technical experience seems to have an impact on productivity but not on quality. Finally, we offer an overview of our current research.