Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bayesian Analysis of Genetic Interactions in Case–control Studies, with Application to Adiponectin Genes and Colorectal Cancer Risk

Complex diseases such as cancers are influenced by interacting networks of genetic and environmental factors. However, a joint analysis of multiple genes and environmental factors is challenging, owing to potentially large numbers of correlated and complex variables. We describe Bayesian generalized linear models for simultaneously analyzing covariates, main effects of numerous loci, gene–gene and gene–environment interactions in population case–control studies. Our Bayesian models use Student‐t prior distributions with different shrinkage parameters for different types of effects, allowing reliable estimates of main effects and interactions and hence increasing the power for detection of real signals. We implement a fast and stable algorithm for fitting models by extending available tools for classical generalized linear models to the Bayesian case. We propose a novel method to interpret and visualize models with multiple interactions by computing the average predictive probability. Simulations show that the method has the potential to dissect interacting networks of complex diseases. Application of the method to a large case–control study of adiponectin genes and colorectal cancer risk highlights the previous results and detects new epistatic interactions and sex‐specific effects that warrant follow‐up in independent studies.
A new algorithm for accurate and automatic chessboard corner detection

In this paper, we propose an accurate automatic chessboard corner detecting algorithm of sub-pixel precision. The algorithm is based on a novel hyperbolic tangent model. A set of corners are detected initially by Harris' algorithm. Then the hyperbolic tangent model for each corner point is optimized by parameter adjustment. Finally, we use the optimal model to obtain the sub-pixel position of each corner with fake corner elimination. Experiments on three datasets show that the proposed method achieves a detection rate of at least 98% and a reprojection error in camera calibration of at most 0.85 pixels. Our algorithm significantly outperforms the methods in three related works.
Clinical classification of hepatoma in Japan according to serial changes in serum alpha‐fetoprotein levels

Quantitative determinations of serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) in 96 patients with hepatomas have demonstrated three main groups based on changes in the serial levels: 1) patients with more than 10 000 ng/ml during most of their clinical course, and with an increase of 10 000 ng/ml or more in a week (Group A); 2) patients with levels varying from 200 to 10 000 ng/ml and with an increase of 1000 ng/ ml in three to four months (Group B); and 3) patients with serum AFP levels below 200 ng/ml during most of their clinical course (Group C). The patients in Group A had a mean survival time of 7.62 ± 3.97 months, and those in Group B, 16.18 ± 12.18 months. The patients in Group C were subdivided into two groups according to whether survival time was long (33.92 ± 28.22 months) or short (3.75 ± 0.87 months). Histologic findings revealed poorly differentiated carcinoma in patients in Group A, moderately differentiated carcinoma in those in Group B, and well differentiated carcinoma in those with long survival in Group C and anaplastic carcinoma in those with short survival in Group C.
Analysis of the Employee Motivation Factors: Focus on Age and Gender Specific Factors

Motivated employees are one of the key factors that provide competitive advantage for businesses. By determining the best way to encourage and boost employee’s performance in organizations the management ensures success of their company, on the market field. Customized employee motivation i.e. best incentive for each employee individually, is what gets the organization closer to reaching its goals and objectives. This thesis focuses on the issue of customized employee motivation. More specifically, it deals with demographically determined (age and gender) differences in the motivational profiles of the workers. In this regard, a literature review and statistical research was conducted, in order to determine the demographic differences between the motivational profiles of employees in mostly high value added service industries in Republic of Macedonia. Even though the literature review suggested significant differences between the motivational profiles of employees at different age and from different gender, this study’s results provide more similarities than differences. The employees from both genders and all age subgroups are mostly motivated by challenging job positions, advancement opportunities, good compensation packages i.e. money and well managed/good work environment. At the same time, benefits, job security and location of the work place are less of a motivator for all demographic subgroups. Still, this research study suggests that some statistically significant differences do exist. The two genders give significantly different importance to benefits as a motivator, while, the age subgroups give significantly different importance to security, work environment and challenge. Based on the findings, recommendations were given to managers, in terms of improvement of motivation policies and practices.
Bank Regulation and Supervision in 180 Countries from 1999 to 2011

In this paper and the associated online database, we provide new data and measures of bank regulatory and supervisory policies in 180 countries from 1999 to 2011. The data include and the measures are based upon responses to hundreds of questions, including information on permissible bank activities, capital requirements, the powers of official supervisory agencies, information disclosure requirements, external governance mechanisms, deposit insurance, barriers to entry, and loan provisioning. The dataset also provides information on the organization of regulatory agencies and the size, structure, and performance of banking systems. Since the underlying surveys are large and complex, we construct summary indices of key bank regulatory and supervisory policies to facilitate cross-country comparisons and analyses of changes in banking policies over time.
Role of central interneurons in habituation of swimming activity in the medicinal leech.

Swimming activity evoked by light tactile stimulation of a body wall flap in dissected leech preparations undergoes habituation (5). In this study, we examine the activity of several interneurons (cell 204, cell 205, the S cell, and cell 208) during habituation trials to study further the neuronal mechanisms that mediate this decline in responsiveness. Light tactile stimulation of the leech body wall evoked initially a marked excitatory response in cell 204 homologs (segmental swim-initiating neurons) that preceded the initiation of swimming activity. This response decreased over the course of repeated stimulus trials; however, no marked decline in cell 204 activity accompanied the cessation of swim initiation. A similar activity pattern was observed in cell 205. Thus the habituation of swimming activity to stroking of the body wall is not due solely to reduced input to cell 204 and cell 205. The early activity of cell 204 was not correlated to the duration of subsequent swim episodes. However, the impulse frequency of cell 204 during swim episodes was negatively correlated to the period of swim cycles. This correlation between cell 204 activity and cycle period occurred both within individual episodes as well as between trials in a habituation series. Direct stimulation of cell 204 with current pulses evoked swimming activity reliably for an average of 72 trials. Therefore, habituation that results from stroking the body wall (which occurs after approximately 6 trials) is not mediated by plasticity in the connections between cell 204 and the swim oscillator. The S cell fired repeatedly in response to light tactile stimulation. This response declined with repeated trials. Intense intracellular stimulation of the S cell was sufficient to initiate swimming activity in some preparations. The magnitude and duration of the excitation required to initiate swimming by this means were far greater, however, than that which occurred during stroking the body wall. The response of cell 208 (a swim oscillator cell) to body wall stimulation during habituation trials was variable; usually an initial hyperpolarization was followed by some depolarization. No aspect of this response correlated with the onset of habituation. Our results are consistent with the idea that cell 204 and cell 205 are part of the pathway that mediates swimming activity in response to light tactile stimulation of the leech body wall, and that habituation occurs, in part, as the result of reduced sensory input to this cell. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Human regulatory T cells: role in autoimmune disease and therapeutic opportunities

Summary The importance of regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs) in the control of autoimmunity is now well established in a variety of experimental animal models. In addition, there are numerous studies suggesting that Treg deficits may be an underlying cause of human autoimmune diseases. The emergence of Tregs as an essential component of immune homeostasis provides a potential therapeutic opportunity for active immune regulation and long‐term tolerance induction. In this article, we summarize the core basic science and animal model studies of Tregs, review the status of multiple biologic and small molecule chemical compounds to promote Treg development in vivo, and discuss recent advances for the identification and expansion of polyclonal and antigen‐specific Tregs for adoptive immunotherapy. In summary, the review provides an in‐depth analysis and highlights the challenges and opportunities for immune intervention with Treg‐based therapeutics.
Inactivation of Hepatitis A virus in heat‐treated mussels

L. CROCI, M. CICCOZZI, D. DE MEDICI, S. DI PASQUALE, A. FIORE, A. MELE and L. TOTI.1999. Hepatitis A is a widespread infectious disease world‐wide. In Italy, shellfish consumption was shown to be a major risk factor for hepatitis A infection, especially when these products are eaten raw or slightly cooked. The aim of the present study was to evaluate Hepatitis A virus (HAV) resistance in experimentally contaminated mussels treated at different temperatures (60, 80 and 100 °C) for various times. The presence of HAV was evaluated by cell culture infection and reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction confirmation. The experiments, carried out on HAV suspension and contaminated mussel homogenate both containing about 105 50% tissue culture infectious dose ml−1, showed that, under our experimental conditions, the treatments at 60 °C for 30 min, 80 °C for 10 min and an immersion at 100 °C for 1 min were not sufficient to inactivate all the viruses; it was necessary to prolong the treatment at 100 °C for 2 min to completely inactivate the virus. Thus it is advisable to eat only cooked shellfish, paying particular attention to the times and temperatures used in the cooking process, since evidence suggests that the shellfish body may protect the virus from the heat effect.
Integrated Assessment of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Situation in Haitian Schools in the Time of Emergency

This study examines the water, sanitation and hygiene situation in 42 schools in Haiti after the earthquake of January 12, 2010, by using a comprehensive approach, which includes participatory assessment tools and formal surveys. By conducting a detailed assessment of school water and sanitation infrastructure conditions and of the perceptions of students and professors, a series of recommendations are provided to support further project implementation towards more sustainable results. Direct observations showed that schools lack safe drinking water, appropriate sanitation and hand washing facilities. The main constraints to improve the water, sanitation and hygiene services were found to be related to lack of funding and infrastructure losses after the earthquake. Moreover, hygiene education is commonly not part of the school curriculum. Providing schools with adequate access to water and sanitation facilities and supporting the implementation of hygiene promotion programs, including a disaster risk preparedness plan, can play significant roles for a sustainable recovery phase.
Changing Residential Preferences across Income, Education, and Age

Residential preferences and their role in creating and maintaining residential segregation are a subject of intense interest in ongoing debates about race and residential sorting in U.S. metropolitan areas and are central in work based on the Schelling tolerance models of residential selection. This study examines how residential preferences change across income, education, and age and provides new information on how race and socioeconomic status interact to create patterns of preference in particular locations. In general, African-Americans with increasing income show a distinct shift to greater willingness to live in integrated settings but also a distinct shift to own-race selections with second choices for neighborhood composition. Whites' unwillingness to move to African-American neighborhoods of more than 50% other race exacerbates the tendency to separate. Socioeconomic status plays a similar role for other ethnic groups. These findings parallel those from agent-based modeling about the low probability of achieving substantial mixing of racial and ethnic groups.
Dynamic Collection Scheduling Using Remote Asset Monitoring

Remote sensing technology is now coming onto the market in the waste collection sector. This technology allows waste and recycling receptacles to report their fill levels at regular intervals. This reporting enables collection schedules to be optimized dynamically to meet true servicing needs in a better way and so reduce transport costs and ensure that visits to clients are made in a timely fashion. This paper describes a real-life logistics problem faced by a leading UK charity that services its textile and book donation banks and its high street stores by using a common fleet of vehicles with various carrying capacities. Use of a common fleet gives rise to a vehicle routing problem in which visits to stores are on fixed days of the week with time window constraints and visits to banks (fitted with remote fill-monitoring technology) are made in a timely fashion so that the banks do not become full before collection. A tabu search algorithm was developed to provide vehicle routes for the next day of operation on the basis of the maximization of profit. A longer look-ahead period was not considered because donation rates to banks are highly variable. The algorithm included parameters that specified the minimum fill level (e.g., 50%) required to allow a visit to a bank and a penalty function used to encourage visits to banks that are becoming full. The results showed that the algorithm significantly reduced visits to banks and increased profit by up to 2.4%, with the best performance obtained when the donation rates were more variable.
Toward a Research Agenda to Promote Household Access to Food in Ethiopia

The objective of this report is to review available evidence on the potential to promote access to food for vulnerable groups in Ethiopia through two main methods: food transfer programs, and appropriate policies influencing the food marketing system. These issues are examined with a view to identifying priority issues for analysis under the MEDAC/MSU/USAID Food Security Project in Ethiopia. In particular, the report presents trends in food aid and food production in Ethiopia, and provides preliminary evidence of the possible disincentive effects of food aid on agricultural production incentives and investments in the food marketing system; discusses the costs and benefits of various food aid transfer programs, and highlights major unresolved issues requiring further analysis to guide Ethiopian policy makers' decisions on strategies to promote household food security; presents a set of "guiding principles" to minimize the trade-offs between meeting vulnerable groups' immediate food needs and promoting agricultural productivity growth over the long run; and identifies important unresolved issues for further analysis, in order to guide Ethiopian policy makers' decisions on ensuring household access to food through an appropriate mix of market and transfer mechanisms.
Evidence for the differential release of the cotransmitters ATP and noradrenaline from sympathetic nerves of the guinea‐pig vas deferens.

1. Experiments were carried out to quantify the stimulation‐evoked overflow of catecholamines and purines (ATP, ADP, AMP and adenosine) from an in vitro sympathetic nerve‐smooth muscle preparation of the guinea‐pig vas deferens and from isolated bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. The superfused preparations were stimulated for 60 s with electrical field stimulation (EFS; vas deferens), dimethylphenylpiperazinium (chromaffin cells) or KCl (both preparations). 2. Samples of superfusate were taken at 10 s intervals during the 60 s stimulation period for analysis of purines by HPLC‐fluorescence detection and catecholamines by HPLC‐electrochemical detection. 3. The evoked overflow of catecholamines and purines from chromaffin cells occurred with the same time course and in a constant ratio of approximately 4:1 (catecholamine to purine). These findings are compatible with the release of catecholamines and purines from a homogeneous population of exocytotic vesicles in the chromaffin cells. 4. The evoked overflow of purines and noradrenaline (NA) from the vas deferens preparation differed from the pattern of overflow from chromaffin cells and there was also some temporal disparity in the overflow of the two cotransmitters. The evoked overflow of ATP exceeded that of NA. In addition, the overflow of NA was tonic while the overflow of ATP and the other purines was phasic. 5. The EFS‐evoked overflow of NA and the purines from the guniea‐pig vas deferens preparation was examined after treatment with the neuronal amine‐uptake inhibitors desipramine and cocaine, the alpha 1‐adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine, the alpha 1‐adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin, the alpha 2‐adrenoceptor antagonists idazoxan and yohimbine, the noradrenaline‐depleting drug reserpine and the adrenergic neuron‐blocking agent guanethidine. The results of these studies, together with an analysis of the metabolic degradation of extracellular ATP, indicated that the temporal disparity in the overflow of NA and ATP is unlikely to be due to differences in the clearance of the cotransmitters or to the release of purines from non‐neuronal sites. These results indicate that evoked overflow of the cotransmitters accurately reflects release from nerves. This pattern of release from nerves suggests that the two cotransmitters are released from two separate populations of exocytotic vesicles. 6. Superfusion of the vas deferens with exogenous epsilon‐ATP, a fluorescent derivative of ATP, revealed that there was essentially no metabolism of the nucleotide over 60 s unless the tissue was subjected to EFS. Upon EFS, there was a rapid and nearly complete degradation of ATP with a corresponding increase in ADP, AMP and adenosine. This indicates the presence of a nerve stimulation‐dependent metabolism of ATP.
'I think a Lot of Staff are Dinosaurs': Further education trainee teachers' understandings of pedagogic relations

Following the Kennedy Report, the lifelong learning Green Paper and the 1999 White Paper Learning to Succeed , post compulsory education would appear to be at the forefront of Labour's education and training policies. This article examines the way trainee teachers at an English university understand the lecturer's role within the pedagogic, curricular and policy context of post-16 learning. It locates these understandings by comparing them with those held by more established staff as well as setting them against the policy context of further education. It seeks to explore the social justice implications of these differing interpretations. The article is based on research with a group of trainee teachers completing a one-year teacher training course. Their perceptions are analysed and compared with findings from interviews with staff based in further education colleges responsible for teaching practice.
Comparative analysis of SDN and conventional networks using routing protocols

Conventional routing protocols such as RIP, OSPF, EIGRP and BGP have a very rigid and intricate system thus narrowing the adaptability of networks to the ever changing Internet. The emergence of Software Defined Networking (SDN) provides a solution for this problem. Due to the handiness of a centralized controller, SDN has provided an effective method in terms of routing computation and fine control over data packets. Due to the increase in unpredicted failures taking place the ability to predict/know the approximate maximum time it takes for these networks to converge in order to avoid and/or minimize loss of packets/data during these failures has become crucial in today's world. This time that the routers in the network take to converge via the implemented routing protocol and resume communication or transfer of information is called the routing convergence time. In this work, the performance is measured using routing convergence time during link failure with respect to the topology scale to show that SDN routing/forwarding is better compared to conventional routing. Further the results indicate that the routing convergence time is less in SDN networks on comparison with conventional networks when the topology scale is increased, indicating that SDN networks converge faster in comparison with Conventional networks and that routing convergence time is greatly influenced with the changing topological size.
Prevalence and Population Structure of Lice (Phthiraptera) on the Indian Red Avadavat

Abstract Prevalences of two phthirapteran species (an ischnoceran, Brueelia amandavae, and an amblyceran, Myrsidea amandava) on 130 Red Avadavats (Amandava amandava) were 36.2 and 20.8% in the district of Rampur, India, from September to December 2004. Sample mean abundances of the two species were 3.43 and 1.53, respectively. The frequency distribution patterns of both species were aggregated. The observed distribution conformed to the expected distribution of the negative binomial model, but only in the case of M. amandava. Adults dominated over nymphs in the overall adult-to-nymph ratio. Sex ratios of both species were skewed (female biased).