Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Meta-Analysis of the Association between COX-2 Polymorphisms and Risk of Colorectal Cancer Based on Case–Control Studies

Objective Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme converting arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and playing important roles in inflammatory diseases as well as tumor development. Previous studies investigating the association between COX-2 polymorphisms and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk reported conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis of all available studies to explore this association. Methods All studies published up to October 2013 on the association between COX-2 polymorphisms and CRC risk were identified by searching electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library. The association between COX-2 polymorphisms and CRC risk was assessed by odds ratios (ORs) together with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Ten studies with 6,774 cases and 9,772 controls were included for −1195A>G polymorphism, 13 studies including 6,807 cases and 10,052 controls were available for −765G>C polymorphism, and 8 studies containing 5,121 cases and 7,487 controls were included for 8473T>C polymorphism. With respect to −765G>C polymorphism, we did not find a significant association with CRC risk when all eligible studies were pooled into the meta-analysis. However, in subgroup analyses by ethnicity and cancer location, with a Bonferroni corrected alpha of 0.05/2, statistical significant increased CRC risk was found in the Asian populations (dominant model CC+CG vs. GG: OR = 1.399, 95%CI: 1.113–1.760, P = 0.004) and rectum cancer patients (CC vs. GG: OR = 2.270, 95%CI: 1.295–3.980, P = 0.004; Recessive model CC vs. CG+GG: OR = 2.269, 95%CI: 1.297–3.970, P = 0.004). In subgroup analysis according to source of control, no significant association was detected. With respect to −1195A>G and 8473T>C polymorphisms, no significant association with CRC risk was demonstrated in the overall and subgroup analyses. Conclusions The present meta-analysis suggests that the COX-2 −765G>C polymorphism may be a risk factor for CRC in Asians and rectum cancer patients. Further large and well-designed studies are needed to confirm this association.
Fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal sustained release device – a new addition to the armamentarium of uveitic management

Uveitis is a potentially sight-threatening inflammatory eye disease caused by multiple infectious and non-infectious etiologies for which the standard of care involves corticosteroids or various immunomodulary therapy (IMT) drugs. These available treatments, although effective, may cause significant morbidity and sometimes mortality in uveitis patients due to their toxic side-effects and the necessity of long-term therapy to prevent recurrences. In order to avoid the systemic toxicity of corticosteroids and IMT or the repeated injections of local steroids necessary to control ocular inflammation, and to prevent development of cumulative damage resulting from recurrent episodes of inflammation, researchers have developed a number of local corticosteroid sustained-release devices that can be implanted directly into the vitreous of the eye, at the site of the inflammatory disease. Preliminary studies of such a device, the fluocinolone acetonide (Retisert™) implant, have shown significant reductions in the number of inflammatory episodes and decreased reliance on systemic corticosteroids or other IMT. This review explores the current research evaluating the fluocinolone sustained-release intravitreal implant in the treatment of posterior uveitis and the implications for its future use on a wider scale.
Product Mix and Earnings Volatility at Commercial Banks: Evidence from a Degree of Leverage Model

We construct a degree-of-total-leverage framework to test whether and how shifts in product mix affect earnings volatility at 472 U.S. commercial banks between 1988 and 1995. Our framework, which accounts for cost and revenue synergies not captured in most previous studies, conceptually links earnings volatility to revenue volatility, expense fixity, and product mix. We find that replacing traditional lending activities with fee-based activities - an ongoing trend that may be strengthened by recent financial modernization - is associated with both higher revenue volatility and higher total leverage, which in this framework implies higher earnings volatility.
Comparative Genomics Identifies the Genetic Islands That Distinguish Neisseria meningitidis, the Agent of Cerebrospinal Meningitis, from Other Neisseria Species

ABSTRACT Neisseria meningitidis colonizes the nasopharynx and, unlike commensal Neisseria species, is capable of entering the bloodstream, crossing the blood-brain barrier, and invading the meninges. The other pathogenic Neisseria species, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, generally causes an infection which is localized to the genitourinary tract. In order to investigate the genetic basis of this difference in disease profiles, we used a strategy of genomic comparison. We used DNA arrays to compare the genome of N. meningitidis with those of N. gonorrhoeae and Neisseria lactamica, a commensal of the nasopharynx. We thus identified sequences conserved among a representative set of virulent strains which are either specific to N. meningitidis or shared with N. gonorrhoeae but absent from N. lactamica. Though these bacteria express dramatically different pathogenicities, these meningococcal sequences were limited and, in contrast to what has been found in other pathogenic bacterial species, they are not organized in large chromosomal islands.
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization the Effect of Marketing Messages and Payment over Time on Willingness to Pay for Fuel-efficient Cookstoves

Keywords: Willingness to pay Technology adoption Household air pollution Randomized controlled trial Nontraditional cookstove Liquidity constraints a b s t r a c t Smoke from inefficient biomass cookstoves contributes to global climate change and kills approximately four million people per year. Cooking technologies, such as manufactured fuel-efficient cookstoves, that mitigate the negative effects of traditional cookstoves exist, but adoption rates are low. The international development community debates whether this low adoption of fuel-efficient cookstoves is due to a lack of adequate product information or due to household financial constraints. We ran Vickery second-price auctions in rural Uganda to elicit willingness to pay for fuel-efficient cookstoves, comparing the effect of informational marketing messages and time payments on willingness to pay. A random-ized trial tested the following marketing messages: " This stove can improve health, " " This stove can save time and money, " and both messages combined. None of the messages consistently increased willingness to pay. In a second experiment we compared willingness to pay for two different contracts, one with payment due within a week and one with equal installment payments over 4 weeks. Consistent with household financial constraints, time payments raised willingness to pay by 40%.
Generating connected and biconnected graphs

We focus on the algorithm underlying the main result of [A. Mestre, R. Oeckl, Generating loop graphs via Hopf algebra in quantum field theory. J. Math. Phys., 47, 122302, 2006]. This is an algebraic formula to generate all connected graphs in a recursive and efficient manner. The key feature is that each graph carries a scalar factor given by the inverse of the order of its group of automorphisms. In the present paper, we revise that algorithm on the level of graphs. Moreover, we extend the result subsequently to further classes of connected graphs, namely, (edge) biconnected, simple and loopless graphs. Our method consists of basic graph transformations only.
Plankton production in tidal fronts : A model of Georges Bank in summer

A two-dimensional (x,z) coupled physical-biological model of the plankton on Georges Bank during the summer was developed. The physical portion included a primitive-equation turbulence-closure model with topography-following a coordinate. The biological model was a simple N-P-Z model. Tidal forcing at the model boundary generated a well-mixed region on the top of the bank, and strong tidal fronts at the bank edges. Biological fields were homogenized on the bank, while pronounced phytoplankton patches and horizontal gradients in properties developed in the fronts. The biomasses and fluxes of biological variables in the model agreed well with field estimates from Georges Bank. The phytoplankton in the well-mixed region of the bank were found to be nutrient replete, with f ratios of about 0.3. Values up to 0.7 were found for the f ratios in the fronts, where phytoplankton patches were supported by vertical fluxes of nutrients from below the euphoric zone. While the patterns of patchiness in the fronts were stable between tidal periods, the structure of patches and fluxes changed dramatically during a tidal cycle. Enhanced vertical mixing and horizontal gradients formed during a brief period of the tide, accounting for much of the cross-frontal nutrient flux. Sampling in such a dynamic system would be very difficult, and probably miss the essential features.
“I can be your Tinder nightmare”: Harassment and misogyny in the online sexual marketplace

On Instagram, the accounts Bye Felipe and Tinder Nightmares feature screen-grabbed messages of sexist abuse and harassment women have received from men on dating apps. This paper presents a discursive analysis of 526 posts from these Instagrams. Utilising a psychosocial and feminist poststructuralist perspective, it examines how harassing messages reproduce certain gendered discourses and (hetero)sexual scripts, and analyses how harassers attempt to position themselves and the feminine subject in interaction. The analysis presents two themes, termed the “not hot enough” discourse and the “missing discourse of consent”, which are unpacked to reveal a patriarchal logic in which a woman's constructed “worth” in the online sexual marketplace resides in her beauty and sexual propriety. Occurring in response to women's exercise of choice and to (real or imagined) sexual rejection, it is argued these are disciplinary discourses that attempt to (re)position women and femininity as sexually subordinate to masculinity and men. This paper makes a novel contribution to a growing body of feminist work on online harassment and misogyny. It also considers the implications for feminist theorising on the link between postfeminism and contemporary forms of sexism, and ends with some reflections on strategies of feminist resistance.
Spousal Social Emotional Support for Businessman Based on Demographic Factors

Previous studies show that spousal social emotional support has a strong impact on businessman’s efficacy. Spousal social emotional support is not solely influenced by the businessman’s strategies of marital relationship, but also associated with demographic factors, such as working period, marital duration, and number of children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between demographic factors with spousal social emotional support. Research conducted at 61 married businessmen in Surabaya, Indonesia. Hypotheses in this study were tested with Spearman’s rho. The results of this study indicate that both the marital duration and the number of children have no association with spousal social emotional support. While the working period has negative association with spousal social emotional support. Some argumentations are discussed further in this study.
De-anonymization of Social Networks with Communities: When Quantifications Meet Algorithms

A crucial privacy-driven issue nowadays is re-identifying anonymized social networks by mapping them to correlated cross-domain auxiliary networks. Prior works are typically based on modeling social networks as random graphs representing users and their relations, and subsequently quantify the quality of mappings through cost functions that are proposed without sufficient rationale. Also, it remains unknown how to algorithmically meet the demand of such quantifications, i.e., to find the minimizer of the cost functions. We address those concerns in a more realistic social network modeling parameterized by community structures that can be leveraged as side information for de-anonymization. By Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) estimation, our first contribution is new and well justified cost functions, which, when minimized, enjoy superiority to previous ones in finding the correct mapping with the highest probability. The feasibility of the cost functions is then for the first time algorithmically characterized. While proving the general multiplicative inapproximability, we are able to propose two algorithms, which, respectively, enjoy an \epsilon-additive approximation and a conditional optimality in carrying out successful user re-identification. Our theoretical findings are empirically validated, with a notable dataset extracted from rare true cross-domain networks that reproduce genuine social network de-anonymization. Both theoretical and empirical observations also manifest the importance of community information in enhancing privacy inferencing.
Nutritional surveillance in Tuscany: maternal perception of nutritional status of 8-9 y-old school-children.

INTRODUCTION Overweight and obesity in the developmental age has become a public health problem. For this reason, prevention projects must be developed in advance with the aim to involve not only children, but their parents as well. Our objective is to evaluate the accuracy of the mothers' perceptions of adolescent nutritional status. METHODS Cross-sectional study. We selected a statistical sample of 3,076 subjects (1,583 males, 1,493 females), 8-9 y-old school-children of 164 3rd-grade elementary school classes from throughout Tuscany, as well as their mothers. The mothers' information was gathered via self-administered questionnaires, while the children were given an eating behaviour survey under the supervision of qualified personnel. Mothers' education level (self-reported) height and weight were collected; children's height and weight were measured. The former were asked how they perceived their children's body image. RESULTS A correlation exists between the mothers' perceptions of the nutritional state of their children via the silhouettes and the BMI classes of the children, which is equal to 80% with a kappa-Cohen for agreement equal to 0.58 (SE = 0.02; P < 0.0001). However, no correlation exists between the mothers' responses to the question "In your opinion, is your child . " and the child's actual BMI class (the exact percentage correlation is equal to 75%, with a kappa-Cohen for agreement equal to 0.43 SE = 0.014; P < 0.0001). DISCUSSION Mothers have an accurate perception of the nutritional status of their children, correctly choosing the silhouette that corresponds to the child's BMI profile without variation by gender. We can assume that mothers in our sample have a good concept about healthy nutritional status.
IDENTIFICATION OF A NOVEL MANNHEIMIA GRANULOMATIS LINEAGE FROM LESIONS IN ROE DEER (CAPREOLUS CAPREOLUS)

Eight atypical Mannheimia isolates were isolated from lesions in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Traditional classification based on morphologic and physiologic traits showed that they belong to a distinct biogroup (taxon) within genus Mannheimia. Extensive phenotypic characterization suggested that the isolates should be classified as M. granulomatis, although the presence of distinct traits justified their classification into a separate biogroup within this species. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA sequences from two roe deer isolates and 41 other Mannheimia strains supported that the roe deer isolates form a monophyletic group within M. granulomatis. The lktA genotype was present in all roe deer isolates based on Southern blot analysis, whereas the corresponding β-hemolytic phenotype was absent in one of these isolates.
Dynamic Resource Allocation Based on On-the-Fly Reservation

Resource reservation is a vital issue for grid-enabled programs to execute smoothly. Instead of using metascheduling solutions to request grid resources statically, we are developing a tiny C++ library to reserve on-demand computing resources based on Globus Toolkit, local schedulers such as Maui, and SQLite database. The interface class is named CReservation in the library. At the time of preparing this paper, the only implementation available is for Maui scheduler. With such implementation classes, one can request, release, and monitor reservations of computing resources dynamically. To verify the simplicity, usability, and stability of current library, we have performed an in-depth case study with a grid enabled hybrid MD/QM (Molecular Dynamics/Quantum Mechanical) multi-scale simulation program. Our test shows that this library provides an easy and effective approach to manage resource reservations from within grid-enabled applications.
Comparing Field-Teaching Experiences: A Longitudinal Examination of Preservice and First-Year Teacher Perspectives

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine preservice and first-year music educators’ perspectives on fieldwork activities embedded within a music teacher preparation program. One cohort of students was tracked for 2.5 years as they participated in an elementary teaching practicum, fulfilled the student teaching internship, and ultimately entered the field. Drawing on data from a previous study of the same cohort’s perceptions of a service-learning project (2013), this report provides a comparative analysis of the students’ evolving perceptions of fieldwork over time. The perceived transfers of emergent skills and dispositions to the first year of practice also are explored with particular attention to the voices of first-year teachers. Findings suggested a wide range of benefits associated with each type of fieldwork, including overlapping and unique constructs. Perceived collective transfers included comfort and experience, habits of self-reflection, skills and knowledge for job interviews, and comfort with the observation process. These findings may assist higher education professionals as they design field-teaching activities and make informed decisions about best practices in music teacher preparation.
THE SIZE EVOLUTION OF GALAXIES SINCE Z ∼ 3: COMBINING SDSS, GEMS AND FIRES 1

We present the evolution of the luminosity–size and stellar mass–size relations of luminous (L V & 3.4 × 10 10 h 70 − 2 L ⊙ ) and of massive (M ⋆ & 3 × 10 10 h 70 − 2 M ⊙ ) galaxies in the last ∼ 11 Gyr. We use very deep near–infrared images of the Hubble Deep Field–South and the MS1054-03 ﬁeld in the J s , H and K s bands from FIRES to retrieve the sizes in the optical rest–frame for galaxies with z > 1. We combine our results with those from GEMS at 0.2 < z < 1 and SDSS at z ∼ 0.1 to achieve a compre-hensive picture of the optical rest–frame size evolution from z=0 to z=3. Galaxies are diﬀerentiated according to their light concentration using the S´ersic index n . For less concentrated objects, the galaxies at a given luminosity were typically ∼ 3 ± 0.5 ( ± 2 σ ) times smaller at z ∼ 2.5 than those we see today. The stellar mass–size relation has evolved less: the mean size at a given stellar mass was ∼ 2 ± 0.5 times smaller at z ∼ 2.5, evolving proportional to (1+z) − 0 . 40 ± 0 . 06 . Simple scaling relations between dark matter halos and baryons in a hierarchical cosmogony predict a stronger (although consistent within the error bars) than observed evolution of the stellar mass–size relation. The observed luminosity–size evolution out to z ∼ 2.5 matches well recent infall model predictions for Milky–Way type objects. For low-n galaxies, the evolution of the stellar mass–size relation would follow naturally if the individual galaxies grow inside–out. For highly concentrated objects, the situation is as follows: at a given luminosity, these galaxies were ∼ 2.7 ± 1.1 times smaller at z ∼ 2.5 (or put diﬀerently, were typically ∼ 2.2 ± 0.7 mag brighter at a given size than they are today), and at a given stellar mass the size has evolved proportional to (1+z) − 0 . 45 ± 0 . 10 .
Bigger is Better: Market Size, Demand Elasticity, and Innovation

The empirical literature in trade and industrial organization has documented that bigger markets are associated with more elastic demand. This paper introduces a preference structure consistent with this empirical regularity into a simple model of product and process innovation and …nds that the elasticity channel is critical for innovation. Bigger markets, in the sense of larger populations or more open trade,
Marked increase in incidence for bloodstream infections due to Escherichia coli, a side effect of previous antibiotic therapy in the elderly

We conducted a survey including 3334 bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to E. coli diagnosed in 2005–2014 at a stable cohort of hospitals. Marked increases in incidence were observed for community-acquired (CA) BSIs in patients aged >75 years, CA-BSIs of digestive origin in patients aged 60–74 years, healthcare-associated BSIs, and BSIs associated with ESBL (extended-spectrum B-lactamase)-producing E. coli (ESBLEc). Using MLST, we studied the genetic diversity of 412 BSI isolates recovered during the 2014 survey: 7 major sequence type complexes (STCs) were revealed in phylogenetic group B2, 3 in group A/B1 and 2 in group D. Among the 31 ESBLEc isolates, 1/3 belonged to STC 131. We searched for possible associations between clonal groups, clinical determinants and characteristics of BSIs: isolates from groups B2 (except STC 131) and D were susceptible to antibiotics and associated with BSIs of urinary origin in patients <60 years. STC 131 and group A/B1 isolates were multi-drug resistant and associated with CA-BSIs of digestive origin in patients aged 60–74 with a recent history of antibiotic treatment. STC 131 isolates were associated with HCA-BSIs in patients with recent/present hospitalization in a long-stay unit. We provide a unique population-based picture of the epidemiology of E. coli BSI. The aging nature of the population led to an increase in the number of cases caused by the B2 and D isolates generally implicated in BSIs. In addition, the association of a trend toward increasing rates of gut colonization with multi drug-resistant isolates revealed by the rise in the incidence of BSIs of digestive origin caused by STC 131 and A/B1 (STCs 10, 23, and 155) isolates, and a significant increase in the frequency of BSIs in elderly patients with recent antibiotic treatment suggested that antibiotic use may have contributed to the growing incidence of BSI.
Violations of the equivalence principle in a dilaton-runaway scenario

We explore a version of the cosmological dilaton-fixing and decoupling mech- anism in which the dilaton-dependence of the low-energy effective action is extremized for infinitely large values of the bare string coupling g 2 s = e � . We study the efficiency with which the dilatonruns away towards its "fixed point" at infinity during a primordial inflationary stage, and thereby approx- imately decouples from matter. The residual dilaton couplings are found to be related to the amplitude of the density fluctuations generated during infla- tion. For the simplest inflationary potential, V (�) = 1 m 2(�)� 2 , the residual dilaton couplings are shown to predict violations of the universality of gravita- tional acceleration near thea/a ∼ 10 −12 level. This suggests that a modest improvement in the precision of equivalence principle tests might be able to detect the effect of such a runaway dilaton. Under some assumptions about the coupling of the dilaton to dark matter and/or dark energy, the expected time-variation of natural "constants" (in particular of the fine-structure con- stant) might also be large enough to be within reach of improved experimental or observational data.