Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Finding subsets maximizing minimum structures

We consider the problem of finding a set of k vertices in a graph that are in some sense remote. Stated more formally, given a graph G and an integer k, find a set P of k vertices for which the total weight of a minimum structure on P is maximized. In particular, we are interested in three problems of this type, where the structure to be minimized is a spanning tree (Remote-MST), Steiner tree, or traveling salesperson tour. We study a natural greedy algorithm that simultaneously approximates all three problems on metric graphs. For instance, its performance ratio for Remote-MST is exactly 4, while this problem is NP -hard to approximate within a factor of less than 2. We also give a better approximation for graphs induced by Euclidean points in the plane, present an exact algorithm for graphs whose distances correspond to shortest-path distances in a tree, and prove hardness and approximability results for general graphs.
Mechanical and thermal properties of poly(methylmethacrylate)-grafted-oil palm empty fruit bunch /talc hybrid filled poly (vinyl chloride) compsites

The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanical and thermal properties of single and hybrid fillers filled poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) composites. Graft copolymerization of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) onto oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) was carried out under nitrogen environment using the free radical initiation technique. Soxhlet extraction was used to remove the PMMA homopolymer from the grafted copolymer. The presence of PMMA functional groups in Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectra of grafted OPEFB at peak around 1730 cm-1 proved that grafting process was successfully done. The single fillers (grafted OPEFB, ungrafted OPEFB and talc) and hybrid fillers (grafted OPEFB/talc and ungrafted OPEFB/talc) loadings from 0 to 20 phr were pre-mixed with PVC using a high speed mixer. Methyl butadiene styrene (MBS) impact modifier was also added at 10 phr for the impact strength study. The dried blend formulations were milled into sheets using a two roll mill at 170 ? C and then hot pressed at 190 ? C. The tensile, flexural, impact strength and elongation at break of hybrid composites decreased as the filler content increased. Both, the tensile and flexural modulus of the hybrid composites are increased tremendously compared to the single composites. Adding MBS increased the impact strength of the single and hybrid composites. Differences in surface morphology between the grafted and ungrafted OPEFB were observed. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the hybrid composites shifted to higher temperature compared to single composites. The storage modulus of talc filled PVC showed the highest storage modulus compared to other composites. Hybrid PVC composites had better thermal stability than single composites. The increase of water resistance of the hybrid composites proved good filler-matrix interaction. Overall, the study showed that the hybrid PVC composites had good mechanical and thermal properties compared to the single filler PVC composites.
Validation of a risk prediction model for Barrett’s esophagus in an Australian population

Background Esophageal adenocarcinoma is a disease that has a high mortality rate, the only known precursor being Barrett’s esophagus (BE). While screening for BE is not cost-effective at the population level, targeted screening might be beneficial. We have developed a risk prediction model to identify people with BE, and here we present the external validation of this model. Materials and methods A cohort study was undertaken to validate a risk prediction model for BE. Individuals with endoscopy and histopathology proven BE completed a questionnaire containing variables previously identified as risk factors for this condition. Their responses were combined with data from a population sample for analysis. Risk scores were derived for each participant. Overall performance of the risk prediction model in terms of calibration and discrimination was assessed. Results Scores from 95 individuals with BE and 636 individuals from the general population were analyzed. The Brier score was 0.118, suggesting reasonable overall performance. The area under the receiver operating characteristic was 0.83 (95% CI 0.78–0.87). The Hosmer–Lemeshow statistic was p=0.14. Minimizing false positives and false negatives, the model achieved a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 73%. Conclusion This study has validated a risk prediction model for BE that has a higher sensitivity than previous models.
Spatio‐temporal models for mapping the incidence of malaria in Pará

Our main aims in this article are: (i) to model the means by which rainfall affects malaria incidence in the state of Pará, one of Brazil's largest states; and (ii) to check for similarities along the counties in the state. We use state of the art spatial–temporal models which can, we believe, anticipate various kinds of interactions and relations that might be present in the data.
Molecular Profiling of Malignant Pleural Effusion in Metastatic Non‐Small‐Cell Lung Carcinoma. The Effect of Preanalytical Factors

Rationale: Non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC)‐associated malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are sometimes the only available specimens for molecular analysis. Objectives: This study evaluates diagnostic yield of NSCLC‐associated MPE, its adequacy for molecular profiling and the potential influence of MPE volume/cellularity on the analytic sensitivity of our assays. Methods: Molecular results of 50 NSCLC‐associated MPE cases during a 5‐year period were evaluated. Molecular profiling was performed on cell blocks and consisted of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) for ALK gene rearrangements and the following sequencing platforms: Sanger sequencing (for EGFR) and high‐throughput pyrosequencing (for KRAS and BRAF) during the first 4 years of the study period, and targeted next‐generation sequencing performed thereafter. Results: A total of 50 NSCLC‐associated MPE cases were identified where molecular testing was requested. Of these, 17 cases were excluded: 14 cases (28%) due to inadequate tumor cellularity and 3 cases due to unavailability of the slides to review. A total of 27 out of 50 MPE cases (54%) underwent at least EGFR and KRAS sequencing and FISH for ALK rearrangement. Of the 27 cases with molecular testing results available, a genetic abnormality was detected in 16 cases (59%). The most common genetic aberrations identified involved EGFR (9) and KRAS (7). Six cases had ALK FISH only, of which one showed rearrangement. MPE volume was not associated with overall cellularity or tumor cellularity (P = 0.360). Conclusions: Molecular profiling of MPE is a viable alternative to testing solid tissue in NSCLC. This study shows successful detection of genetic aberrations in 59% of samples with minimal risk of false negative.
Pathogenic Factors of P. gingivalis and the Host Defense Mechanisms

Periodontal diseases are the inflammatory diseases triggered specifically by some selected microorganisms, i.e., periodontopathic bacteria, accumulated in and around the gingival crevice. Among periodontopathic bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, a black-pigmented gram-negative anaerobic rod, has been implicated as a major pathogen of chronic periodontitis (Hamada et al., 1991; Lamont & Jenkinson, 1998). Recent studies using DNADNA hybridization that permits the examination of large numbers of species in large numbers of plaque samples also indicated the increased prevalence of P. gingivalis as well as other ‘red complex species’ (P. gingivalis, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythensis) in the subjects with chronic periodontitis (Socransky & Haffajee, 2002). However, it is also evident that the colonization of the putative pathogenic bacteria in subgingival plaque is not sufficient for the initiation/onset of periodontitis, since most periodontopathic bacteria including P. gingivalis may also be present at sound sites (Haffajee et al., 2009). Thus, the onset and progress of chronic periodontitis is based on the balance between the pathogenesis of the periodontopathic microorganisms and the host-defense against them (host-parasite relationship).
Prevalence and Nature of Self-Medication of Drugs Among Pregnant Women in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

The phenomenon of self-medication is a significant problem in a developing country due to easy availability of drugs. It is important in pregnancy as these agents may be teratogenic; pregnant women may be exposed to drugs that have serious harmful effects on their fetus. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and nature of self-medication in pregnant women in Rajshahi city, Bangladesh. The study was carried out using a self-designed standard structured questionnaire following WHO guidelines from January 2015 to April 2015. In this study, 650 pregnant women were considered as randomly selected sample from women attending for maternity care from one public hospital and five private clinics in Rajshahi City. 79 (12.2%) women use self-medication. The conditions which prompted women to obtain self-medication of drugs were gastric acidity (32.9%), infection (24.1%), cold & fever (21.5%), pain (12.7%), vomiting (8.9%) and disorders related to pregnancy (7.6%). The drugs most commonly used were antacids (27.8%) followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (26.6%), iron (15.2%), vitamins and minerals (12.7%), ayurvedic preparations (5.1%), antiemetic (5.1%) and antibiotics (3.8%) respectively. Most common reasons of self-medication were availability of drugs (42%), prior experience (20.8%), emergency usage (11.2%), knowledge about drugs (10.0%) and advice from traditional healers (8.0%). Moreover, 44.3% of women did not complete the course of antibiotics. Due to the adverse effects of self-medication, particularly during pregnancy, which can lead to teratogenicity or fetotoxicity, it is necessary to take some measures to preventing self-medication in pregnant women.
Predictors of cerebrovascular accidents in giant cell arteritis in a defined population.

OBJECTIVE To examine the frequency and predictors of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) in giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients from a defined population. METHODS Retrospective study of biopsy-proven GCA patients diagnosed from 1981 through 2001 at the single hospital for the population of Lugo (Northwest Spain). RESULTS Thirty (14.3%) of the 210 biopsy-proven GCA patients had CVA, 5 of them (16.7%) involving the vertebrobasilar territory. Five patients (4 of them involving the carotid territory) had CVA within the 2 years prior to the onset of GCA symptoms. Four patients had CVA within the first month after the diagnosis of the disease. Of these, 3 involved the vertebrobasilar territory. Another 5 patients suffered carotid stroke between the 4th and the 12th month after the disease diagnosis. The remaining 16 GCA patients had CVA (all but one involving the carotid territory) at least 1 year after the diagnosis of vasculitis. No differences in the clinical and laboratory features at the time of diagnosis between patients who had CVA and the rest of the biopsy-proven GCA patients were observed. However, hypertension and hyperlipidemia at the time of diagnosis of GCA were associated with the development of CVA (p < 0.05 for both). Also, anemia at the time of diagnosis (hemoglobin < 12 g/dL) [hazard ratio = 0.34 (95% CI 0.12 - 1.00; p = 0.05)] was negatively associated with CVA within the first 10 years after the diagnosis of the disease. Mortality in GCA patients with CVA was not significantly higher than that in patients without CVA (hazard ratio = 1.53; p = 0.14). CONCLUSION The present study confirms that CVA may occur in GCA. Vertebrobasilar accidents are more common than carotid accidents at the time of diagnosis of the disease. Vascular risk factors should be carefully controlled in the follow-up of GCA patients.
Grammaticality judgments in autism: Deviance or delay*

ABSTRACT Language in autism has been the subject of intense interest, because communication deficits are central to the disorder, and because autism serves as an arena for testing theories of language acquisition. High-functioning older children with autism are often considered to have intact grammatical abilities, despite pragmatic impairments. Given the heterogeneity in language skills at younger ages, this assumption merits further investigation. Participants with autism (n=21, aged nine to seventeen years), matched on chronological age, receptive vocabulary and IQ, to 22 typically developing individuals, completed a grammaticality judgment task. Participants with autism were significantly less sensitive than controls, specifically for third person singular and present progressive marking. Performance interacted with sentence length, with lower sensitivity to errors occurring at the end of the longest stimulus sentences. Performance sensitivity was associated with onset of single word and phrase speech, and with severity of autistic symptomatology. Implications of findings are discussed.
Antioxidant Capacities, Phenolic Profile and Cytotoxic Effects of Saxicolous Lichens from Trans-Himalayan Cold Desert of Ladakh

Fourteen saxicolous lichens from trans-Himalayan Ladakh region were identified by morpho-anatomical and chemical characteristics. The n-hexane, methanol and water extracts of the lichens were evaluated for their antioxidant capacities. The lichen extracts showing high antioxidant capacities and rich phenolic content were further investigated to determine their cytotoxic activity on human HepG2 and RKO carcinoma cell lines. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging capacities and β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching property exhibited analogous results where the lichen extracts showed high antioxidant action. The lichen extracts were also found to possess good amount of total proanthocyanidin, flavonoid and polyphenol. The methanolic extract of Lobothallia alphoplaca exhibited highest FRAP value. Methanolic extract of Xanthoparmelia stenophylla showed the highest ABTS radical scavenging capacity. The n-hexane extract of Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca exhibited highest DPPH radical scavenging capacity. Highest antioxidant capacity in terms of β-carotene linoleic acid bleaching property was observed in the water extract of Xanthoria elegans. Similarly, Melanelia disjuncta water extract showed highest NO scavenging capacity. Among n-hexane, methanol and water extracts of all lichens, the methanolic extract of Xanthoparmelia mexicana showed highest total proanthocyanidin, flavonoid and polyphenol content. From cytotoxic assay, it was observed that the methanolic extracts of L. alphoplaca and M. disjuncta were exhibiting high cytotoxic effects against cancer cell growth. Similarly, the water extract of Dermatocarpon vellereum, Umbilicaria vellea, X. elegans and M. disjuncta and the methanolic extract of M. disjuncta and X. stenophylla were found to possess high antioxidant capacities and were non-toxic and may be used as natural antioxidants for stress related problems. Our studies go on to prove that the unique trans-Himalayan lichens are a hitherto untapped bioresource with immense potential for discovery of new chemical entities, and this biodiversity needs to be tapped sustainably.
The effect of customer perceived value on customer satisfaction: a case study of Malay upscale restaurants.

Stiff competition and increasingly high operating costs have driven many international and domestic players to introduce new outlet concepts. Malay fine dining, upscale restaurant segment is gaining popularity among Malaysian, especially in Kuala Lumpur. This study examined the effect of perceived value on customer satisfaction in Malay upscale restaurants in terms of emotional responses, monetary prices, behavioral price and reputation. Primary data were gathered from 170 questionnaires returned by respondents from five Malay upscale restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, and statistically analysed using SPSS version 21. The findings of this study revealed that monetary prices had a high positive relationship with customer satisfaction. In addition, the beta value for emotional responses (β=0.530, p<0.01), behavioral price (β=0.180, p<0.01) and reputation (β=0.168, p<0.01) also indicated the respective contributions made to customer satisfaction. Keywords: behavioral price, customer satisfaction, emotional responses, Malay upscale restaurants, monetary price, perceived value
Adaptation in temporally variable environments: stickleback armor in periodically breaching bar‐built estuaries

The evolutionary consequences of temporal variation in selection remain hotly debated. We explored these consequences by studying threespine stickleback in a set of bar‐built estuaries along the central California coast. In most years, heavy rains induce water flow strong enough to break through isolating sand bars, connecting streams to the ocean. New sand bars typically re‐form within a few weeks or months, thereby re‐isolating populations within the estuaries. These breaching events cause severe and often extremely rapid changes in abiotic and biotic conditions, including shifts in predator abundance. We investigated whether this strong temporal environmental variation can maintain within‐population variation while eroding adaptive divergence among populations that would be caused by spatial variation in selection. We used neutral genetic markers to explore population structure and then analysed how stickleback armor traits, the associated genes Eda and Pitx1 and elemental composition (%P) varies within and among populations. Despite strong gene flow, we detected evidence for divergence in stickleback defensive traits and Eda genotypes associated with predation regime. However, this among‐population variation was lower than that observed among other stickleback populations exposed to divergent predator regimes. In addition, within‐population variation was very high as compared to populations from environmentally stable locations. Elemental composition was strongly associated with armor traits, Eda genotype and the presence of predators, thus suggesting that spatiotemporal variation in armor traits generates corresponding variation in elemental phenotypes. We conclude that gene flow, and especially temporal environmental variation, can maintain high levels of within‐population variation while reducing, but not eliminating, among‐population variation driven by spatial environmental variation.
The Bridging Role of Expatriates and Inpatriates in Knowledge Transfer in Multinational Corporations

Drawing on the knowledge-based view of the firm, this paper provides the first empirical study that explicitly investigates the relationship between different categories of international assignees and knowledge transfer in multinational corporations (MNCs). Specifically, we examine (1) the extent to which expatriate presence in different functional areas is related to knowledge transfer from and to headquarters in these functions; and (2) the extent to which different categories of international assignees (expatriates vs. inpatriates) contribute to knowledge transfer from and to headquarters. We base our investigation on a large scale survey, encompassing data from more than 800 subsidiaries of MNCs in thirteen countries. By disaggregating the role of knowledge transfer across management functions, directions of knowledge transfer, and type of international assignees, we find that (1) expatriate presence generally increases function-specific knowledge transfer from and, to a lesser extent, to headquarters; and that (2) the relevance of expatriates and former inpatriates varies for knowledge flows between headquarters and subsidiaries. Additionally, we discuss implications for research and practice, in particular regarding different management functions and different forms of international assignments, and provide suggestions for future research.
Factors Affecting Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Certififed Organic Food Products in United Arab Emirates

Organic food consumption is increasing among United Arab Emirates (UAE) consumers in the last few years. This increase is due to high per capita income, more awareness on healthy food and the diverse population. Consumers are willing to pay higher prices for the certified organic food products. The objective of this paper is to examine consumers’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) for the organic food in UAE. Data was collected in UAE from 300 respondents. Regression model was used to identify major determinants of consumers WTP for the organic food. The results showed that majority of consumers responded positively when asked if they are willing to pay more for the organic food products. The age, nationality, education; household size and income were deciding factors for consumers to pay higher price for the organic food. These results will provide key information to organic food industry that will help to promote organic food markets in the UAE.
Predictors of Academic Achievement among Physical Education and Sports Undergraduate Students

Although a number of studies have attempted to determine the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of students’ academic performance, there are few studies in the literature that examine the correlates of academic achievement for physical education and sports undergraduate students. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the academic achievement of first-year physical education and sports students and their sociodemographics, attitudes towards the teaching profession, personality traits, and achievement goal orientations. The participants of the study consisted of 127 (67% male) physical education and sports students, ranging in age from 16 to 30 years old when they began their studies. Participants responded to a questionnaire to determine their sociodemographic characteristics, their attitudes towards the teaching profession in their high school years, their core self-evaluations, and their achievement goal orientations. Pearson correlation analysis results showed that students’ first year grade-point average (GPA) was associated with gender, high school GPA, core-self evaluations, and mastery-approach achievement goal orientation. Results of the regression analysis suggested that the three variables that predicted the students’ first year GPA were their mastery-approach scores, attitudes towards the teaching profession in high school years, and high school GPA. In order to prevent academic failure in physical education and sports students, those who do not have a mastery-approach goal orientation and who had a low high school GPA should be identified at the beginning of the academic year, so that educational interventions can be directed at these students.