Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early infant feeding and risk of developing type 1 diabetes-associated autoantibodies.

CONTEXT Dietary factors modifying type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) risk have been proposed, but little is known if they trigger the islet autoimmunity that precedes clinical disease. OBJECTIVE To determine whether breastfeeding duration, food supplementation, or age at introduction of gluten-containing foods influences the risk of developing islet autoantibodies. DESIGN AND SETTING Prospective natural history cohort study conducted from 1989 to 2003 in inpatient/outpatient clinics in Germany. PARTICIPANTS The BABYDIAB study follows newborn children of parents with type 1 DM. Eligibility requirements were met in 1610 children. Blood samples were obtained at birth, age 9 months, 2, 5, and 8 years. Dropout rate was 14.4% by age 5 years. Breastfeeding data were obtained by prospective questionnaires (91% complete), and food supplementation data were obtained by family interview (72% for food supplementation and 80% for age of gluten introduction). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Development of islet autoantibodies (insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase, or IA-2 antibodies) in 2 consecutive blood samples. RESULTS Life-table islet autoantibody frequency was 5.8% (SE, 0.6%) by age 5 years. Reduced total or exclusive breastfeeding duration did not significantly increase the risk of developing islet autoantibodies. Food supplementation with gluten-containing foods before age 3 months, however, was associated with significantly increased islet autoantibody risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-11.5; P =.01 vs children who received only breast milk until age 3 months). Four of 17 children who received gluten foods before age 3 months developed islet autoantibodies (life-table 5-year risk, 24%; SE, 10%). All 4 children had the high-risk DRB1*03/04,DQB1*0302 genotype. Early exposure to gluten did not significantly increase the risk of developing celiac disease-associated autoantibodies. Children who first received gluten foods after age 6 months did not have increased risks for islet or celiac disease autoantibodies. CONCLUSION Ensuring compliance to infant feeding guidelines is a possible way to reduce the risk of development of type 1 DM autoantibodies.
Towards computational prediction of microRNA function and activity

While it has been established that microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles throughout development and are dysregulated in many human pathologies, the specific processes and pathways regulated by individual miRNAs are mostly unknown. Here, we use computational target predictions in order to automatically infer the processes affected by human miRNAs. Our approach improves upon standard statistical tools by addressing specific characteristics of miRNA regulation. Our analysis is based on a novel compendium of experimentally verified miRNA-pathway and miRNA-process associations that we constructed, which can be a useful resource by itself. Our method also predicts novel miRNA-regulated pathways, refines the annotation of miRNAs for which only crude functions are known, and assigns differential functions to miRNAs with closely related sequences. Applying our approach to groups of co-expressed genes allows us to identify miRNAs and genomic miRNA clusters with functional importance in specific stages of early human development. A full list of the predicted mRNA functions is available at http://acgt.cs. tau.ac. il/fame/.
Candidate Brand Equity Valuation: A Comparison of U.S. Presidential Candidates During the 2008 Primary Election Campaign

This study employed a multidimensional brand equity construct (i.e., brand awareness, associations, perceived quality, and loyalty) to compare the brand name strength of four U.S. presidential candidates (i.e., Clinton, Obama, McCain, and Huckabee) with registered voter segments during the weeks preceding the 2008 primary election and nearly a year before the general election. The level of candidate brand equity was significantly related to respondents' future voting intentions, and party bias resulted in significant differences in brand equity valuation, mainly due to differences in perceived quality and candidate loyalty ratings. Results mirrored polling data and election results. Candidates with the highest within-party brand equity won the state primary election (i.e., McCain and Clinton), while the strongest candidate brand with voters opposite their party electorate and with Independent voters won the U.S. presidential election (i.e., Obama). Discussed are suggestions for studies to advance the present findings, particularly the inclusion of brand image constructs into the employed framework.
Understanding mobile banking individual performance: The DeLone & McLean model and the moderating effects of individual culture

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of Hall’s cultural dimension on the mobile banking (m-banking) individual performance in the m-banking post-adoption stage. ,This paper proposes using the DeLone and McLean IS success model moderated by Hall’s cross-cultural dimensions of high-low context and monochronic-polychronic time perception to evaluate the m-banking individual performance in the post-adoption stage. ,The results reveal that usage and user satisfaction are important precedents of individual performance, and it also reveals the importance of the moderating effects of monochronic inclination between the usage and user satisfaction to individual performance. The system, information, and service quality affect user’s satisfaction positively. ,While the majority of earlier research focuses on potential adopters, this study seeks to understand the significance of cultural effects on the m-banking individual performance in the post-adoption stage, as these are important to explain use and attract potential adopters of m-banking.
DVQ: A digital video quality metric based on human vision

The growth of digital video has given rise to a need for computational methods for evaluating the visual quality of digital video. We have developed a new digital video quality metric, which we call DVQ (Digital Video Quality) 1 . Here we provide a brief description of the metric, and give a preliminary report on its performance. DVQ accepts a pair of digital video sequences, and computes a measure of the magnitude of the visible difference between them. The metric is based on the Discrete Cosine Transform. It incorporates aspects of early visual processing, including light adaptation, luminance and chromatic channels, spatial and temporal filtering, spatial frequency channels, contrast masking, and probability summation. It also includes primitive dynamics of light adaptation and contrast masking. We have applied the metric to digital video sequences corrupted by various typical compression artifacts, and compared the results to quality ratings made by human observers.
Teachers, Not Technicians: Rethinking Technical Expectations for Teachers

Despite many efforts at the national, state, and local levels to promote the use of computers in K-12 classrooms, over the past 20 years, the impact of the computer on teaching and learning has been minimal. In this article, we examine how one school district has advanced the use of computers in the classroom by focusing first on curriculum rather than on technology. While national and state technology standards for teachers, as well as educational technology textbooks, tend to start with computer hardware and how to troubleshoot it, teachers in the district described here spend very little time on hardware or troubleshooting. Instead, as a result of district choices with regard to technology, support, and training, teachers are able to bypass the hardware and troubleshooting and move quickly to more productive and inventive uses of technology in the classroom. Our research offers a paradox for furthering the use of computers in classrooms —if we take away expectations for technical skills and allow teachers to focus on developing curriculum, evaluating learning materials, and thinking about how to provide better learning opportunities for their students, teachers are likely to use technology more effectively and creatively in their teaching.
Estimation of slump value and Bingham parameters of fresh concrete mixture composition with artificial neural network modelling

High performance is the most important expectation from concrete which is commonly used in today’s construction technology. To form a high performance concrete “HPC”, two fundamental properties are required. These properties are optimization of the materials used to form the concrete and the workability of fresh concrete during shaping. Many scientists have used rheological properties in conjunction with Bingham model to determine the workability of fresh concrete. Bingham model is represented by two parameters: yield stress and plastic viscosity. Even though, many models are developed to explain rheological properties, there is no acceptable easy to use method. In this study, artificial neural network “ANN” is used to determine the rheological properties of fresh concrete. Ferraris and de Larrard’s experimental slump, yield stress and viscosity data from different composed concretes is used in this study. Slump, yield stress and viscosity are estimated with respect to mixture design parameters. Obtained results from this study indicates that ANN is a utilizable method to determine the rheological proporties (Bingham model) of fresh concrete.
ETHICALLY CHALLENGING SITUATIONS REPORTED BY SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING

Practitioner-members of the National Association of School Psychologists (N = 208) completed questionnaires regarding their ethics training, preparedness, the types of ethical transgressions and dilemmas encountered in the previous year, and the strategies used to solve problems. Respondents who received multilevel training in ethics (ethics coursework, ethics instruction in multiple classes, ethics addressed in practicum/internship) perceived themselves to be better prepared to tackle difficult challenges and were more likely to use a systematic problem-solving strategy when faced with an ethical dilemma than respondents who did not receive multilevel training. Assessment-related ethical transgressions and failure to follow up on interventions were the two most commonly witnessed types of ethics code violations; troublesome dilemmas included whether to suspect child abuse, whether to tell parents about their child's risky behavior, and how to handle administrative pressure to engage in unethical actions. Implications for ethics training are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Differential Metastasis Inhibition by Clinically Relevant Levels of Heparins—Correlation with Selectin Inhibition, Not Antithrombotic Activity

Purpose: Unfractionated heparin reduces metastasis in many murine models. Multiple mechanisms are proposed, particularly anticoagulation and/or inhibition of P-selectin and L-selectin. However, the doses used are not clinically tolerable and other heparins are now commonly used. We studied metastasis inhibition by clinically relevant levels of various heparins and investigated the structural basis for selectin inhibition differences. Experimental Design: Five clinically approved heparins were evaluated for inhibition of P-selectin and L-selectin binding to carcinoma cells. Pharmacokinetic studies determined optimal dosing for clinically relevant anticoagulant levels in mice. Experimental metastasis assays using carcinoma and melanoma cells investigated effects of a single injection of various heparins. Heparins were compared for structural relationships to selectin inhibition. Results: One (Tinzaparin) of three low molecular weight heparins showed increased selectin inhibitory activity, and the synthetic pentasaccharide, Fondaparinux, showed none when normalized to anticoagulant activity. Experimental metastasis models showed attenuation with unfractionated heparin and Tinzaparin, but not Fondaparinux, at clinically relevant anticoagulation levels. Tinzaparin has a small population of high molecular weight fragments not present in other low molecular weight heparins, enriched for selectin inhibitory activity. Conclusions: Heparin can attenuate metastasis at clinically relevant doses, likely by inhibiting selectins. Equivalent anticoagulation alone with Fondaparinux is ineffective. Clinically approved heparins have differing abilities to inhibit selectins, likely explained by size distribution. It should be possible to size fractionate heparins and inhibit selectins at concentrations that do not have a large effect on coagulation. Caution is also raised about the current preference for smaller heparins. Despite equivalent anticoagulation, hitherto unsuspected benefits of selectin inhibition in various clinical circumstances may be unwittingly discarded.
Asbestosis and Catalase Genetic Polymorphism

Asbestosis and Catalase Genetic Polymorphism Catalase (CAT) is part of the enzymatic defense system against reactive oxygen species (ROS), known to be involved in the pathogenesis of asbestosis. This study investigates whether CAT -262 C>T genetic polymorphism influences the risk of asbestosis in workers occupationally exposed to asbestos. The nested case-control study included 262 cases with asbestosis and 265 controls with no asbestos-related disease. Data on cumulative asbestos exposure and smoking were available. A real-time PCR assay was introduced for genotyping CAT -262 C>T promoter polymorphism. A slightly elevated risk of asbestosis was observed in subjects with the CAT -262 TT genotype compared to others (OR=1.36, CI 0.70-2.62). This risk did not change substantially after adjustment by sex, age, and smoking, but the involvement of cumulative asbestos exposure changed the OR to 1.91 (CI 0.93-3.91). These findings indicate that the CAT -262 TT genotype may be slightly associated with an increased risk of asbestosis. No synergistic effect was found between cumulative asbestos exposure and the CAT -262 TT genotype, but cumulative asbestos exposure acted as a confounder. These results are an important contribution to understanding the interactions between genetic and environmental factors that may modify the risk of asbestosis. Azbestoza in polimorfizem gena za katalazo Katalaza (CAT) je del encimskega obrambnega sistema proti reaktivnim kisikovim spojinam (ROS), za katere je znano, da so vpletene v patogenezo azbestoze. V raziskavi preučujemo, ali genetski polimorfizem CAT -262 C>T vpliva na tveganje za nastanek azbestoze pri delavcih, ki so bili poklicno izpostavljeni azbestu. Ugnezdena študija primerov s kontrolami je vključevala 262 primerov z azbestozo in 265 kontrol, ki niso imeli nobene bolezni, povezane z izpostavljenostjo azbestu. Na razpolago so bili podatki o celokupni izpostavljenosti azbestu in kajenju. Za genotipizacijo promotorskega polimorfizma CAT -262 C>T smo uporabili PCR v realnem času. Rahlo povišano tveganje za azbestozo smo opazili pri osebah z genotipom CAT -262 TT (RO=1,36, IZ 0,70-2,62). Opisano tveganje se ni bistveno spremenilo po prilagoditvi po spolu, starosti in kajenju, pač pa se je razmerje obetov zvišalo po uvedbi celokupne izpostavljenosti azbestu na 1,91 (IZ 0,93-3,91). Rezultati kažejo, da genotip CAT -262 TT lahko povezujemo z rahlo povečanim tveganjem za razvoj azbestoze. Sinergističnega učinka med celokupno izpostavljenostjo azbestu in genotipom CAT -262 TT nismo opazili, celokupna izpostavljenost azbestu pa je delovala kot moteča spremenljivka. Rezultati predstavljajo pomemben prispevek k razumevanju sovpliva genetskih in okoljskih dejavnikov, ki bi lahko spremenili tveganje za nastanek azbestoze.
Reachability analysis of discrete-time systems with disturbances

This paper presents new results that allow one to compute the set of states that can be robustly steered in a finite number of steps, via state feedback control, to a given target set. The assumptions that are made in this paper are that the system is discrete-time, nonlinear and time-invariant and subject to mixed constraints on the state and input. A persistent disturbance, dependent on the current state and input, acts on the system. Existing results are not able to address state- and input-dependent disturbances and the results in this paper are, therefore, a generalization of previously published results. One of the key aims of this paper is to present results such that one can perform the relevant set computations using polyhedral algebra and computational geometry software, provided the system is piecewise affine and the constraints are polygonal. Existing methods are only applicable to piecewise affine systems that either have no control inputs or no disturbances, whereas the results in this paper remove this limitation. Some simple examples are also given that show that, even if all the relevant sets are convex and the system is linear, convexity of the set of controllable states cannot be guaranteed.
The Effects of Emotional Involvement and Psychological Distance on Integrative Complexity1

Integrative complexity is a measure of information processing that is scored either from archival documents or from written material generated for experimental purposes. Low complexity is associated with a lack of attention to diverse dimensions of, or perspectives on, a topic. Moderate complexity is characterized by the differentiation of such dimensions or perspectives. Finally, high complexity is shown by conceptual integration of the differentiated components. A large number of situational variables have been identified as affecting the level of complexity at which decision makers operate; however, emotional factors have been studied only indirectly (e.g., inferred from the individual's being in an apparently stressful situation). The current study presented university students with fictional scenarios describing interpersonal conflict that were designed to vary the psychological distance between the writer and the people involved in the problem. The complexity level of essays in which the students analyzed and described solutions for the conflict was positively related to both increasing psychological distance and to self-rated emotional involvement, regardless of distance. The distance results may have been due to an unconsidered variable, social perspective. Complexity was significantly and positively correlated with the self-rated effort expended in writing the essay. The findings partially confirm the cognitive manager model of complexity: The complexity of decision strategies is affected by the balance between the importance of the problem and the resources (cognitive and other) that must be invested to operate at different levels of complexity. The data have implications for understanding the impact of emotional involvement on cognitive complexity.
Modeling and computing ternary projective relations between regions

Current spatial database systems offer limited querying capabilities beyond binary topological relations. This paper introduces a model for projective relations between regions to support other qualitative spatial queries. The relations are ternary because they are based on the collinearity invariant of three points under projective geometry. The model is built on a partition of the plane into separate zones that are obtained from projective properties of two reference objects: then, by considering the empty/nonempty intersections of a primary object with these zones, the model is able to distinguish between 34 different projective relations. Then, the paper proposes original algorithms for computing the relations under the assumption that regions of the plane are stored as vector polygons in a spatial database. These algorithms run in optimal O(nlogn) time
Heterogeneity of GABAergic cells in cat visual cortex

Antibodies against neuropeptides and against a vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein (CaBP) label small cells with nonpyramidal-like morphology in the cat visual cortex (areas 17, 18, and 19). Since GABAergic cells are interneurons, a double-staining procedure was used to test for the coexistence of cholecystokinin (CCK), somatostatin (SRIF), neuropeptide Y (NPY), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), and CaBP with glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). Our results show that CRF and VIP do not coexist with GAD, while the 3 other peptides and CaBP do. Hence GAD-positive cells can be subdivided into 4 broad groups: (1) cells that are only GAD-positive, (2) cells that are GAD- and CaBP-positive, (3) GAD- positive neurons also containing CCK, and (4) GAD-positive cells that also contain SRIF. A small subset of class 2 also contains SRIF and most cells of class 4 also contain NPY. The 4 classes of GAD-positive cells differ in laminar position: class 1 predominates in layers IV and V, classes 2 and 3 in the upper laminae (II and III), and class 4 in the deepest layer (VI).
Minimal contribution of desmethyl-gefitinib, the major human plasma metabolite of gefitinib, to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated tumour growth inhibition

Desmethyl-gefitinib is a major metabolite of gefitinib observed in human plasma at concentrations similar to those of gefitinib. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-related inhibitory effects of gefitinib and desmethyl-gefitinib have been compared both in vitro, using enzyme kinase assays and tumour cell growth inhibition, and in vivo by assessment of tumour xenografts growth inhibition in the mouse. Both gefitinib (IC50 = 0.022 µM) and its desmethyl metabolite (0.036 µM) inhibited subcellular EGFR tyrosine kinase activity with a similar potency and selectivity. However, desmethyl-gefitinib (IC50 = 0.76 µM) was 15 times less active than gefitinib (0.049 µM) against EGF-stimulated KB cell growth in a whole cell assay. Following a preliminary pharmacokinetic study to compare apparent oral bioavailability, gefitinib (75 mg kg−1) and desmethyl-gefitinib (150 mg kg−1) were administered orally for 15 days to female nude mice bearing LoVo tumour xenografts. Tumour concentrations of gefitinib (AUC = 300 µg h g−1) were much higher than those of desmethyl-gefitinib (44.3 µg h g−1), although plasma concentrations of gefitinib (48.4 µg h ml−1) and desmethyl-gefitinib (39.0 µg h ml−1) were quite similar at these dose levels. Gefitinib produced significant tumour growth inhibition throughout the course of the study ultimately resulting in a 50% decrease (compared with controls) by day 15. In contrast, although present at comparable plasma levels, desmethyl-gefitinib had little effect on tumour growth and is, therefore, considered unlikely to contribute significantly to the therapeutic activity of gefitinib in the clinical situation.
Different crime types and moral reasoning development in young offenders compared with non-offender controls

Abstract On empirical and theoretical grounds, it is argued that different patterns of moral reasoning development and moral values may characterise different types of offender. Male offenders in six youth correctional institutions in Taiwan and controls from one junior and two senior high schools participated in the study. Self-reported criminal histories were classified according to their characteristic offence type (Drug, Violent, or Theft). Overall moral reasoning development stage, as well as the five individual moral values, were significantly less mature in offenders than in controls despite the offenders’ mean age being higher. The moral value Life differentiated crime types since this was less mature in the violent offenders. Moral reasoning cognitive–developmental delay models were only of limited usefulness in differentiating offender types but were good at differentiating offenders from non-offenders. It is suggested that a more sophisticated understanding of the role of moral reasoning development in the study of crime is needed.