Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genotyping of HCV RNA Reveals That 3a Is the Most Prevalent Genotype in Mardan, Pakistan

The clinical outcomes of patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) range from acute resolving hepatitis to chronic liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Identification of the infecting virus genotype is indispensable for the exploration of many aspects of HCV infection, including epidemiology, pathogenesis, and response to antiviral therapy. 1419 individuals were screened for anti-HCV in this study, of which 166 (11.7%) were found reactive by ICT (Immunochromatographic test). These 166 anti-HCV positive and 26 normal individuals were further analyzed. RNA was extracted from serum and reverse-transcribed to cDNA and the core region of HCV genome was targeted and amplified by multiplex PCR. HCV RNA was detected in 121 individuals, of which 87 were male and 34 were female. Genotype 3a was the most prevalent among all the genotypes observed followed by 3b. Genotypes 1a, 2a, and 2b were found in 10.89%, 13.22%, and 6.61% patients, respectively. 25.41% of the HCV RNA positive samples were not typed. 6.05% of patients were found having mixed genotypes. These findings will not only help the physicians to prescribe more appropriate treatment for the HCV infection but will also draw the attention of health-related policy makers to devise strategies to curb the disease more effectively.
The pervasive impact of social isolation and loneliness in young people : an epidemiological, longitudinal and genetically-sensitive study

2 Table of contents . 3 List of tables . 6 List of figures . 7 Acknowledgements . 8 Publications . 9 Declaration . 11 Chapter 1: Introduction . 12 1.1 The significance of social relationships . 12 1.2 Defining and measuring social isolation and loneliness . 14 1.3 A brief history of theoretical approaches to loneliness . 16 1.4 The experience of loneliness . 19 1.5 Health outcomes of social isolation and loneliness . 21 1.6 Aetiology of social isolation and loneliness . 24 1.7 The significance of social isolation and loneliness in young people . 26 1.8 Aims and research questions . 27 1.9 Thesis structure . 30 Chapter 2: Sample, measures and methods . 33 2.1 The Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study . 33 2.2 Main measures . 36 2.3 Statistical analyses . 39 Chapter 3: Social isolation and mental health at primary and secondary school entry: a longitudinal cohort study . 45 3.1 Abstract . 45 3.2 Introduction . 46
Understanding Experiences Of Gratitude In Elementary Teachers: Implications For School Leaders

The science of gratitude is a fairly recent phenomenon, emerging out of positive psychology. The basic premise of the field is that cultivating a positive perspective and focusing on what one can be grateful for has positive outcomes in life. The benefits discovered include increases in subjective well-being and life satisfaction, better interpersonal relationships, and increases in pro-social behavior. In the school setting, research has found that developing gratitude can increase adolescents’ level of satisfaction with school experience and academic attainment. The purpose of this phenomenological study is develop a deeper understanding of how elementary teachers experience gratitude. By learning more about how elementary teachers experience gratitude and construct meaning around those experiences, school leaders may be able to positively influence the culture of the school and build collaborative approaches to change through strengthening relationships. A constructivist-developmental framework served as the primary lens through which to study teachers’ experiences of gratitude. Seven elementary teachers participated in a gratitude journaling exercise followed by individual interviews and a focus group. Three major themes emerged from the data: gratitude in contrast to negativity, perspective and choice, and making a difference/feeling valued. The results indicate that elementary teachers experience gratitude in their school settings through a sense of positivity, through being involved in student success, and in experiences of feeling valued for their work.
Some Lessons from Transaction-Cost Politics for Less-Developed Countries

Transaction-cost politics views economic policy-making as a political process constrained by asymmetric information and limited commitment possibilities. This paper examines some implications of this perspective for less-developed countries (LDCs) considering policy reform. It emphasizes that success requires reform of the rules and institutions which govern the strategic interaction of the participants in the political game, and that reforms must cope with the special interests and asymmetric information which already exist. In this light, it examines some broad issues of the design of constitutions and institutions (definition and enforcement of property rights, control of inflation, and of government expenditures, federalism, and redistribution), as well as some specific issue of the design of organizations and incentives (problems posed by the interaction of multiple tasks and multiple interests, and their interaction with the limitations on auditing and administration that exists in many LDCs).
Analysis of 1-Year Clinical Outcomes in the SIRIUS Trial: A Randomized Trial of a Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Versus a Standard Stent in Patients at High Risk for Coronary Restenosis

Background—This study evaluated a large group of patients enrolled in a double-blind randomized trial of the sirolimus-eluting stent to document whether the initial clinical improvement seen in previous smaller series is maintained out to 12 months and to study the potential treatment effect in patient subsets known to be at increased risk of restenosis. Methods and Results—A total of 1058 patients with de novo native coronary stenosis undergoing clinically indicated percutaneous coronary intervention were randomly assigned to sirolimus-eluting stent (533) or control bare stent (525). Procedural success and in-hospital outcomes were excellent and did not differ between the 2 groups. At 9 months, clinical restenosis, defined as target-lesion revascularization, was 4.1% in the sirolimus limb versus 16.6% in the control limb (P <0.001). At 12 months, the absolute difference in target-lesion revascularization continued to increase and was 4.9% versus 20% (P <0.001). There were no differences in death or myocardial infarction rates. In high-risk patient subsets, defined by vessel size, lesion length, and presence of diabetes mellitus, there was a 70% to 80% reduction in clinical restenosis at 1 year. Conclusions—Placement of the sirolimus-eluting stent results in continued clinical improvement at 1 year after initial implantation, with significant reduction in clinical restenosis as defined by target-lesion revascularization. Between 9 and 12 months, the absolute reduction of clinical restenosis continues to increase. Even in high-risk subsets of patients, there is a 70% to 80% relative reduction in clinical restenosis at 12 months with this drug-eluting stent.
The Acquisition of Productive Rules in Child and Adult Language Learners

In natural language, evidence suggests that, while some rules are productive (regular), applying broadly to new words, others are restricted to a specific set of lexical items (irregular). Further, the literature suggests that children make a categorical distinction between regular and irregular rules, applying only regular rules productively during acquisition. This strong distinction has led to the central question explored in this dissertation: what governs the acquisition of productive rules in children? In the literature, a number of approaches have been proposed to account for the productivity of some rules, but most fail to capture this acquisition process adequately. This dissertation focuses on one model of productivity, the Tolerance Principle, which has been shown to accurately predict productive rule formation on a number of rigorous measures. The goal of this dissertation is to test the Tolerance Principle as a model of productive rule acquisition using artificial grammar learning experiments in children and adults. To this end, we conduct three experiments to assess whether the Tolerance Principle can predict productive rule formation in children and adults. Across these three experiments, we find that the behavior of children is well predicted by the Tolerance Principle model, but the behavior of adults is not. Thus, a secondary goal of the dissertation is to argue that the Tolerance Principle is a model of productive rule formation that is exclusive to children. We hypothesize that cognitive differences between children and adults, particularly memory and cognitive control differences,
Deterministic entanglement of two neutral atoms via Rydberg blockade

We demonstrate the deterministic entanglement of two individually addressed neutral atoms using a Rydberg blockade mediated controlled-not gate. Parity oscillation measurements reveal a Bell state fidelity of F=0.58{+-}0.04, which is above the entanglement threshold of F=0.5, without any correction for atom loss, and F=0.71{+-}0.05 after correcting for background collisional losses. The fidelity results are shown to be in good agreement with a detailed error model.
Wavelet-Based Synthesis of a Multifractional Process

The multifractional process is introduced as a natural extension of traditional monofractional process. The selling point of multifractional process is that its Hölder regularity is allowed to vary from point to point, such that makes it a promising model for those stochastic processes whose regularity evolves in time. A new wavelet-based algorithm to synthesize a realization of multifractional process is proposed, and the validity is verified by numerical experiments and real-world data.
Nanocrystalline TiO2/SnO2 heterostructures for gas sensing

The aim of this research is to study the role of nanocrystalline TiO2/SnO2 n–n heterojunctions for hydrogen sensing. Nanopowders of pure SnO2, 90 mol % SnO2/10 mol % TiO2, 10 mol % SnO2/90 mol % TiO2 and pure TiO2 have been obtained using flame spray synthesis (FSS). The samples have been characterized by BET, XRD, SEM, HR-TEM, Mössbauer effect and impedance spectroscopy. Gas-sensing experiments have been performed for H2 concentrations of 1–3000 ppm at 200–400 °C. The nanomaterials are well-crystallized, anatase TiO2, rutile TiO2 and cassiterite SnO2 polymorphic forms are present depending on the chemical composition of the powders. The crystallite sizes from XRD peak analysis are within the range of 3–27 nm. Tin exhibits only the oxidation state 4+. The H2 detection threshold for the studied TiO2/SnO2 heterostructures is lower than 1 ppm especially in the case of SnO2-rich samples. The recovery time of SnO2-based heterostructures, despite their large responses over the whole measuring range, is much longer than that of TiO2-rich samples at higher H2 flows. TiO2/SnO2 heterostructures can be intentionally modified for the improved H2 detection within both the small (1–50 ppm) and the large (50–3000 ppm) concentration range. The temperature Tmax at which the semiconducting behavior begins to prevail upon water desorption/oxygen adsorption depends on the TiO2/SnO2 composition. The electrical resistance of sensing materials exhibits a power-law dependence on the H2 partial pressure. This allows us to draw a conclusion about the first step in the gas sensing mechanism related to the adsorption of oxygen ions at the surface of nanomaterials.
Immersive Journalism: Immersive Virtual Reality for the First-Person Experience of News

This paper introduces the concept and discusses the implications of immersive journalism, which is the production of news in a form in which people can gain first-person experiences of the events or situation described in news stories. The fundamental idea of immersive journalism is to allow the participant, typically represented as a digital avatar, to actually enter a virtually recreated scenario representing the news story. The sense of presence obtained through an immersive system (whether a Cave or head-tracked head-mounted displays [HMD] and online virtual worlds, such as video games and online virtual worlds) affords the participant unprecedented access to the sights and sounds, and possibly feelings and emotions, that accompany the news. This paper surveys current approaches to immersive journalism and the theoretical background supporting claims regarding avatar experience in immersive systems. We also provide a specific demonstration: giving participants the experience of being in an interrogation room in an offshore prison. By both describing current approaches and demonstrating an immersive journalism experience, we open a new avenue for research into how presence can be utilized in the field of news and nonfiction.
Marker loci associated with life span in genetically heterogeneous mice.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the number or chromosomal location of genetic loci that might identify individuals destined to have a long life span. Analysis of gene/life span associations in mice, which are short-lived compared to humans, might provide guidance for an analysis of the genetic basis of life span in humans. METHODS A group of 144 genetically heterogeneous mice, produced by a four-way cross between two F1 hybrid mouse stocks, was genotyped at 82 loci, and the mice were allowed to live either until their natural deaths or until they became extremely ill. Each mouse was also necropsied to determine the probable cause of death. An analysis of variance was used to seek relationships between life span (dependent variable) and the independent variables sex and allele for each marker locus. RESULTS Five markers on different chromosomes were associated with differential longevity in male mice, and two other markers were associated with longevity in female mice. Post hoc probabilities were suggestive but not definitive, reaching p < . 003 for the four strongest effects. Associations between marker loci and life span were sex-specific in almost all cases, affecting either males or females but not both. The strongest effects led to differences in mean survival of about 20% in the affected sex. The survival curves are consistent with the idea that the markers are linked to loci that influence the mortality risks of the longest-lived animals in the cohort. Associations between markers and life span did not appear to reflect associations of these markers to specific diseases in these mice. CONCLUSIONS Associations between genetic markers and life span in mice bred by using a four-way cross are strong enough to deserve further analysis and seem to be sex-specific in their effects.
Effect of speed overestimation on flash-lag effect at low luminance

When a brief flash is presented at the same location as a moving object, the flash is perceived to lag behind the moving object to an extent that increases with the speed of the object. Previous studies showed that moving objects appear faster at low luminance as a result of their longer motion trace. Here we examine whether this faster perceived motion also affects the amount of the flash lag at low luminance. We first verified that speed was overestimated at low luminance with our stimulus. We then asked subjects to align a briefly flashed dot with the moving target. Results showed that the flash-lag effect increased with physical speed at both high and low luminance, but there was no additional increase due to the perceived increase of speed at low luminance. We suggest that although motion blur contributes to perceived speed, it does not contribute to the speed information that influences its perceived position.
Sensitivity Study on High-Resolution Numerical Modeling of Static Topographic Data

Both research-grade and operational numerical weather prediction models perform simulations with horizontal grid spacings as fine as 1 km, and their multi-scale terrain data have become increasingly important for high-resolution model forecasting. This study focused on the influence of multi-scale surface databases of topographical height and land use on the modeling of atmospheric circulation in a megacity. The default data were the global 30S United States Geographic Survey terrain data set and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer land-use data. The capacity for topographical expression under the combined scale effect was evaluated against observational data. The experiments showed that surface input data using finer resolutions for the Weather Research and Forecasting model with 1-km resolution gave better topographical expression and meteorological reproduction in a megacity and agreed with observational data in the fields of temperature and relative humidity, but precipitation values were not sensitive to the surface input data when verified against a suite of observational data including, but not limited to, ground-based instruments. The results indicated that the use of high-resolution databases improved the local atmospheric circulation in a megacity and that a fine-scale model was sensitive to the resolution of the surface input data whereas a coarse-scale model was less sensitive to it.
A Generic Utility Model Representing the Quality of Sensory Experience

Current QoE research is mainly focusing on single modalities (audio, visual) or combinations thereof. In our research, we propose annotating traditional multimedia content with additional sensory effects, such as ambient light, vibration, wind, and olfaction, which could potentially stimulate all human senses. Investigating the influence of individual sensory effects and combinations thereof is important in order to understand how these individual sensory effects influence the Quality of Experience (QoE) as a whole. In this article, we describe the results of such a subjective quality assessment of audio-visual sequences which are annotated with additional sensory effects such as ambient light, wind, and vibration using the MPEG-V standard. The results of this assessment allow us to derive a utility model representing the Quality of Sensory Experience (QuaSE) complementary to existing QoE models described in terms of Quality of Service (QoS) parameters. For validating our proposed utility model, we provide an example instantiation and validate it against results of subjective quality assessments.
Toward a Methodology for Analyzing Visual Rhetoric in Corporate Reports

This article presents a methodology that organizational scholars can use to analyze, explain, and critically interpret the role of visual rhetoric in organizational communications. Corporations invest heavily in the visual design of organizational communications, including corporate reports, recognizing the distinctive role and benefits of visual imagery, as well as the rhetorical function of these documents. Current analytical approaches to visual rhetoric are either predominantly theoretical (with little structured guidance) or procedural (with little acknowledgment of important epistemic questions). This leaves a need for a methodology that combines a clear theoretical framework with explicit guidance on how to analyze visual rhetoric. This article bridges this analytic gap by offering a methodology that integrates a theoretical foundation of a priori analytical categories informed by selected writings of the French cultural theorist Roland Barthes with three abductively derived phases (categorical analysis, content analysis, rhetorical analysis) for analysis of visual design of corporate reports. We apply this methodology in an examination of a Qantas Annual Review and articulate our contributions to the field of organizational research methods.
Comparative transcriptome profiling of the injured zebrafish and mouse hearts identifies miRNA-dependent repair pathways

Aims The adult mammalian heart has poor regenerative capacity. In contrast, the zebrafish heart retains a robust capacity for regeneration into adulthood. These distinct responses are consequences of a differential utilization of evolutionary-conserved gene regulatory networks in the damaged heart. To systematically identify miRNA-dependent networks controlling cardiac repair following injury, we performed comparative gene and miRNA profiling of the cardiac transcriptome in adult mice and zebrafish. Methods and results Using an integrated approach, we show that 45 miRNA-dependent networks, involved in critical biological pathways, are differentially modulated in the injured zebrafish vs. mouse hearts. We study, more particularly, the miR-26a-dependent response. Therefore, miR-26a is down-regulated in the fish heart after injury, whereas its expression remains constant in the mouse heart. Targets of miR-26a involve activators of the cell cycle and Ezh2, a component of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Importantly, PRC2 exerts repressive functions on negative regulators of the cell cycle. In cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes, inhibition of miR-26a stimulates, therefore, cardiomyocyte proliferation. Accordingly, miR-26a knockdown prolongs the proliferative window of cardiomyocytes in the post-natal mouse heart. Conclusions This novel strategy identifies a series of miRNAs and associated pathways, in particular miR-26a, which represent attractive therapeutic targets for inducing repair in the injured heart.
Herbs or natural products that protect against cancer growth part three of a four-part series.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To provide evidence-based research information about 47 herbs and natural products that have the potential to protect against the development of cancer. DATA SOURCES Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database and Lawrence Review of Natural Products-Monograph System. Information about these herbs has been found in evidence-based studies cited in the references. DATA SYNTHESIS Early research shows that some herbs and natural products appear to have the potential to prevent cancer growth. CONCLUSIONS This preliminary evidence may be useful to healthcare professionals or patients who are concerned about cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Oncology nurses who receive this information can become resources for patients or other healthcare professionals.
Compress-and-forward strategy for the relay channel with non-causal State Information

In this paper, we consider a discrete memoryless state-dependent relay channel with non-causal Channel State Information (CSI). We investigate three different cases in which perfect channel states can be known non-causally: i) only to the source, ii) only to the relay or iii) both to the source and to the relay node. For these three cases we establish lower bounds on the channel capacity (achievable rates) based on using Gel'fand-Pinsker coding at the nodes where the CSI is available and using Compress-and-Forward (CF) strategy at the relay. Furthermore, for the general Gaussian relay channel with additive independent and identically distributed (i.i.d) states and noise, we obtain lower bounds on the capacity for the cases in which CSI is available at the source or at the relay. We also compare our derived bounds with the previously obtained results which were based on Decode-and-Forward (DF) strategy, and we show the cases in which our derived lower bounds outperform DF based bounds, and can achieve the rates close to the upper bound.