Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pneumococcal Antibody Concentrations and Carriage of Pneumococci more than 3 Years after Infant Immunization with a Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine

Background A 9-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-9), given in a 3-dose schedule, protected Gambian children against pneumococcal disease and reduced nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci of vaccine serotypes. We have studied the effect of a booster or delayed primary dose of 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) on antibody and nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci 3–4 years after primary vaccination. Methodology/Principal Findings We recruited a subsample of children who had received 3 doses of either PCV-9 or placebo (controls) into this follow-up study. Pre- and post- PCV-7 pneumococcal antibody concentrations to the 9 serotypes in PCV-9 and nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci were determined before and at intervals up to 18 months post-PCV-7. We enrolled 282 children at a median age of 45 months (range, 38–52 months); 138 had received 3 doses of PCV-9 in infancy and 144 were controls. Before receiving PCV-7, a high proportion of children had antibody concentrations >0.35 µg/mL to most of the serotypes in PCV-9 (average of 75% in the PCV-9 and 66% in the control group respectively). The geometric mean antibody concentrations in the vaccinated group were significantly higher compared to controls for serotypes 6B, 14, and 23F. Antibody concentrations were significantly increased to serotypes in the PCV-7 vaccine both 6–8 weeks and 16–18 months after PCV-7. Antibodies to serotypes 6B, 9V and 23F were higher in the PCV-9 group than in the control group 6–8 weeks after PCV-7, but only the 6B difference was sustained at 16–18 months. There was no significant difference in nasopharyngeal carriage between the two groups. Conclusions/Significance Pneumococcal antibody concentrations in Gambian children were high 34–48 months after a 3-dose primary infant vaccination series of PCV-9 for serotypes other than serotypes 1 and 18C, and were significantly higher than in control children for 3 of the 9 serotypes. Antibody concentrations increased after PCV-7 and remained raised for at least 18 months.
Testing Expansion in Bounded-Degree Graphs

We consider the problem of testing expansion in bounded degree graphs. We focus on the notion of vertex-expansion: an alpha-expander is a graph G = (V, E) in which even-subset U sube V of at most |V|/2 vertices has a neighborhood of size at least alphaldr|U|. Our main result is that one can distinguish good expanders from graphs that are far from being weak expanders in time O tilde(radicn). We prove that the property testing algorithm proposed by Goldreich and Ron (2000) with appropriately set parameters accepts every alpha-expander with probability at least 2/3 and rejects every graph that is epsiv-far from an alpha*-expander with probability at least 2/3, where alpha*=Theta(alpha2/(d2log (n/epsiv))) and d is the maximum degree of the graphs. The algorithm assumes the bounded-degree graphs model with adjacency list graph representation and its running time is O(d2(radicn log (n/epsiv))/alpha2epsiv3).
On the greatest prime factor of $2^p - 1$ for a prime p and other expressions

1. For a natural number a, denote by P(a) the greatest prime factor of a. Stewart [10] proved that there exists an effectively computabl e constant c > 0 such that P(2"—1) (logp) 1 ~4 p for all primes p > c. In § 2, we shall prove that P(2'-1) /p exceeds constant times log p for all primes. In § 5, we shall prove that foràlmost all' primes p , P(2"-1) (logp) 2 (2) p (loglogp) 3 For the definition of 'almost all', see § 5. Let u > 3 and k > 2 be integer s and denote by P(u, Ic) the greatest prime factor of (u+1). (u + k). It follows from Mahler's work [6a] that P(u, 1c) > loglogu. See also [6 ] and [8]. In § 4, we shall show that for u > 1c 312 P(u, 1c) > c 1 kloglog u where cl > 0 is a constant independent of u and k. It follows from well-known results on differences between consecutive primes that P(u, k) u +1 whenever k u 7c 3I2. Let a < b be positive integers which ar e composed of the same primes. Then, in § 3, we shall show that there exis t positive constants c 2 and c3 such tha t b—a> c,(log a)'3. Erdös and Selfridge [5] conjectured that there exists a prime between a and b. The proof of all these theorems depend on the following recent resul t on linear forms in the logarithms of algebraic numbers. Let n > 1 be an integer. Let a l ,. , an be non-zero algebraic number s of heights less than or equal to A 1 ,. , A n respectively, where each Az > 27 .
An SVD based audio watermarking technique

We present a non-oblivious, extremely robust watermarking scheme for audio signals. The watermarking algorithm is based on the SVD of the spectrogram of the signal. The SVD of the spectrogram is modified adaptively according to the information to be watermarked. The algorithm is tested for inaudibility performance with audio quality measures and robustness tests with audio Stirmark benchmark tool, which have a variety of common signal processing distortions. The comparison with a DCT based non-oblivious based method shows that the proposed SVD based method performs very satisfactorily.
Prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia patients up to 60 years of age exhibiting trisomy 8 within a non-complex karyotype: individual patient data-based meta-analysis of the German Acute Myeloid Leukemia Intergroup.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Trisomy 8 (+8) is among the commonest genetic aberrations seen in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the prognostic significance of this aberration and the best consolidation strategy for patients with it are still not resolved. Additional prognostic indicators are needed to further classify these patients and determine their appropriate management. DESIGN AND METHODS Individual patient data-based meta-analysis was performed on 131 patients (median age 50 (18-60) years) with +8 as a sole aberration or +8 with one additional aberration treated between 1993 and 2002 in eight prospective German AML treatment trials. All patients received state-of-the-art treatment including high-dose cytarabine with the option for autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). RESULTS In total, the 131 patients had a 3-year overall survival (OS) of 29% and a 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) of 32%. Independent prognostic factors contributing to shorter OS were age > or = 45 years, extramedullary disease, and a percentage of +8 positive metaphases >/=80%. Combining these three prognostic variables established a hierarchical model for OS. The 3-year OS was 13% for the high-risk group, 36% for the intermediate-risk group, and 55% for the low-risk group (p<0.0001). Age <45 years and allogeneic HSCT (as treated) were independent prognostic factors for longer RFS. Additional cytogenetic aberrations other than t(8;21), inv(16), t(16;16), t(15;17) or 11q23 had no influence on treatment outcome. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS We provide a new prognostic model for risk stratification of AML patients with +8. The data indicate that allogeneic HSCT may prolong RFS compared to that achieved with other strategies of post-remission therapy.
Involuntary autobiographical memories in dysphoric mood: A laboratory study

The frequency and characteristics of involuntary autobiographical memories were compared in 25 stable dysphoric and 28 non-dysphoric participants, using a new laboratory-based task (Schlagman & Kvavilashvili, 2008). Participants detected infrequent target stimuli (vertical lines) in a simple vigilance task and recorded any involuntary autobiographical memories that came to mind, mostly in response to irrelevant words presented on the screen. Dysphoric participants reported involuntary memories as frequently and as quickly as non-dysphoric participants and their memories were not repetitive intrusive memories of negative or traumatic events. Additional content analysis showed that dysphoric participants did not recall more memories of objectively negative events (e.g., accidents, illnesses, deaths) than non-dysphoric participants. However, significant group differences emerged in terms of a mood congruency effect whereby dysphoric participants rated their memories as more negative than non-dysphoric participants. Moreover, the proportion of negatively rated involuntary memories was related to lower mood ratings at the end of the session in the dysphoric but not in the non-dysphoric group. Finally, groups did not differ on several memory characteristics such as vividness, specificity (high in both groups) and rates of rehearsal (low in both groups). Theoretical and practical implications of these findings for research on depression and autobiographical memory are discussed.
Market size and agglomeration

This book analyses how foreign direct investors choose their locations, whilst exploring the forces which shape international economic geography. Although these two issues are, to some extent, inter-related, researchers have only recently acknowledged the similarity of economic geography and international business approaches to the empirical assessment of likely causes of the degree of spatial concentration observed in many modern industries.
A NOTE ON THE COVARIANCE STRUCTURE OF A CONTINUOUS-TIME ARMA PROCESS

We have derived some matrix equations for speedy computation of the conditional covariance kernel of a discrete-time process obtained from irregularly sampling an underlying continuous-time ARMA process. These results are ap- plicable to both stationary and non-stationary ARMA processes. We have also demonstrated that these matrix results can be useful in shedding new insights on the covariance structure of a continuous-time ARMA process.
A privacy preserving clustering technique using Haar wavelet transform and scaling data perturbation

Despite the benefits of data mining in a wide range of applications, this technique has raised some issues related to privacy and security of individuals. Due to these issues, data owners may prevent to share their sensitive information with data miners. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach for privacy preserving clustering (PPC) over centralized data. The proposed technique uses Haar wavelet transform (HWT) and scaling data perturbation (SDP) to protect the underlying numerical attribute values subjected to clustering analysis. In addition, some experimental results are presented, which demonstrate that the proposed technique is effective and finds an optimum in the tradeoff between clustering utility and data privacy.
Operational Decisions under the Influence of Government Regulation

In the first chapter, I investigate a merger between price-setting newsvendors in an oligopolistic market. It is well-known that inventory pooling can greatly reduce inventory costs in a centralized distribution system because it helps reduce aggregate demand uncertainty. Although such statistical economies of scale are important benefits of a retail merger, the extant literature models cost savings from a merger only through reduction in a post-merger firm’s marginal cost. In this paper, I develop a model of a retail merger under uncertain demand that distinguishes between cost savings from conventional economies of scale and those from statistical economies of scale. I show that these two sources of cost savings have substantially different impacts on firms’ decisions in a post-merger market. Specifically, and contrary to the existing theory of mergers developed under deterministic demand, I find that although inventory pooling enables the post-merger firm to achieve cost savings, it always induces firms to raise their prices, and that marginal cost reduction induces firms to lower their prices only when it is substantial – consequently, larger marginal cost reduction can benefit even nonparticipant firms when it induces the post-merger firm to raise its price. Finally, even if a merger induces all firms to raise their prices, it can still improve expected consumer welfare by increasing firms’ service levels under uncertain demand.
Üniversite öğrencilerinin yeme tutumu, öz-etkililik ve etkileyen faktörler

Amac: Bu arastirma universite ogrencilerinde yeme tutumu, oz-etkililik ve etkileyen faktorleri belirlemek amaciyla yapildi. Yontem: Bu tanimlayici arastirma 525 universite ogrencisi ile yurutuldu. Veriler tanitici form, yeme tutumu testi (YTT-40) ve oz-etkililik-yeterlik olcegi ile toplandi. Verilerin degerlendirmesinde, tanimlayici istatistikler, ki-kare analizi, Mann-Whitney U testi, Spearman korelasyon analizi ve lojistik regresyon analizi kullanildi. Bulgular: Ogrencilerin YTT-40 puan ortalamasi 17.91±11.10’idi. Kiz ogrencilerin YTT puan ortalamasi (18.67±11.30) erkek ogrencilerden (16.79±10.73) istatistiksel olarak anlamli yuksekti (z=-2.39, p=0.01). YTT puani 30’un ustunde olan ogrenci orani 18-19 yas grubunda %7.1, 20-21 yas grubunda %10.9, 22-24 yas grubunda ise %17.6 olarak bulundu (x²=7.732; p<0.05). Yeme bozuklugu riski, asiri kilolu / obez olan ogrencilerde normal kilolu olanlara gore 2 kat daha fazla, zayif olanlarda ise normal kilolu ogrencilere gore 2.9 kat daha dusuk bulundu. YTT puani 30, 30’un ustunde ve altinda olanlarin oz-etkililik puan ortalamalari arasinda fark bulunmadi. Sonuc: Asiri kilolu / obez olanlar, vucut agirligindan memnun olmayanlar, diyet yapanlar ve stres durumunda beslenmesinin etkilenecegini belirten ogrenciler yeme bozukluklari acisindan riskli bulundu.
Conservation Biocontrol in Fragmented Landscapes: Persistence and Parasitation in a Host-Parasitoid Model

In the context of agricultural landscapes, conservation biocontrol practitioners attempt to secure and enhance the presence and effectiveness of natural enemies of insect pest species, for example parasitoids. Conservation biocontrol aims at maximizing both parasitoid persistence and parasitation rate. It is, however, still poorly understood how the amount, fragmentation and isolation of non-crop habitat of the host and its parasitoid affect persistence and parasitation rate. We developed a spatially explicit simulation model of a host and its specialized parasitoid and simulated their spatiotemporal population dynamics in virtual landscapes. We found that the total habitat amount in the landscape modulates the impact of fragmentation on parasitoid persistence. If habitat is abundant, parasitoid persistence decreases with fragmentation, whereas if habitat is scarce, persistence is highest at intermediate levels of fragmentation. In any case, persistence is best for intermediate levels of isolation. Parasitation rate, on the other hand, is negatively influenced by fragmentation and isolation regardless of the habitat amount. Our results suggest that in landscapes with abundant habitat, both parasitation rates and parasitoid persistence can be increased by arranging habitat to be as clumped as possible. However, if habitat is scarce, landscape management can optimize either parasitation rates or parasitoid persistence but not both simultaneously.
The Non-neutrality of Severance Payments with Incomplete Markets

We study the equilibrium welfare effects of introducing mandated severance payments in a labor market with costly mobility, where self-insurance through a riskless asset is the only way to smooth fluctuations in labor income due to unemployment shocks. The framework allows for wage flexibility at the level of the individual firm-worker match. Wages vary with both tenure and productivity of the workers. When severance payments are introduced, the firm can potentially undo their effect by modifying the wage profile. Workers entry wages fall by the expected present value of the future payment. However, because of incomplete markets, workers are unlikely to be indifferent about the slope of the wage profile. Moreover, non trivial general equilibrium effects are also present, since the capital stock varies. On the one hand, the precautionary motive for savings is reduced by the introduction of severance payments, since agents are better insured. On the other hand, the change in the wage profile is likely to reduce the savings of young individuals and increase that of older ones. The model is solved numerically and calibrated to the US economy. We compare a welfare measure for the baseline economy, i.e. without severance payments, to those of a series of counterfactual economies where the severance payments are introduced at increasing levels. For reasonable values of the severance payments, Welfare gains and costs seem to be quantitatively small. JEL Classification Codes: E24, D52, D58, J65.
Precoding Aided Iterative FDE for Reduced CP Single-Carrier Block Transmission Systems

Single-carrier block transmission systems with frequency domain equalization (FDE) suffers from power and bandwidth efficiency loss due to the cyclic extension. Conventional schemes to reduce the cyclic extension needed rely heavily on Turbo architecture which has much higher computational complexity. To make good compromise between performance and complexity, we proposed a precoding aided iterative FDE technique with reduced-length cyclic extensions. We emphasized that the proposed scheme effectively redistributes the dominant part of residual distortion and ensures reliable symbol estimate, which is superior to the conventional non-Turbo schemes. Low complexity algorithms are presented for computing key parameters and corresponding FDE filters. Simulation results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed scheme for both uncoded and coded systems, which achieves a bandwidth efficiency increase of 29.4% and a power efficiency gain of 1.12dB, in the Hiperlan2/E system settings.
Neuronal autophagy: Going the distance to the axon

Autophagy, a regulated cellular degradation process responsible for the turnover of long-lived proteins and organelles, has been increasingly implicated in neurological disorders. Although autophagy is mostly viewed as a stress-induced process, recent studies have indicated that it is constitutively active in central nervous system (CNS) neurons and is protective against neurodegeneration. Neurons are highly specialized, post-mitotic cells that are typically composed of a soma (cell body), a dendritic tree and an axon. The detailed process of autophagy in such a highly differentiated cell type remains to be characterized. To elucidate the physiological role of neuronal autophagy, we generated mutant mice containing a neural cell type-specific deletion of Atg7, an essential gene for autophagy. Establishment of these mutant mice allowed us to examine cell-autonomous events in cerebellar Purkinje cells deficient in autophagy. Our data reveal the indispensability of autophagy in the maintenance of axonal homeostasis and the prevention of axonal dystrophy and degeneration. Furthermore, our study implicates dysfunction of axonal autophagy as a potential mechanism underlying axonopathy, which is linked to neurodegeneration associated with numerous human neurological disorders. Finally, our study has raised a possibility that “constitutive autophagy” in neurons involves processes that are not typical of autophagy in other cell types, but rather is highly adapted to local physiological function in the axon, which is projected in a distance from one neuron to another for transducing neural signals. Addendum to: Komatsu M, Wang QJ, Holstein GR, Friedrich Jr. VL, Iwata J, Kominami E, Chait BT, Tanaka K, Yue Z. Essential role for autophagy protein Atg7 in the maintenance of axonal homeostasis and the prevention of axonal degeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2007; 104:14489-94.
Phosphoinositides and phagocytosis

Phosphoinositide 3 kinases (PI3Ks)* are known as regulators of phagocytosis. Recent results demonstrate that class I and III PI3Ks act consecutively in phagosome formation and maturation, and that their respective products, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PI[3,4,5]P3) and phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI[3]P), accumulate transiently at different stages. Phagosomes containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not acquire the PI(3)P-binding protein EEA1, which is required for phagosome maturation. This suggests a possible mechanism of how this microorganism evades degradation in phagolysosomes.
Hypermedia Systems Development: A Comparative Study of Software Engineers and Graphic Designers

Hypermedia systems development is, in many regards, different from “conventional” systems development, chief amongst these differences being its multidisciplinary nature. Foremost amongst the roles in hypermedia development are software engineering and graphic design. However, there has traditionally been a pronounced tension between software engineers and graphic designers. It is therefore important to gain an understanding of the differences between the two camps with a view to bringing them closer together. This paper reports on the findings of a survey of hypermedia developers conducted in Ireland. One of the objectives of the survey was to compare and contrast the development approaches, methods, and techniques used by software engineers with those used by graphic designers. It was found that software engineers and graphic designers are much closer than might be believed in their attitudes on the value and importance of processes and documented working methods. However, graphic designers primarily base development approaches around the use of specific tools, whereas software engineers are more reliant on traditional and object-oriented software development methods. Regarding diagramming methods, there is some evidence of cross-pollination, as software engineers often use informal techniques such as storyboarding and graphic designers use software engineering techniques such as use case diagrams. However, graphic designers find software engineering techniques to be less useful than vice versa.
Interplay of homophily and communication in online social networks: Wikipedia-based semantic metric application on Twitter

People are observed to assortitavely connect on a set of traits. Uncovering the reasons for people exhibiting this strong assortative mixing in social networks is of great interest to researchers and in practice. A popular case application exploiting the insights about social correlation in social networks is in marketing and product promotion. Suggested tendencies to induce observed social correlation are homophily and social influence. However, clearly identifying the causal relationship between these tendencies has proven to be a hard task. In this study we present the interplay between communication happening on Twitter (represented by user mentions) and different semantical aspects of user communication content (tweets). As a semantic relatedness metric we employ a database built from the English Wikipedia corpus according to the Explicit Semantic Analysis method. Our work, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to offer an in-depth analysis on semantic homophily on communication in social networks. Moreover, we quantify diverse levels of homophily and/or social influence, identify the semantic traits as the foci of such homophily, show insights in the temporal evolution of the homophily and influence and finally, we present their intricate interplay with the communication in Twitter.