Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Inheritance of Some Agronomical Traits , Protein Content and Seed Beetle ( Callosobrucus maculates Fab . ) Infestation in Faba Bean ( Vicia Faba L . )

A 5x5 half diallel cross was used to analyze the genetic systems controlling 10 agronomical traits, hydration coefficient, protein contents and seed infestation with beetles (Callosobruchus maculates Fab.) in faba bean (Vicia faba L.). The genotypes used in the present study were Assiut 44, Assiut 102/3, Assiut 295, Assiut 39 and Assiut 195. Significant genotypic differences were observed for all studied characters. The Wr/Vr graphs indicated overdominance for days to 50% flowering, plant height, height of the first podded node, number of pods/plant, green pod length, green pod diameter, weight of dry seeds/plant and natural seed beetle infestation. Partial dominance was inferred for hard seed %, hydration coefficient, protein content and artificial seed beetle infestation. While, complete dominance was found for number of primary branches/plant and number of seeds/pod. The genotype Assiut 102/3 contains the most dominant genes for plant height, No. of primary branches per Plant, Number of seeds/pod, green pod length, weight of dry seeds/plant, hard seed % and protein content, whereas, maximum number of recessive alleles for these traits were found in Assiut 195. The additive effects (GCA) were higher than the dominance effects (SCA) for all studied characters expect in number of pods/plant and green pod length where the non-additive effects were predominant. Assiut 44 was the best combiner for No. of pods/plant and weight of dry seeds/plant. Assiut 102/3 was the best combiner for days to 50% flowering, No. of primary branches/plant, green pod length, green pod diameter and seed beetle infestation. The parent Assiut 295 was the best combiner for hydration coefficient and Protein content. The genotype Assiut 39 was the best combiner for plant height and No. of seeds/pod. Assiut 195 showed the highest general combining ability values the height of the first podded node and hard seed %. Further dominance effects due to specific combinations were observed for most studied characters. Phenotypic correlation between the tested traits was also studied. The parental genotypes used in the present study possessed favorable genes for most studied traits, which could be utilized in the breeding programs designated to improve Vicia faba.
Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions on Using Technology for Communication Practices

An important aspect to the effective education of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is the successful coordination between all stakeholders (parents, educators and therapists). The present study employed qualitative methods to investigate teachers’ perceptions on the current communication practices and how they can be improved using technology. Nine special education teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Teachers in the study used both traditional and, to a lesser degree, technological means of communication. Technological methods included instant messaging, the school’s information system, and electronic Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) shared on the cloud. The data revealed that some special education teachers were content with the current methods of communication, while others perceived the introduction of new technology useful for the improvement of the communication process. Results can be used to identify the requirements needed before developing and launching new innovations for communication between parties involved with the intervention of SEND students.
Islet Transplantation Using Donors After Cardiac Death: Report of the Japan Islet Transplantation Registry

Background. This report summarizes outcomes of islet transplantation employing donors after cardiac death (DCD) between 2004 and 2007 as reported to the Japan Islet Transplantation Registry. Method. Sixty-five islet isolations were performed for 34 transplantations in 18 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, including two patients who had prior kidney transplantation. All but one donor (64/65) was DCD at the time of harvesting. Results. Factors influencing criteria for islet release included duration of low blood pressure of the donor, cold ischemic time, and usage of Kyoto solution for preservation. Multivariate analysis selected usage of Kyoto solution as most important. Of the 18 recipients, 8, 4, and 6 recipients received 1, 2, and 3 islet infusions, respectively. Overall graft survival defined as C-peptide level more than or equal to 0.3 ng/mL was 76.5%, 47.1%, and 33.6% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively, whereas corresponding graft survival after multiple transplantations was 100%, 80.0%, and 57.1%, respectively. All recipients remained free of severe hypoglycemia while three achieved insulin independence for 14, 79, and 215 days. HbA1c levels and requirement of exogenous insulin were significantly improved in all patients. Conclusion. Islet transplantation employing DCD can ameliorate severe hypoglycemic episodes, significantly improve HbA1c levels, sustain significant levels of C-peptide, and achieve insulin independence after multiple transplantations. Thus, DCD can be an important resource for islet transplantation if used under strict releasing criteria and in multiple transplantations, particularly in countries where heart-beating donors are not readily available.
Short interfering RNA-mediated gene silencing of vascular endothelial growth factor: effects on cellular proliferation in colon cancer cells.

HYPOTHESIS By using short interfering RNA (siRNA) to inhibit the in vitro expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) A, we hope to further investigate the presence of an autocrine loop in colon cancer cells. We hypothesize that VEGF inhibition will result in decreased cellular proliferation. DESIGN Human colon cancer cells were evaluated for the expression of VEGF and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). In vitro assessments were then made of the ability of anti-VEGF siRNA to knock down expression of VEGF and the subsequent effect this decreased expression had on colon cancer cell proliferation. SETTING Surgical oncology research laboratory. INTERVENTIONS Human colon cancer cells from the RKO cell line were transfected with siRNA targeting the coding region of VEGF. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Northern blot analysis, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to establish the ability of siRNA to decrease VEGF production. Proliferation assays were run on transfected and wild-type cells to establish concomitant decrease in VEGF expression and cellular proliferation. RESULTS The RKO colon cancer cells expressed both VEGF and VEGFR-2. Those cells transfected with siRNA targeting VEGF showed a 94% knockdown in VEGF expression and a 67% decrease in cellular proliferation. CONCLUSION Colon cancer cells expressing VEGF and VEGFR-2 may possess an autocrine growth pathway that can be effectively targeted using RNA interference as an antiangiogenic therapy.
Direct Calculation of Welfare Measures for Single Individuals from Discrete Choice Experiments

Traditionally, welfare measures derived from random utility choice models estimated from choice experiments would be applicable to a “representative agent”. Work has been undertaken to account for heterogeneity in welfare measures in various, indirect ways. In contrast, this paper proposes a new way to allow for heterogeneity in such measures by directly calculating, rather than simulating, unique monetary values for single individuals. This is achieved by harnessing additional preference data collected in a best worst choice experiment and a new analytical approach, the Sequential Best Worst Multinomial Logit, to estimate a separate choice model for each individual, the results of which are used to directly calculate unique welfare measures per individual. As such, it is possible to empirically characterise, rather than simulate, the distribution of monetary values in a bottom up fashion. This new approach is demonstrated in the context of a study exploring preferences and valuation of health care treatment. Methodological and policy implications are explored. Acknowledgements I thank Jordan Louviere for introducing me to best worst choice experiments and for helpful comments and discussion along with Tony Marley, Mike Jones-Lee and Cam Donaldson. Funding from an ESRC/MRC/NIHR Fellowship in the Economics of Health is gratefully acknowledged. I also thank the reviewers for helpful comments and suggestions.
Predicting short-term disability in multiple sclerosis

Objective: To develop covariate specific short-term disability curves to demonstrate the probability of progressing by Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) at semiannual visits. Methods: Semiannual EDSS scores were prospectively collected in 218 relapsing-remitting (RR) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) patients as part of the Comprehensive Longitudinal Investigation of Multiple Sclerosis at the Brigham and Women's Hospital (CLIMB) study. Baseline brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) and T2 lesion volume were available on 205 patients. A partial proportional odds model determined the influence of covariates on the change in EDSS score at subsequent visits. A discrete second order Markov transitional model was fit and generated a probability matrix for each subject; the 6-month probabilities of EDSS change were graphically represented. Results: The univariate analysis demonstrated the lowest baseline BPF quartile (OR 1.99; p = 0.0203) and the highest T2 lesion volume quartile (OR 2.19; p = 0.0130) were associated with progression in EDSS. Covariate specific disability curves demonstrated the effect of BPF and T2 lesion volume on short-term progression. In subjects with a 6-month EDSS of 2, the probability of a sustained progression of an EDSS of 3 within 3 years was 0.277 for a subject with low BPF and a high T2 lesion volume vs 0.055 for a subject with high BPF and a low T2 lesion volume. Conclusions: Markov transitional models allow for the comparison of covariate specific short-term disability changes among groups of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Improving protein secondary structure prediction with aligned homologous sequences

Most recent protein secondary structure prediction methods use sequence alignments to improve the prediction quality. We investigate the relationship between the location of secondary structural elements, gaps, and variable residue positions in multiple sequence alignments. We further investigate how these relationships compare with those found in structurally aligned protein families. We show how such associations may be used to improve the quality of prediction of the secondary structure elements, using the Quadratic‐Logistic method with profiles. Furthermore, we analyze the extent to which the number of homologous sequences influences the quality of prediction. The analysis of variable residue positions shows that surprisingly, helical regions exhibit greater variability than do coil regions, which are generally thought to be the most common secondary structure elements in loops. However, the correlation between variability and the presence of helices does not significantly improve prediction quality. Gaps are a distinct signal for coil regions. Increasing the coil propensity for those residues occurring in gap regions enhances the overall prediction quality. Prediction accuracy increases initially with the number of homologues, but changes negligibly as the number of homologues exceeds about 14. The alignment quality affects the prediction more than other factors, hence a careful selection and alignment of even a small number of homologues can lead to significant improvements in prediction accuracy.
Unexpectedly high prevalence of target-organ damage in newly diagnosed Nigerians with hypertension.

INTRODUCTION Hypertension remains a formidable cardiovascular problem in the entire world. Untreated or poorly controlled hypertension predisposes to target-organ damage and is often followed by serious cardiovascular events. Knowledge of the type and distribution of endorgan damage in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients would help to determine the interventions or preventative measures needed in such patients. OBJECTIVE To assess target-organ involvement in newly diagnosed, untreated hypertensive patients presenting at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. METHODS Newly diagnosed hypertensive men and women were recruited consecutively into the study. Target-organ damage was assessed using electroctrocardiography, echocardiography, renal function assessment (including tests for albuminuria) and fundoscopy. RESULTS A total of 68 subjects were recruited, but only 54 (79.4%), with a mean age of 59.1 ( +/- 12.4) years, completed the study. There were 29 ( +/- 53.7%) men, mean age 63.5 ( +/- 12.6) years, and 25 (46.3%) women, mean age 54.1 ( +/- 10.4) years. Fifty per cent of the subjects had no symptoms. Some form of albuminuria was found in about 40.7%. Seventy-one per cent (71%) had between grade 1 and 2 hypertensive retinopathy. Only six (11.1%) had glomerular filtration rate greater than 90 ml/min. Systolic function was impaired in three (5.6%) of the subjects. Diastolic dysfunction was present in 36 (66.7%) subjects. CONCLUSION Target-organ damage already exists in newly diagnosed hypertensive subjects before presentation. We suggest early screening for cardiovascular risk factors and possibly a reduction in the criteria for the definition of hypertension in black Africans.
Mediating role of port supply chain integration between involvement of human resource practices and port performance in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Article history: Received October 2, 2018 Accepted November 23 2018 Available online November 23 2018 The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the mediation role of port supply chain integration between Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and port performance (PP) in Kingdome of Saudi Arabia. The present study employed partial lest square structural equation modeling technique to analyze the collected data. The study found some positive significant direct relationship between HRP, port supply chain integration (PSCI) and PP. Besides, this study also found some positive and significant relationship between HRP and PSCI. Additionally, the study confirms the mediating role of PSCI between HRP and PP. The study contributes to the literature and to the practice of ports to understand how the process of HRP and PSCI produces better port performance. ensee Growing Science, Canada by the authors; lic 9 © 201
MUCOEPIDERMOID CARCINOMA OF THE THYMIC REGION

A case of mucoepidermold carcinoma in thymus in a 59‐year‐old Japanese female is presented. She died of cardiac tamponade due to tumor invasion after a 5 years clinical course. At autopsy the main tumor was found in the thymic region with metastases to the sternum, regional lymph nodes, pericardial, and left pleural cavity. The mucoepidermold carcinoma might be probably originated from a hen's egg‐sized cyst which was located in the upper posterior aspect of the tumor‐Involved thymus. No teratomatous components were present. The cyst was most likely to be of thymic or bronchogenic cyst origin, though it was not determined, in view of the lining with pseudo‐stratified ciliated columnar epithelium of the cystic wall and the surrounding with the thymic tissue outside. Moreover, there was thymic hyperplasia with germinal center that was compatible with SLE‐like symptoms in her past history and autoimmune nature of the autopsy findings of pulmonary fibrosis.
A Summary Catalogue of Microbial Drinking Water Tests for Low and Medium Resource Settings

Microbial drinking-water quality testing plays an essential role in measures to protect public health. However, such testing remains a significant challenge where resources are limited. With a wide variety of tests available, researchers and practitioners have expressed difficulties in selecting the most appropriate test(s) for a particular budget, application and setting. To assist the selection process we identified the characteristics associated with low and medium resource settings and we specified the basic information that is needed for different forms of water quality monitoring. We then searched for available faecal indicator bacteria tests and collated this information. In total 44 tests have been identified, 18 of which yield a presence/absence result and 26 of which provide enumeration of bacterial concentration. The suitability of each test is assessed for use in the three settings. The cost per test was found to vary from $0.60 to $5.00 for a presence/absence test and from $0.50 to $7.50 for a quantitative format, though it is likely to be only a small component of the overall costs of testing. This article presents the first comprehensive catalogue of the characteristics of available and emerging low-cost tests for faecal indicator bacteria. It will be of value to organizations responsible for monitoring national water quality, water service providers, researchers and policy makers in selecting water quality tests appropriate for a given setting and application.
Propofol infusion anaesthesia and the immune response in elderly patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery

In our earlier studies, propofol infusion anaesthesia increased the percentage of T helper cells in middle‐aged surgical patients undergoing minor or major surgery. In the present study we compared the effects of total intravenous propofol anaesthesia and combined isoflurane anaesthesia on the immune response to ophthalmic surgery in elderly patients. Twenty patients (median age 75 years, ASA 2–3) were randomly allocated to receive total intravenous propofol anaesthesia (median total dose of propofol 710 mg) or combined isoflurane anaesthesia (median end‐expiratory concentration of isoflurane 0.45 vol %). The following were measured pre‐operatively, at the end of operation and on the first postoperative morning: leucocyte and differential counts: percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD16) and monocytes (CD14); phytohaemagglutinin‐, concanavalin A ‐ and pokeweed mitogen‐induced and unstimulated lymphocyte proliferative responses: polyclonal immunoglobulin synthesis as well as serum cortisol concentrations. The immune response to ophthalmic surgery was basically similar in both anaesthetic groups. The percentage of T helper cells in the blood circulation increased in the propofol group (p < 0.05) but not in the isoflurane group. The difference in the time‐response profile for T helper cell percentages between the groups was also statistically significant (p < 1.01).
A STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE AND JOB SATISFACTION ( CASE STUDY OF SOCIAL SECURITY ORGANIZATION , MARKAZI , IRAN )

This study attempted to examine the relationship between organizational justice and job satisfaction among employees at Markazi Social Security Organization in Iran. This was a descriptive-correlational study in terms of data collection. Moreover, it could be classified as an applied study in terms of objective. The population included a total of 363 employees at Markazi Social Security Organization. A sample size was calculated through Cochran’s formula to be 186 subjects selected using random sampling. Data were collected by two standard questionnaires, one from Niehoff and Moorman (1993) consisting of 20 items and the other Job Descriptive Index (JDI) consisting of 39 items on five-point Likert scale. The formal, content and structural validity of both questionnaires were investigated. Moreover, their reliability was obtained through a test on a sample of 30. Cronbach’s alphas were 0.81 and 0.83, respectively. Data were collected through K-S tests, t-group and multiple regressions facilitated by SPSS. The results showed that organizational justice and job satisfaction of employees at Markazi Social Security organization were adequately high. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between organizational justice and job satisfaction of employees. In fact, 76.3% of changes in job satisfaction was explained by the variable of organizational justice.
Kerr black hole parameters in terms of red / blue shifts of photons emitted by geodesic particles

We are motivated by the recently reported dynamical evidence of stars with short orbital periods moving around the center of the Milky Way and the corresponding hypothesis about the existence of a supermassive black hole hosted at its center. In this paper we show how the mass and rotation parameters of a Kerr black hole (assuming that the putative supermassive black hole is of this type), as well as the distance that separates the black hole from the Earth, can be estimated in a relativistic way in terms of i) the red and blue shifts of photons that are emitted by geodesic massive particles (stars and galactic gas) and travel along null geodesics towards a distant observer, and ii) the radius of these star/gas orbits. As a concrete example and as a first step towards a full relativistic analysis of the above mentioned star orbits around the center of our galaxy, we consider stable equatorial circular orbits of stars and express their corresponding red/blue shifts in terms of the metric parameters (mass and angular momentum per unit mass) and the orbital radii of both the emitter star (and/or galactic gas) and the distant observer. In principle, these expressions allow one to statistically estimate the mass and rotation parameters of the Kerr black hole, and the radius of our orbit, through a Bayesian fitting, i.e., with the aid of observational data: the red/blue shifts measured at certain points of stars’ orbits and their radii, with their respective errors, a task that we hope to perform in the near future. We also point to several astrophysical phenomena, like accretion discs of rotating black holes, binary systems and active galactic nuclei, among others, to which this formalism can be applied.
Accounting for Model Uncertainty in Algorithmic Discrimination

Traditional approaches to ensure group fairness in algorithmic decision making aim to equalize "total" error rates for different subgroups in the population. In contrast, we argue that the fairness approaches should instead focus only on equalizing errors arising due to model uncertainty (a.k.a epistemic uncertainty), caused due to lack of knowledge about the best model or due to lack of data. In other words, our proposal calls for ignoring the errors that occur due to uncertainty inherent in the data, i.e., aleatoric uncertainty. We draw a connection between predictive multiplicity and model uncertainty and argue that the techniques from predictive multiplicity could be used to identify errors made due to model uncertainty. We propose scalable convex proxies to come up with classifiers that exhibit predictive multiplicity and empirically show that our methods are comparable in performance and up to four orders of magnitude faster than the current state-of-the-art. We further pro- pose methods to achieve our goal of equalizing group error rates arising due to model uncertainty in algorithmic decision making and demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods using synthetic and real-world datasets
Antibody response to the M 2 protein of influenza A virus expressed in insect cells

A recombinant baculovirus expressing the M2 protein from influenza A/Ann Arbor/6/60 (H2N2) virus (AA60 virus) was constructed. The expressed M2 protein was recognized by a monoclonal antibody specific for the M2 protein and comigrated with the M2 protein from cells infected with AA60 virus on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Immunofluorescence studies indicated that the expressed M2 protein was present on the surface of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells infected with the recombinant baculovirus. Immunoassays using the expressed M2 protein were able to detect antibodies to the M2 protein in serum samples from humans and ferrets infected with influenza A viruses.