Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Type II 5’Deiodinase Thr92Ala Polymorphism Is Associated with CVD Risk among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Background: The physiological ratio of T3:T4 is essential to trigger the biological actions, since the T3:T4 ratio is efficiently regulated by extrathyroidal selenodeiodinases. Thr92Ala is a common variant in the DIO2 gene, which may have an implication in decreased phenotypic expression, but previous studies had conflicting outcomes. Consequently, we have undertaken this study to understand the effect of this SNP on CVD risk among type 2 diabetics. Methods: We included 130 T2DM patients without signs of CVD as controls and 106 proved CVD patients with T2DM as cases. The entire subjects were genotyped for Thr92Ala of DIO2 gene. FBG, lipid & thyroid profile, HDL sub-fractionations, type II deiodinase, malondialdehyde, paraoxonase, and superoxide dismutase were measured according to standard procedures. Results: The mean DIO2 levels in Ala/Ala genotypes were significantly lower than Thr/Thr + Thr/Ala genotypes (122 ± 39 ng/ml & 161 ± 32 ng/ml respectively). The thyroid profile was normal in all the subjects; merely it was altered significantly among the Ala/Ala genotypes when compared with Thr/Thr + Thr/Ala genotypes. Remarkably, there is a significant decrease in T3:T4 and HDL3:HDL2 ratios and paraoxonase activity among Ala/Ala genotypes when compared with Thr/Thr + Thr/Ala genotypes. TSH and T4 levels were near to upper normal levels among Ala/Ala genotype. HDL3:HDL2 ratio is positively correlated with paraoxonase activity among Thr/Thr + Thr/Ala genotypes (r = 0.36, p 2:HDL2 ratio and paraoxonase activity are altered among the Ala/Ala genotype. Thus, Ala/Ala genotype plays a key role in thyroid dysfunction, dyslipidemia and the development of CVD risk among type 2 diabetics.
Effects of cypermethrin, deltamethrin and nimbicidine on population of tribolium castaneum (Herbst)

Context: Pyrethroid insecticides and plant products can control the population of stored products insect pest Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Objective: To determine the influence of cypermethrin, deltamethrin and nimbicidine individually and combinedly on the population of T. castaneum . Materials and Methods: One hundred T. castaneum adults (1:1) aged 10-20 days old were introduced into a beaker containing 100 g of either fresh or treated flour and kept in an incubator (30 ± 0.5oC). After 4 months the total number of adults were assessed. Pupae and fourth to sixth instar larvae were also counted. Results : The population of T. castaneum was significantly (P<0.01) reduced by cypermethrin, deltamethrin and nimbicidine alone and their combinations over a period of 4 months than control. Among chemicals, cypermethrin alone at 2 ppm was the most effective in reducing the total population (PRC 63.44), followed by 5 ppm dose of deltamethrin (PRC 55.81) and 24 ppm dose of nimbicidine (54.39). In case of adult population the maximum reduction was in 24 ppm of nimbicidine (PRC 76.17). However, the combined dose of cypermethrin, deltamethrin and nimbicidine significantly (P<0.01) reduced the pupal and adult population. The lowest larval population was found in the treatment of cypermethrin (2 ppm) (PRC 61.51) followed by the deltamethrin (5 ppm) (PRC 51.17). Conclusion : In cypermethrin and deltamethrin the reduction of population was probably due to mortality of different life stages of T. castaneum but in case of nimbicidine it was most probably due to its growth regulatory activity . Keywords : Cypermethrin; Deltamethrin; Nimbicidine; Population; Tribolium . DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/jbs.v18i0. 8780 JBS 2010; 18(0): 84-87
A Dynamic Model of Inflation for Kenya, 1974-1996

This paper develops an error correction model with the aim of analysing the behaviour of prices in Kenya during 1974 -1996. In estimating the model, we first test for cointegration in the money and foreign exchange markets, using the Johansen procedure. The cointegrating vectors are then included in an autoregressive distributed-lag model, and a general-to-specific procedure is applied to obtain a parsimonious, empirically constant, error correction model. We find that in the long run inflation emanates from movements in the exchange rate, foreign prices, and terms of trade. The error correction term for the monetary sector does not enter the model, but money supply and the interest rate influence inflation in the short run. Inflation inertia is found to be an important determinant of inflation up until 1993, when about 40% of the current inflation is carried over to the next quarter. After 1993, inertia drops to about 10%. The dynamics of inflation are also influenced by food supply constraints, proxied by maize-price inflation. These findings indicate that the exchange rate is likely to be a more efficient nominal anchor than money supply, and that inflation could be made more stable by policies that secure the supply of maize during droughts.
A Forecasting Model for the Onset of a Major EI

The feasibility of a forecastina lCheme for predictinl the onR! of a major EI Nino in the ocean is demonItIated una the liDQf numerical model of Bll! aL~ and O'Brien and the interannual oomponents of the siIi~ obII:rved wind for 1961-82 The mcxId upper laye! " thjcknea anomaly in the euaem Paci6c. which was used as the ~ was estimated after tiI= months of steady wind intearabon. A ! as time of th~ months is used to pennit the propeption of a large EI Nino-type Kelvin wave KlOSS the Pacific Occan. If the nec:eaary wind ctIaDII:S requirul to generate a JaIwe El Nino type Kelvin _lIe have already taken place in the western and/or central Paciftc. El Nino oould be predicted ODe to th~ months in advance from knowledp of the wind field alone. Startinl from November 1963, ~month steady-wind intearations WCM performed for the wind condition of each of the seven months (November to May), for each of the IS years exteDdiDa from 1964 to 1978. This period includes four El Nino )'eaJ1. The probIb1ity diIb1"bution function of the ~month runDina mean of the upper laye! " ~~ aDOmaJy in the eastern PIci&c wa eslimated~teIy for the El Nino and the oon-El Nino JIOU18 UIiDa "bootstrap" estimat~ The ~on of the two probability distribution I\mctions allows for the establishment of a criterion for forecastinl El Nino. An independent wind data let for the period 1979-82, which includes the 0IIIet of the 1982/83 El NiAo, was ueI to test the re-1.1jty of the f««:8ItiDi a:beme. If the nuD hypothesis is that a -Pc year is a DOn-El Nino year and baed on a f~ criterion offalle positive error (fabc alann rate) < 0.01, which oomsponds to fal~ neaative error > 0.S2 0.86 (which conesponds to a protJability of detecting the ocxurrence of an El Nino ~ 0.14 0.48), the 1982/83 El Nino would be f~ to be uDdelway followina the ana\ysis of the April 1982 surU wind field. Since d.e objr(:tive is to establish a forecaslina . tCbeme for predictina the onset of a major EJ Nino. the forecast scheme is cbOIeD to be one of low risk and low power in prediction performance.
Magnetic Causes of Solar Coronal Mass Ejections: Dominance of the Free Magnetic Energy over the Magnetic Twist Alone

We examine the magnetic causes of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) by examining, along with the correlations of active-region magnetic measures with each other, the correlations of these measures with active-region CME productivity observed in time windows of a few days, either centered on or extending forward from the day of the magnetic measurement. The measures are from 36 vector magnetograms of bipolar active regions observed within ~30° of disk center by the Marshal Space Flight Center (MSFC) vector magnetograph. From each magnetogram, we extract six whole-active-region measures twice, once from the original plane-of-the-sky magnetogram and again after deprojection of the magnetogram to disk center. Three of the measures are alternative measures of the total nonpotentiality of the active region, two are alternative measures of the overall twist in the active-region's magnetic field, and one is a measure of the magnetic size of the active region (the active region's magnetic flux content). From the deprojected magnetograms, we find evidence that (1) magnetic twist and magnetic size are separate but comparably strong causes of active-region CME productivity, and (2) the total free magnetic energy in an active region's magnetic field is a stronger determinant of the active region's CME productivity than is the field's overall twist (or helicity) alone. From comparison of results from the non-deprojected magnetograms with corresponding results from the deprojected magnetograms, we find evidence that (for prediction of active-region CME productivity and for further studies of active-region magnetic size as a cause of CMEs), for active regions within ~30° of disk center, active-region total nonpotentiality and flux content can be adequately measured from line-of-sight magnetograms, such as from SOHO MDI.
Effect of green and clear water and lipid source on survival, growth and biochemical composition of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Despite the shrimp ability to obtain additional nutrients from food organisms endogenously produced within the green water system has been suggested as one of the causes for the better performance of Pacific white shrimp reared in green water in comparison with clear water, the nutritional components responsible for these effects have yet to be determined. The present study aims to understand the importance of natural food organisms in zero-water exchange systems as source of essential fatty acids for the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Five treatments were tested: two conducted in mesocosms systems with shrimp-fed diets containing either fish oil (FO) or olive oil, and another three conducted in clear water with shrimp-fed diets containing either olive oil, a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich oil or an arachidonic acid (ARA)-rich oil. The presence of higher levels of fatty acids 16:1n-7, 17:1, 20:4n-6, 20:3n-3 and 22:5n-6, characteristic of floc lipids, in shrimp reared in mesocosms denoted their assimilation from the floc. Substitution of FO by olive oil in diets for shrimp reared in mesocosms did not affect growth or survival. Survival and growth of shrimp reared in mesocosms was better than those reared in clear water and fed an olive oil diet, whereas DHA or ARA enrichment of non-fish oil (NFO) diet improved survival of shrimp reared in clear water. Higher survival rate, triglyceride and DHA content in whole body and eyes of shrimp fed a DHA-rich diet suggests that under these conditions, in clear water, it is necessary to include at least 4.8 g kg )1 DHA in diet dry weight. ARA enrichment seemed to negatively affect growth. The nutritional contribution of the floc to shrimp in mesocosm culture reduces or eliminates the need for a dietary source of FO and illustrates the importance of DHA and ARA to enhance shrimp survival in clear water conditions.
Effect of DGAT 1 variant ( K 232 A ) on milk traits and 1 milk fat composition in outdoor pasture-grazed dairy 2 cattle 3

Milk fat production is important in the New Zealand (NZ) dairy industry. Elsewhere, an 11 amino acid substitution (K232A) in the enzyme diacylglycerol acyl-CoA acyltransferase (DGAT1) has 12 been reported to explain variation in some milk traits, including variation in milk fatty acid (FA) 13 profile. In this study, associations between K232A, and milk traits including milk FA composition, 14 were studied in wholly pasture-fed NZ Holstein-Friesian × Jersey (HF×J) cross-bred dairy cows. With 15 a high frequency of K variant (61.9%), the KK cows produced more milk fat than the AA cows (5.41 ± 16 0.04 % vs 4.42 ± 0.05 %). The milk volume, fat concentration and protein concentration of AK cows 17 were between the genotypes, AA and KK. More C16:0, CLA and C18:3 cis-9, 12, 15 FA were found in 18 the milk of Kiwi-cross cows feed in outdoor pasture grazing system. , and the influence of DGAT1 19 K232A, on these FAs from midand late lactation stages were significant. The AA cows produced (P 20 < 0.001) more CLA and C18:3 cis-9, 12, 15, but less C16:0 (1.137 ± 0.047, 0.855 ± 0.015 and 35.170 ± 0.355) 21 than the KK cows (0.934 ± 0.025, 0.778 ± 0.009 and 38.010 ± 0.250). 22
Evaluation of the Physico-Chemical , Functional , Pasting and Anti-Nutritional Properties of Fermented and Unfermented Cocoyam ( Colocasia and Xanthosoma Species ) Flours

Flours of fermented and unfermented Colocasia (Nce varieties) and Xanthosoma (Nxs varieies) were evaluated for Physicochemical, pasting, functional and anti-nutritional properties. Results revealed that fermentation significantly (P>0.05) reduced the ash content, swelling power, solubility values and also the oxalate content of the flours. In addition, water absorption capacities of unfermented flours of the Nce varieties were significantly higher (P<0.05) than the fermented flours; an indication that Nce varieties would take up more water and would be required for development of ready-to eat foods. Pasting properties revealed that Nxs varieties with higher final viscosities than the Nce varieties is an indication that the Nxs varieties will form better viscous paste or gel after cooking and cooling. This finding has given insight into the use of fermented and unfermented cocoyam flour in the processing of different foods for which each variety may be suited.
Determination of the thermal tolerance of Symbiodinium using the activation energy for inhibiting photosystem II activity

Activation Energy for Inhibiting Photosystem II Activity Jih-Terng Wang1,*, Pei-Jie Meng2,3, Yi-Yun Chen1, and Chaolun Allen Chen4,5,6 1Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, Tajen Univ., Pingtung 907, Taiwan 2National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Checheng, Pingtung 944, Taiwan 3Institute of Marine Biodiversity and Evolution, National Dong Hwa Univ., Checheng, Pingtung 944, Taiwan 4Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan Univ., Taipei 108, Taiwan 5Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 115, Taiwan 6Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP)Biodiversity, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 115, Tawian
The optical volume scattering function: Temporal and vertical variability in the water column off the New Jersey coast

I present optical data collected offshore of the New Jersey coast at the Long Term Ecological Observatory LEO‐15 during the summer of 2001. The data were collected by using a LISST‐100 instrument, which measured the volume scattering function (VSF) over the small‐angle range 0.1–20° (1.7–340 milliradians) at 670 nm. The measurements only occasionally agree with the widely used data of Petzold. No simple correlation between surface or bottom forcing and the form of the VSF at this site was found. However, a systematic vertical variability as well as a temporal variability in the normalized VSF was observed. In particular, the departure from Petzold's form appears to increase with increasing depth. Power‐law forms of the time‐averaged small‐angle normalized VSF as a function of depth are given.
RANDOM MATRICES AND HIGH-DIMENSIONAL STATISTICS: BEYOND COVARIANCE MATRICES

The last twenty-or-so years have seen spectacular progress in our understanding of the fine spectral properties of large-dimensional random matrices. These results have also shown light on the behavior of various statistical estimators used in multivariate statistics. In this short note, we will describe new strands of results, which show that intuition and techniques built on the theory of random matrices and concentration of measure ideas shed new light and bring to the fore new ideas about an arguably evenmore important set of statistical tools, namelyM-estimators and certain bootstrap methods. All the results are obtained in the large n, large p setting, where both the number of observations and the number of predictors go to infinity.
What kind of stratospheric sudden warming propagates to the troposphere?

The factors affecting the downward propagation of stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) events to the troposphere are studied through composite analysis of 45‐year reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts. During the growth stage of SSW, events that propagate into the troposphere exhibit enhanced upward flux of the wavenumber 2 wave, while events that do not propagate downward display reduced wavenumber 2 flux. In both events, upward flux of the wavenumber‐1 wave is enhanced, but the enhancement is stronger in the non‐propagating event. The composite for propagating events reveals a negative Eurasian pattern of horizontal geopotential anomalies in the troposphere during the growth stage, and a negative Arctic Oscillation pattern following the event, while non‐propagating events are preceded by a positive Eurasian pattern. In both types of event, the tropospheric anomalies are generated mainly by tropospheric planetary wave forcing prior to the emergence of SSW.
Apolipoprotein E ε4 and Age at Onset of Sporadic and Familial Alzheimer Disease in Caribbean Hispanics

Background The primary effect of the apolipoprotein E e4 ( APOE e4 ) allele is on the age at onset of Alzheimer disease (AD). Objective To investigate whether the presence of the APOE e4 allele can account for the earlier age at onset of familial AD (FAD) compared with sporadic AD (SAD). Design Population-based, case series ascertained in a prospective study of aging and dementia in Medicare recipients aged 65 years or older. Setting Clinics in northern Manhattan and in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Participants There were 680 Caribbean Hispanic subjects: 111 patients with FAD, with at least 1 family member with dementia; 163 patients with SAD; and 406 elderly persons without dementia or other illnesses. Main Outcome Measure Age at onset of dementia was examined in relation to frequency of APOE e4 . Sex, education, and medical risk factors for stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease were examined as effect modifiers. Results The mean age at onset of AD was significantly lower in FAD than in SAD, and a statistically significant dose effect of the APOE e4 allele was present for age at onset in FAD ( P = .001) but not in SAD. The age at onset in patients homozygous for the APOE e4 allele with FAD and SAD was similar. Compared with SAD, the major difference was younger age at onset in patients with FAD who were heterozygous for the APOE e4 allele and those without an APOE e4 allele. Conclusions Apolipoprotein E e4 had a consistent lowering effect on age at onset of FAD, but this was attenuated in SAD. This suggests that among individuals with a family history of AD and the APOE e4 allele, additional genetic or environmental factors may accelerate the onset of dementia.
Methanol, acetaldehyde, and acetone in the surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean

[1] Oceanic methanol, acetaldehyde, and acetone concentrations were measured during an Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) cruise from the UK to Chile (49°N to 39°S) in 2009. Methanol (48–361 nM) and acetone (2–24 nM) varied over the track with enrichment in the oligotrophic Northern Atlantic Gyre. Acetaldehyde showed less variability (3–9 nM) over the full extent of the transect. These oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) were also measured subsurface, with methanol and acetaldehyde mostly showing homogeneity throughout the water column. Acetone displayed a reduction below the mixed layer. OVOC concentrations did not consistently correlate with primary production or chlorophyll-a levels in the surface Atlantic Ocean. However, we did find a novel and significant negative relationship between acetone concentration and bacterial leucine incorporation, suggesting that acetone might be removed by marine bacteria as a source of carbon. Microbial turnover of both acetone and acetaldehyde was confirmed. Modeled atmospheric data are used to estimate the likely air-side OVOC concentrations. The direction and magnitude of air-sea fluxes vary for all three OVOCs depending on location. We present evidence that the ocean may exhibit regions of acetaldehyde under-saturation. Extrapolation suggests that the Atlantic Ocean represents an overall source of these OVOCs to the atmosphere at 3, 3, and 1 Tg yr−1 for methanol, acetaldehyde, and acetone, respectively.
Modeling Student Response Times: Towards Efficient One-on-one Tutoring Dialogues

In this paper we investigate the task of modeling how long it would take a student to respond to a tutor question during a tutoring dialogue. Solving such a task has applications in educational settings such as intelligent tutoring systems, as well as in platforms that help busy human tutors to keep students engaged. Knowing how long it would normally take a student to respond to different types of questions could help tutors optimize their own time while answering multiple dialogues concurrently, as well as deciding when to prompt a student again. We study this problem using data from a service that offers tutor support for math, chemistry and physics through an instant messaging platform. We create a dataset of 240K questions. We explore several strong baselines for this task and compare them with human performance.
A new species of Eucalliax Manning & Felder, 1991 (Decapoda: Callianassidae) from the Red Sea

ABSTRACT Eucalliax kensleyi, a new species, is described from sublittoral sediment in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. Of the species presently assigned to the genus Eucalliax Manning & Felder, 1991, the new species appears to be most closely related to E. bulimba (Poore & Griffin, 1979), presently known from a male taken in Moreton Bay and a female taken at Britomart Reef, Queensland, Australia. Eucalliax kensleyi differs from E. bulimba in having a very short subrectangular telson and a triangular tooth on the cutting edge of at least one cheliped.
Growth, Pollution, and Life Expectancy: China from 1991-2012

*Ebenstein: Department of Economics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel 91905 (e-mail: ebenstein@mscc.huji.ac.il); Fan: Department of Economics, Ball State University, 2000 W. University Avenue, Muncie, IN 47306 (e-mail: mfan@bsu.edu); Greenstone: Department of Economics, University of Chicago, 1126 E. 59th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (e-mail: mgreenst@uchicago.edu); He: Department of Economics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong (e-mail: gjhe@ust.hk); Yin: The National Center for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanwei Road 27, Xicheng District, Beijing, China 100050 (e-mail: yinpengcdc@163.com); Zhou: The National Center for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanwei Road 27, Xicheng District, Beijing, China 100050 (e-mail: maigengzhou@126.com). This study was supported by the China National Science and Technology Pillar Program 2013 (2013BAI04B02) from the Ministry of Science and Technology. The authors thank Walker Hanlon and Avi Simhon for very helpful comments.
Helium Core White Dwarfs in Globular Clusters

We examine the theoretical implications of a population of low-mass helium core white dwarfs in globular clusters. In particular, we focus on the observed population in the core of NGC 6397, where several low-mass white dwarf candidates have been identified as "nonflickerers" by Cool and collaborators. Age and mass estimates from cooling models, combined with dynamical and evolutionary considerations, lead us to infer that the dark binary companions are C/O white dwarfs rather than neutron stars. Furthermore, we find that the progenitor binaries very likely underwent an exchange interaction within the last 109 yr. We examine the prospects for detecting a similar population in other globular clusters, with particular attention to the case of 47 Tuc.