Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A genetic polymorphism of MAO-B modifies the association of cigarette smoking and Parkinson's disease

In a population-based case-control study, we found a reversal of the association of cigarette smoking with Parkinson's disease (PD) in relation to the monoamine oxidase B intron 13 genetic polymorphism. A reduced PD risk related to pack-years of smoking was detected for persons with the G allele, whereas an opposite effect was found among persons with the A allele. These results indicate an unexplained interaction between cigarette smoking and this genetic polymorphism.
Sleep in the Intensive Care Unit

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are susceptible to sleep deprivation. Disrupted sleep is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in the critically ill patients. The etiology of sleep disruption is multifactorial. The article reviews the literature on sleep in the ICU, the effects of sleep deprivation, and strategies to promote sleep in the ICU. Until the impact of disrupted sleep is better explained, it is appropriate to provide critically ill patients with consolidated, restorative sleep.
Plasma biochemistry and haematology values in juvenile loggerhead sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation

ALL species of sea turtle are included on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ([IUCN 2007][1]). Two families and seven species of sea turtle are currently recognised ([Pritchard 1997][2]). The family Dermochelyidae includes only the leatherback (
Integrating end-system frame scheduling for more accurate AFDX timing analysis

Avionics systems distributed on AFDX networks are subject to stringe nt real-time constraints that require guaranteeing the Worst-Case Traversal Time (WCTT) on the network for each of the data flows. Over the last 10 years, since the initial use of Network Calculus in certification, important progresses have been made in A FDX timing verification. The maximum pessimism for the latencies is now known to range from 10 to 25% on realistic systems. Further progresses towards more accurate timing analysis can still be made by considering additional temporal information. In this paper, we show that integrating the knowledge of the scheduling of the frames that is done within an end -system in the timing analysis enables to dramatically reduce the WCTT bounds computed by Network Calculus. Indeed, in our experiments performed on a realistic configuration provided by Thales Avionics, this technique reduces the WCTT upper bound by 40% on average over all flows. The reason is that the scheduling of the frames shapes the outgoing traffic, reducing thus peaks of load on the outgoing traffic , which can be accounted for in the timing analysis. Importantly, because the scheduling of the frames within the end- systems is in the scope of the network supplier, unlike the scheduling of tasks done at the application level, the approach presented here does not imply major changes in the design process.
Model-Robust Test Plans With Applications in Accelerated Life Testing

We study a criterion based on a weighted asymptotic sample ratio (ASR) that yields model-robust test plans with relatively low ASRs under different models. We apply the criterion to accelerated life test planning in which interest lies in estimating life quantiles and there is uncertainty as to whether the Weibull or the lognormal model best describes the lifetime distribution. We use the criterion to determine optimum and best 4:2:1 allocation plans. We compare the ASRs of our test plans with the optimum and best 4:2:1 allocation test plans when the model is specified incorrectly. Test plans are evaluated in terms of ASRs, expected numbers of failures, and extrapolation to use stress. We illustrate the criterion in a practical situation.
PENGARUH KUALITAS PELAYANAN DAN KEPUASAN TERHADAP NIAT BERKUNJUNG KEMBALI WISATAWAN MANCANEGARA KE DAYA TARIK WISATA ALAS PALA SANGEH

Penelitian ini bertujuan membahas seberapa besar kualitas pelayanan dan kepuasan wisatawan mempengaruhi niat berkunjung kembali wisatawan mancanegara ke Daya Tarik Wisata Alas Pala Sangeh. Daya tarik wisata ini mempunyai sesuatu yang unik dibandingkan dengan daya tarik sejenis, yaitu penempatan ranger (pemandu lokal) yang senantiasa akan menemani dalam melakukan perjalanan disekitar areal daya tarik wisata ini, ranger (pemandu lokal) senantiasa memberikan kualitas pelayanan sesuai dengan standar prosedur. Metode penelitian dalam pengambilan sample dilakukan menggunakan teknik Purposive Sampling , penyebaran sampel menggunakan Accidental Sampling dengan menyebar 100 kuesioner kepada wisatawan yang sedang melakukan kunjungan ke Daya Tarik Wisata Alas Pala Sangeh dan dengan 22 indikator pertanyaan yang telah disesuaikan. Dalam Analisis data menggunakan analisis deskriptif kuantitatif, analisis pengujian instrument penelitian, analisis regresi berganda, dan analisis korelasi. Hasil akhir dalam penelitian, (1) Kualitas pelayanan berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap niat berkunjung kembali wisatawan, (2) Kepuasan berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap niat berkunjung kembali wisatawan, (3) Kualitas pelayanan dan kepuasan berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap niat berkunjung kembali wisatawan secara simultan atau bersama-sama dan memiliki hubungan yang kuat. Adapun saran yang dapat disampaikan yaitu pengelola perlu meningkatan fasilitas toilet, peningkatan penanganan keluhan serta semakin giat mengikuti perkembangan pariwisata.
Barrier Free Internet Access: Evaluating the Cyber Security Risk Posed by the Adoption of Bring Your Own Devices to e-Learning Network Infrastructure

The adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), also known as Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT), Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP), or Bring Your Own Personal Computer (BYOPC), is a policy which allows people access to privileged resources, information and services available on the private computer network of an organization using their own personal computer devices. BYOD, since its emergence in 2009, courtesy of Intel, is now a common practice in many organizations. Academic institutions that attempt to implement BYOD, can derive many benefits as well as many risks to its network infrastructure, largely security-based. This paper presents an assessment of a WLAN network which has been deployed for a campus-wide data centric e-learning platform at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) towards the overall objective of achieving a barrier free internet access to enhance the teaching and learning process at the university. The paper subsequently evaluates the WLAN infrastructure, its accompanying BYOD set-up, and associated likely security risks and threats, and recommends appropriate solutions.
The Role of Synergy in using Enterprise Architecture for Business Transformation

Enterprise architecture (EA) provides an integrated representation of an organization's current and desirable future business capabilities, processes, systems, data and IT infrastructure. EA can interact with and enhance other organizational capabilities, including business transformation capabilities. Despite significant interest and investment in EA, there is little understanding of how EA can augment other organizational capabilities. In this research in progress paper, we focus on the role of EA in augmenting a firm's business transformation capability. We conceptualize a synergistic relationship between EA and a firm's business transformation capability and the emergent EA-enabled business transformation capability. We propose a research model that uses synergy and EA-enabled business transformation capability to explain how transformation outcomes and organizational benefits can be enhanced using EA. We argue that EA capability can lead to the exploitation of existing resources by sharing and reuse of assets and exploration of new capabilities by reconfiguring and integrating resources. At an organizational level, EA can increase flexibility, agility and business-IT alignment. The model forms the basis for planned mixed method empirical work combining case studies and a survey.
Food security stocks and emergency reserves from a European Union cap perspective

Continuing world food market instability has created much concern about negative impacts internationally as well as within the European Union (EU). While there are many policies that have been proposed to deal with market volatility, the only ones that can change market fundamentals are those that deal with physical stocks. However, there are many misunderstandings and controversies concerning the institution and management of price stabilization and food security stocks. The paper reviews these issues and also the economics of storage, and indicates the various ways in which physical stocks can be deployed to manage market instability. It also reviews governance, informational and trade facilitation issues, and the potential role of the EU, within the constraints of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) to contribute to global food stocks. Refs 21. Figs 5.
Is Socioeconomic Position Related to the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome?

OBJECTIVE—To examine whether adult social class and childhood social class are related to metabolic syndrome in later life, independent of adult behavioral factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—This was a population-based cross-sectional study comprising 2,968 men aged 60–79 years. RESULTS—Adult social class and childhood social class were both inversely related to metabolic syndrome. Mutual adjustment attenuated the relation of metabolic syndrome with childhood social class; that with adult social class was little affected. However, the relation with adult social class was markedly attenuated by adjustment for smoking status, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. High waist circumference was independently associated with adult social class. CONCLUSIONS—The association between adult social class and metabolic syndrome was largely explained by behavioral factors. In addition, central adiposity, a component of metabolic syndrome, was associated with adult social class. Focusing on healthier behaviors and obesity, rather than specific efforts to reduce social inequalities surrounding metabolic syndrome, is likely to be particularly important in reducing social inequalities that affect people with coronary disease.
Perception of Final Year Hotel Management Students towards Working in Hotel Industry

Although the development of hotel industry can create new job opportunities' it is often criticized that the hotel industry provides low skilled and less paid jobs. If today's students are going to be the hotel managers of tomorrow it's important to understand their perceptions about hotel jobs. This paper focuses on final year students who have completed their industrial trainings and are ready for placement in hotels. The study finds that the students respondent neither favorable nor unfavorable towards the hotel jobs. The findings also show that there is willingness to work in hotel related jobs or study further about hospitality industry. Though the impact is debatable, a student's negative work experience during the industrial training can influence their image of hotel industry.
Investigating the behavioural effects of a mobile-phone based home telehealth intervention in people with insulin-requiring diabetes: Results of a randomized controlled trial with patient interviews

Introduction Evidence supporting home telehealth effects on clinical outcomes in diabetes is available, yet mechanisms of action for these improvements remain poorly understood. Behavioural change is one plausible explanation. This study investigated the behavioural effects of a mobile-phone based home telehealth (MTH) intervention in people with diabetes. It was hypothesized that MTH would improve self-efficacy, illness beliefs, and diabetes self-care. Methods A randomized controlled trial compared standard care to standard care supplemented with MTH (self-monitoring, data transmission, graphical and nurse-initiated feedback, educational calls). Self-report measures of self-efficacy, illness beliefs, and self-care were repeated at baseline, three months, and nine months. MTH effects were based on the group by time interactions in hierarchical linear models and effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Interviews with MTH participants explored the perceived effects of MTH on diabetes self-management. Results Eighty-one participants were randomized to the intervention (n = 45) and standard care (n = 36). Significant group by time effects were observed for five out of seven self-efficacy subscales. Effect sizes were large, particularly at nine months. Interaction effects for illness beliefs and self-care were non-significant, but effect sizes and confidence intervals suggested MTH may positively affect diet and exercise. In interviews, MTH was associated with increased awareness, motivation, and a greater sense of security. Improved self-monitoring and diet were reported by some participants. Discussion MTH empowers people with diabetes to manage their condition and may influence self-care. Future MTH research would benefit from investigating behavioural mechanisms and determining patient profiles predictive of greater behavioural effectiveness.
A Comparative Analysis of Support Vector Machines & Logistic Regression for Propensity Based Response Modeling

Increasing cost of soliciting customers along with amplified efforts to improve the bottom-line amidst intense competition is driving the firms to rely on more cutting edge analytic methods by leveraging the knowledge of customer-base that is allowing the firms to engage better with customers by offering right product/service to right customer. Increased interest of the firms to engage better with their customers has evidently resulted into seeking answers to the key question: Why are customers likely to respond? in contrast to just seek answers for question: Who are likely to respond? This has resulted in developing propensity based response models that have become a center stage of marketing across customer life cycle.Propensity based response models are used to predict the probability of a customer or prospect responding to some offer or solicitation and also explain the drivers – why the customers are likely to respond. The output from these models will be used to segment markets, to design strategies, and to measure marketing performance.In our present paper we will use support vector machines and Logistic Regression to build propensity based response models and evaluate their performance.
First direct demonstration of extensive GABA synthesis in mouse cerebellar neuronal cultures

Culturing mouse cerebellar neurones (predominantly glutamatergic) in the presence of [1−13C]glucose for 7 days resulted in a surprisingly extensive labelling of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, the average content and labelling of which were 20 ± 4 nmol/mg protein and 20 ± 4%, respectively. Cultures of neocortical neurones (predominantly GABAergic) had under similar conditions a GABA content and labelling of 32 ± 2 nmol/mg protein and 21 ± 2%. The cerebellar cultures contained only 6% glutamate decarboxylase (GAD)‐positive neurones when immunolabelled using a GAD67 antibody, while a dense network of neurones in the neocortical cultures stained positively for GAD67. Exposure of the cerebellar cultures to 50 µm kainic acid (KA) which is known to eliminate vesicular release of GABA, only marginally affected GABA labelling and cellular content. Likewise this treatment had no effect on the number of GAD67‐positive neurones but a massive punctate immunostaining observed in control cultures was essentially eliminated. Increasing the KA concentration to 0.5 mm in the culture medium for 7 days led to a reduction of GABA labelling and content compared to cerebellar cultures not exposed to KA. Although it is likely that this large capacity for GABA synthesis resides in the relatively few GAD‐positive neurones, it seems unlikely that they could account for the large average GABA content in the cultures. Therefore it must be concluded that the newly synthesized GABA is redistributed among the majority of the cells in these cultures, i.e. the glutamatergic neurones.
The Relationships between Decision-Making Styles of Entrepreneurs and Organizational Performance.

WARD, MARY KATHRINE. The Relationships between Decision-Making Styles of Entrepreneurs and Organizational Performance. (Under the direction of Samuel B. Pond.) This study responds to the call for increased attention to entrepreneurs’ decision making by analyzing the relationships between entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles and organizational performance. More specifically, this study aimed to: (1) describe decision-making style in entrepreneurs, and (2) investigate the relationships between decision-making style and organizational performance. Results from dependent t-tests showed avoidant decisionmaking style is least prevalent among entrepreneurs studied. A series of six hierarchical regression analyses revealed that rational-, intuitive-, and avoidant decision-making styles related to increases in net profit margin. Additionally, hierarchical regression analyses showed rationaland intuitive decision-making styles related to increases in net profit margin after controlling for cognitive ability and personality traits (namely, conscientiousness and openness). In an effort to build the nomological network around decision-making style, several antecedents to decision-making style were tested however, results provided mixed support. Overall findings indicate that decision-making styles and organizational performance are not directly related, with the possible exception of particular decisionmaking styles and profitability trends. Balancing theoretical and practical implications, results from this study point to antecedents of decision-making styles, and to ways of improving entrepreneurial training. Results also suggest several future research directions, including the need to replicate this study in earlier phases of entrepreneurship. Given the larger goal of supporting entrepreneurial performance, the findings from the current study take us one step closer to understanding how to help entrepreneurs succeed. © Copyright 2016 by Mary Kathrine Ward All Rights Reserved The Relationships between Decision-Making Styles of Entrepreneurs and Organizational Performance by Mary Kathrine Ward A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Prenatal exposure to phthalates is associated with decreased anogenital distance and penile size in male newborns

Reproductive effects from phthalate exposure have been documented mostly in animal studies. This study explored the association between prenatal exposure to phthalate metabolites, anogenital distance and penile measurements in male newborns in Toluca, State of Mexico. A total of 174 pregnant women provided urine samples for phthalate analysis during their last prenatal visit, and the 73 who gave birth to male infants were included in the study. The 73 male newborns were weighed and measured using standardized methods after delivery. After adjusting for creatinine and supine length at birth, significant inverse associations were observed between an index of prenatal exposure to total phthalate exposure and the distance from the anus to anterior base of the penis (β = −0.191 mm per 1 μg/l, P = 0.037), penile width (β = −0.0414, P = 0.050) and stretched length (β = −0.2137, P = 0.034); prenatal exposure to mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate exposure was associated with a reduction in the stretched length of the penis (β = −0.2604, P = 0.050). Human exposure to phthalates is a public health concern, and the system most vulnerable to its potential effects seems to be the immature male reproductive tract.
Pathology of inherited manganese transporter deficiency

We followed a patient with manganese transporter deficiency due to homozygous SLC30A10 mutations from age 14 years until his death at age 38 years and present the first postmortem findings of this disorder. The basal ganglia showed neuronal loss, rhodanine‐positive deposits, astrocytosis, myelin loss, and spongiosis. SLC30A10 protein was reduced in residual basal ganglia neurons. Depigmentation of the substantia nigra and other brainstem nuclei was present. Manganese content of basal ganglia and liver was increased 16‐fold and 9‐fold, respectively. Our study provides a pathological foundation for further investigation of central nervous system toxicity secondary to deregulation of manganese metabolism. Ann Neurol 2014;75:608–612
The Haematology of Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis

The haematology of forty‐four infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) has been reviewed. Normal values for neutrophil, band cell and platelet counts as well as coagulation profiles have been defined for normal term and preterm infants at varying postnatal ages. In NEC, the absolute neutrophil count was of no diagnostic or prognostic significance but serial counts were useful in following the course of disease process. Band cell and platelet counts were strong predictors of onset of disease and both were significantly different in infants who died compared with those who survived the disease. Disseminated intravascular coagulation occurred in 11% of cases of NEC, all of whom died. Hypovolaemic shock preceded NEC in 5 infants and 3 infants had preexisting polycythaemia. Severe thrombocytopenia was treated with platelet infusions. Exchange transfusion was carried out for disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Survivin: A Bifunctional Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein

Survivin is a recently discovered protein belonging to the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) gene family. IAP molecules are characterized by both the presence of a zinc-binding fold termed the baculoviral IAP repeat and the ability to suppress apoptosis. In addition to inhibiting apoptosis, survivin is essential for proper cell division. Survivin is expressed during embryonal development but is absent in most normal, terminally differentiated tissues. Survivin is also upregulated in a variety of human cancers, and its expression in tumors is associated with a more aggressive phenotype, shorter survival times, and a decreased response to chemotherapy. The exact mechanism behind the ability of survivin to inhibit apoptosis is still unclear. Furthermore, it is not known why this protein is upregulated in cancer. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the current knowledge of survivin, including its role in cell division and its expression in normal and neoplastic tissues. Although much of the current research in this field is focused on human medicine, this area also has potential significance for veterinary species.