Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The utility of thiopurine methyltransferase enzyme testing in inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVE To assess the levels of red blood cell thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) in subjects with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to determine how these levels impacted thiopurine dosing and leukopenia over the first six months of therapy. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed on all adult IBD patients (n=423, 88.2% Caucasian) who had TPMT levels measured by 11 participating gastroenterologists in Manitoba between 2008 and 2010. In addition to descriptive data, white blood cell count, dose and reason for discontinuation were analyzed for the first six months of therapy. Patients receiving ≥2.0 mg/kg of azathioprine (AZA) or ≥1.0 mg/kg of 6-mercapatopurine were considered to be 'substantially' dosed. RESULTS Of the 423 patients, 8.3% had intermediate levels and 93.4% had normal levels of TPMT. Only one subject had a low level. A total of 216 patients had sufficient data to be included for full analysis. Patients with intermediate TPMT levels were generally started at lower doses of thiopurine than patients with normal TPMT levels (mean [± SD] 1.0±0.6 mg/kg versus 1.8±0.5 mg/kg). Of the subjects with normal TPMT levels, only 37.8% were dosed with ≥2.0 mg/kg of AZA. Each month, approximately 5% of subjects were leukopenic. These subjects received a mean overall AZA dose of 1.9±0.3 mg/kg and had a mean white blood cell count of 3.8±0.4×10(9)/L. CONCLUSIONS Normal TPMT levels did not prevent the development of leukopenia, although life-threatening leukopenia was rare. Physicians are not using TPMT levels to substantially dose thiopurines at the outset, which may limit the speed at which adequate doses are reached to facilitate remission.
THE QUEST FOR THE ULTIMATE ANISOTROPIC

We present a new scale U p (s < −t < 0 and 1 ≤ p < ∞) of anisotropic Banach spaces, defined via Paley–Littlewood, on which the transfer operator Lgφ = (g · φ) ◦ T−1 associated to a hyperbolic dynamical system T has good spectral properties. When p = 1 and t is an integer, the spaces are analogous to the “geometric” spaces Bt,|s+t| considered by Gouëzel and Liverani [26]. When p > 1 and −1 + 1/p < s < −t < 0 < t < 1/p, the spaces are somewhat analogous to the geometric spaces considered by Demers and Liverani [16]. In addition, just like for the “microlocal” spaces defined by Baladi–Tsujii [10] (or Faure–Roy–Sjöstrand [19]), the transfer operator acting on U p can be decomposed into Lg,b+Lg,c, where Lg,b has a controlled norm while a suitable power of Lg,c is nuclear. This “nuclear power decomposition” enhances the Lasota–Yorke bounds and makes the spaces U p amenable to the kneading approach of Milnor–Thurson [34] (as revisited by Baladi–Ruelle [8, 9, 2]) to study dynamical determinants and zeta functions.
A study on Image Classification based on Deep Learning and Tensorflow

This research study about image classification by using the deep neural network (DNN) or also known as Deep Learning by using framework TensorFlow. Python is used as a programming language because it comes together with TensorFlow framework. The input data mainly focuses in flowers category which there are five (5) types of flowers that have been used in this paper. Deep neural network (DNN) has been choosing as the best option for the training process because it produced a high percentage of accuracy. Results are discussed in terms of the accuracy of the image classification in percentage. Roses get 90.585% and same goes to another type of flowers where the average of the result is up to 90% and above.
Evaluation of a Cold Staining Method for Detecting Acid Fast Bacilli in the Sputum

Tuberculosis is a disease of great importance in developing countries, such as India, where it has caused considerable morbidity and mortality. Sputum smear microscopy is the cornerstone in diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, which is usually done using Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN) method (Vasanthakumari et al., 1986; Gupta et al., 2009; Chandrasekaran et al., 1991). The use of ZN Method in remote areas of our country, however, suffers from operational limitations due to shortage of properly trained and experienced laboratory technicians in peripheral centres, and non availability, or short supply of spirit, essential for heating carbol fuchsin. Here we evaluate Cold Staining (CS) as an alternative test to ZN. CS is one modification of ZN which requires carbol fuchsine as a primary stain and Gabbet’s methylene blue, both as a decolorizer and counter stain. Compared to ZN; CS is simple and easy to learn and practice, it is economical and less cumbersome, is suitable under field conditions, and can be practiced even in remote areas and at periphery where laboratory facilities are limited. There are also more practical advantages of CS like, no need of heating in the staining procedure and eliminated the need for separate decolorizing step (requires only two International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 5 Number 6 (2016) pp. 125-129 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Fear and media coverage : The case of insider trading in takeover targets

We examine whether target corporate insiders are deterred from open market share purchases in their own firms prior to merger announcements following news in the Wall Street Journal referring to illegal trading in past mergers. We posit that the deterrence effect provoked by these news articles results from enhanced perception of the litigation and reputation risks. We find evidence of a significant negative effect of such articles on insider purchases. This effect increases with the visibility and severity of the articles. We find the effect to be smaller when trading is highly profitable, but to be greater when public enforcement is relatively weak. Overall, our study shows a significant short-term negative relation between media deterrence and profitable active trading by target insiders.
CORRELATION AND PATH ANALYSIS FOR YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS IN LINSEED ( LINUM USITATISSIMUM L . )

The present study was carried out to estimate genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficients to create a path for the improvement in yield of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L). For this purpose nine linseed accessions (LS-1, LS15, LS-16, LS-20, LS-27, LS-29, LS-35, LS-40, LS-48) and a check variety Chandani were tested at Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, PMAS, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan during 2011-12. The experiment was laid out in RCBD. Genotypic correlation estimates showed that seed yield of a plant is positively affected by primary branches, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds in each capsule, thousand seed weight and oil content while days to flower initiation, number of days to complete flowering and number of days to physiological maturity has a negative impact on seed yield of plant. Phenotypic correlation estimate results showed the similar findings except the thousand seed weight which has a significantly positive effect on seed yield. Estimates of the genotypic correlation coefficients were further used to determine the path coefficient of analysis by partitioning the correlation into indirect and direct effects. Path coefficient analysis depicted that the number of capsules per plant (0.432), oil content (0.194 %), number of primary branches of each plant (0.196), thousand seed weight (0.100 g) and number of seeds in each capsule (0.116) had a direct influence on seed yield in positive direction. This predicted that while designing a breeding strategy for the improvement of linseed a trait should be kept in mind to enhance seed yield in linseed. Therefore focusing on these traits, would improve breeding efficiency of linseed in the future breeding programs.
Climate change and sustainable tourism: South Africa caught in-between

Climate change and tourism are symbolically two-sides of a coin. While climate change portends serious threats to ecosystems and biodiversity (the world's foremost tourism assets), environmental impacts associated with tourism-related activities significantly add to climate change. Caught in between the two scenarios is South Africa’s position as both a contributor and one of those hard-hit by climate change on the one hand, and a leading tourist destination with the country’s tourism industry representing a key economic sector and growth enabler by way of its contribution directly to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on the other. This is beside the fact that a relatively significant share of tourism-related activities is undertaken in emerging countries, of which South Africa is one. Thus, building on the theoretical underpinnings of Green Theory and a review of relevant documents, this article assesses South African tourism and its contribution to incentivise economic growth and sustainable development, given the country's situational complexity. It argues that tourism is at the centre of a climate-energy interlock in South Africa.
SEMI-PARAMETRIC LIKELIHOOD INFERENCE FOR BIRNBAUM – SAUNDERS FRAILTY MODEL

• Cluster failure time data are commonly encountered in survival analysis due to different factors such as shared environmental conditions and genetic similarity. In such cases, careful attention needs to be paid to the correlation among subjects within same clusters. In this paper, we study a frailty model based on Birnbaum–Saunders frailty distribution. We approximate the intractable integrals in the likelihood function by the use of Monte Carlo simulations and then use the piecewise constant baseline hazard function within the proportional hazards model in frailty framework. Thereafter, the maximum likelihood estimates are numerically determined. A simulation study is conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed model and the method of inference. Finally, we apply this model to a real data set to analyze the effect of sublingual nitroglycerin and oral isosorbide dinitrate on angina pectoris of coronary heart disease patients and compare our results with those based on other frailty models considered earlier in the literature.
Cardioprotection by Ischemic Postconditioning Is Abrogated in Hypertrophied Myocardium of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Purpose: This study examines if ischemic postconditioning is preserved in hypertrophied myocardium of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Methods: Infarct sizes, hemodynamic, morphometric, and biochemical parameters were obtained from normotensive controls [Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats] and compared with SHRs. In open-chest rats, the infarct size was determined after 30 minutes of regional ischemia. Postconditioning was performed by 3 cycles of ischemia/reperfusion with 30 seconds each or 6 cycles of ischemia/reperfusion with 10 seconds each immediately after the infarction. Results: Infarct size was comparable between control rats and SHRs. In WKY rats, postconditioning reduced the infarct size significantly. However, in SHRs, the postconditioning effect was completely lost for both postconditioning protocols. Even shortening of the ischemic period to 20 minutes did not restore the infarct sparing effect in SHRs. The phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3&bgr; increased 2.1-fold by ischemic postconditioning in WKY rats; however, this increase was completely absent in SHRs with both postconditioning protocols. Conclusions: Myocardial hypertrophy inhibits the protection by postconditioning in an experimental animal model. Future studies have to clarify whether this result can be extrapolated to patients with arterial hypertension and myocardial hypertrophy.
Retrovirus infection: effect of time and target cell number

Using a model amphotropic recombinant retrovirus encoding the Escherichia coli lacZ gene and quantitative assays to measure virus infection, we have determined the effects of time and target cell number on infectivity. Infection of various numbers of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts showed that the extent of lacZ virus infection was dependent on virus concentration and independent of target cell number. These results demonstrate that multiplicity of infection is not an accurate predictor of the efficiency of retroviral infection. Varying the time of viral infection revealed that maximal infection occurred after greater than 24 h of exposure of the cells to the lacZ virus. Half-maximal infection occurred after 5 h of exposure. After 2 h of adsorption at 37 degrees C, the majority of infectious virus was not adsorbed to cells but was unbound and able to infect other cells. These results are discussed in terms of both their relevance to the fundamental biology of retrovirus infection and the use of recombinant retroviruses for retrovirus-mediated gene transfer with purposes of gene therapy.
Circulating transforming growth factor beta 1 and coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), a multifunctional cytokine, is involved in many physiological and pathological processes and possibly in atherogenesis. METHODS We explored the association between circulating plasma TGF-beta 1 measured by ELISA and coronary artery disease (CAD) assessed angiographically in 371 Caucasian patients (269 men and 102 women) aged < or = 65 years. RESULTS While mean +/- s.e. m total TGF-beta 1 was not different among patients with (56.9 +/- 1.5 ng/ml) or without (54.6 +/- 2.8 ng/ml) angiographically demonstrable CAD, naturally active TGF-beta 1 was significantly higher in CAD patients (1.74 +/- 0.18 vs 0.96 +/- 0.17 ng/ml, P < 0.01). Active TGF-beta 1 increased with the number of major coronary arteries with more than 50% luminal obstruction (P < 0.01) and patients with triple vessel disease had twice the level of those with no or mild vessel disease (2.15 +/- 0.46 vs 1.12 +/- 0.14 ng/ml, P < 0.001). We found no relationship between TGF-beta 1 and Lp(a), but TGF-beta 1 was significantly correlated with circulating fibrinogen (r = 0.178, P = 0.005) and fasting glucose (r = 0.177, P = 0.007) levels. CONCLUSIONS Our study identifies an increase in active TGF-beta 1 levels with both the occurrence and severity of CAD which is independent of standard CAD risk factors. This may reflect a 'double-edged sword' effect of TGF-beta 1 in that it may reduce atherogenesis by inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation but, when there is ongoing vessel wall injury, enhance it by promoting excessive extracellular matrix accumulation. The outcome could represent a complex balance between these two competing influences.
Exploring Chinese Women's Cultural Beliefs and Behaviours Regarding the Practice of “Doing the Month”

ABSTRACT It is well recognized that individual health behaviour is embedded in cultural patterns of exchange. This study sought to identify Chinese women's cultural beliefs and behaviors related “doing the month” and suggest how these are modified in the light of contemporary realties and experiences within the context of rapid social change. Ethnographic interview data was gathered by means of a telephone interviews (postnatally) with 100 eligible primiparous women who had attended hospital based antenatal programmes. The analysis highlighted a range of issues for these predominately middle class women which included special postpartum dietary beliefs and behaviours including the avoidance of hot and cold food, the restorative powers of food, wind and water prohibitions, food proscriptions and prohibitions during breast feeding, the cultural imperative of timing and contemporary autonomy of women versus conforming to female centered kinship obligations. It is concluded that health professionals working with Chinese women need further awareness of the cultural significance of adherence to postnatal practices and their fundamental links to the health status of postpartum women, and family relationships.
Secretion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Killer Toxin: Processing of the Glycosylated Precursor

Killer toxin secretion was blocked at the restrictive temperature in Saccharomyces cerevisiae sec mutants with conditional defects in the S. cerevisiae secretory pathway leading to accumulation of endoplasmic reticulum (sec18), Golgi (sec7), or secretory vesicles (sec1). A 43,000-molecular-weight (43K) glycosylated protoxin was found by pulse-labeling in all sec mutants at the restrictive temperature. In sec18 the protoxin was stable after a chase; but in sec7 and sec1 the protoxin was unstable, and in sec1 11K toxin was detected in cell lysates. The chymotrypsin inhibitor tosyl-l-phenylalanyl chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) blocked toxin secretion in vivo in wild-type cells by inhibiting protoxin cleavage. The unstable protoxin in wild-type and in sec7 and sec1 cells at the restrictive temperature was stabilized by TPCK, suggesting that the protoxin cleavage was post-sec18 and was mediated by a TPCK-inhibitable protease. Protoxin glycosylation was inhibited by tunicamycin, and a 36K protoxin was detected in inhibited cells. This 36K protoxin was processed, but toxin secretion was reduced 10-fold. We examined two kex mutants defective in toxin secretion; both synthesized a 43K protoxin, which was stable in kex1 but unstable in kex2. Protoxin stability in kex1 kex2 double mutants indicated the order kex1 → kex2 in the protoxin processing pathway. TPCK did not block protoxin instability in kex2 mutants. This suggested that the KEX1- and KEX2-dependent steps preceded the sec7 Golgi block. We attempted to localize the protoxin in S. cerevisiae cells. Use of an in vitro rabbit reticulocyte-dog pancreas microsomal membrane system indicated that protoxin synthesized in vitro could be inserted into and glycosylated by the microsomal membranes. This membrane-associated protoxin was protected from trypsin proteolysis. Pulse-chased cells or spheroplasts, with or without TPCK, failed to secrete protoxin. The protoxin may not be secreted into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum, but may remain membrane associated and may require endoproteolytic cleavage for toxin secretion.
Suitability of Periwinkle Shell as Partial Replacement for River Gravel in Concrete

The suitability of periwinkle shells, a small gastropod sea snail (mollusk), as a replacement of river gravel in concrete production was investigated. Physical and mechanical properties of the shells and well-graded river gravel were determined and compared. Concrete cubes were prepared using proportions of 1:0, 1:1, 1:3, 3:1 and 0:1 periwinkle shells to river gravel by weight, as coarse aggregate. Compressive strength tests were carried out on the periwinkle gravel concrete cubes. The bulk density of the periwinkle shells was found to be 515 kg/m while that for river gravel was 1611 kg/m. The aggregate impact values for periwinkle shells and river gravel were 58.59 % and 27.1 % respectively. Concrete cubes with periwinkle shells alone as coarse aggregate were lighter and of lower compressive strengths compared to those with other periwinkle: gravel properties. The 28-day density and compressive strength of periwinkle were 1944 kg/m and 13.05 N/mm respectively. Density, workability and the compressive strength of periwinkle concrete increased with increasing inclusion of river gravel. From this study, it can be concluded that periwinkle shells can be used as partial replacement for river gravel in normal construction works especially in places where river gravel is in short supply and periwinkle shells are readily available.
The Influence of Mental Health on Labor Participation of Middle-aged and Elderly People in China: An Empirical Analysis Based on CHARLS Data

In recent years, Chinese population life expectancy has continued to increase, but mental health problems have become increasingly prominent. In order to study the impact of mental health on labor participation, this paper uses the data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2015 to empirically analyze the impact of mental health factors on the labor participation of middle-aged and elderly people in China over 45 years old. The results show that mental non-health tendency has a significant negative effect on the labor participation of middle-aged and elderly people in China. In the regression of gender heterogeneity, the negative impact of mental non-health tendency on men is more significant than that of women. In the regression of urban-rural heterogeneity, the group living in rural areas is more negatively affected by the mental non-health tendency.
LINEAR AND NONLINEAR BEHAVIORS ON A SOIL SITE USING LOTUNG DOWNHOLE ARRAY IN TAIWAN

1 Institute of Applied Geophysics, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan, R.O. C. ,Email: seihuey@eq.ccu. edu.tw 2 Institute of Earth Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan R.O. C. , Email: chiu@earth.sinica. edu.tw 3 Institute of Earth Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan R.O. C. , Email: chiu@earth.sinica. edu.tw LINEAR AND NONLINEAR BEHAVIORS ON A SOIL SITE USING LOTUNG DOWNHOLE ARRAY IN TAIWAN
Polyhedral domains for abstract interpretation in logic programming

The motivations for program analyses are many. The impetus for the static analysis of programs initially ranged from the need for more efficient code to program transforms for parallel systems, but with the passage of time now also encompasses: providing the programmer with debugging information, program verification and program testing. Abstract interpretation is a methodology for static analysis that was formalised at the beginning of the last decade and is employed in both declarative and imperative programming paradigms. Abstract interpretation is a rigorous approximation technique that allows an analysis to focus on a particular property and infer useful information about the run time behaviour of the program being analysed. In order to implement an abstract interpretation it is necessary to chose an abstract domain that expresses the property of interest with sufficient precision to be useful. The focus of this thesis is on the use of two polyhedral domains as a means of capturing these properties of interest in logic programs. This thesis demonstrates how polyhedra can be employed to capture analyses that relate to dependency information with respect to some measure of size. Polyhedral analyses require a technique known as widening to ensure analysis convergence. Computational issues associated with widening prompted an investigation into the way linear spaces interact and how it is possible for a polyhedron to have different representations as a set of implicitly conjoined linear inequalities. Some useful computational insights are the outcome of this investigation. The observation that certain linear inequalities might represent dependency information prompted a novel approach to capturing dependency analysis with the subclass of polyhedra that can be represented by those linear inequalities. This could be advantageous for analyses in environments with constraint support as no set-up costs for the analysis would be incurred as the existing environment would be capable of supporting the abstract domain. Central to this thesis is the isomorphism that reveals the precise extent to which these polyhedra can represent dependency information. An argument-size analysis using polyhedra and a groundness analysis using certain polyhedral cones have been implemented up to the prototype stage.