Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative assessment of the association between functional long non-coding RNA HOTAIR genetic variants and cancer susceptibility

Background: Epidemiological studies have indicated a significant association between lncRNA HOTAIR variants and cancer risk. But the conclusions were inconsistent. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to explore the precise relationship between lncRNA HOTAIR polymorphisms and cancer risk. Methods: There online databases (PubMed, Embase, SCI) were searched. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) were calculated to assess the associations between HOTAIR rs920778 C>T, rs4759314 A>G, rs1899663 G>T polymorphisms and cancer risk. Heterogeneity, publication bias and sensitivity analysis were performed to test the statistical power. Results: Overall, 6 related publications involving 11,961 subjects were included in our research. Significantly cancer risk between rs920778 C>T polymorphism were observed in general population (T vs. C: OR=1.33, 95% CI=1.131.56, P<0.01, I2=75.0%; CT vs. CC: OR=1.24, 95% CI=1.03-1.49, P=0.02, I2=63.5%; TT vs. CC: OR=2.03, 95% CI=1.25-3.30, P<0.01, I2=80.5%; CT+TT vs. CC: OR=1.33, 95% CI=1.10-1.62, P<0.01, I2=74.1%; TT vs. CC+CT: OR=1.97, 95% CI=1.34-2.90, P=0.01, I2=46.3%). Subgroup analysis showed a significant increased risk in Asian population, but not in Caucasian population. For rs4759314 A>G and rs1899663 G>T polymorphisms, no significant association was detected with cancer risk. Conclusions: This meta-analysis demonstrates that lncRNA HOTAIR rs920778 C>T variant is an important risk factor for cancer development according to ethnicity diversity.
How Civil Wars End

What conditions determine whether a civil war ends in a negotiated settlement or a military victory? The authors address this question by developing an expected utility model of the choice between seeking an immediate settlement or continuing to fight in anticipation of eventual victory. The model implies that the likelihood of a settlement varies with estimates of the probability of winning, the time required to win, the rate at which the costs of conflict accrue, and the payoffs for victory versus settlement. Logistic regression results suggest that a settlement becomes less likely the larger the government's army and more likely the longer the civil war lasts. Payoff and cost variables had no effect on the likelihood of a settlement.
Predictors and Portfolios Over the Life Cycle

We show that the net corporate payout yield predicts both the stock market index and house prices and that the log home rent-price ratio predicts both house prices and labor income growth. We incorporate the predictability in a rich life-cycle model of household decisions involving consumption of both perishable goods and housing services, stochastic and unspanned labor income, stochastic house prices, home renting and owning, stock investments, and portfolio constraints. We find that households can significantly improve their welfare by optimally conditioning decisions on the predictors. For a modestly risk-averse agent with a 35-year working period and a 15-year retirement period, the present value of the higher average life-time consumption amounts to roughly $179,000 (assuming both an initial wealth and an initial annual income of $20,000), and the certainty equivalent gain is around 5.5% of total wealth (financial wealth plus human capital). Furthermore, every cohort of agents in our model would have benefited from applying predictor-conditional strategies along the realized time series over our 1960-2010 data period.
Key Health Information Technologies and Related Issues for Iran: A Qualitative Study

Background and Objective: Planning for the future of Health Information Technology (HIT) requires applying a systematic approach when conducting foresight studies. The aim of this study was to identify key health information technologies and related issues for Iran until 2025. Methods: This was a qualitative study and the participants included experts and policy makers in the field of health information technology. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted and data were analyzed by using framework analysis and MAXQDA software. Results: The findings revealed that the development of national health information network, electronic health records, patient health records, a cloud-based service center, interoperability standards, patient monitoring technologies, telehealth, mhealth, clinical decision support systems, health information technology and mhealth infrastructure were found to be the key technologies for the future. These technologies could influence the economic, organizational and individual levels. To achieve them, the economic and organizational obstacles need to be overcome. Conclusion: In this study, a number of key technologies and related issues were identified. This approach can help to focus on the most important technologies in the future and to priorities these technologies for better resource allocation and policy making.
A comparison of accelerometer and piezofilm-based force balances for hypersonic shock tunnels

A blunt double-cone model, equipped with a three-component accelerometer or piezofilm-based force balance system, is tested in the IITB-Shock Tunnel at 0 º and 10 º angle of inclinations during force measurement experiments. Conventional accelerometer force balance theory and soft computing-based adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system have been adopted to recover the axial and normal forces. In order to arrive at the time varying forces, these balances are calibrated using impulse hammer tests at single or multiple points. Necessity of multipoint calibration has also been demonstrated during recovery of forces for both the balances. Genetic algorithm in conjunction with adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system has been implemented herein to train the system for force prediction. Encouraging agreement has been noted between the predictions made using accelerometer force balance theory and adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system-based recovery of forces from accelerometer and piezofilm balances. Thus, present studies not only provide the methodology for calibration and implementation of piezofilm based force measurement, but also recommend its usage in short duration impulse facilities.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO AUDITORS CONTINUITY AND RELATED QUALIFICATION JUDGMENTS

The auditor's reporting responsibility for firms experiencing goingconcern problems has recently come under debate (Commission on Auditors' Responsibilities [1978]). In effect, it is the Commission's view that, "There is no reason to believe independent auditors are more able to predict whether a company will liquidate than they are able to predict the outcome of other uncertainties" [1978, p. 30]. This statement was supported in part by early studies of the usefulness of financial statement data in predicting going-concern problems (e.g., Altman [1968], Altman and McGough [1974], Edmister [1972]). In these studies, mathematical models were constructed to evaluate the predictive ability of ratio data. Altman and McGough [1974] showed that a substantial discrepancy exists between mathematical models' abilities and auditors' abilities to predict going-concern problems. Their results indicated that Altman's discriminant bankruptcy model, originally reported in 1968, accurately predicted failure for 82 percent of a sample of failed firms, whereas problems were mentioned in the audit opinion for only 44 percent of these firms one year prior to their entering bankruptcy proceedings. However, comparison between models' accuracy and qualified opinions may be confounded by extraneous variables. Factors other than the likelihood of problems, such as the perceived consequences of qualifying, may be considered by auditors before a qualified opinion is issued. Thus,
Incentives, Goals and Labor Supply: An Experimental Investigation

Incentives are the essence of economics, and the question of how workers’ choices of effort and work hours respond to financial incentives is among the oldest questions in labor economics. Many efforts have already been devoted to understanding the determinants of labor supply. This paper aims to investigate the determinants of labor supply under risk by employing a series of real effort lab experiments. Subjects could choose both the work time and effort in one treatment and could only choose the effort in another treatment in a three-days experiment. The results show that, consistent with predictions of neoclassical model, most subjects in provided more efforts as the piece rate increased, indicating a significant substitution effect. However, inconsistent with predictions of neoclassical model and behavioral model based on prospect theory taking status quo as reference point, most subjects provided at least no less effort even when they faced a risk on getting their accumulated piece rate earnings. However, multiple-reference points theory which suggests that to be success is a more important motivation than loss aversion seems fitted the data better.
An Explanation of Economic Impact: Why Positive Impacts Can Exist for Smaller Sports

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand why some sports show a positive economic impact and other sports do not, and to identify a common set of explanatory factors explaining the differences. Design/methodology/approach – This explanatory research reviews the economic impact literature to identify the underlying conditions that would theoretically allow any sport, large or small, to generate positive economic effects. Findings – Nine conditions are identified that, when present, could allow a community to experience a positive economic impact from a team or stadium. These are then used to explain the discrepancy in known empirical outcomes in major and minor league baseball (MiLB). It appears as if major league teams are more likely to violate the conditions than minor league teams. This research finds theoretical support for previous suggestions that smaller teams and events may be beneficial to local economies. In doing so, it also explains previous empirical results that found some MiLB c.
Multisite Assessment of Aging-Related Tau Astrogliopathy (ARTAG)

Aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) is a recently introduced terminology. To facilitate the consistent identification of ARTAG and to distinguish it from astroglial tau pathologies observed in the primary frontotemporal lobar degeneration tauopathies we evaluated how consistently neuropathologists recognize (1) different astroglial tau immunoreactivities, including those of ARTAG and those associated with primary tauopathies (Study 1); (2) ARTAG types (Study 2A); and (3) ARTAG severity (Study 2B). Microphotographs and scanned sections immunostained for phosphorylated tau (AT8) were made available for download and preview. Percentage of agreement and kappa values with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for each evaluation. The overall agreement for Study 1 was >60% with a kappa value of 0.55 (95% CI 0.433-0.645). Moderate agreement (>90%, kappa 0.48, 95% CI 0.457-0.900) was reached in Study 2A for the identification of ARTAG pathology for each ARTAG subtype (kappa 0.37-0.72), whereas fair agreement (kappa 0.40, 95% CI 0.341-0.445) was reached for the evaluation of ARTAG severity. The overall assessment of ARTAG showed moderate agreement (kappa 0.60, 95% CI 0.534-0.653) among raters. Our study supports the application of the current harmonized evaluation strategy for ARTAG with a slight modification of the evaluation of its severity.
Preisgarantien im Kraftstoffmarkt

Der vorliegende Aufsatz untersucht die Auswirkungen der von einigen Mineralolunternehmen gewahrten Preisgarantien auf die Benzinpreise. Auf Grundlagen der Daten der Markttransparenzstelle des Bundeskartellamtes wurde anhand einer Differenz-von-Differenzen Analyse untersucht, ob die insbesondere von Shell gewahrten Preisgarantien eine preiserhohende Wirkung haben. Es zeigt sich, dass in den Gebieten um die Shell-Tankstellen die Preise nach Einfuhrung der Preisgarantien signifikant angestiegen sind.
Kaempferol attenuates angiotesin II-induced vascular fibrosis involving the jnk and ERK 1 / 2 pathways

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of kaempferol on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced vascular fibrosis. In vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), Ang II induced cell proliferation in doseand timedependent manners. Ang II up-regulated the expression of collagen I (Coll I) and fibronectin (FN), and increased intracellular ROS production and expression of gp91phox. Kaempferol attenuated the effects of Ang II on VSMCs. Ang II significantly induced the JNK and ERK1/2 pathways in VSMCs, and the activation was inhibited by kaempferol treatment. In addition, Ang II induced high blood pressure in rats. Expression of Coll I and FN in aorta, and ROS and MDA levels in serum and aorta were also increased in the Ang II-infused rats. Treatment with kaempferol prevented vascular fibrosis of Ang II induced hypertension in rats. These findings demonstrated that kaempferol attenuated Ang II-induced vascular fibrosis. The JNK and ERK1/2 pathways were involved in the protective effect of kaempferol.
Politics, Journalism and New Media: Virtual Iron Cages and the New Culture of Capitalism

With massive changes in the media environment and its technologies, interrogating the nature of news journalism is one of the most urgent tasks we face in defining the public interest today. The implications are serious, not just for the future of the news, but also for the practice of democracy. In a thorough empirical investigation of journalistic practices in different news contexts, this book explores how technological, economic, and social changes have reconfigured news journalism, and the consequences of these transformations for a vibrant democracy in our digital age. The result is a piercing examination of why understanding news journalism matters now more than ever. It is essential reading for students and scholars of journalism and new media.
Internal protein motions in molecular-dynamics simulations of Bragg and diffuse X-ray scattering

Synopsis A molecular dynamics simulation of diffuse X-ray scattering from staphylococcal nuclease crystals is greatly improved when the unit cell model is expanded to a 2×2×2 layout of eight unit cells. The dynamics are dominated by internal protein motions rather than rigid packing interactions. Abstract Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Bragg and diffuse X-ray scattering provide a means of obtaining experimentally validated models of protein conformational ensembles. This paper shows that, compared to a single periodic unit cell model, the accuracy in simulating diffuse scattering is increased when the crystal is modeled as a periodic supercell, consisting of a 2×2×2 layout of eight unit cells. The MD simulations capture the general dependence of correlations on the separation of atoms. There is substantial agreement between the simulated Bragg reflections and the crystal structure; there are local deviations, however, indicating both the limitation of using a single structure to model disordered regions of the protein and local deviations of the average structure away from the crystal structure. Although it was anticipated that a longer duration simulation might be required to achieve convergence of the diffuse scattering calculation using the supercell model, only a microsecond is required, the same as for the unit cell. Rigid protein motions only account for a small fraction of the variation in atom positions from the simulation. The results indicate that protein crystal dynamics can be dominated by internal motions rather than packing interactions, and that MD simulations can be combined with Bragg and diffuse X-ray scattering to model the protein conformational ensemble.
Transactional Associations Among Maternal Depression, Parent–Child Coercion, and Child Conduct Problems During Early Childhood

Maternal depression is among the most consistent and well-replicated risk factors for negative child outcomes, particularly in early childhood. Although children of depressed mothers are at an increased risk of adjustment problems, conversely, children with emotional or behavioral problems also have been found to adversely compromise maternal functioning, including increasing maternal depression. The purpose of this investigation was to examine transactional associations among maternal depression, parent–child coercive interaction, and children’s conduct and emotional problems in early childhood using a cross-lagged panel model. Participants were 731 toddlers and families that were part of the Early Steps Multisite Study, a sample of diverse ethnic backgrounds and communities (i.e., rural, urban, suburban) recruited from Women, Infants, and Children Nutritional Supplement Centers. Analyses provided support for the existence of some modest transactional relations between parent–child coercion and maternal depression and between maternal depression and child conduct problems. Cross-lagged effects were somewhat stronger between children age 2–3 than age 3–4. Similar patterns were observed in the model with child emotional problems replacing conduct problems, but relations between coercion and maternal depression were attenuated in this model. In addition, the transactional hypothesis was more strongly supported when maternal versus secondary caregiver reports were used for child problem behavior. The findings have implications for the need to support caregivers and reinforce positive parenting practices within family-centered interventions in early childhood.
Prognostic roles for IL‐2‐producing and CD69+ T cell subsets in colorectal cancer patients

Tumor infiltrating T cells are a predictor of patient outcome in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, many T cell populations have been associated with both poor and positive patient prognoses, indicating a need to further understand the role of different T cell subsets in CRC. In this study, the T cell infiltrate from the tumor and nontumor bowel (NTB) was examined in 95 CRC patients using flow cytometry and associations with cancer stage and disease recurrence made. Our findings showed that IFN‐γ‐producing T cells were associated with positive patient outcomes, and CD69+ T cells were associated with disease recurrence. Inflammatory (IL‐17) and regulatory T cells were not associated with disease recurrence. Surprisingly, in a second cohort of 32 patients with long‐term clinical follow up data, tumor infiltrating IL‐2‐producing T cells correlated negatively with disease free survival (DFS) and a higher frequency of IL‐2‐producing T cells was found in the NTB of patients with poorly differentiated tumors. These results point toward the possibility of a negative impact of IL‐2 in tumor immune responses, which may influence future immunotherapy treatments in CRC patients.
Prevalence of Pathogens in Poultry Meat: A Meta-Analysis of European Published Surveys

The objective of this study was to investigate and summarize the levels of incidence of Salmonella spp. , Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat commercialized in Europe. After systematic review, incidence data and study characteristics were extracted from 78 studies conducted in 21 European countries. Pooled prevalence values from 203 extracted observations were estimated from random-effects meta-analysis models adjusted by pathogen, poultry type, sampling stage, cold preservation type, meat cutting type and packaging status. The results suggest that S. aureus is the main pathogen detected in poultry meat (38.5%; 95% CI: 25.4–53.4), followed by Campylobacter spp. (33.3%; 95% CI: 22.3–46.4%), while L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. present lower prevalence (19.3%; 95% CI: 14.4–25.3% and 7.10%; 95% CI: 4.60–10.8%, respectively). Despite the differences in prevalence, all pathogens were found in chicken and other poultry meats, at both end-processing step and retail level, in packed and unpacked products and in several meat cutting types. Prevalence data on cold preservation products also revealed that chilling and freezing can reduce the proliferation of pathogens but might not be able to inactivate them. The results of this meta-analysis highlight that further risk management strategies are needed to reduce pathogen incidence in poultry meat throughout the entire food chain across Europe, in particular for S. aureus and Campylobacter spp.
Toward Robust Neural Machine Translation for Noisy Input Sequences

Translating noisy inputs, such as the output of a speech recognizer, is a difficult but important challenge for neural machine translation. One way to increase robustness of neural models is by introducing artificial noise to the training data. In this paper, we experiment with appropriate forms of such noise, exploring a middle ground between general-purpose regularizers and highly task-specific forms of noise induction. We show that with a simple generative noise model, moderate gains can be achieved in translating erroneous speech transcripts, provided that type and amount of noise are properly calibrated. The optimal amount of noise at training time is much smaller than the amount of noise in our test data, indicating limitations due to trainability issues. We note that unlike our baseline model, models trained on noisy data are able to generate outputs of proper length even for noisy inputs, while gradually reducing output length for higher amount of noise, as might also be expected from a human translator. We discuss these findings in details and give suggestions for future work.
Green tea changes serum and liver metabolomic profiles in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity.

SCOPE Green tea (GT) consumption helps to prevent and control obesity by stimulating hepatic lipid metabolism. However, GT-induced changes in serum and liver metabolomes associated with the anti-obesity effects are not clearly understood. The aim of this study was to identify and validate metabolomic profiles in the livers and sera of GT-fed obese mice to elucidate the relationship between GT consumption and obesity prevention. METHODS AND RESULTS Serum and liver metabolites were analyzed in mice fed normal diet, high-fat diet (HFD), HFD with GT, and HFD with crude catechins, using LC-quadrupole TOF MS. The addition of 1% GT to HFD reduced adipose tissue and the levels of blood triglycerides, glucose, insulin, and leptin elevated in HFD-fed mice. We proposed an HFD-induced obesity pathway and validated it by investigating the key regulatory enzymes of mitochondrial β-oxidation: carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 and -2, acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase, and acetyl-coenzyme A acyltransferase. The results showed that HFD-induced abnormal mitochondrial β-oxidation was moderated by the consumption of caffeine- and theanine-enriched GT. CONCLUSION Results of LC/MS-based metabolomic analysis of obese mice showed changes associated with abnormal lipid and energy metabolism, which were alleviated by GT intake, indicating the mechanism underlying the anti-obesity effects of GT.
Iteratively Trained Interactive Segmentation

Deep learning requires large amounts of training data to be effective. For the task of object segmentation, manually labeling data is very expensive, and hence interactive methods are needed. Following recent approaches, we develop an interactive object segmentation system which uses user input in the form of clicks as the input to a convolutional network. While previous methods use heuristic click sampling strategies to emulate user clicks during training, we propose a new iterative training strategy. During training, we iteratively add clicks based on the errors of the currently predicted segmentation. We show that our iterative training strategy together with additional improvements to the network architecture results in improved results over the state-of-the-art.