Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TNF 857 T , a Genetic Risk Marker for Acute Anterior Uveitis

RESULTS. There was a significant increase in the frequency of the TNF 857T allele in patients with IAU when compared with control subjects (15.3% vs. 7.3%, P 0.0006). The frequency of haplotype 4, containing the T allele at nucleotide position 857, was also significantly increased in patients with IAU compared with control subjects (15.4% vs. 7.1%, P 0.0003, OR 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.4–4.0). In subgroup analysis, there were significant differences in the frequencies of the uncommon TNFRSF1A 201T and TNFRSF1A 1135T alleles between HLA-B27 patients with inflammation-related complications and those without complications (80.0% vs. 33.6%, P 0.006; 80.0% vs. 36.6%, P 0.01, respectively).
the conStruction of attituDinaL JuDgmentS: eViDence from attituDe certainty anD reSponSe Latency

Some researchers regard social attitudes as enduring predispositions, whereas others argue that they are constructed on the spot on the basis of accessible information. According to the sampling model proposed, certainty in one's attitude and the latency of forming that attitude track the online construction of the attitude and provide clues to the stable and variable contributions to attitude construction. An attitudinal judgment is based on a sample of accessible representations drawn from a large base of representations that are associated with the attitude object. Respondents behave like intuitive statisticians who infer the central tendency of a population on the basis of a small sample, and their certainty reflects the likelihood that a new sample will yield the same evaluation. Results on within-person consistency and cross-person consensus provided support for the model. Judgments that deviated from the person's own modal judgment or from the consensually held judgment took relatively longer to fo.
IR / 0 11 00 53 v 1 2 6 O ct 2 00 1 Machine Learning in Automated Text Categorization

The automated categorization (or classification) of texts into predefined categories has witnessed a booming interest in the last ten years, due to the increased availability of documents in digital form and the ensuing need to organize them. In the research community the dominant approach to this problem is based on machine learning techniques: a general inductive process automatically builds a classifier by learning, from a set of preclassified documents, the characteristics of the categories. The advantages of this approach over the knowledge engineering approach (consisting in the manual definition of a classifier by domain experts) are a very good effectiveness, considerable savings in terms of expert manpower, and straightforward portability to different domains. This survey discusses the main approaches to text categorization that fall within the machine learning paradigm. We will discuss in detail issues pertaining to three different problems, namely document representation, classifier construction, and classifier evaluation.
The Political Economy of Government-Issued Longevity Bonds

This article explores the trade-offs associated with government issuance of longevity bonds as a way of stimulating private annuity supply in the presence of aggregate mortality risk. We provide new calculations suggesting a 5 percent chance that aggregate mortality risk could "ex post" raise annuity costs for private insurers by as much as 5-10 percentage points, with the most likely effect based on historical patterns toward the lower end of that range. While we suspect that aggregate mortality risk does exert some upward pressure on annuity prices, evidence from private market pricing suggests that, to the extent that private insurers are accurately pricing this risk, the effect is less than 5 percentage points. We discuss ways that the private market can spread this risk, while emphasizing that the government has the unique ability to spread aggregate risk across generations. We note factors that might hamper such an efficient allocation of risk, including potential political incentives for the government to shift more than the optimal amount of risk onto future generations, and the possibility that government fiscal policy might allocate risk less efficiently within each generation than would private markets. We also discuss how large-scale longevity bond issuance might affect government borrowing costs, as well as political economy aspects of how the proceeds from such a bond issuance might be used. Copyright The Journal of Risk and Insurance, 2006.
Design tool for offshore wind farm cluster planning

Hasager, Charlotte Bay; Madsen, Peter Hauge; Giebel, Gregor; Réthoré, Pierre-Elouan; Hansen, Kurt Schaldemose; Badger, Jake; Pena Diaz, Alfredo; Volker, Patrick; Badger, Merete; Karagali, Ioanna; Cutululis, Nicolaos Antonio; Maule, Petr; Schepers, Gerard; Wiggelinkhuizen, J.; Cantero, Elena ; Waldl, Igor; Anaya-Lara, Olimpo; Attya, A.B. ; Svendsen, Harald; Palomares, Ana; Palma, Jose; Gomes, Vitor Costa ; Gottschall, Julia; Wolken-Möhlmann, Gerrit; Bastigkeit, Ilona ; Beck, Hauke ; Trujillo, Juan-José; Barthelmie, Rebecca; Sieros, Giorgos; Chaviaropoulos, Takis ; Vincent, Pauline ; Husson, Romain ; Prospathopoulos, John
EVALUATION OF THE CARDIAC REGENERATIVE POTENTIAL OF MESENCHYMAL STEM / STROMAL CELLS FROM DIFFERENT HUMAN SOURCES

As one of the main death causes worldwide, Cardiovascular Diseases, namely Acute Myocardial Infarction, have been the target of many intensive studies in order to develop new therapies capable of regenerating the damage caused by ischemia. Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells (MSC) have been considered a prime candidate for cell therapy based treatments and have shown encouraging results in several early clinical trials. Despite presenting several promising capabilities, namely the production of molecules with angiogenic and immunomodulatory properties, the invasive harvesting process of these cells from Bone Marrow (BM) still poses as a problem. Alternative MSC sources such as Adipose Tissue (AT) and Umbilical Cord Matrix (UCM) have been studied. This work had the intent of evaluating the performance of BM derived MSC in terms of paracrine action on regeneration (through a Scratch wound assay with the use of MSC-based conditioned medium), as well as to establish an in vitro assay to measure oxidative stress resistance to study MSC from each source (BM, AT and UC) by the addition of H2O2 to the culture medium. When compared to regular Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, BM-derived MSC conditioned medium presented enhanced pro-regeneration rates. However, further studies should be performed in order to statistically support these results. In terms of oxidative stress resistance, AT and UC derived MSC cultured under normoxia (20% O2) showed more resistance than BM derived MSC cultured in normoxic and hypoxic (2% O2) conditions. Since this protocol was implemented and optimized during this thesis, further studies should be performed in order to acquire the statistical significance needed to confirm the trends observed.
A computational study of two-phase viscoelastic systems in a capillary tube with a sudden contraction/expansion

Two-phase viscoelastic systems are computationally studied in a pressure-driven flow with a sudden contraction and expansion using a finite-difference/front-tracking method. The effects of viscoelasticity in drop and bulk fluids are investigated including high Weissenberg and Reynolds number cases up to Wi = 100 and Re = 100. The Finitely Extensible Non-linear Elastic–Chilcott and Rallison (FENE-CR) model is used to account for the fluid viscoelasticity. Extensive computations are performed to examine drop dynamics for a wide range of parameters. It is found that viscoelasticity interacts with drop interface in a non-monotonic and complicated way, and the two-phase viscoelastic systems exhibit very rich dynamics especially in the expansion region. At high Re, the drop undergoes large deformation in the contraction region followed by strong shape oscillations in the downstream of the expansion. For a highly viscous drop, a re-entrant cavity develops in the contraction region at the trailing edge which, in certain cases, grows and eventually causes encapsulation of ambient fluid. The re-entrant cavity formation is initiated at the entrance of the contraction and is highly influenced by the viscoelasticity. Compared to the corresponding straight channel case, the effects of viscoelasticity are reversed in the constricted channel: Viscoelasticity in drop/continuous phase hinders/enhances formation of the re-entrant cavity and entrainment of ambient fluid into main drop. Encapsulation of ambient fluid into main droplet may be another route to produce a compound droplet in microfluidic applications.
Applications of the van Trees inequality : a Bayesian Cramr-Rao bound

We use a Bayesian version of the Cramer-Rao lower bound due to van Trees to give an elementary proof that the limiting distibution of any regular estimator cannot have a variance less than the classical information bound, under minimal regularity conditions. We also show how minimax convergence rates can be derived in various non- and semi-parametric problems from the van Trees inequality. Finally we develop multivariate versions of the inequality and give applications.
Optical properties of mesoporous gold films

Mesoporous gold thin films on glass substrates were fabricated by sputtering of AuAl2 precursor films followed by a de-alloying etch. The resulting sponge-like Au films have very high internal surface area due to nanoscale pores and channels. Scattering is not significant and the optical properties for such nanostructured films were examined using ellipsometry and spectrophotometry. The complex refractive indices of the optically equivalent uniform smooth layer satisfy Kramers–Kronig (KK) self-consistency but have unusual dispersion relations and magnitudes for a film containing the amount of noble metal present. The reflectance at infrared wavelengths is neither metal- nor insulator-like, and the indices have unique dispersion curves.
Subexponentials in non-commutative linear logic

Linear logical frameworks with subexponentials have been used for the specification of, among other systems, proof systems, concurrent programming languages and linear authorisation logics. In these frameworks, subexponentials can be configured to allow or not for the application of the contraction and weakening rules while the exchange rule can always be applied. This means that formulae in such frameworks can only be organised as sets and multisets of formulae not being possible to organise formulae as lists of formulae. This paper investigates the proof theory of linear logic proof systems in the non-commutative variant. These systems can disallow the application of exchange rule on some subexponentials. We investigate conditions for when cut elimination is admissible in the presence of non-commutative subexponentials, investigating the interaction of the exchange rule with the local and non-local contraction rules. We also obtain some new undecidability and decidability results on non-commutative linear logic with subexponentials.
Chapter 8 Decision Support Systems

Given the complexity and large number of issues facing forest managers, computerized decision support systems are valuable tools for decision makers. Decision support systems can: provide support for planning, provide rationale for the allocation of scarce resources, allow the exploration of “what if” scenarios, and provide the ability to compare effects of different management strategies. When forest management must consider mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk. [Coleoptera: Scolytidae]), susceptibility and risk rating systems and simulation models are key components of decision support. This chapter reviews mountain pine beetle susceptibility and risk rating systems as well as several different approaches to simulation modelling with a specific focus on products developed and employed as decision support tools in western Canada.
Household Waste Management in High-Rise Residential Building in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Users' Perspective

The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) is primarily responsible for collecting and managing waste in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A significant amount of waste in Dhaka is not collected due to lack of infrastructure, funds and collection vehicles. Despites Dhaka’s limited waste management service, community based door-to-door waste collection from households to local waste bins is considered as a success. Informal waste recycling systems is also highly effective in waste recycling and job creations for the poor. Even though both horizontal and vertical expansion is prevalent in Dhaka, there has been an increasing trend in vertical expansion of the city in recent years as horizontal expansion is not possible due to barriers such as the built up urban core and low lying flood plains. Very limited number of studies has been conducted on waste management system in high-rise residential buildings in Dhaka. Therefore, this study focuses on the waste management scenario of high-rise residential buildings in Dhaka. The study is particularly interested in the socio-demographic, cultural and environmental features in high-rise residential buildings. The study identified key areas in waste management systems in high-rise residential buildings which is the avenue for future studies for integrating waste management strategies in high density residential development in Dhaka. Based on the findings, the study recommends a further examination of the integration of waste management infrastructure in the high-rise residential building development in Dhaka.
Calcium sulfate ameliorates the effect of aluminum toxicity differentially in genotypes of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

Abstract The effect of gypsum (CaSO 4 ) amendment in the reduction of Al phytotoxicity of blueberry cultivars differing in Al resistance (Legacy and Brigitta, Al-resistant and Bluegold, Al-sensitive) was studied in a Hoagland’s nutrient solution under acidic conditions for 2 weeks. Treatments were: Control (Hoagland solution), 2.5 mM CaSO 4 , 5 mM CaSO 4 , 100 µM Al (AlCl 3 ), 100 µM Al + 2.5 mM CaSO 4 , 100 µM Al + 5 mM CaSO 4 . Physiological, biochemical and chemical features of leaves and roots were determined to establish the amendment efficiency in the reduction of Al toxicity in these cultivars. Results showed that under Al toxicity the three investi-gated cultivars accumulated high Al concentrations in leaves and roots. These con-centrations decreased with CaSO 4 application. Statistically significant interactions among Al in leaves but not in roots ( p =0.719) and cultivars ( p <0.001), were found. The lowest Ca concentration was found in the most Al-sensitive cultivar (Bluegold) and the highest in the more Al-resistant cultivars (Legacy and Brigitta). Among the underlying processes affected by Al stress in these blueberry cultivars the most evident changes were exhibited by the Al-sensitive cultivar Bluegold, where the photosynthetic performance decreased showing a slight recovery in presence of gyp -sum amendment at the end of experiment. Instead, the more Al-resistant cultivar (Legacy) did not change its photosynthetic parameters in presence of the gypsum amendments during the treatment, whereas in Brigitta, only a slight recovery at the end of treatment was evidenced by the gypsum application. Thus, in relation to these parameters the gypsum amendment was efficient in complete recovery from the toxic Al effect in the Al-resistant cultivar Brigitta and a slight recovery of the toxic Al effect in the Al-sensitive cultivar Bluegold. Nonetheless, this amendment is a good alternative to ameliorate Al toxicity in Al-sensitive cultivars and additionally provides a good source of Ca and S.
Natural variation in arsenic toxicity is explained by differences in branched chain amino acid catabolism

Organisms are often exposed to the environmentally ubiquitous toxic metalloid arsenic, and genetic differences unique to individuals can cause differential susceptibility to arsenic. To understand how molecular mechanisms of arsenic toxicity vary among individuals, we used two genetic mapping approaches to show that a major source of natural differences in Caenorhabditis elegans responses to arsenic trioxide is caused by variation in the dbt-1 gene. This gene encodes the E2 subunit of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex, a core component of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism. We used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to show that a single non-synonymous variant (C78S) in the highly conserved lipoyl domain of DBT-1 is the causal polymorphism underlying variation in response to arsenic trioxide. Using targeted metabolomics and chemical supplementation experiments, we demonstrate that differences in C. elegans responses to arsenic trioxide are caused by variation in the abundances of iso-branched chain fatty acids that serve a central role in developmental progression. We hypothesize that the presence of the additional thiol group in the sensitive DBT-1 C78 allele participates in arsenic binding, thereby more strongly inhibiting BCKDH function. We go on to show that branched chain fatty acids are affected after arsenic treatment of human cells. This finding has broad implications for arsenic toxicity and for arsenic-focused chemotherapeutics across divergent individuals in human populations. Our study implicates the BCKDH complex and BCAA metabolism in arsenic responses, demonstrating the power of using C. elegans natural genetic diversity in combination with comparative metabolomics to identify mechanisms by which environmental toxins affect organismal physiology.
Distortion related to polarization-mode dispersion in analog lightwave systems

Analog transmission in single-mode fiber using chirped sources gives rise to nonlinear distortion when polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) is present. We investigate experimentally and theoretically two mechanisms for this distortion: for chirped sources, PMD in the presence of polarization-mode coupling results in second-order distortion that is proportional to the square of the modulation frequency; when polarization-dependent loss is present, an additional second-order distortion term occurs that is independent of modulation frequency. Both mechanisms give rise to distortion that is time varying due to the sensitivity of PMD to ambient temperature changes. Numerical examples indicate that these effects can limit the capacity of analog systems that use directly modulated semiconductor lasers. >
Successful stocking of a depleted species, spotted halibut Verasper variegatus, in Miyako Bay, Japan: evaluation from post-release surveys and landings

Post-release adaptation and stocking effectiveness of a highly depleted pleuronectid flatfish, spotted halibut Verasper variegatus, were assessed in Miyako Bay, Japan. In early July 2004 and 2005, 22 000 and 5000 hatchery-reared juveniles (mean 81.2 and 89.8 mm total length, respec- tively) were released in shallow waters in the inner bay area. Results from surveys with a 2 m beam- trawl conducted over a 2 mo post-release period, laboratory predation experiments using potential predators (age-1 Japanese flounder), and a market census continued until December 2008, suggested that released juveniles, which had a size refuge from predators, could quickly adapt to brackish water habitats where there were suitable physical conditions (temperature, salinity and sediments) and abundant prey organisms. Juveniles selectively preyed on epibenthic gammarids and cumaceans, and had full stomachs 1 wk after release. Some released fish grew to >40 cm by age-1+, feeding exclusively on larger crustaceans (e.g. isopods, carideans and brachyurans). Market census revealed that released fish showed >99% contribution to catches, and recapture rates for fish released in 2004 (7.6%) and 2005 (15.7%) were higher than for releases in 2000 to 2003 (0.7 to 5.0%), possibly due to the development and application of improved release strategies (i.e. release habitat, size and season was appropriate in 2004 and 2005). Our study demonstrates that (1) local depleted stocks can be effectively restored by hatchery releases and that (2) development of release strategies based on the analysis of ecological interactions between released juveniles and the target ecosystem can largely contribute to the successful restocking of depleted species.
Detecting Failure in Biological Systems : A Network Approach

Complexity surrounds us and presents a challenge for understanding. The Internet, power grids, railway and airline routes and interactions between all the proteins in a human are a few examples of complex networks. But complexity can be deceiving. About 70 years ago, a Hungarian writer speculated that any two individuals could be connected by at most 5 acquaintances. This small-world property of a very short path between randomly selected nodes, was later proved for networks of randomly connected nodes. At Columbia University, investigators measure the path between two individuals and experimentally verify the small world hypothesis (visit http://smallworld.columbia.edu ). These results suggest that simple rules may underlie many complex (i.e. large and irregularly connected) systems.
Milk Ring Test as Ready Aid to Diagnose Bovine Brucellosis in Lactating Cows of Tamil Nadu, India

In this cross sectional study 483 milk samples were collected from 483 lactating cows from selected districts of Tamil Nadu to detect antibodies against Brucella using Milk Ring Test (MRT). Overall, 4.35 per cent of milk samples were positive by MRT. The lactating cows were divided into 1st, 2nd to 4th and ≥5th lactation and the prevalence of Brucella were 2.94, 3.06 and 6.48 per cent respectively. Based on husbandry practices, the highest prevalence was recorded in unorganized farm sector (8.21%) followed by organized farm (3.84%) and single cow herds (3.63%). MRT can be used as a spot screening test. Presence of antibodies with their prevalence in organized and unorganized farms warrants a systematic preventive strategy that is used to control brucellosis.