Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real-time estimation of disease activity in emerging outbreaks using internet search information

Understanding the behavior of emerging disease outbreaks in, or ahead of, real-time could help healthcare officials better design interventions to mitigate impacts on affected populations. Most healthcare-based disease surveillance systems, however, have significant inherent reporting delays due to data collection, aggregation, and distribution processes. Recent work has shown that machine learning methods leveraging a combination of traditionally collected epidemiological information and novel Internet-based data sources, such as disease-related Internet search activity, can produce meaningful “nowcasts” of disease incidence ahead of healthcare-based estimates, with most successful case studies focusing on endemic and seasonal diseases such as influenza and dengue. Here, we apply similar computational methods to emerging outbreaks in geographic regions where no historical presence of the disease of interest has been observed. By combining limited available historical epidemiological data available with disease-related Internet search activity, we retrospectively estimate disease activity in five recent outbreaks weeks ahead of traditional surveillance methods. We find that the proposed computational methods frequently provide useful real-time incidence estimates that can help fill temporal data gaps resulting from surveillance reporting delays. However, the proposed methods are limited by issues of sample bias and skew in search query volumes, perhaps as a result of media coverage.
Do Expert Panelists Herd? Evidence from FDA Committees

We develop a structural model to address the question whether, and to what extent, expert panelists engage in herd behavior when voting on important policy questions. Our data comes from FDA advisory committees voting on questions concerning the approval of new drug applications. We utilize a change in the voting procedure from sequential to simultaneous voting to identify herding. Estimates suggest that around half of the panelists are willing to vote against their private assessment if votes from previous experts indicate otherwise and, on average, 9 percent of the sequential votes are actual herd-votes. Temporary committee members are more prone to herding than regular (standing) members. We find that simultaneous voting improves information aggregation given our estimates.
Meiotic chromosome synapsis depends on multivalent SYCE1-SIX6OS1 interactions that are disrupted in cases of human infertility

Synaptonemal complex assembly depends on multivalent protein interactions between SYCE1 and SIX6OS1. Meiotic reductional division depends on the synaptonemal complex (SC), a supramolecular protein assembly that mediates homologous chromosomes synapsis and promotes crossover formation. The mammalian SC has eight structural components, including SYCE1, the only central element protein with known causative mutations in human infertility. We combine mouse genetics, cellular, and biochemical studies to reveal that SYCE1 undergoes multivalent interactions with SC component SIX6OS1. The N terminus of SIX6OS1 binds and disrupts SYCE1’s core dimeric structure to form a 1:1 complex, while their downstream sequences provide a distinct second interface. These interfaces are separately disrupted by SYCE1 mutations associated with nonobstructive azoospermia and premature ovarian failure (POF), respectively. Mice harboring SYCE1’s POF mutation and a targeted deletion within SIX6OS1’s N terminus are infertile with failure of chromosome synapsis. We conclude that both SYCE1-SIX6OS1 binding interfaces are essential for SC assembly, thus explaining how SYCE1’s reported clinical mutations give rise to human infertility.
The impact of inflation on income inequality: the role of institutional quality

ABSTRACT The inflation rate has ambiguous effects on income inequality, implying that the effects could be affected by another variable. This paper examines the implication of institutional quality on the relationship between inflation and income inequality. The two-step system generalized method of moment is applied to the unbalanced panel dataset which consists of 4-year non-overlapping average data from 1987 to 2014 for 65 developed and developing countries. The coefficients of inflation and institutional quality indicate that an increase in inflation will worsen income inequality, while better institutional quality will improve income inequality. Meanwhile, the effect of inflation will be mitigated by better institutional quality, suggesting the existence of a mediating effect from institutional quality. On the other hand, the marginal effects suggest that inflation and institutional quality will reduce income inequality. Thus, policymakers are advised to improve the institutional quality as it has a direct as well as an indirect impact on income inequality via its interaction with inflation.
Effect of Regular Classroom Tests on Learning and Understanding of Concepts in Chemistry

This study employed regular classroom tests as an intervention to help students learn and understand the concepts periodicity and chemical bonds in chemistry. The participants of the study were thirty four second year science students at Swedru Senior High School in the Central Region of Ghana. These students were taught for eight weeks and at the end of each week made to take an essay-type test on the concepts they have learnt within the week and the previous weeks. Questions asked were constructed with increasing cognitive demand to challenge students to reason and apply the principles learnt in solving them. Descriptive feedback in the form of written comments was provided against any incorrect responses which did not reflect understanding of concepts learnt. These strategies adopted improved the performance of students in the weekly tests as most of the responses students provided in the weekly tests reflected understanding of the concepts learnt. The regular classroom tests made students revised their notes throughout the term and hence improved their performance in chemistry.
Demographic profiling of life insurance ownership in the northern regions of Malaysia

The paper aims to provide the demographic profiling of life insurance ownership in the northern regions of Malaysia that could be generalized to the whole of Malaysia so that efforts could be taken to raise the market penetration rate of life insurance by insurers in promoting the purchase of life insurance to individuals who have not owned life insurance yet. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data through stratified random sampling to enable generalization of findings. The data were subject to binary logistic regression analysis. The major findings show that gender, education, ethnicity and income have a significant relationship with life insurance ownership. Life insurance policyholders (in the northern regions) of Malaysia are more likely the males, highly educated individuals, the Chinese and middle income earners. The paper proposes that efforts be taken to identify and encourage the females, less educated individuals, non-Chinese and low income earners who have not owned any life insurance to purchase one. The paper suggests that future studies can consider other geographical areas of Malaysia or the whole of Malaysia in demographic profiling for conventional and Islamic life insurance ownership separately, and for their different types of life insurance products.
Psychological Effects on Medical Doctors from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Outbreak : A Comparison of Whether They Worked at the MERS Occurred Hospital or Not, and Whether They Participated in MERS Diagnosis and Treatment

MethodsZZAfter the MERS outbreak was over, we conducted an online survey of doctors who worked at the hospitals in which exposure to MERS cases had been confirmed or who were directly involved in MERS diagnosis and treatment. The Patient Health Questionnaires-9 (PHQ-9) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) assessment methods were used to assess the severity of depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms among the 64 doctors participating in the survey.
The Effect of Music Teacher Education on Musical Taste of Music Majors

In this study, it was aimed to determine the level of change of music education students' musical taste after they have received four years of music education given within the scope of the Music Education Undergraduate Program. To achieve this purpose, a cross-sectional survey was employed. Therefore, 12 pieces were selected to represent each category of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century music, and the first, second, third, and fourth-year students were asked to score the pieces out of 7 according to their musical taste. The results show a linear trend decreasing from Baroque to 20th-century music. However, the year of education of the students does not have a significant effect on their musical taste.
Solution processed red organic light-emitting-diodes using an N-annulated perylene diimide fluorophore

In this contribution we report on solution processed red OLEDs based upon an N-annulated perylene diimide dimer, namely tPDI2N-EH, a red-light emitting molecule. OLED devices with the architecture of glass/ITO/PEDOT:PSS/EML/LiF/Ag (EML = emitting layer) were fabricated with EMLs comprised of tPDI2N-EH neat and blended with poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene, PFO), all solution processed from non-halogenated solvents. The photophysical and electrophysical performance of PFO:tPDI2N-EH-blend films with different composition ratios were investigated. The PFO : tPDI2N-EH-based OLEDs with a 2 : 18 ratio exhibited the best performance. The PFO:tPDI2N-EH-based OLEDs gave red electroluminescence with the emission wavelength of 635 nm and the CIE (international commission on illumination) coordinates of (x = 0.672, y = 0.321). OLEDs with EMLs fabricated using roll-to-roll compatible methods are also demonstrated.
Serum Levels of Intact Parathyroid Hormone, Calcium, and Phosphorus and Risk of Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Abnormal mineral metabolism is common among hemodialysis patients and has been associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates. Methods: A cohort of 532 hemodialysis patients was selected from nine hemodialysis centers in September 2012 and were prospec-tively followed-up for a median of 28 months. Unadjusted and adjusted (in terms of age, gender, dialysis vintage, body mass index, albumin level, and comorbidities) hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality associated with serum phosphorus, calcium, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were calculated, using Cox proportional hazards model. Results: In the unadjusted model, HRs of mortality for serum phosphorus < 4 mg/dL (reference: 4 - 6) and iPTH < 200 pg/mL (ref-erence: 200 - 600) were 1.61 (95% CI: 1 - 2.46) and 1.55 (95% CI: 1.06 - 2.27), respectively. After adjustment, the foregoing values were no longer signiﬁcant, and HRs for serum phosphorus level ≥ 6 mg/dL (reference: 4 - 6), calcium level ≥ 10 (reference: < 10), and iPTH ≥ 600 (reference: 200 - 600) were calculated to be 1.56 (95% CI: 1.09 - 2.22), 2.34 (95% CI: 1.21 - 4.51), and 1.59 (95% CI: 1.03-2.45), respectively. Meanwhile, signiﬁcant adjusted correlates of iPTH were serum alkaline phosphatase (r = 0.49), phosphorus (r=0.24), dialysis vintage (r = 0.21), age (r = -0.20), diabetes (r = -0.16), and serum calcium level (r = -0.13). Conclusions: While high serum PTH, calcium, and phosphorus levels could determine the mortality risk in hemodialysis patients, decreased serum phosphorus and PTH levels were in association with malnutrition and comorbidities and were not independent risk factors for mortality.
The Effect of Using Out-of-School Learning Environments in Science Teaching on Motivation for Learning Science

This study aims to determine the effect of using out-of-school learning environments in science teaching on motivation for learning science. It is a quasi-experimental study and it has been designed as pre- and post-test experimental study. The study was carried out with seventh grade students enrolled in a secondary school in the city centre of a metropolis of Turkey in 2018 within a period of 20 weeks. There were 28 students in the control group and 28 students in the experiment group. Students’ motivation for science learning was evaluated using the Motivation Scale for Science Learning. The scale was used as pre-test before the study, post-test at the end of the study, and follow-up test 12 weeks after the study. In the research, the application step was carried out by the science teacher and the researcher. In the control group, science teaching process was performed in accordance with the present science curriculum. Out-of-school learning environments related to the objectives of the current science teaching were used for the experiment group during the science teaching. The students in the experiment group visited out-of-school learning environments like nature trips, botanic parks, science fairs, science museums, natural history museums, the observatory, anatomy exhibitions, and energy parks for the subjects that were taught to them. It was found in the study that using out-of-school learning environments in science teaching had a significant effect in developing students’ motivation for learning science. Based on this finding, formal education of science students can be supported with out-of-school learning environments.
The role of combatives teaching in physical education

The publication provides new findings about the current role of combatives in school physical education. The methodology of work is based on a theoretical analysis of the issue in the literature and exploratory methods. The authors consider combatives comprehensively as valuable physical exercise, but also as a means of psychological and intellectual development and a tool for personality. Extensive research was carried out on the basis of search and study of more than 80 sources, including scientific publications in scientific databases, books, historical documents of the National Archive in Prague and curricula of nationwide level in three countries (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and France). Publication updates the findings about combatives teaching in physical education and expands the current state of knowledge about the detailed description of the combatives curriculum and its importance to the healthy development of youth. By comprehensive focusing on the issue, the monograph is intended for academics, researchers, as well as primary and secondary school teachers.
Essays on Competition, Corporate Financing and Investment: A stochastic Dynamic Approach.

This thesis contains four studies on economic and finance theory that analyze the effects of time, uncertainty and information on firms’ strategic and financial decisions. The first essay presents a game-theoretic model of dynamic signaling taking place in an evolving environment. The model is applied to study dynamic limit-pricing strategies under stochastic demand. The second essay analyzes the effects of short-term liquidity shocks and long-term solvency distress on corporate finance policies. The last two papers study corporate investment decisions under uncertainty. In one essay, investment project lifetime is shown to critically affect investment behavior. The last paper studies optimal divestment policies and the trade-off between the flexibility of partial divestment and the premium of full-firm sale.
To study the quality of life and its relation with socioeconomic status in thalassemic adolescents in a tertiary care center

Background and Objectives: A large number of children are afflicted by thalassemia in India which may significantly impact their quality of life (QOL); hence, we hypothesized that there exists a strong relationship between socioeconomic status and QOL. We thus designed this study to assess QOL in adolescents diagnosed with β thalassemia major and its association with socioeconomic status. Further, we also compared the QOL and socioeconomic status between thalassemic and nonthalassemic adolescents. Materials and Methods: We recruited 35 adolescents diagnosed with β thalassemia major and 35 nonthalassemics in the age group of 10-18 years who matched in age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Selected cases and their parents were administered using PedsQL 4.0 India/Hindi questionnaire to assess QOL and modified Kuppuswamy scale to assess socioeconomic status. Results: Almost half of the thalassemic adolescents, i.e., 51.4% had poor QOL, whereas 48.6% of adolescents in control group had high QOL. There was no statistically significant association between QOL and socioeconomic status in both groups. It was observed that the difference between QOL and socioeconomic class though not significant but was more pronounced in study group (P = 0.114) than control group (P = 0.594). The receiver operating characteristic curve for QOL parameters indicated that social domain was the major contributor to poor QOL in thalassemics. Conclusion: Our study showed that thalassemic adolescents had significantly poor QOL, social domain being the major contributor as compared to nonthalassemics. We propose that provision of subsidized organized care can negate the impact of poor socioeconomic status on QOL of thalassemics.
Experimental Investigation on the Pressure Drop of Air Flows Through Aluminum and Nickel-Chromium Metallic Foams for HVAC Applications

In this paper, a series of experimental data about the role of the metal foam thickness on the total air flow pressure drop is presented. The tested metallic foams are based on aluminum and nickel-chromium and they are characterized by a considerable value of porosity (>0.92) and by a number of pores per linear inches (PPI) close to 10. The measures were conducted in a range of air velocity values typical for HVAC fan-coils. Under these conditions, the flow regime into the pores is highly turbulent. It was demonstrated that below a threshold value of the ratio between the thickness of the porous medium (H) and the characteristic dimension of the pores (d), the dispersion of the pressure drop values from a sample to another one can be very high. This behavior can limit the industrial use of these materials. In addition, the results presented in this paper confirm that the pressure drop data obtained under highly turbulent conditions can be conveniently used in order to determine the inertia coefficient, C, of the metal foam.
Preliminary evaluation of the status of olive-infecting viruses in Morocco

Olive is one of the most ancient and important fruit tree crops in Morocco. Olive trees are affected by at least 15 viruses belonging to eight genera. Most of these viruses were isolated from symptomless trees and/or reported in a very limited number of trees. In order to check for the presence of olive-infecting viruses in Morocco, a preliminary survey was conducted during March-April 2014 and a total of 105 samples (cv. Picholine marocaine) were randomly collected from 15 commercial orchards located in three important olive-growing regions: Beni Mellal, Marrakech and Meknes. Samples were tested by RT-PCR, using specific primers, to search for the presence of eight olive viruses: Olive latent virus 1 (OLV-1), Olive latent virus 2 (OLV-2), Strawberry latent ringspot virus (SLRSV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV), Olive latent ringspot virus (OLRSV) and Olive leaf yellowing-associated virus (OLYaV). About one third (34.3%) of the trees were infected. In particular, the closterovirus OLYaV was the most widespread, as it was detected in 16.2% of the samples, followed by the necrovirus OLV-1 (8.6%), the oleavirus OLV-2 (3.8%), the cucumovirus CMV (2.8%), the sadwavirus SLRV (1.9%), and the nepovirus ArMV (0.9%). The fact that these infections are mostly latent and the increasing of national demand for propagation material of high sanitary standard call for the implementation of a cleanup using both heat therapy and in vitro propagation for the establishment of olive foundation blocks. Key-words: Olive trees, olive-infecting viruses, Morocco
Caries dental: influencia de los hábitos de higiene bucodental y de alimentación en niños en edad escolar

espanolIntroduccion: La salud bucodental es parte fundamental de la salud del nino. Para mantenerla es preciso instaurar unos correctos habitos de higiene oral y de alimentacion. El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer el estado actual de los habitos de higiene bucodental y de alimentacion en un grupo de ninos en edad escolar y su relacion con la caries dental. Material y metodo: Estudio observacional realizado en 130 escolares de edades comprendidas entre 3 y 12 anos. Se entregaron encuestas a los padres en relacion con los habitos de higiene oral y de alimentacion. Se les realizo a los ninos un examen oral para el diagnostico de caries. Resultados: La prevalencia de los ninos con caries es del 33%. Hay una relacion estadisticamente significativa (p Conclusiones: Se observan relaciones estadisticamente significativas entre determinados habitos y la caries. La educacion para la salud en la etapa de educacion infantil es fundamental para que el nino adquiera unos habitos de alimentacion y salud bucodental adecuados. EnglishIntroduction: Oral health is essential to children’s health. To maintain them it is necessary to establish a proper oral hygiene and nutritional habits. The aim of the present document is discover the current state of oral hygiene habits and nutritional habits that a group of school children and its relationship with decay. Patients and methods: An observational study was conducted on 130 school children, aged between 3 and 12 years old. Parents carried out surveys in relation to oral hygiene habits and nutrition. An oral exam was preformed on each child to diagnose decay. Results: The prevalence of children with caries is about 33%. There is a statistically significant relationship (p Conclusions: There is a statistically significant relationship between certain habits with the presence of decay. A health education in an early stage of childhood is essential for the child to acquire adequate oral health and nutritional habits.