Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Different Case Definitions of Current Smoking on the Discovery of Smoking-Related Blood Gene Expression Signatures in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

INTRODUCTION Smoking is the number one modifiable environmental risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Clinical, epidemiological and increasingly "omics" studies assess or adjust for current smoking status using only self-report, which may be inaccurate. Objective measures such as exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) may also be problematic owing to limitations in the measurements and the relatively short half life of the molecule. In this study, we determined the impact of different case definitions of current cigarette smoking on gene expression in peripheral blood of patients with COPD. METHODS Peripheral blood gene expression from 573 former- and current-smokers with COPD in the ECLIPSE study was used to find genes whose expression was associated with smoking status. Current smoking was defined using self-report, eCO concentrations, or both. Linear regression was used to determine the association of current smoking status with gene expression adjusting for age, sex and propensity score. Pathway enrichment analyses were performed on genes with P < . 001. RESULT Using self-report or eCO, only two genes were differentially expressed between current and ex-smokers, with no enrichment in biological processes. When current smoking was defined using both eCO and self-report, four genes were differentially expressed (LRRN3, PID1, FUCA1, GPR15) with enrichment in 40 biological pathways related to metabolic processes, response to hypoxia and hormonal stimulus. Additionally, the combined definition provided better distributions of test statistics for differential gene expression. CONCLUSION A combined phenotype of eCO and self report allows for better discovery of genes and pathways related to current smoking. IMPLICATIONS Studies relying only on self report of smoking status to assess or adjust for the impact of smoking may not fully capture its effect and will lead to residual confounding of results.
Environmental preferences of homeowners : Further evidence using the AHP method

A comparative study of perceptions concerning the environmental quality of residential real estate in Switzerland based on empirical data collected in three different linguistic regions is presented. Responses by homeowners in the Geneva, Zurich and Lugano areas to questionnaires involving pairwise preference criteria are analysed in the framework of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Eight different environmental quality criteria are used and responses are categorised in terms of indicators concerning the personal situation of the homeowner. The results show that environmental preference levels across the three cities are in the 7‐18 per cent range. It appears that perceptions are similar for four of the eight criteria, whereas notable differences exist for the other criteria. Some possible interpretations of these results are given. Finally, possible extensions to this study are discussed, in particular how the approach could be integrated in a more detailed spatial analysis of socio‐economic data in.
Estimation of Performance and Execution Time Effect on High-Frequency Statistical Arbitrage Strategies

This article is designed to help quantify one of the “slippages” that are often recognized in quant strategies. The idea is that whenever the actual executed prices are away (both time and size) from the model prices, the realized returns suffer. The slippage for a particular statistical arbitrage strategy is quantified. It is shown that a portion of the loss is due to using different prices for estimating the parameters of the strategy. The main source of the loss is the use of intraday in place of market on close prices. Five years of intraday transaction data from the NYSE TAQ database are used. Analysis shows that on average the daily loss due to intraday prices accounts for 0.03% of the initial capital. For the period 2003 through 2006, the accumulated loss is approximately 30%. The described approach can be of use to new quantitative analysts who create and backtest trading strategies. It could also be used during the due diligence process of a fund that is interested in investing in a statistical arbitrage strategy. This article recommends requiring that a backtest be done by using intraday and market on close prices in order to identify the size of such loss.
Analysis of DNA fragmentation, plasma membrane translocation of phosphatidylserine and oxidative stress in human spermatozoa.

UNLABELLED The objectives of this cross-sectional observational study were: (i) to detect DNA damage and plasma membrane translocation of phosphatidylserine in purified sperm populations of high and low motility, and (ii) to analyse their relationship with the endogenous generation of reactive oxygen species. Ejaculates from infertile men were examined following gradient centrifugation. The main outcome measures were: sperm motion parameters (assessed with a computer analyser), generation of reactive oxygen species (measured by chemiluminescence), DNA damage (detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling and monoclonal antibody labelling of single-stranded DNA) and translocation of membrane phosphatidylserine (examined with annexin V staining). DNA fragmentation and membrane translocation of phosphatidyl-serine were observed in the fractions with low and high sperm motility in all patients. The fractions with low sperm motility had significantly higher proportion of cells with DNA damage and production of reactive oxygen species than the fractions with high sperm motility (P < 0.005). DNA fragmentation was significantly and positively correlated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (r = 0.42; P = 0.02). IN CONCLUSION (i) spermatozoa from infertile men display translocation of membrane phosphatidylserine as diagnosed by annexin V positive staining; (ii) DNA damage (fragmentation and presence of single-stranded DNA) can be detected in ejaculated spermatozoa from infertile men in fractions with low and high sperm motility, and (iii) there is a relationship between DNA damage and oxidative stress.
17GHz Fine Grid Clock Distribution with Uniform-Amplitude Standing-Wave Oscillator

This paper presents an inductive-loaded standing-wave clock oscillator. By coupling the oscillators into mesh structure, multi-ten GHz uniform-phase/amplitude global clocks can be distributed over a whole chip. In the mesh structure, finer grid can be employed than the conventional standing-wave technique, and it makes the depth of clock tree very shallow. We designed and fabricated a 17.2GHz oscillator in a 0.18mum 6 metal CMOS technology. Low jitter less than 0.2% of the clock period has been achieved with 400mum transmission line that was less than 1/10 of the conventional one. The power consumption was 13mW at 1.8V supply voltage
Comparison of the FilmArray Respiratory Panel and Prodesse Real-Time PCR Assays for Detection of Respiratory Pathogens

ABSTRACT We compared the diagnostic performance and overall respiratory pathogen detection rate of the premarket version of the FilmArray Respiratory Panel (RP) multiplex PCR assay (Idaho Technology, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT) with those of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared Prodesse ProFlu+, ProFAST+, ProParaflu+, Pro hMPV+, and ProAdeno+ real-time PCR assays (Gen-Probe, San Diego, CA). The assays were performed on a panel of 192 nasopharyngeal-secretion specimens collected from 81 children under 1 year of age with upper respiratory tract symptoms. To resolve discordant results and confirm pathogens detected only by the larger FilmArray panel, we performed laboratory-developed real-time PCR assays. Among viruses detectable by both commercial assays (adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, parainfluenza viruses 1 to 3, and respiratory syncytial virus), the FilmArray and Prodesse assays showed good overall agreement (181/192 [94.3%]; kappa = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.79 to 0.94). FilmArray RP detected more parainfluenza viruses 1 and 3 than ProParaflu+ (18 versus 13) while ProAdeno+ detected more adenoviruses (11 versus 6), but these differences were not statistically significant. Additionally, FilmArray RP detected 138 pathogens (confirmed as true positives) not included in the Prodesse assays (rhinovirus [RV]/enterovirus [EV], 118; bocavirus, 8; coronavirus, 7; parainfluenza virus 4, 4; Mycoplasma pneumoniae, 1). FilmArray RP was cleared by the FDA following the completion of this study. The FDA-cleared version includes the following targets: adenovirus, coronaviruses HKU1 and NL63, human metapneumovirus (hMPV), influenza A virus (to type level only), influenza A H1 seasonal virus, influenza A H3 seasonal virus, influenza A virus H1-2009, influenza B virus, parainfluenza viruses 1 to 4, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and RV/EV (no differentiation). The larger panel in the FilmArray RP assay allowed the detection of additional respiratory pathogens compared to the Prodesse assays. In this population of young children with upper respiratory tract infection, RV/EV accounted for the majority of the additional pathogens detected by FilmArray RP.
Private Sector Training and Graduate Earnings

This paper uses a survey of British graduates to estimate the impact of employer-provided training on the earnings of men and women graduates. The results indicate that, although the training impact is reduced after controlling for endogeneity, some forms of training have a considerable impact. However, there are substantial gender differences in the earnings impact of various typ es of training. Moreover, men graduates are more likely to receive training than otherwise identical women. Copyright 1993 by MIT Press.
Automatic Music Genre Classification Using Bass Lines

A bass line is an instrumental melody that encapsulates both rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic features and arguably contains sufficient information for accurate genre classification. In this paper a bass line based automatic music genre classification system is described. "Melodic Interval Histograms" are used as features and k-nearest neighbor classifiers are utilized and compared with SVMs on a small size standard MIDI database. Apart from standard distance metrics for k-nearest neighbor (Euclidean, symmetric Kullback-Leibler, earth mover's, normalized compression distances) we propose a novel distance metric, perceptually weighted Euclidean distance (PWED). The maximum classification accuracy (84%) is obtained with k-nearest neighbor classifiers and the added utility of the novel metric is illustrated in our experiments.
SURGICAL IMPLANTATION OF RADIOTELEMETRY TRANSMITTERS IN EUROPEAN BADGERS (MELES MELES)

Abstract The suitabilities of two subcutaneous and two intraabdominal surgical approaches were evaluated for implantation of telemetry transmitters in the European badger (Meles meles). Two transmitters, one for heart rate and the other for body temperature, were needed in each badger. Five wild badgers were trapped, housed in an outdoor pen, anesthetized, and surgically implanted with one or two transmitters per procedure. A total of 16 transmitters were implanted, 10 subcutaneously and six intraabdominally, and each badger had up to three procedures performed. Six subcutaneous transmitters were placed over the chest wall and four on the dorsal aspect of the neck. Three intraabdominal transmitters were placed free in the abdomen and three were fixed to the abdominal wall. Eight of the subcutaneous transmitters were later damaged or dislodged, probably by mechanical friction, injuries from fighting, or wound licking. The intraabdominal implantation procedures were easier and faster to perform compared with subcutaneous procedures. Two of the free intraabdominal transmitters became thinly encapsulated, with some omental adhesions. The fixed intraabdominal approach for transmitter implantation is preferable in badgers.
Comments on the Symposium on Interest and Prices

The papers prepared for this symposium cover a great deal of ground. It is a pleasure to be able to respond to them, as this provides an opportunity to try to clarify some of the aims of my book (Woodford 2003) that may have been insufficiently clear in the original work. But I shall have to restrict my attention to only a few of the most important issues raised in the various papers. I shall consider three classes of issues in particular: the methodology adopted in the book, the role of “cashless” models, and the connection between my work and the Wicksellian tradition.
Total Effort, Competitive Balance and the Optimal Contest Success Function

This paper characterizes the optimal contest success function (CSF), if the contest designer's payoff is influenced by competitive balance understood as the uncertainty of the contest outcome. It turns out that, in the constrained case which focus on concave contest technologies, the value weighted CSF maximizes not only total effort, but every objective function which is increasing in total effort and competitive balance. In the unconstrained case, a first price all-pay auction with a reserve price is optimal only if the impact of competitive balance on the objective function is small. Otherwise, a modified value weighted CSF is optimal.
The Uneven Localisation of Climate Action in Metropolitan Seattle

As in other countries, public authorities in the US have initiated an array of experiments collectively designed to mitigate the threat posed by global warming. This paper considers the implementation of global climate protection in the Seattle metropolitan region of Washington State. Specifically, the discussion focuses on regulatory, institutional and investment changes within the handful of municipalities formally pledged to address carbon goals as articulated by their statutory participation in the US Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. While enrollment in such networked spaces has created crucial momentum for practical policy action, the hardest work is just starting: namely, transforming the physical, institutional, economic and cultural constitution of actually existing political communities. Interrogating new data gleaned from recent research on local ‘cool city’ developments, the discussion assesses overall progress within the context of broader debates in the extant literature on local planning and policy for global climate action.
A Two-Factor Term Structure Model under GARCH Volatility

There are several advantages of an analytical valuation model for bonds and bond options when the volatility of the short rate follows a GARCH process and is the second state variable driving the yield curve besides the short rate itself. One advantage over other stochastic volatility models of the term structure is that the time-varying volatility can be easily filtered from the observed history of interest rates. Hence parameter estimation is much easier, and so is the updating of values of bonds and bond options upon changes in volatility. Calibration of the model to the U.S. Treasury yield curve (for eight different maturities) indicates that the model does not significantly improve upon the nested one-factor model in terms of pricing a cross-section of spot bonds. The implied volatilities of options on bonds exhibit a much steeper skew when option prices are generated by the model. Thus the results indicate that the effects of random volatility of the short rate are manifested mostly in bond option prices, rather than in bond prices.
Management of Tourism Research Knowledge in Australia and China

Research is often considered the immediate precursor of economic success and innovation but from a knowledge management (KM) perspective it is only an input into a system with knowledge production, adoption, and innovation as components. This article examines and compares the history and characteristics of tourism research in Australia and China to analyse areas where improvements in KM implementation may be made. Overall the amount and breadth of research in tourism in both countries appears to have improved over the past several years. The paper suggests a need for research into improving the transfer of knowledge to tourism business operators and different models of knowledge transfer applied.
Fostering commonfare. strategies and tactics in a collaborative project

This paper contributes to the discourse on HCI and political economy, further developing theoretical concepts of strategies and tactics by drawing on the original work of French scholar Michel de Certeau. Strategies and tactics are developed and used as a lens to reflect and understand decisions made throughout an IT design process oriented toward infrastructuring social collaboration among people who are struggling financially. We demonstrate this by presenting the case of Commonfare, an EU funded project, and we focus, in particular, on the relationships between specific research and pilot project consortium partners. We explore decisions and actions that take place over four months between two milestones of the project - the first platform release, and a general assembly.
Early-Life Origins of the Race Gap in Men's Mortality∗

Using a life course framework, we examine the early life origins of the race gap in men's all-cause mortality. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Older Men (1966–1990), we evaluate major social pathways by which early life conditions differentiate the mortality experiences of blacks and whites. Our findings indicate that early life socioeconomic conditions, particularly parental occupation and family structure, explain part of the race gap in mortality. Black men's higher rates of death are associated with lower socioeconomic standing in early life and living in homes lacking both biological parents. However, these effects operate indirectly through adult socioeconomic achievement processes, as education, family income, wealth, and occupational complexity statistically account for the race gap in men's mortality. Our findings suggest that policy interventions to eliminate race disparities in mortality and health should address both childhood and adult socioeconomic conditions.
Country-level determinants of the shadow economy during 2005-2013: the case of Greece

In 2008, the average share of shadow economy in Europe was 19.4 percent, in 2012 – 19 percent, while in Greece these values of shadow economy were bigger: in 2008 – 24.3 percent and in 2012 – 22.3 percent of share of shadow economy. The scientists having researched shadow economy focused on the motives / reasons that prompt businessmen to operate underground. Shadow economy as a hidden factor is difficult to measure, making it necessary to use multiply observable indicators to approximate the extent of the shadow economy (Ruge, 2010). That is why such global organisations as the World Bank and others announce annual figures of shadow economy in most countries, including and evaluating their macroeconomic factors. The analysis of the scientific literature revealed that, in general sense, shadow economy emerges in such spheres as taxation, social security and labour aspects of undeclared work, so the aim of this article is not to measure the scope of shadow economy, but to identify what country-level determinants from the spheres mentioned above have the strongest impact on the scope of shadow economy in Greece during 2005-2013. The results of the research will enable to develop the recommended directions that could be followed seeking to reduce the scope of shadow economy in Greece. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n13p454
Space vector PWM techniques and high temperature super conducting PMSM machines with multilevel Inverter

This paper introduces the principle of space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM), and discusses a method for implementing the SVPWM based on MATLAB/SIMULINK, as well as modeling of AC servo system with permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). Simulation results show that the model is effective, and the method provides a frame of reference for software and hardware designs which can be applied in high temperature superconducting (HTS). PMSM are widely used in low and mid power applications such as computer peripheral equipments, robotics, adjustable speed drives and electric vehicles. The growth in the market of PMSM motor drives has demanded the need of simulation tool capable of handling motor drive simulations.
A Framework for the development of social and socioeconomic indicators for sustainable tourism in communities

This article presents a framework for the development of social indicators to measure the impact of tourism on communities. It is a research project funded by Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) and emanates from the Green Globe 21 Standard that incorporates indicators for the environmental impact of tourism and seeks to develop other indicators. The article provides the theoretical background to the concept of sustainable tourism and examines the preliminary findings of the key themes from some exploratory research. It also examines the main literature in the field, extracts the key impacts such as overdevelopment, the relationship between tourists and residents, the management of tourist flows, and the facilities that are created as a result of increased tourism. These impacts are then examined against the exploratory research undertaken. The article concludes with a potential list of indicators to be used for measuring the social and socioeconomic impacts of tourism on communities.
Instabilities and Bifurcations of a DFB Laser Frequency-Stabilized by a High-Finesse Resonator

Recently reported miniature configurations with semiconductor distributed feedback lasers under resonant feedback are considered theoretically. Limiting instabilities and bifurcations are systematically explored by combining the theory of chirp reduction and a bifurcation analysis. It is shown that the regime of optimal chirp reduction also exhibits the best local stability. It suffers only from undamping of relaxation oscillations in a finite interval of feedback strength. The existence of a separate strong-feedback regime with high stability is consistent with the two experiments available so far. We regard this feature as a generic specificum of miniature configurations not known from large-scale setups. This regime can open new prospects for applications of compact frequency-stabilized semiconductor lasers with extremely low noise and small line width.
Evaluation of Stored Body Fat in Nuisance-Killed Japanese Black Bears (Ursus Thibetanus Japonicus)

We evaluated the stored body fat of Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) killed as nuisances in Gifu and Fukushima prefectures, Japan, during 2005–2007. We employed femur marrow fat (FMF), modified kidney fat index (mKFI), and abdominal subcutaneous fat (ASF) as indices for quantitative evaluation. We examined the basic characteristics of these indices, such as seasonality, age and sex dependency, and the quantitative relationship among them. mKFI and ASF increased towards the beginning of the denning period (December), while FMF was relatively stable throughout the sampling period (July–December). In cubs, all indices showed significantly lower values than in the older age classes. There seemed to be a catabolizing order between FMF and mKFI, but not between mKFI and ASF. We also evaluated the yearly change in the indices, and discussed its relevance to the incidence of bear intrusion into human residential areas. Bears nuisance-killed in summer (July–September) 2006 had a significantly larger amount of stored body fat than those killed in summer 2007, although the number of nuisance kills was larger in 2006 than in 2007. This suggests that poor nutritional condition is not a direct cause of bear intrusion.