Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of indoor air quality and resident health in an Arizona senior housing apartment building

A survey of key indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters and resident health was carried out in 72 apartments within a single low-income senior housing building in Phoenix, Arizona. Air sampling was carried out simultaneously with a questionnaire on personal habits and general health of residents. Mean PM10 concentrations are 66±16, 58±13, and 24±3 μg/m3 and mean PM2.5 concentrations are 62±16, 53±13, and 20±2 μg/m3 for the living room, kitchen, and outdoor balcony, respectively. Median PM10 concentrations are 17, 18 and 17 μg/m3 and median PM2.5 concentrations are 13, 14, and 13 μg/m3, respectively. The initial results indicate that increased indoor particle concentrations coincide with residents who report smoking cigarettes. Indoor formaldehyde concentrations revealed median levels of 36.9, 38.8, and 4.3 ppb in the living room, kitchen, and balcony, respectively. Results show that 36% of living room samples and 44% of kitchen samples exceeded the Health Canada REL for chronic exposure to formaldehyde (40 ppb). Associations between occupants’ behavior, self-reported health conditions, and IAQ are evaluated. Implications: This study provides a characterization of indoor air quality (IAQ) of subsidized apartments for seniors in Phoenix, Arizona. It is important for policy makers to understand the environments in which low-income seniors live, as they are vulnerable to the health impacts from poor IAQ. Formaldehyde concentrations were found to exceed the Health Canada 8-hr reference exposure level (REL) for up to 44% of indoor samples. Particulate matter exposure was governed by resident behavior (i.e., smoking). Associations between occupants’ behavior, IAQ, and self-reported health conditions are evaluated. This work can provide a foundation for subsequent remediation of IAQ conditions.
An intelligent medical Replenishment System for managing the medical resources in the healthcare industry

Due to rapidly ageing population, the need for care and attention homes for the elderly and patient with chronic illnesses has increased significantly in recent years. However, the continuous increase in operation and medical costs and the problem of drugs shortages bring increasing pressure to care and attention homes in regard to medical resource allocation. In such situations, patients may not receive appropriate treatment and hence dissatisfaction with the quality of service may result. Therefore, it is essential to have a decision support system to ensure that an optimal amount of medical resources are stored so as to maintain a sustainable healthcare service. In this paper, an intelligent medical replenishment system (IMRS) is proposed to assist healthcare workers in arranging the appropriate type and quantity of drugs, based on the needs of patients. In IMRS, artificial intelligent techniques, i.e. fuzzy association rules mining and fuzzy logic, are applied to evaluate the historical diagnosis records of patients and determine the amount and frequency of medical resources for replenishment. To validate the feasibility of the proposed system, a pilot study is conducted in a care and attention home located in Hong Kong. The result shows that the IMRS is effective in improving the healthcare service quality for the elderly in terms of the elderly satisfaction and medical resources fulfillment.
Managing sequential ambidexterity in the electronics industry: roles of temporal switching capability and contingent factors

ABSTRACT Researchers on organisational ambidexterity have proposed several solutions to address the potential conflicts between exploration activities and exploitation activities. Unlike simultaneous ambidexterity, sequential ambidexterity – defined as temporal switching between exploration and exploitation – has not been examined fully, and the conditions under which this temporal switching can be successful are unclear. This paper proposes the concept of temporal switching capability to better understand the process by which sequential ambidexterity is executed. In addition, we hypothesise that performance effects are contingent upon firm-specific factors: a firm’s business strategy and absorptive capacity. Utilising three sources of data – a secondary database, annual reports and a survey administered to 145 firms in the electronics industry with 10-year observations – we find support for our hypotheses. The results show that the temporal switching capability positively relates to new product performance and that business strategy type and absorptive capacity have moderating effects. The results are meaningful in both theory and practice.
Whorf: a visualization tool for software maintenance

Software maintenance programmers face the daunting task of understanding and modifying complex, unfamiliar programs that contain delocalized plans (conceptually related code that isn't located contiguously in a program). The authors' research shows that programmers use an as-needed strategy when searching for the delocalized components which they need to understand. They have developed a maintenance tool, Whorf, that provides explicit support for visualizing and understanding delocalized plans using an as-needed strategy. Whorf supports this strategy through multiple, concurrent views of the software with instant, easy access to additional views. It supports understanding of delocalized plans by providing hypertext links between views to highlight interactions between physically disparate components. A study comparing the usage of Whorf and paper documentation shows that the dynamic views and structure supported by Whorf provide information more quickly and easily than the static structure of paper documentation. <<ETX>>
On bounding a nonlinear system with a monotone positive system

How to bound the state vector trajectory of a nonlinear system in a way so that the obtained bound be of practical value is an open problem. If some norm is employed for bounding the state vector trajectory, then this norm should be carefully selected and the state vector components suitably scaled. In addition, practical applications usually require separate bounds on every state variable. Bearing this context in mind, we develop a novel componentwise bounding procedure applicable to both real and complex nonlinear systems with additive disturbances. A bound on the magnitude of the evolution of each state variable is obtained by computing a single trajectory of a well-specified “bounding” system constructed from the original system equations and the available disturbance bounds. The bounding system is shown to have highly desirable properties, such as being monotone and positive. We provide preliminary results establishing that key stability features are preserved by the bounding system for systems in triangular form.
Analysis of Gene Transcription in Cells Lacking DNA-PK Activity

Abstract Bryntesson, F. , Regan, J. C. , Jeggo, P. A. , Taccioli, G. E. and Hubank, M. Analysis of Gene Transcription in Cells Lacking DNA-PK Activity. Radiat. Res. 156, 167–176 (2001). The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), comprised of the Ku70/Ku80 (now known as G22p1/Xrcc5) heterodimer and the catalytic subunit DNA-PKcs (now known as Prkdc), is required for the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. The mechanism of action of DNA-PK remains unclear. We have investigated whether DNA-PK regulates gene transcription in vivo after DNA damage using the subtractive hybridization technique of cDNA representational difference analysis (cDNA RDA). Differential transcription, both radiation-dependent and independent, was detected and confirmed in primary mouse embryo fibroblasts from DNA-PKcs–/– and DNA-PKcs+/+ mice. We present evidence that transcription of the extracellular matrix gene laminin alpha 4 (Lama4) is regulated by DNA-PK in a radiation-independent manner. However, screening of both primary and immortalized DNA-PKcs-deficient cell lines demonstrates that the majority of differences were not consistently dependent on DNA-PK status. Similar results were obtained in experiments using KU mutant hamster cell lines, indicating heterogeneity of transcription between closely related cell lines. Our results suggest that while DNA-PK may be involved in limited gene-specific transcription, it does not play a major role in the transcriptional response to DNA damage.
Human POLB Gene Is Mutated in High Percentage of Colorectal Tumors*

Background: Previous small scale studies indicate that DNA polymerase β variants are present in 30% of human tumors. Results: 40% of samples in a large human colorectal tumor collection harbor coding region variants, many of which exhibit altered function. Conclusion: Aberrant activity or fidelity phenotypes exhibited by variants may contribute to tumorigenesis. Significance: Expression of variants in human tumors plays a role in driving carcinogenesis. Previous small scale sequencing studies have indicated that DNA polymerase β (pol β) variants are present on average in 30% of human tumors of varying tissue origin. Many of these variants have been shown to have aberrant enzyme function in vitro and to induce cellular transformation and/or genomic instability in vivo, suggesting that their presence is associated with tumorigenesis or its progression. In this study, the human POLB gene was sequenced in a collection of 134 human colorectal tumors and was found to contain coding region mutations in 40% of the samples. The variants map to many different sites of the pol β protein and are not clustered. Many variants are nonsynonymous amino acid substitutions predicted to affect enzyme function. A subset of these variants was found to have reduced enzyme activity in vitro and failed to fully rescue pol β-deficient cells from methylmethane sulfonate-induced cytotoxicity. Tumors harboring variants with reduced enzyme activity may have compromised base excision repair function, as evidenced by our methylmethane sulfonate sensitivity studies. Such compromised base excision repair may drive tumorigenesis by leading to an increase in mutagenesis or genomic instability.
Tracking differential incorporation of dissolved organic carbon types among diverse lineages of Sargasso Sea bacterioplankton.

Bacterioplankton are the primary trophic conduit for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and linking community structure with DOC utilization is central to understanding global carbon cycling. We coupled stable isotope probing (SIP) with 16S rRNA pyrosequencing in dark seawater culture experiments on euphotic and mesopelagic communities from the Sargasso Sea. Parallel cultures were amended with equimolar quantities of four DO(13) C substrates to simultaneously evaluate community utilization and population-specific incorporation. Of the substrates tested - two cyanobacterial products (exudates or lysates from a culture of Synechococcus) and two defined monosaccharides (glucose or gluconic acid) - the cyanobacterial exudates were incorporated by the greatest diversity of oligotrophic bacterioplankton populations in surface waters, including taxa from > 10 major subclades within the Flavobacteria, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Proteobacteria (including SAR11). In contrast, the monosaccharide glucose was not incorporated by any taxa belonging to extant oligotrophic oceanic clades. Conversely, proteobacterial copiotrophs, which were rare in the ambient water (< 0.1% of sequences), grew rapidly on all DOC amendments at both depths, but with different substrate preferences among lineages. We present a new analytical framework for using SIP to detect DOC incorporation across diverse oligotrophic bacterioplankton and discuss implications for the ecology of bacterial-DOC interactions among populations of diverging trophic strategies.
Increased RLS prevalence in children and adolescents with migraine: A case-control study

Background: Previous studies have reported an increased frequency of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in adult migraine patients. Until now, the frequency of RLS in pediatric patients has not been investigated. We set out to assess the frequency of RLS in children and adolescents with migraine compared to headache-free controls. Methods: We investigated 111 consecutive patients with a sole diagnosis of migraine with or without aura presenting to the Headache Unit at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and 73 headache-free controls for the presence of RLS using a semistructured interview. In addition, we assessed the level of daytime sleepiness by means of the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). A second group of headache-free controls was screened for the presence of RLS using an online questionnaire. Results: The frequency of RLS in migraine patients was significantly higher than in controls (22% vs. 5% (p < 0.001) and 8% (p < 0.001)). Discussion: This is the first study suggesting an association between RLS and migraine in the pediatric population. Future studies are needed to determine the extent of sleep disruption in children and adolescents with migraine and comorbid RLS.
DNA Binding by Cut Homeodomain Proteins Is Down-modulated by Casein Kinase II*

The Drosophila and mammalian Cut homeodomain proteins contain, in addition to the homeodomain, three other DNA binding regions called Cut repeats. Cut-related proteins thus belong to a distinct class of homeodomain proteins with multiple DNA binding domains. Using nuclear extracts from mammalian cells, Cut-specific DNA binding was increased following phosphatase treatment, suggesting that endogenous Cut proteins are phosphorylated in vivo. Sequence analysis of Cut repeats revealed the presence of sequences that match the consensus phosphorylation site for casein kinase II (CKII). Therefore, we investigated whether CKII can modulate the activity of mammalian Cut proteins. In vitro, a purified preparation of CKII efficiently phosphorylated Cut repeats causing an inhibition of DNA binding. In vivo, overexpression of the CKII α and β caused a decrease in DNA binding by Cut. The CKII phosphorylation sites within the murine Cut (mCut) protein were identified by in vitro mutagenesis as residues Ser400, Ser789, and Ser972 within Cut repeat 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Cut homeodomain proteins were previously shown to function as transcriptional repressors. Overexpression of CKII reduced transcriptional repression by mCut, whereas a mutant mCut protein containing alanine substitutions at these sites was not affected. Altogether our results indicate that the transcriptional activity of Cut proteins is modulated by CKII.
Social work with refugees in Zimbabwe

Social work practice with refugees requires specialized knowledge of this population. It also requires one to have knowledge of specialized adaptations and applications of mainstream services delivery and interventions which target refugees. These interventions seek to address the psychosocial and socio-economic challenges faced by refugees. As a result, social workers have a tall order addressing the flight and asylum experiences that typically confront refugees and asylum seekers. These experiences often bring pessimism on the part of refugees. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of the social work practice with refugees. It also unpacks the institutional framework under which refugee protection is carried out in the context of Zimbabwe. Such a background is important as it provides the basis for social work intervention to address the plight of refugees in the countries of their asylum and to help them adjust to the new life situations. The paper also delves into the refugee protection approaches that enhance social work intervention more appropriate. In the final analysis, the paper provides the solutions to the refugee plight and provides recommendations for social work practice. It is therefore the aim of this paper to present social work practice with refugees. KEY TERMS : social work, refugee, durable solutions, protracted refugee situation, encampment policy
The E2F transcription factor activates a replication-dependent human H2A gene in early S phase of the cell cycle

Histone gene expression is restricted to the S phase of the cell cycle. Control is mediated by a complex network of sequence-specific DNA-binding factors and protein-protein interactions in response to cell cycle progression. To further investigate the regulatory functions that are associated at the transcriptional level, we analyzed the regulation of a replication-dependent human H2A.1-H2B.2 gene pair. We found that transcription factor E2F binds specifically to an E2F recognition motif in the H2A.1 promoter region. Activation of the H2A.1 promoter by E2F-1 was shown by use of luciferase reporter constructs of the intergenic promoter region. Overexpression of the human retinoblastoma suppressor gene product RB suppressed E2F-1 mediated transcriptional activation, indicating an E2F-dependent regulation of promoter activity during the G1-to-S-phase transition. Furthermore, the activity of the H2A.1 promoter was also downregulated by overexpression of the RB-related p107, a protein that has been detected in S-phase-specific protein complexes of cyclin A, E2F, and cdk2. In synchronized HeLa cells, expression of luciferase activity was induced at the beginning of DNA synthesis and was dependent on the presence of an E2F-binding site in the H2A.1 promoter. Together with the finding that E2F-binding motifs are highly conserved in H2A promoters of other species, our results suggest that E2F plays an important role in the coordinate regulation of S-phase-specific histone gene expression.
Soil moisture retrieval in well covered farmland by Radarsat-2 SAR data

Crop drought is a terrible agricultural disaster across the globe, which has been widely studied with remote sensing optical data. However, soil moisture, a key parameter in crop drought monitoring which was hard for optical remote sensing data to estimate. SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) observation system is very sensitive to moisture in the soil, more importantly, the microwave which SAR systems used could penetrate the crop canopy into the soil. Water Cloud Model (WCM) is a common method of estimating soil moisture, which needs descriptor of the canopy. In order to reduce descriptor of the canopy error in the WCM, crop parameters are instead by Radar Vegetation Index (RVI). A new method was proposed to soil moisture estimation and application based on WCM and bare soil model. In the new model, crop parameter input ware replaced by RVI, which was calculated by Radarsat-2 SAR data. The result shows a good performance with no crop parameter was used.
Testing for a historical population bottleneck in wild Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi) using microsatellite data

The degree to which historical human activities negatively impacted past and present lemur species is a long‐standing question in primatology. At present, most evidence addressing this issue comes from archaeology, paleontology, and behavioral studies. Genetic data provide another source of evidence. In this study, six microsatellite loci, genotyped on more than 360 wild Verreaux's sifaka, are used in order to test the hypothesis that this population experienced a population bottleneck in the last 2000 years. Excess heterozygosity is compared with the heterozygosity expected under mutation‐drift equilibrium in order to test for the genetic signature of a rapid population contraction in the past. The results indicate that the sifaka population did not experience a population bottleneck. Various methodological and conceptual implications of this result are discussed. Am. J. Primatol. 70:990–994, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cumulative Prospect Theory, Deferred Annuities and the Annuity Puzzle

During the past few decades, there has been a steady shift from traditional defined benefit (DB) pension plans to defined contribution (DC) pension plans. In a DC pension plan, retirees have to make decisions on how to spend their accumulated retirement funds. Although it has been proved theoretically that annuities can provide optimal consumption during one’s retirement period, retirees’ reluctance to purchase annuities is a long-standing puzzle. Cumulative Prospect Theory (CPT), which considers both loss aversion and a probability transformation, can explain the low demand for immediate annuities during retirement. It also shows that retirees would be willing to buy a long-term deferred annuity at retirement. By considering each component in CPT, we find that loss aversion is the major reason that stops people from buying an annuity, while the survival rate transformation is an important factor affecting the decision of when to receive annuity incomes.
Computed tomography for dental implants: the influence of the gantry angle and mandibular positioning on the bone height and width.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the effect of deviation of mandibular positioning, by changing the gantry angle, on the measured height and width of dental implant sites in reformatted cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) scans. METHODS CT images of ten human dry mandibles were made in three gantry positions to simulate changes in patient positioning: (1) parallel to the lower base of the mandible (standard); (2) with a gantry inclination of +19 degrees ; and (3) with an inclination of -19 degrees . One examiner measured the bone height and width at selected sites in the images at three different times. Results were compared with a paired test in SAS 8.02. RESULTS In relation to bone height, when the jaws were inclined to the inferior direction (gantry angle +19 degrees ), there was no statistically significant difference for any region studied. There was a statistically significant difference for the incisor region when the jaws were inclined to the superior direction (gantry angle -19 degrees ). With respect to the width of the bone rim, there was a statistically significant difference only for the region of the molars when the jaw was inclined to the inferior direction and for the region of the canine, when the inclination was to the superior direction. CONCLUSIONS Errors in mandibular positioning of 19 degrees produced image discrepancies with regard to bone height and width which were not excessive. Thus, examinations do not have to be repeated owing to variation of mandibular positioning because the differences were lower than 10% of the value found for the standard position.
Structural Description of Agrammatic Comprehension

The trace-deletion hypothesis (Grodzinsky, 1990) holds that the comprehension deficit apparent in most agrammatic aphasics results from the absence of traces at the level of S-structure. This paper reports a test of this hypothesis in a case study of an agrammatic aphasic. Two experiments--one using a sentence-picture matching task, one using the truth-value judgment task-examined the comprehension of the matrix clause in center-embedded relatives such as, The tiger that chased the lion is big. These structures provide a crucial test of the trace-deletion hypothesis because comprehension of the matrix clause (i.e., knowing that the tiger is big and not the lion) is predicted to be unimpaired. Contrary to this prediction, however, the results of the present work show that comprehension of the matrix clause in such sentences is significantly impaired. We argue that a revised version of the trace-deletion hypothesis proposed by Hickok (1992a,b) can explain the present data and other previously unaccountable findings.