Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Altered fat tissue distribution in young adult men who had low birth weight.

Numerous studies have implicated impaired early growth (low birth weight [LBW]) as a risk factor for the development of obesity (1) and type 2 diabetes (2). Obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and although the mechanistic basis is not fully known, several characteristics of the metabolically active visceral fat depot, including ready release of free fatty acids and adipokines into the portal circulation, have been proposed as potential mediators of whole-body insulin resistance. In contrast, leg fat appears to be protective against the development of glucose intolerance (3). Little is known about time of onset of fat accumulation and the regional distribution of fat tissue in LBW subjects. Previous studies have used indirect methods such as BMI, waist and hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio to assess adiposity and body fat distribution. The limitation of those measurements was recently demonstrated (4). We determined whole-body fat content and regional fat distribution by anthropometrical measurements (BMI and waist and hip circumference) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) (Norland XR-26 …
Distributed Storage in Mobile Wireless Networks With Device-to-Device Communication

We consider the use of distributed storage (DS) to reduce the communication cost of content delivery in wireless networks. Content is stored (cached) in a number of mobile devices using an erasure correcting code. Users retrieve content from other devices using device-to-device communication or from the base station (BS), at the expense of higher communication cost. We address the repair problem when a device storing data leaves the cell. We introduce a repair scheduling where repair is performed periodically and derive analytical expressions for the overall communication cost of content download and data repair as a function of the repair interval. The derived expressions are then used to evaluate the communication cost entailed by DS using several erasure correcting codes. Our results show that DS can reduce the communication cost with respect to the case where content is downloaded only from the BS, provided that the repairs are performed frequently enough. If devices storing content arrive to the cell, the communication cost using DS is further reduced and, for a large enough arrival rate, it is always beneficial. Interestingly, we show that maximum distance separable codes, which do not perform well for classical DS, can yield a low overall communication cost in wireless DS.
Effects of vertebral number variations on carcass traits and genotyping of Vertnin candidate gene in Kazakh sheep

Objective The vertebral number is associated with body length and carcass traits, which represents an economically important trait in farm animals. The variation of vertebral number has been observed in a few mammalian species. However, the variation of vertebral number and quantitative trait loci in sheep breeds have not been well addressed. Methods In our investigation, the information including gender, age, carcass weight, carcass length and the number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae from 624 China Kazakh sheep was collected. The effect of vertebral number variation on carcass weight and carcass length was estimated by general linear model. Further, the polymorphic sites of Vertnin (VRTN) gene were identified by sequencing, and the association of the genotype and vertebral number variation was analyzed by the one-way analysis of variance model. Results The variation of thoracolumbar vertebrae number in Kazakh sheep (18 to 20) was smaller than that in Texel sheep (17 to 21). The individuals with 19 thoracolumbar vertebrae (T13L6) were dominant in Kazakh sheep (79.2%). The association study showed that the numbers of thoracolumbar vertebrae were positively correlated with the carcass length and carcass weight, statistically significant with carcass length. To investigate the association of thoracolumbar vertebrae number with VRTN gene, we genotyped the VRTN gene. A total of 9 polymorphic sites were detected and only a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs426367238) was suggested to associate with thoracic vertebral number statistically. Conclusion The variation of thoracolumbar vertebrae number positively associated with the carcass length and carcass weight, especially with the carcass length. VRTN gene polymorphism of the SNP (rs426367238) with significant effect on thoracic vertebral number could be as a candidate marker to further evaluate its role in influence of thoracolumbar vertebral number.
Open data types and open functions

The problem of supporting the modular extensibility of both data and functions in one programming language at the same time is known as the expression problem. Functional languages traditionally make it easy to add new functions, but extending data (adding new data constructors) requires modifying existing code. We present a semantically and syntactically lightweight variant of open data types and open functions as a solution to the expression problem in the Haskell language. Constructors of open data types and equations of open functions may appear scattered throughout a program with several modules. The intended semantics is as follows: the program should behave as if the data types and functions were closed, defined in one place. The order of function equations is determined by best-fit pattern matching, where a specific pattern takes precedence over an unspecific one. We show that our solution is applicable to the expression problem, generic programming, and exceptions. We sketch two implementations: a direct implementation of the semantics, and a scheme based on mutually recursive modules that permits separate compilation
The Critical Incident as a Source of Structured Experiences for Group Therapy Courses

One of the basic problems in the preparation of group counselors is that of providing an instructional program that readily provides information about group counseling as well as experience in leading groups (Berman, 1975; Mayadas & Duehn, 1982). Typically, instructors require students to participate in some type of therapeutic group and use this experience as a basis for inculcating group leadership skills (Yalorn, 1975; Halgin, 1982). Although studies have shown that students who have participated in a group counseling experience increase their ability to provide the core conditions in individual counseling (Gazda & Bonney, 1966; Woody, 1971; Eiben & Clark, 1973), the influence of a group counseling experience on counselor effectiveness has not been clearly demonstrated (McKinnon, 1969; Nye, 1972; Ohlsen, 1975; Yalom, 1975). Training programs developed by Carkhuff (1969), lvey (1971), and Eagan (1975) may increase a trainee's ability to communicate more clearly and enhance his or her self-awareness level, but these factors in and of themselves do not necessarily lead to more effective counseling (Mahon & Altman, 1977). Studies on the use of a therapeutic group experience as a medium for the development of group leadership skills have shown mixed results, primarily because of the role confusion (i.e. client vs student) experienced by the students (Burton, 1969; Yalom, 1975). Yalom believes that the best training approach is one that incorporates observations of actual group therapy with a discussion that features a review of the process and an analysis of student feelings and attitudes. Revich and Geertsma (1969) have proposed a training model that uses a videotape of desired therapist behavior as a means of helping students to translate therapy events into theoretical concepts and to show how therapist activities influence client behavior.
To Help or Hinder: Real-Time Chat in Citizen Science

In this paper we investigate the implications of providing a real-time messaging interface in a Web-based citizen science game. Our study draws on data from two weeks of chat messages and survey responses collected from Eyewire, a highly successful citizen science game which enables players to take part in scientific enquiries, within a semi-gamified environment. Our analysis reveals that real-time chat facilitates and supports players for several types of engagement; to collaboration on tasks, knowledge sharing, learning, socialising, supporting other in the community, and to help sustain long-term participation. Based on the analysis, we derive a set of design recommendations for citizen science platforms designers, focusing on the role of real-time chat on improving participation and performance.
Conflict measure for the discounting operation on belief functions

In the belief function theory, the concept of conflict appearing while confronting several expertspsila opinions can serve for many purposes, and in particular it can be used as an indicator of the relative reliability of the experts. The traditional definition of conflict as the basic belief assigned to the empty set during the combination has several issues and in particular it may not adequately represent the disagreement between the experts in presence. Hence, we propose some alternative measures of conflict as the distance between belief functions. These measures of conflict are further used for an a posteriori estimation of the relative reliability between the sources of information. This estimation of the reliability does not need any training or prior knowledge and can then be used to discount the unreliable sources before the combination step. These measures are evaluated and debated on random basic belief assignments and on real radar data.
Exploring factors affecting part-time students academic success in Malaysian polytechnic institutions

This study investigated the role of demographic characteristics and employment variables in predicting adult learners’ academic success as defined by their cumulative grade point average (CGPA). The impact of work experience on students’ academic success was further examined. The sample consisted of 614 part-time students from four polytechnic institutions in Malaysia. Demographic characteristics studied included respondent’s age, gender, marital status, number of children, first-generation status, and financial resources. Employment variables assessed were number of years working, job relatedness to the program, job satisfaction, and monthly salary. The study identified six factors to measure the students’ perceived influence of work experiences—positive belief, negative belief, intrinsic motivation, learning orientation, deep learning approach, and surface learning approach. Results indicated that being an older student, being female, paying for their own education, and having high job satisfaction were statistically significant predictors of parttime students’ academic success. Academic success was affected moderately by the negative belief and weakly by intrinsic motivation. Positive belief was significantly influenced by deep learning approach, intrinsic motivation, and learning orientation. Negative belief was influenced by surface learning approach. Understanding the effects of demographic characteristics, employment variables, and the perceived influence of work experience on students’ academic success might help administrators and educators to effectively design teaching and learning strategies, assessment methods, and motivational and intervention programs to enhance part-time students’ academic success.
EFFICIENT USE OF CEREBRAL CORTICAL THICKNESS TO CORRECT BRAIN MR SEGMENTATION

Efficient, automatic and robust tools for measurement of cerebral cortical thickness would aid diagnosis and longitudinal studies of neurodegenerative disorders. In this work, we segment a 3D magnetic resonance image of the brain using an expectation-maximization approach. The definition of thickness used is based on the solution of Laplace's equation in the cortex. Unlike other works, finite difference equations for calculation of cortical thickness are generalized for anisotropic images in order to avoid resampling the input images. We also developed a method which combines information from the thickness estimation with the segmentation probability maps, in order to detect missegmented sulci and correct the segmentation accordingly.
Metformin opposes impaired AMPK and SIRT1 function and deleterious changes in core clock protein expression in white adipose tissue of genetically‐obese db/db mice

Aim: AMPK activates SIRT1 in liver and skeletal muscle. Impaired circadian function is associated with development of obesity. SIRT1 regulates circadian function and is suppressed in white adipose tissue (WAT) of obese patients. We examined the potential role of AMPK and SIRT1 in regulation of circadian components in WAT of obese db/db mice and in mice fed a high‐fat diet (HFD), and investigated whether metformin‐mediated activation of AMPK opposed any deleterious changes in the WAT clock mechanism.
Minor Protease Inhibitor Mutations at Baseline Do Not Increase the Risk for a Virological Failure in HIV-1 Subtype B Infected Patients

Background Minor protease inhibitor (PI) mutations often exist as polymorphisms in HIV-1 sequences from treatment-naïve patients. Previous studies showed that their presence impairs the antiretroviral treatment (ART) response. Evaluating these findings in a larger cohort is essential. Methods To study the impact of minor PI mutations on time to viral suppression and time to virological failure, we included patients from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study infected with HIV-1 subtype B who started first-line ART with a PI and two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Cox regression models were performed to compare the outcomes among patients with 0 and ≥1 minor PI mutation. Models were adjusted for baseline HIV-1 RNA, CD4 cell count, sex, transmission category, age, ethnicity, year of ART start, the presence of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor mutations, and stratified for the administered PIs. Results We included 1199 patients of whom 944 (78.7%) received a boosted PI. Minor PI mutations associated with the administered PI were common: 41.7%, 16.1%, 4.7% and 1.9% had 1, 2, 3 or ≥4 mutations, respectively. The time to viral suppression was similar between patients with 0 (reference) and ≥1 minor PI mutation (multivariable hazard ratio (HR): 1.1 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0–1.3], P = . 196). The time to virological failure was also similar (multivariable HR:.9 [95% CI:.5–1.6], P = .765). In addition, the impact of each single minor PI mutation was analyzed separately: none was significantly associated with the treatment outcome. Conclusions The presence of minor PI mutations at baseline has no effect on the therapy outcome in HIV infected individuals.
A systematic review assessing the extent of social marketing principle use in interventions targeting children (2000-2014)

Purpose – This study aims to review the extent that social marketing principles are applied in interventions targeting children published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2014. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed social marketing studies targeting children under the age of 12 years as their main audience. Twenty-three interventions were identified and analysed using Andreasen’s (2002) social marketing benchmark criteria including behavioural objective, audience segmentation, formative research, exchange, marketing mix and competition. Findings – All of the interventions analysed in this review targeted behaviours associated with either physical activity or healthy eating among children under the age of 12 years. Sixteen of the studies reported positive behavioural outcomes. None of the studies used all six of the Andresean (2002) benchmark criteria. Social implications – With growing concerns about the prevalence of obesity among c.
Strategi Self-Management Untuk Meningkatkan Kedisiplinan Belajar

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui penggunaan strategi Self- Management untuk meningkatkan kedisiplinan belajar. Tempat di SMP Negeri Ceria di Margoyoso Kabupaten Pati. Penelitian eksperimen ini menggunakan rancangan The Solomon Three-Group Design, dimana terdapat 3 kelompok yaitu kelompok eksperimen, kelompok kontrol 1 dan kelompok kontrol 2. Jumlah subjek penelitian 18 peserta didik dibagi masing-masing 6 orang dalam kelompok dengan karakteristik subjek penelitian kelas VIII dan berjenis kelamin laki-laki semua. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan skala kedisiplinan belajar dan dokumentasi. Hipotesis: ada perbedaan pengaruh kedisiplinan belajar antara sebelum dan sesudah penggunaan strategi self-management. Intervensi yang diberikan adalah konseling kelompok dengan strategi self-management selama 5x pertemuan. Kesimpulan: Ada pengaruh kedisiplinan belajar antara sebelum dan sesudah konseling kelompok dengan strategi pengelolaan diri pada ketiga kelompok terlihat dari hasil asymp. sig sebesar 0,001. Artinya konseling kelompok dengan strategi self-management (pengelolaan diri) efektif untuk meningkatkan kedisiplinan belajar.
Osmotic adjustment in leaves of sorghum in response to water deficits.

The relationships among the total water potential, osmotic potential, turgor potential, and relative water content were determined for leaves of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench cvs. ;RS 610' and ;Shallu') with three different histories of water stress. Plants were adequately watered (control), or the soil was allowed to dry slowly until the predawn leaf water potential reached either -0.4 megapascal (MPa) (treatment A) or -1.6 MPa (treatment B). Severe soil and plant water deficits developed sooner after cessation of watering in ;Shallu' than in ;RS 610', but no significant differences in osmotic adjustment or tissue water relations were observed between the two cultivars. In both cultivars, the stress treatments altered the relationship between leaf water potential and relative water content, resulting in the previously stressed plants maintaining higher tissue water contents than control plants at the same leaf water potential. The osmotic potential at full turgor in the control sorghum was -0.7 MPa: stress pretreatment significantly lowered the osmotic potential to -1.1 and -1.6 MPa in stress treatments A and B, respectively. As a result of this osmotic adjustment, leaf turgor potentials at a given value of leaf water potential exceeded those of the control plants by 0.15 to 0.30 MPa in treatment A and by 0.5 to 0.65 MPa in treatment B. However, zero turgor potential occurred at approximately the same value of relative water content (94%) irrespective of previous stress history. From the relationship between turgor potential and relative water content there was an approximate doubling of the volumetric elastic modulus, i.e. a halving of tissue elasticity, as a result of stress preconditioning. The influence of stress preconditioning on the moisture release curve is discussed.
Mapping the zoonotic niche of Marburg virus disease in Africa

Background Marburg virus disease (MVD) describes a viral haemorrhagic fever responsible for a number of outbreaks across eastern and southern Africa. It is a zoonotic disease, with the Egyptian rousette (Rousettus aegyptiacus) identified as a reservoir host. Infection is suspected to result from contact between this reservoir and human populations, with occasional secondary human-to-human transmission. Methods Index cases of previous human outbreaks were identified and reports of infection in animals recorded. These data were modelled within a species distribution modelling framework in order to generate a probabilistic surface of zoonotic transmission potential of MVD across sub-Saharan Africa. Results Areas suitable for zoonotic transmission of MVD are predicted in 27 countries inhabited by 105 million people. Regions are suggested for exploratory surveys to better characterise the geographical distribution of the disease, as well as for directing efforts to communicate the risk of practices enhancing zoonotic contact. Conclusions These maps can inform future contingency and preparedness strategies for MVD control, especially where secondary transmission is a risk. Coupling this risk map with patient travel histories could be used to guide the differential diagnosis of highly transmissible pathogens, enabling more rapid response to outbreaks of haemorrhagic fever.
Music classification using the bag of words model of modulation spectral features

In this paper, the bag of words (BoW) representation of modulation spectral analysis of spectral as well as cepstral features will be constructed for music genre classification. First, the modulation spectrum of each spectral and cepstral feature will be obtained through modulation spectral analysis of a longer texture window. Then, the BoW model of the modulation spectral features will be constructed and used for music classification. Experiments conducted on the music database employed in the ISMIR2004 Audio Description Contest have shown that the proposed BoW representation of modulation spectral features can achieve promising classification accuracy, particularly when it is combined with the BoW representation of frame features.
Bringing search engines to the cloud using open source components

The usage of search engines is nowadays extended to do intelligent analytics of petabytes of data. With Lucene being at the heart of the vast majority of information retrieval systems, several attempts are made to bring it to the cloud in order to scale to big data. Efforts include implementing scalable distribution of the search indices over the file system, storing them in NoSQL databases, and porting them to inherently distributed ecosystems, such as Hadoop. We evaluate the existing efforts in terms of distribution, high availability, fault tolerance, manageability, and high performance. We believe that the key to supporting search indexing capabilities for big data can only be achieved through the use of common open-source technology to be deployed on standard cloud platforms such as Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, etc. For each approach, we build a benchmarking system by indexing the whole Wikipedia content and submitting hundreds of simultaneous search requests. We measure the performance of both indexing and searching operations. We stimulate node failures and monitor the recoverability of the system. We show that a system built on top of Solr and Hadoop has the best stability and manageability; while systems based on NoSQL databases present an attractive alternative in terms of performance.