Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility to infectious diseases of childhood: A behavior genetics perspective

The aim of the study presented in the paper was to determine to what extend genetic and environmental factors participate in the formation of our susceptibility to childhood infectious diseases (epidemic parotitis, the measles, pertussis, roseola, and varicella). We have also endeavored to assess whether methods worked out within the field of behavior genetics may prove useful in estimating these influences. The study sample comprised two groups of same-sex MZ and DZ twins aged 3 to 10 and 28 to 40. The participants or their parents indicated which infectious diseases the subjects had gone through during their childhood. Model fitting analysis demonstrated, in accordance with our prior expectations, that the factors which have the strongest impact on the appearance of an infectious disease are shared environment and, to a lesser extend, nonshared environment (the input of the latter factor is more considerable in the adult group as compared to the children’s group). The genetic factor explains merely 5% of the susceptibility to infectious diseases in the children’s group and is insignificant in the adult group.
Using a Model of Ocean Currents to Control the Position of Vertically Profiling Marine Floats

We describe a methodology for control of vertically profiling floats that uses an imperfect predictive model of ocean currents. In this approach, the floats have control only over their depth. We combine this control authority with an imperfect model of ocean currents to force the floats to maintain position. First, we study the impact of model accuracy on this ability to station keep (e.g. maintain X-Y position) using simulated planning and nature models. In this study, we examine the impact of batch versus continuous planning. In batch planning the float depth plan is derived for an extended period of time and then executed open loop. In continuous planning the depth plan is updated with the actual position and the remainder of the plan re-planned based on the new information. In these simulation results, we show that (a) active control can significantly improve station keeping with even an imperfect predictive model and (b) continuous planning can mitigate the impact of model inaccuracy. Second, we study the effect of using heuristic path completion estimators in search. In general, using a more conservative estimator increases search quality but commensurately increases the amount of search and therefore computation time. Third, we discuss results from an April 2015 deployment int he Pacific Ocean and compare model accuracy and float control performance.
Title A Self-assembling Nanomaterial Reduces Acute Brain Injury and Enhances Functional Recovery in a Rat Model of Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) carries a high morbidity and mortality rate. High systolic blood pressure promotes hematoma growth. A self-assembling peptide (SAP) can achieve immediate hemostasis via formation of a SAP nanofiber scaffold (SAPNS). A minimally invasive aspiration of hematoma plus local delivery of SAPNS may lead to decompression of brain tissue and prevent hematoma growth. In a rat model of renovascular hypertension, experimental ICH was induced by a local injection of bacterial collagenase IV into the left basal ganglia. At 3.5 hours after induction of ICH, stereotactic clot aspiration or sham aspiration was performed manually. Following hematoma aspiration, an intrastriatal injection of 1% SAP, saline or sham injection was performed. Hematoma volume and brain swelling were quantified at 24 hours after ICH. Brain sections were immuno histochemically processed for myeloperoxidase and CD68 to detect the inflammatory infiltration in the perihematomal area. Perihematomal apoptotic cell death was determined using TUNEL staining. Functional recovery was assessed using neurological severity score and modified limb placement test at 1, 3, 7, 10 days after ICH. The combined treatment with hematoma removal and locally delivered SAPNS decreased hematoma volume, hematoma growth, brain edema, perihematomal inflammatory cell infiltration and apoptosis, as well as improved sensorimotor functional recovery. Locally delivered SAPNS after hematoma aspiration may prevent hematoma growth, facilitate the repair of ICHrelated brain injury and promote functional recovery. Such combined treatment may be effective in patients with hypertensive ICH. regular repeats of ionic hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids which are chemically synthesized and form extremely stable β-sheet structures in water. Thousands of peptides self-assemble to form a single nanofiber, and trillions of peptides or billions of nanofibers form the scaffold that contains ≈99.5% water and 0.5% peptide materials. The gelation process is charge dependent and accelerated either by changing to a neutral pH or by contacting physiological concentration of salt solutions. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image shows the scaffold after the assembly of all of the polypeptides (Figure 1). This peptide can form stable β-sheet structures and eventually turn into a hydrogel [8]. Previous studies in a hamster midbrain severed optical Citation: Sang LY, Liang YX, So KF, Leung GK, Ellis-Behnke RG, et al. (2014) A Self-assembling Nanomaterial Reduces Acute Brain Injury and Enhances Functional Recovery in a Rat Model of Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage. J Nanomed Nanotechnol 5: 224. doi: 10.4172/2157-7439.1000224
The Constraining Power of International Treaties: Theory and Methods

e acknowledge the contribution of von Stein (2005) in calling attention to the very real problem of selection bias in estimating treaty effects. Nonetheless, we dispute both von Stein’s theoretical and empirical conclusions. Theoretically, we contend that treaties can both screen and constrain simultaneously, meaning that ﬁndings of screening do nothing to undermine the claim that treaties constrain state behavior as well. Empirically, we question von Stein’s estimator on several grounds, including its strong distributional assumptions and its statistical inconsistency. We then illustrate that selection bias does not account for much of the difference between Simmons’s (2000) and von Stein’s (2005) estimated treaty effects, and instead reframe the problem as one of model dependency. Using a preprocessing matching step to reduce that dependency, we then illustrate treaty effects that are both substantively and statistically signiﬁcant—–and that are quite close in magnitude to those reported by Simmons.
Investigation of Data Assimilation Methods for Soil Parameter Estimation with Different Types of Data

Core Ideas Groundwater level data require EnRML for better interpretation. Different methods perform similarly when assimilating surface soil moisture data. Soil water pressure head data are the most valuable in terms of parameter estimation. MCMC performs well in homogeneous soil but degrades in heterogeneous soil. The EnKF method relies more on a relatively large number of ensembles than does EnRML.
Minimizing Wire Length in Floorplanning Xiaoping

Existing floorplanning algorithms compact blocks to the left and bottom. Although the compaction obtains an optimal area, it may not be good to meet other objectives such as minimizing total wire length which is the first-order objective. It is not known in the literature how to place blocks to obtain an optimal wire length. In this paper, we first show that the problem can be formulated as linear programming. Thereafter, instead of using the general but slow linear programming, we propose an efficient min-cost flow based approach to solve it. Our approach guarantees to obtain the minimum total wire length in polynomial time and meanwhile keep the minimum area by distributing white space smarter for a given floorplan topology. We also show that the approach can be easily extended to handle constraints such as fixed-frame (fixed area), IO pins, preplaced blocks, boundary blocks, range placement, alignment and abutment, rectilinear blocks, soft blocks, one-dimensional cluster placement, and bounded net delay, without loss of optimality. Practically, the algorithm is so efficient in that it finishes in less than 0.4 seconds for all MCNC benchmarks of block placement. It is also very effective. Experimental results show we can even improve the wire length of very compact floorplans by 4.2%. Thus it provides an ideal way of post-floorplanning (refine floorplanning).
The Effects of Alcohol on Intentions To Use Condoms.

This study addressed the hypothes is that intentions to use condoms are affected by alcohol intocicati on. Recruited for this research were 54 male students, who indicate d on a pretest that they were sexually active, usually used conamns, and were social drinkers. Subjects were divided into groups of two or three and then randomly assigned to the sober (n=24, no alc=ohol consumed) or the intoxicated (n=30, blood alcohol limit of 0. 08 pe rcent) condition. Each group watched a video vignette depictirsig ac ouple faced with the decision of whether or not to have unprotected sexual intercourse. Each participant then answered a questionnaire devised to assess subjects' predicted intentions to engage in sexual intercourse if they were in the situation presented in the video . Results indicated that, intoxicated subjects had more positive intentions to engage in sex without a condom and were more likely tow endo rse items justifying the decision to do so than did sober subjects. The findings were interpreted in terms of "alcohol myopia " -these not ion that.alcohol decreases cognitive capacity so that an indi vidua I attended only to the most salient cues of a situation. (RJM) *************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. *. ) **********v******************************W*************A.k******* The Effects of Alcohol on Intentions to Use Condoms Tara K. MacDonald, Mark P. Zanna, and Geoffrey T. Fong University of Waterloo "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY T /44CDoN/ILD TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office r)f Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 0 This document has been reproduced as receivsd from the person Or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reprodlion quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy This poster was presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles, California, in August, 1994. Correspondence regarding this research should be adoressed to Tara MacDonald, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1.
Role of Angiopoietin / Tie 2 in Critical Illness : Promising Biomarker , Disease Mediator , and Therapeutic Target ?

Critical illness is a descriptive, broad term for a serious clinical condition that can result from enormously heterogeneous etiologies. A common end feature these patients regularly suffer from is the so-called multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), o�en a consequence of organ hypoperfusion and ischemia, coagulopathies, overwhelming in�ammatory responses, immune paralysis and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mechanistically, endothelial injury and particularly microvascular leakage is a major step in the pathophysiology of MODS and contributes to its mortality. e angiopoietin (Angpt)/Tie2 system consists of the endothelial tyrosine kinase Tie2 and its 4 circulating ligands (Angpt1-4). e balance between the agonistic ligand “Angpt-1” and the antagonistic one “Angpt-2” regulates baseline endothelial barrier function and its response to injury and is therefore considered a gatekeeper of endothelial activation. is paper provides a systematic overview of the Angpt/Tie2 system with respect to (1) its role as a global biomarker of endothelial activation in critical ill patients, (2) its contribution toMODS pathophysiology as a disease mediator, and last but not least (3) putative therapeutic applications to modify the activation state of Tie2 in mice and men.
Connecting the Disconnected: Social Work and Social Network Analysis. A Methodological Approach to Identifying Network Peer Leaders

Social network theory and analysis (SNA) offers a useful conceptual framework and a robust set of methods for understanding, analysing, and representing the pattern of social interactions that surround individuals forming an overall network of ties. SNA provides both insights and applications regarding relational structures that may be consequential for individual and collective agency. Despite the fact that both SNA and social work focus on relationships and behaviour, and that each discipline could substantively inform the other, there remains a significant lack of intersection between the two disciplines. In response to this gap, SNA applied to social work can provide additional ways to both diagnose and intervene behaviourally through the following approaches: a) by identifying key players in promoting the dissemination of behavioral changes in networks; b) by segmenting and identifying groups, cliques and communities; c) by supporting behavioural change through social ties surrounding the individual; and d) by aligning and applying specific interventions that draw on mutually interactive processes in terms of individual influences on networks, as well as network influences on individuals. SNA provides social work with an additional lens and set of tools based on the constellation of interactions surrounding individuals, families, groups or communities that supports understanding, diagnosis, and intervention.
Modulated Extended Cumulative Exposure Model with Application to the Step-Up Voltage Test

The extended cumulative exposure model (ECEM) includes features of the cumulative exposure model (CEM) and the memoryless model (MM). These often used to express the failure probability model in step-stress accelerated life test (SSALT). The CEM is widely accepted in reliability fields because accumulation of fatigue is considered to be reasonable. The MM is also used in electrical engineering because accumulation of fatigue is not observed in some cases. The ECEM includes features of both models. However, this model is sometimes difficult to estimate their parameters. We propose here a modulated ECEM model based on the time-scale. A simulation study supports the applicability of the proposed model.
Biometric Differences Among the Dipper Cinclus cinclus Populations of Spain

Abstract. The length of the tarsus and wing, and the weight of the Dipper were measured in four mountain ranges in Spain (Cantabrian Mountains, western Pyrenees, the Central Mountains and Sierra Nevada). Birds from the Sierra Nevada were the largest but there were no significant differences among the other three areas. In the north, the range of the C. c. cinclus and C. c. aquaticus subspecies overlapped. In the south only aquaticus was present and in the central mountains only cinclus. The biometrics of cinclus in the north and centre were similar but aquaticus was larger in the south than the north. Spanish populations of C. cinclus thus appear to go against the predictions of Bergmann's rule. The residual index (RI) was calculated for individual birds from the regression of mass/tarsus length. RI was higher in males than females in the northern populations, but the same in the centre and south. According to this index, males (but not females) were heavier than the theoretical weight in the north and lighter in the centre and southern ranges. Some other variations in the Spanish populations are also discussed.
The Mercury Behavior and Contamination in Soil Profiles in Mun River Basin, Northeast Thailand

To determine the geochemical characteristics and contamination of soil mercury in the Mun River basin, northeast Thailand, the vertical mercury distribution patterns and mercury contamination levels in six soil profiles under different land uses are studied. A total of 240 soil samples collected from agricultural land, abandoned agricultural land, and woodland were analyzed by an RA-915M mercury analyzer to determine the total mercury (THg) content, which ranged from 0.13 to 69.40 μg∙kg−1 in the study area. In the soil cultivation layer (0–30 cm), the average content of THg in the woodland (15.89 μg∙kg−1) and the agricultural land (13.48 μg∙kg−1) were higher than that in the abandoned agricultural land (4.08 μg∙kg−1), indicating that the plants or crops could increase the content of mercury in the surface soil layer. The total organic carbon (TOC) and iron content with high positive correlations with the THg content significantly contributed to the adsorption of soil mercury. Moreover, a higher pH value in the soil and a finer grain size in soil texture can be beneficial for the enrichment of mercury. A geoaccumulation index was used to evaluate the contamination of mercury, showing that this area had a slight contamination, and a few soil sites were moderate contamination.
Performance and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Information Technology Industry

There are trade-offs between short-term and long-term effects of spending decisions. This is certainly the case when considering the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility measures. The purpose of our research is to explore the relationships among corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial success measures in the Information Technology and Telecommunications industry. More specifically, we examine the relationships between employee relations, an aspect of social responsibility, and accounting measures of efficiency and profitability. In addition, we investigate the relationship of these CSR aspects with Tobin’s Q, a measure of market success. Our findings suggest that positive relationships exist between employee relations and accounting and market measures of success. However, we find no evidence that a negative relationship exists between poor employee relations and our success measures.
Production and purification of polyclonal antibody against bovine immunoglobulins in rabbits

Antibodies are important tools in medical researches which have led to many advances in this field. Anti-bovine immunoglobulins and its conjugate with horse radish peroxidase (HRP) is used to diagnose cows’ disease by ELISA or western blotting tests. In this study, the production, purification and horse radish peroxidase (HRP) conjugation of polyclonal IgG against bovine immunoglobulins in rabbits were carried out. Three 6-month-old New Zealand White rabbits were immunized by bovine immunoglobulins in combination with Freund’s adjuvant. Purified antibody (using ion-exchange chromatography) was labeled to HRP. Direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the optimum titer and cross reactivity of HRP conjugated IgG. The purity of various IgG preparations was about 98%. The optimum dilution of prepared HRP conjugated IgG was 1:12800. This conjugated IgG has no cross reactivity with sheep and goat immunoglobulins at optimized dilution. This study showed that ion-exchange chromatography could be an appropriate method for purification of IgG antibodies.
Compression of Compiler Intermediate Representations of Program Code

Code compression reduces the size of a program to be stored on-chip in an embedded system. We introduce an algorithm that a compiler may use to compress its intermediate representation of a program. The algorithm relies on repeated calls to an exact isomorphism algorithm in order to identify redundant patterns that occur within the program, which is represented as a Control Data Flow Graph (CDFG). Repeated patterns are then extracted from the program, and each occurrence is replaced with a pointer to a single representative instance of the pattern. This algorithm can also be used to perform instruction selection for embedded architectures that feature specialized assembly instructions for dictionary compression. In experiments with 10 embedded applications written in C, the number of vertices and edges in the intermediate representation were reduced by as much as 51.90% and 69.17% respectively. An experiment using quadratic regression yielded strong empirical evidence that the runtime of the compression algorithm is quadratic in the size of the program that is compiled, under the assumption that no unrolled loops are present in the initial code that is compiled.
Breeding system and pollination of Pleroma trichopodum DC. (Melastomataceae): a potential species for the restoration of Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil

Plant-pollinator interactions and their reproductive implications are of central importance to the organization of plant populations and communities in restoration areas. We studied the breeding system and flower visitors of Pleroma trichopodum, a pioneer species of the Atlantic Forest. We attempted to answer three questions: (1) Is P. trichopodum dependent on pollinators and mates for reproduction? (2) What are the pollinators of P. trichopodum? (3) Do tree flower-density and flowering-tree density of P. trichopodum enhance the visitation rate of focal trees and their flowers? We tested the breeding system through pollination treatments. We performed focal observations on 10 trees and analyzed the relationship between tree and flower visitation rates, and the tree flower-density and flowering-tree density with Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM). Pleroma trichopodum sets fruits by selfing and outcrossing, both of which occur only through pollinator visits. Bees visited P. trichopodum, and their visitation increased with tree flower-density. Thus, individuals with greater floral displays may function as magnet species, enhancing the pollination of nearby plant species. This characteristic, allied with the ability to reproduce without a mate (selfing) and a tolerance of soggy soils, make P. trichopodum a candidate for Atlantic Forest restoration.
Healthcare Data Mining: Predicting Hospital Length of Stay of Dengue Patients

Dengue is regarded as the most important mosquito-borne viral disease. Recently dengue has emerged as a public health burden in Southeast Asia and other tropical countries. At times when dengue re-emerges as an epidemic, hospitals are required to be able to handle patient flow fluctuation while maintaining their performance. This research applied a data mining technique to build a model that can predict in-patient hospital length of stay from the time of admission, which can be useful for effective decision-making that may lead to better clinical and resource management in hospitals. Using the C4.5 algorithm and a decision tree classifier, an accuracy of 71.57% and an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve value of 0.761 were obtained. The decision tree showed that only 7 out of 21 input attributes affect the hospital length of stay prediction of dengue patients. The attribute with the highest impact was monocytes, followed by diastolic blood pressure, hematocrit, leucocytes, systolic blood pressure, comorbidity score, and lymphocytes. In this research also a prototype of a prediction system using the resulting model was developed.
MissBiN: Visual Analysis of Missing Links in Bipartite Networks

The analysis of bipartite networks is critical in a variety of application domains, such as exploring entity co-occurrences in intelligence analysis and investigating gene expression in bio-informatics. One important task is missing link prediction, which infers the existence of unseen links based on currently observed ones. In this paper, we propose MissBiN that involves analysts in the loop for making sense of link prediction results. MissBiN combines a novel method for link prediction and an interactive visualization for examining and understanding the algorithm outputs. Further, we conducted quantitative experiments to assess the performance of the proposed link prediction algorithm and a case study to evaluate the overall effectiveness of MissBiN.