Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Erythrogene: a database for in-depth analysis of the extensive variation in 36 blood group systems in the 1000 Genomes Project.

Blood group genotyping has recently developed into a clinical tool to improve compatibility of blood transfusions and management of pregnancies. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is rapidly moving toward routine practice for patient and donor typing and has the potential to remedy some of the limitations of currently used platforms. However, a large-scale investigation into the blood group genotypes obtained by NGS in a multiethnic cohort is lacking. The 1000 Genomes Project provides information on genome variation among 2504 individuals representing 26 populations worldwide. We extracted their NGS data for all 36 blood group systems to a custom-designed database. In total, 210 412 alleles from 43 blood group-related genes were imported and curated. Matching algorithms were developed to compare them to blood group variants identified to date. Of the 1241 non-synonymous variants identified in the coding regions, 241 are known blood group polymorphisms. Interestingly, 357 of the remaining 1000 variants are predicted to occur on extracellular portions of 31 different blood group-carrying proteins and some may represent undiscovered antigens. Of the alleles analyzed, 1504 were not previously described. The ABO/GBGT1/FUT2/FUT3 and GYPB/GYPC genes showed the highest degree of variation per kilobase coding sequence, and ACKR1 variants had the most skewed distribution across 5 continental superpopulations in the dataset. Results were exported to an online search engine, www.erythrogene. com, which presents data according to the allele nomenclature developed for clinical reporting by the International Society of Blood Transfusion. The established database deepens our knowledge on blood group polymorphism globally and provides a long-sought platform for future research.
The Anopheles Mosquito Microbiota and Their Impact on Pathogen Transmission

An ecosystem is composed of a biological community and its physical environment. A unique ecosystem is the metazoan digestive tract, which contains and interacts with many microor‐ ganisms, e.g. a single human gut contains 1013-1014 bacteria belonging to hundreds of species [4, 5]. These microorganisms are important for the host physiology, particularly in shaping the mucosal immune system [6] and protecting the host against infections by colonization resistance [7].
Smaller core-sets for balls

Given a set of points <i>P</i> ⊂ <i>R</i><sup><i>d</i></sup> and value ∊ > 0, an ∊-core-set <i>S</i> ⊂ <i>P</i> has the property that the smallest ball containing <i>S</i> is an ∊-approximation of the smallest ball containing <i>P</i>. This paper shows that any point-set has an ∊-core-set of size [2/∊]. We also give a fast algorithm that finds this core-set. These results imply the existence of small core-sets for solving approximate <i>k</i>-center clustering and related problems. The sizes of these core-sets are considerably smaller than the previously known bounds, and imply faster algorithms; one such algorithm needs <i>O</i>(<i>dn</i>/∊ + (l/∊)<sup>5</sup>) time to compute an ∊-approximate minimum enclosing ball (1-center) of <i>n</i> points in <i>d</i> dimensions. A simple gradient-descent algorithm is also given, for computing the minimum enclosing ball in <i>O</i>(<i>dn</i>/∊<sup>2</sup>) time. This algorithm also implies slightly faster algorithms for computing approximately the smallest radius <i>k</i>-flat fitting a set of points.
Ambidexterity in SBUs: TMT Behavioral Integration and Environmental Dynamism

This study seeks to advance previous research by linking top management team (TMT) processes to organizational ambidexterity, and highlights the importance of environmental dynamism as a boundary condition on the effectiveness of TMTs in promoting balance between exploratory and exploitative learning. The findings from multiple respondents (245 TMT members, including the CEO of the SBUs, and 883 employees) in 101 small-sized strategic business units (SBUs) with a defined product line indicate that TMT behavioral integration helps build ambidexterity, but that the influence of TMT behavioral integration on ambidexterity is stronger when the task environment is characterized by a high level of dynamism. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the conditions under which behaviorally integrated TMTs are able to pursue an ambidextrous orientation in relatively small-sized units
Dealing with Uncertainty in Public Preferences for Rural Development Policies: A Contingent Valuation Survey

Domínguez-Torreiro M. and Soliño M. Dealing with uncertainty in public preferences for rural development policies: a contingent valuation survey, Regional Studies. Rural development programmes are currently envisaged as a means to foster the provision of a broad range of non-commodity outputs emanating from multifunctional rural environments. This paper presents a contingent valuation survey that analyses individuals' perceptions of and willingness to pay for the implementation of a rural development programme in Cantabria, Spain. Uncertainty in individuals' preferences is explicitly acknowledged and introduced into the analytical framework. For that purpose, a comparison is made between the open-ended and the multiple-bounded uncertainty elicitation formats. The expectation of a positive welfare change constitutes a sound argument in favour of regional rural development policies.
New Devolution: New Dangers for Local Government?

The late John Mackintosh opened his little classic book on devolution with a question: 'Why should the words "local government" induce a sense of boredom in even the most politically interested citizens? ' Going on, however, to analyse what he considered to be the weaknesses of local government a generation ago, he explained its importance in the broader context of regionalism and devolution within the United Kingdom.
Autonomous collective agreements as a regulatory device in European labour law: How to read Article 139 EC

This article discusses whether European social partners can derive the competence to autonomously devise European collective labour agreements from Article 139 EC (equals Article III-212 Constitution of Europe). Placing the question in the context of discussions of EU governance and private lawmaking in general, the author starts with a comparative overview of legal conceptions for collective labour agreements in Europe, focusing on three Member States` orders where their effects are not or only partly regulated by state legislation. Based on this comparison, she analyses Article 139(2) and offers a new interpretation of its provisions concerning autonomous implementation of European social partner agreements. She concludes that European social partners do have the competence to agree on a basic agreement stating the rules for European collective bargaining autonomously.
The Europhile Fringe?

The relationship between European integration and regionalist parties is still a largely unexplored area of research. In this paper, I evaluate whether regionalist parties perceive the European Union (EU) as an ally or an enemy. Using expert surveys, I assess the views of regionalist parties on European integration and I find that regionalist political parties are consistently pro-EU across time, space, and issue area. I find further support for this finding in a case study of the Scottish National Party.
Foreign ownership and investment: evidence from Korea

This study examines whether an increase in foreign ownership affects investment in Korea. Many studies have shown that in an imperfect financial market, a firm's investment depends on the availability of internal funds. If high foreigners’ shareholding is a sign of a firm's good financial position, and if foreign investors demand better corporate governance to protect their investments, then cash-flow sensitivity of investment decreases with the level of foreign ownership. Using data from Korean firms, it is found that cash-flow sensitivity of investment is lower in firms with high foreign ownership than in those with low foreign ownership. This finding is regarded as evidence for a potential benefit of open financial markets.
Perinatal Outcomes of Twin Pregnancies Discordant for Major Fetal Anomalies

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine perinatal outcomes of twin pregnancies discordant for a major fetal anomaly and to compare with twins without anomaly. Methods: All twin pregnancies admitted or referred to the maternal-fetal unit were prospectively entered into a computer database. Chorionicity, fetal anomaly, mean gestational age at delivery, birth weight and perinatal survival rate were reviewed. Main Outcome Measures: Mean gestational age at delivery, birth weight and perinatal survival rate of twins with and without anomaly. Results: There were 48 cases of monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA), 2 cases of monochorionic monoamniotic (MCMA) and 217 twins with dichorionic (DC) placentation. Out of 267 twin pregnancies, there were 17 (6.3%) twins with fetal anomaly. Twins discordant for a major fetal anomaly were diagnosed in 13 cases (4.8%). We observed 3 cases with MCDA and 10 cases with DC placentation and the incidence of discordance for a major fetal anomaly as 4.6% (10/217) in DC and 6.0% (3/50) in MC twin pregnancies. We identified 8 cases (62%) with craniospinal, 2 (15%) with gastrointestinal, 2 (15%) with urinary system, and 1 case (8%) with both craniospinal and gastrointestinal anomalies. There were significant differences between the normal co-twin of the major anomaly group (n = 13) and twins without anomaly group (n = 235) in mean gestational age at delivery (32 vs. 34 weeks; p = 0.029), mean birth weight (1,640 vs. 2,030 g; p = 0.022) and perinatal survival rate (69.2 vs. 91.1%; p = 0.018), respectively. Conclusion: The presence of a fetus with a major anomaly in a twin gestation increases the risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight and perinatal mortality of the normal co-twin.
A Robust Unsupervised Method for Fraud Rate Estimation

If one is interested in managing fraud, one must measure the fraud rate to be able to assess the degree of the problem and the effectiveness of the fraud management technique. This article offers a robust new method for estimating fraud rate, PRIDIT-FRE (PRIDIT-based Fraud Rate Estimation), developed based on PRIDIT, an unsupervised fraud detection method to assess individual claim fraud suspiciousness. PRIDIT-FRE presents the first nonparametric unsupervised estimator of the actual rate of fraud in a population of claims, robust to the bias contained in an audited sample (arising from the quality or individual hubris of an auditor or investigator, or the natural data-gathering process through claims adjusting). PRIDIT-FRE exploits the internal consistency of fraud predictors and makes use of a small audited sample or an unaudited sample only. Using two insurance fraud data sets with different characteristics, we illustrate the effectiveness of PRIDIT-FRE and examine its robustness in varying scenarios.
Child-evoked maternal negativity from 9 to 27 months: Evidence of gene–environment correlation and its moderation by marital distress

Abstract Past research has documented pervasive genetic influences on emotional and behavioral disturbance across the life span and on liability to adult psychiatric disorder. Increasingly, interest is turning to mechanisms of gene–environment interplay in attempting to understand the earliest manifestations of genetic risk. We report findings from a prospective adoption study, which aimed to test the role of evocative gene–environment correlation in early development. Included in the study were 561 infants adopted at birth and studied between 9 and 27 months, along with their adoptive parents and birth mothers. Birth mother psychiatric diagnoses and symptoms scales were used as indicators of genetic influence, and multiple self-report measures were used to index adoptive mother parental negativity. We hypothesized that birth mother psychopathology would be associated with greater adoptive parent negativity and that such evocative effects would be amplified under conditions of high adoptive family adversity. The findings suggested that genetic factors associated with birth mother externalizing psychopathology may evoke negative reactions in adoptive mothers in the first year of life, but only when the adoptive family environment is characterized by marital problems. Maternal negativity mediated the effects of genetic risk on child adjustment at 27 months. The results underscore the importance of genetically influenced evocative processes in early development.
Government Debt‐Threshold Contracts

Politicians tend to push the amount of public debt beyond socially desirable levels in order to increase their reelection chances. We develop a model that provides a new explanation for this behavior: office holders undertake debt-financed public projects, but postpone the timing of part of the output to the next term. This makes it difficult to replace them. As a consequence, the office-holders' reelection chances rise -- as does public debt. As a potential remedy for this inefficiency, we allow candidates for public office to offer government debt-threshold contracts. Such a contract contains an upper limit for government debt and the sanction that an office-holder violating this limit cannot stand for reelection. We show that such competitively-offered contracts contain low debt levels that limit debt financing and improve the citizens' welfare. When negative macroeconomic events occur, government debt contracts may be violated, and such shocks are stabilized.
Osteoporosis and vertebral fractures in ankylosing spondylitis

Purpose of reviewTo review the recent literature on the prevalence of osteoporosis, risk of vertebral fractures, and the recent advances in the treatment of osteoporosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Recent findingsNewer data suggest that the prevalence of osteoporosis is 25% and vertebral fractures is 10% in patients with AS. New advances in the field of osteoimmunology help explain the trabecular bone loss and generalized osteoporosis linked to increased expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANK-L) due to pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the simultaneous new bone formation (e.g. syndesmophytes) in areas of previous inflammation through suppressed Dickkopf-related protein 1 levels and increased WNT (wingless) signaling. SummaryOsteoporosis is a common problem for patients with AS. We recommend screening within 10 years of diagnosis. Suspecting and promptly recognizing vertebral fractures in patients with AS could prevent serious neurological complications. Although bisphosphonates and tumor necrosis factor-&agr; inhibitors look promising, further prospective trials on the treatment of osteoporosis in AS are needed.
Managing Coopetitive Tensions at the Working‐Group Level: The Rise of the Coopetitive Project Team

This study seeks to provide insights into the management of coopetitive tensions at the working‐group level. We theoretically discuss the principles of separation and integration and a combination of both to manage coopetitive tensions at this level. An in‐depth case study of a space programme conducted by two competitors − Astrium and Thales Alenia Space − was conducted. At the organizational level, according to the separation principle, we found that the coopetitors implemented a Coopetitive Project Team separated from the rest of their organization. At the individual level, according to the integration principle, we evidenced that project managers internalize the coopetitive paradox. At the working‐group level, we revealed a new principle, that of co‐management. The co‐management principle, in the case of dyadic coopetition, relies on the implementation of a dual, equally shared governance structure and a dual management committee. To efficiently manage coopetitive tensions, firms are combining the separation principle at the organizational level, the co‐management principle at the working‐group level and the integration principle at the individual level.
Opinion Representation and Policy Feedback: Canada in Comparative Perspective

Abstract. Work exploring the relationship between public opinion and public policy over time has largely been restricted to the US. However, a wider application of this line of research can provide valuable insights into whether and how representation varies across political systems. This paper takes a step in this direction using a new body of data on public opinion and government spending in Canada. Analyses reveal that the Canadian public notices and responds (thermostatically) to changes in public spending in particular domains, and also that Canadian policymakers represent these public preferences in spending. The extent and nature of public responsiveness and policy representation varies across domains. Relationships are more pronounced in certain domains, and they are more ‘specific’ in some domains and more ‘global’ in others. The findings generally accord with the results of similar work in the US and the UK, although the details differ in important ways. Indeed, the differences are strongly suggestive about the structuring role of institutions. Résumé. Les travaux portant sur la relation entre l'opinion publique et les politiques publiques se sont longtemps limités surtout aux États-Unis. Cependant, l'élargissement de cette piste de recherche peut fournir de précieuses connaissances sur les variations de la représentation au sein des systèmes politiques. Cette étude s'oriente dans cette direction en utilisant un nouveau corpus de données sur l'opinion publique et les dépenses du gouvernement au Canada. Les analyses révèlent que, dans certains domaines, la population canadienne observe les changements liés aux dépenses publiques et y réagit (de façon thermostatique) et que les décisionnaires canadiens traduisent les préférences de la population dans les dépenses. La portée et la nature de la réceptivité de la population ainsi que la représentation des politiques varient d'un domaine à l'autre. Les connexions sont plus étroites dans certains domaines, plus “ spécifiques ” dans d'autres et enfin, plus “ globales ” dans d'autres encore. En général, les résultats sont en accord avec ceux des travaux similaires menés aux États-Unis et au Royaume-Uni, malgré des différences importantes sur certains points de détail. En fait, les différences sont très évocatrices du rôle structurant des institutions.
Income Effects, Wealth Effects, and Multiple Equilibria in Trade Models with Durable Goods

We examine the conditions for multiplicity of equilibrium in a dynamic, two-country model of trade with a durable good of the type proposed by Shimomura (1993, 2004 ). If trade must balance in each period, we show that there will be a unique autarkic steady-state equilibrium and that the principle of comparative advantage will hold if the nondurable good is not inferior. A necessary condition for the existence of multiple steady-state equilibria with free trade is that the marginal propensity to consume a good be higher in the exporting country. We provide an example with three steady states where the "extreme" steady states are saddle points and the "middle" steady state will be either a source or a sink, depending on the intertemporal elasticity of substitution. If there is international lending, this example has the property that there is a range of initial endowments for which there are three distinct and Pareto-optimal (saddle) paths that can be equilibria. We also show that there must be a unique saddle path from any endowment point with international capital markets when preferences are identical, homothetic, and have constant intertemporal elasticity of substitution. Copyright 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Summer meeting 2007 – the problems with fresh produce: an overview

In Fall 2006, four separate outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce occurred in the United States. In follow‐up investigations, spinach, lettuce, and tomatoes were identified as the vehicles of illness. Epidemiologic investigations subsequently focused on finding the specific growing regions using traceback records. While the areas most likely involved in the outbreaks have been identified, the specific mode of contamination remains unconfirmed. Suspected risk factors in these cases include: proximity of irrigation wells and surface waterways exposed to faeces from cattle and wildlife; exposure in fields to wild animals and their waste materials; and improperly composted animal manure used as fertilizer. Difficulty in deciphering these and other on‐farm routes of contamination is due to the sporadic nature of these events. Hence, evidence to support these contamination modes is based largely on experimental studies in the laboratory and field. Still at issue is the relevance of internalization of pathogens, whether this occurs through the roots and plant vascular tissues of vegetables and fruits or through plant surfaces into cracks and crevices. Potential for these events, conditions under which the events occur, and pathogen survival following these events, are questions that still need to be answered. Answers to these questions will ultimately affect the type of interventions needed for application postharvest. Currently, many chemical and biological interventions can reduce surface pathogens and minimize cross‐contamination, however, they are largely ineffective on internalized pathogens. In the event internalization is a significant route of contamination in the field, physical interventions (irradiation and high pressure) may be needed to minimize risk. Ultimately, risk assessment studies will be useful tools in developing risk management strategies for the produce industry.
Neighbourhood Regeneration and New Labour's Third Way

In the Unted Kingdom New Labour has claimed to be pursuing a ‘third way’, with policy implications intended to break away from and/or move beyond established debates and policy alternatives. In this paper we explore, identify, and discuss what New Labour's third way means with regard to neighbourhood regeneration in England. The paper has two main aims: first, to review developments in neighbourhood regeneration policy and, second, to assess New Labour's third way in respect of neighbourhood regeneration. The paper is in four main parts. The first provides a broad-brush review of the New Right approach to neighbourhood regeneration in the form of the Thatcher and Major governments. This provides the point of departure for the second part, which discusses the Blair government's neighbourhood regeneration policies in terms of policy change or continuity in four substantive areas: welfare policy, housing policy, regeneration, and the institutional context for regeneration. The third part identifies some of the key themes in New Labour's approach and the final part draws some overarching conclusions.