Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polymorphisms in DNA repair genes and associations with cancer risk.

Common polymorphisms in DNA repair genes may alter protein function and an individual's capacity to repair damaged DNA; deficits in repair capacity may lead to genetic instability and carcinogenesis. To establish our overall understanding of possible in vivo relationships between DNA repair polymorphisms and the development of cancer, we performed a literature review of epidemiological studies that assessed associations between such polymorphisms and risk of cancer. Thirty studies of polymorphisms in OGG1, XRCC1, ERCC1, XPC, XPD, XPF, BRCA2, and XRCC3 were identified in the April 30, 2002 MEDLINE database (National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubMed Database: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez). These studies focused on adult glioma, bladder cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer (melanoma and nonmelanoma), squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and stomach cancer. We found that a small proportion of the published studies were large and population-based. Nonetheless, published data were consistent with associations between: (a) the OGG1 S326C variant and increased risk of various types of cancer; (b) the XRCC1 R194W variant and reduced risk of various types of cancer; and (c) the BRCA2 N372H variant and increased risk of breast cancer. Suggestive results were seen for polymorphisms in other genes; however, small sample sizes may have contributed to false-positive or false-negative findings. We conclude that large, well-designed studies of common polymorphisms in DNA repair genes are needed. Such studies may benefit from analysis of multiple genes or polymorphisms and from the consideration of relevant exposures that may influence the likelihood of cancer in the presence of reduced DNA repair capacity.
Iron Deficiency Anemia Is Associated with Menstrual Migraine: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE Association between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and migraine, its subgroups, or tension-type headache (TTH) has not yet been shown. This study aimed to determine whether there was an association between IDA and these disorders. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Gebze Fatih General Hospital, Kocaeli, Turkey. SUBJECTS Migraine and TTH patients, as well as healthy controls (N = 170/group), were investigated. METHODS Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Migraine and TTH groups (that included both sexes) and specific migraine subtypes (females only) were selected as dependent variables with sex, age, family history of migraine, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and IDA selected as independent variables. The migraine subgroups selected were as follows: (1) pure menstrual migraine (PMM) or menstrually related migraine (MRM) and (2) migraine not associated with menses (MNAM). RESULTS IDA was more common in patients with migraine than controls (21.7% vs 12.9%, P = 0.02). There was no association between IDA and TTH (15.9% vs 12.9%, P = 0.43). Family history of migraine (P < 0.001) and IDA (P = 0.03) were significant factors in the model of migraine. Age (P = 0.009), family history of migraine (P < 0.001), and IDA (P = 0.018) were significant factors in the model of PMM/MRM. Only family history of migraine (P < 0.001) was significant in the model of MNAM. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that IDA is significantly associated with PMM/MRM. Further research may determine whether the complex relationships between estrogen, iron metabolism, and dopamine dysfunction, and their effects on migraine, are underlying reasons for this association.
Dynamic Strategic Asset Allocation: Risk and Return Across Economic Regimes

We propose a practical investment framework for dynamic asset allocation across different economic regimes, which we illustrate using a sample of U.S. data from 1948 to 2007. We identify four regimes in the economic cycle and find that these regimes capture pronounced time-variation in the risk and return properties of asset classes. Time-variation is also observed in the risk of a traditional, static strategic asset allocation portfolio. In order to stabilize risk across the economic cycle we propose a dynamic strategic asset allocation approach, which has the potential to enhance expected return as well. The proposed approach is found to be robust to variations in the variable composition of the regime model and can easily be extended with different economic variables and/or additional assets.
The privatization of public interest: theorizing NGO discourse in a neoliberal era

This paper examines recent policy discussions on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their central role in the democratization of civil society. The author argues that the policy debate on NGOs exemplifies the conflict between liberalism and socialism, or more specifically between private interest and public good. The contemporary context of neoliberal economic policies and structural adjustment represents a vindication of liberal norms, and the ascendancy of NGOs is theorized in this context. An analysis of recent policy positions on NGOs and their role in promoting governance and development is illustrative of the complex ways in which NGOs, at local and international levels, are being incorporated into the neoliberal model of civil society.
Kinetics of Association of Myosin Subfragment-1 to Unlabeled and Pyrenyl-labeled Actin (*)

The kinetics of reaction of myosin subfragment-1 (S) with F-actin have been monitored by the changes in light scattering and in pyrenyl-actin fluorescence at 20°C, pH 7.5, and physiological ionic strength. The association rate constant of S to F-actin decreases about 10-fold as the molar ratio of bound S increases from 0 to 1. This decrease in k is most likely due to the steric hindrance of available binding sites by initially bound S. The apparent rate constant for association of S to bare filaments is 9 μM s, a value 1 order of magnitude higher than the one previously estimated from experiments in which S was in excess over F-actin. The anticooperative binding kinetics of S to F-actin are consistent with the negative cooperativity displayed in the equilibrium binding curves of S to pyrenyl-F-actin. Fluorescence titration curves of partially labeled pyrenyl-F-actin by S are sigmoidal, consistent with a 4-fold higher affinity of S for unlabeled than for labeled actin. This conclusion is strengthened by kinetic data of S binding to partially labeled F-actin, which exhibit a biphasic behavior due to the slower dissociation of S from unlabeled than from labeled actin.
The fate of volatile chemicals during wet growth of a hailstone

We develop and apply a mechanistic model for the study and prediction of volatile chemical partitioning during wet growth of a hailstone. The model estimates the fraction of a chemical’s mass in the impinging drops that is retained in a two-phase hailstone. It is derived from mass and rate balances over solute and water for steady accretion conditions. We applied the model using a modified Monte Carlo ensemble simulation approach to study the impact of chemical, environmental, and hail-specific input variables on the predicted retention fraction for six atmospherically relevant volatile chemical species, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, nitric acid, formaldehyde, and formic acid. Individual input variables found to significantly influence retention are the ice–liquid interface supercooling, the liquid water content of the hail, and the effective Henry’s constant. The retention fraction increased with increasing values of these variables. Conversely, the ice–liquid distribution coefficient and hail diameter were found to have negligible effects on solute retention. The overall range of simulated retention fraction was from 1 × 10−8 to 1, while ensemble mean retentions for fixed values of individual input variables ranged from 9 × 10−7 to 0.3. No single variable was found to control the extremes; rather they are due to combinations of model input variables.
An Inevitable Progress? Educational restructuring in Finland, Iceland and Sweden at the turn of the millennium

The article discusses how current changes in the system of reasoning about education in Finland, Iceland and Sweden are characterised by culturally woven patterns where marketisation strategies, for instance budget reform, are introduced as technically effective devices both for educating the best and to increase inclusion. This system of reason presupposes that the neo-liberalist restructuring changes are inevitable global phenomena and that they are a progress compared with the old arrangements, but is silent about socio-economic issues and the equity goals of the 1960s-1980s. The article also argues that school-based self-evaluation as a practice and as a language is a normalising technique that ensures that school actors will identify the obstacles encountered in the restructuring transition so that neither state nor other authorities intervene.
Characteristics of PBTI and Hot Carrier Stress for LTPS-TFT With High- $\kappa$ Gate Dielectric

In this letter, the characteristics of positive bias temperature instability (PBTI) and hot carrier stress (HCS) for the low-temperature poly-Si thin-film transistors (LTPS-TFTs) with gate dielectric are well investigated for the first time. Under room temperature stress condition, the. PBTI shows a more serious degradation than does HCS, indicating that the gate bias stress would dominate the hot carrier degradation behavior for LTPS-TFT. In addition, an abnormal behavior of the degradation with different drain bias stress under high-temperature stress condition is also observed and identified in this letter. The degradation of device's performance under high-temperature stress condition can be attributed to the damages of both the gate dielectric and the poly-Si grain boundaries.
Phytoplasma infection of a tropical root crop triggers bottom-up cascades by favoring generalist over specialist herbivores

Global interest on plant-microbe-insect interactions is rapidly growing, revealing the multiple ways in which microorganisms mediate plant-herbivore interactions. Phytopathogens regularly alter whole repertoires of plant phenotypic traits, and bring about shifts in key chemical or morphological characteristics of plant hosts. Pathogens can also cause cascading effects on higher trophic levels, and eventually shape entire plant-associated arthropod communities. We tested the hypothesis that a Candidatus Phytoplasma causing cassava witches’ broom (CWB) on cassava (Manihot esculenta Grantz) is altering species composition of invasive herbivores and their associated parasitic hymenopterans. We conducted observational studies in cassava fields in eastern Cambodia to assess the effect of CWB infection on abundance of specialist and generalist mealybugs (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), and associated primary and hyper-parasitoid species. CWB infection positively affects overall mealybug abundance and species richness at a plant- and field-level, and disproportionately favors a generalist mealybug over a specialist feeder. CWB phytoplasma infection led to increased parasitoid richness and diversity, with richness of ‘comparative’ specialist taxa being the most significantly affected. Parasitism rate did not differ among infected and uninfected plants, and mealybug host suppression was not impacted. CWB phytoplasma modifies host plant quality for sap-feeding homopterans, differentially affects success rates of two invasive species, and generates niche opportunities for higher trophic orders. By doing so, a Candidatus phytoplasma affects broader food web structure and functioning, and assumes the role of an ecosystem engineer. Our work unveils key facets of phytoplasma ecology, and sheds light upon complex multi-trophic interactions mediated by an emerging phytopathogen. These findings have further implications for invasion ecology and management.
Thailand Capital Flight through Trade with the US During Times of Political and Economic Instability

This paper investigates capital flight from Thailand to the US through trade misinvoicing during the period from 1990 to 2005. The evidence indicates that capital flight from Thailand to the US, valued over US$16,189 million, had been done through under-invoicing exports to the US rather than over-invoicing imports from the US. The major incentive for the movement of capital is investment, followed by political events in Thailand, and the most significant determinants of capital flight are the US T-bill rate, the deposit rate in Thailand, and the degree of overvaluation of the Thai Baht. Interestingly, the 1997 Asian economic crisis did not play a significant role in the capital movement through trade.
Multiple Time Series Analysis and the Final Form of Econometric Models

Univariate autoregressive moving average models for the endogenous variables of a dynamic simultaneous equations system can be interpreted as a form of solution of that system. This paper considers the interrelationships between the various representations of the system, and develops joint estimation and model selection procedures for the multiple time series model which arises as a multivariate representation of the individual autoregressive moving average models. A test of the restriction of common autoregressive parameters is incorporated. Two empirical examples are presented, the first concerned with a model of the hog cycle and the second with a model of the United States economy previously considered by Zellner and Palm.
The Concept of Workplace Performance and its Value to Managers

Managerial decisions about office design and the performance of work are frequently cost-based. This article replaces the commonly asked question of how to "measure" the effect of environmental design on productivity with a practical framework that values workspace environmental features in human terms. This integrative model of environmental comfort enables decision makers to organize and classify, in a coherent and sensible fashion, the wide array of information available about how workers are affected by the space in which they work. The model is illustrated by one company's experience applying this approach to practical decisions during a major office design, construction, and move.
Robust Sliding-Mode Control Design for a Voltage Regulated Quadratic Boost Converter

A robust controller design to obtain output voltage regulation in a quadratic boost converter with high dc gain is discussed in this paper. The proposed controller has an inner loop based on sliding-mode control whose sliding surface is defined for the input inductor current. The current reference value of the sliding surface is modified by a proportional-integral compensator in an outer loop that operates over the output voltage error. The stability of the two-loop controller is proved by using the Routh-Hurwitz criterion, which determines a region in the Kp-Ki plane, where the closed-loop system is always stable. The analysis of the sliding-mode-based control loop is performed by means of the equivalent control method, while the outer loop compensator is derived by means of the Nyquist-based Robust Loop Shaping approach with the M-constrained Integral Gain Maximization technique. Robustness is analyzed in depth taking into account the parameter variation related with the operation of the converter in different equilibrium points. Simulations and experimental results are presented to validate the approach for a 20-100-W quadratic boost converter stepping-up a low dc voltage (15-25-V dc) to a 400-V dc level.
[Neonatal hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus].

BACKGROUND Hyperglycemia in the neonate may be permanent or more frequently transient. Its treatment is still debated. PATIENTS AND METHODS The files of 19 infants with hyperglycemia were retrospectively analysed. Their birth-weights were more than 900 g and their gestational ages more than 27 weeks. Plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, islet-cell and insulin autoantibodies were measured in each patient. RESULTS Blood glucose ranged from 1.2 to 10 g/l (mean: 5.05 +/- 1.0), between the second hour and the 60th day of life. Four infants presented with permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus: they were small for gestational age. Hyperglycemia was noted from the first day of life. C-peptide levels were less than 0.1 pmol/ml and autoantibodies were absent. Two sibs had hypothyroidism, one patient had unclassifiable chronic diarrhea plus renal disease, the fourth patient had ventricular septal defect. The 15 other patients presented with a transient hyperglycemia that appeared lately (6.1 +/- 3.4 day of life). Hyperglycemia was induced by glucose infusion in five patients, by potentially hyperglycemic drugs in five others. C-peptide levels ranged from 0.01 to 0.76 pmol/ml (mean 0.29 +/- 0.11). One patient and his mother had insulin antibodies. Another patient had congenital heart abnormalities. Hyperglycemia required insulin therapy in 17 cases (four with permanent and 13 with transient hyperglycemia). CONCLUSION There are no clinical or biological features permitting foresee the duration of neonatal hyperglycemia. Each patient with birth-weight below 2,500 g should be given insulin when glucosemia remains above 1.3 g/l and his weight does not increase.
Effectiveness of a lateral-wedge insole on knee varus torque in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES To test whether a lateral-wedged insole, inclined at 5 degrees or 10 degrees, significantly reduces knee varus torque during walking in patients with knee osteoarthritis compared with both using no insole and with wearing nonwedged control insoles of the same material and average thickness. DESIGN Patients with medial knee osteoarthritis were studied while they walked wearing their comfortable shoes (1) without an insole; (2) with a 5 degrees lateral wedge compared with a nonwedged, 3.175-mm (1/8-in) even-thickness control insole; and (3) with a 10 degrees lateral wedge compared with a nonwedged 6.35-mm ((1/4)-in) even-thickness control insole. SETTING A gait laboratory with 3-dimensional motion analysis and force platform equipment. PARTICIPANTS Fifteen patients with clinical and radiographic osteoarthritis of the medial compartment of 1 knee. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Peak external knee varus torques during the stance period of gait. Data regarding lower-extremity joint torques and motions were collected, and knee joint torques using the different insoles and wedges were compared by analysis of variance. RESULTS Although responses varied among individuals, as a group, both the 5 degrees and 10 degrees lateral-wedge insoles significantly reduced the knee varus torque during walking compared with walking with no insole and walking with nonwedged 3.175-mm and 6.35-mm control insoles. Compared with no insole, the 5 degrees wedge reduced the peak knee varus torque values by about 6% and the 10 degrees wedge reduced the peaks by about 8%. Although there were no significant differences in speed of walking between the conditions, the 10 degrees wedge and 6.35-mm control insoles were associated with varying degrees of discomfort. CONCLUSION Both wedge insoles are effective in reducing the varus torque during walking beyond what theoretically could be explained by a reduced walking speed or cushioning effect from the insole. These data imply that wedged insoles are biomechanically effective and should reduce loading of the medial compartment in persons with medial knee osteoarthritis. Although the effect of the 5 degrees wedge was smaller, it may be more comfortable than the 10 degrees wedge to wear inside one's own shoes.
Spatial Variations in the Determinants and Effects of Firm Births and Deaths

JOHNSON P. and PARKER S. (1996) Spatial variations in the determinants and effects of firm births and deaths, Reg. Studies 30, 679-688. This paper models the interdependence between firm births, firm deaths and economic variables, using county level data for the UK. It examines the determinants of births and deaths, as well as outlining a modelling process which incorporates two other features that have not been considered to any great extent elsewhere: firstly, a systematic approach to birth/death interdependence; and secondly, treatment of the economic variables as endogenous, i.e. subject to influence by births and deaths. Since the data relate to the UK counties, the paper is clearly relevant to the analysis of regional development and to the role of flows into and out of the business sector in that development. JOHNSON P. et PARKER S. (1996) Les variations geographiques des determinants et des effets des naissances et des deces d'entreprises, Reg. Studies 30, 679-688. A partir des donnees pour le Royaume-Uni etablies au niveau des comtes, cet article cherche a modeler l'interdependance des naissances d'entreprises, des deces d'entreprises et des variables economiques. Il examine les determinants des naissances et des deces, ainsi qu'esquisser une facon de modeler qui comprend deux autres caracteristiques qui n'ont pas attire beaucoup d'attention: en premier une facon systematique d'aborder l'interdependance des naissances et des deces, et en deuxieme la facon de traiter des variables economiques comme endogenes, c'est a dire sujettes a l'influence des naissances et des deces. Etant donne que les donnees se rapportent aux comtes situes au Royaume-Uni, il va sans dire que l'article est pertinent a l'analyse du developpement regional et, dans le contexte de ce developpement, au role des flux a destination et en provenance du secteur commercial. JOHNSON P. und PARKER S. (1996) Raumliche Abweichungen in den bestimmenden Faktoren und Auswirkungen von Firmengrundungen und -schliessungen, Reg. Studies 30, 679-688. Dieser Aufsatz stellt ein Modell der gegenseitigen Abhangigkeit von Firmengrundungen, Firmenschliessungen und wirtschaftlichen Veranderlichen dar, wobei auf Grafschaftsebene erhobene Daten fur das Vereinigte Konigreich benutzt werden. Er untersucht die bestimmenden Faktoren in Grundungen und Schliessungen und skizziert einen Modellbauprozess, der zwei weitere Merkmale einbezieht, welche sonst nirgendwo in hohem Masse in Betracht gezogen worden sind: erstens das systematische Angehen der gegenseitigen Abhangigkeit von Grundung und Schliessungen, und zweitens die Behandlung der wirtschaftlichen Veranderlichen als endogene Faktoren, d.h. dem Einfluss von Grundung und Schliessung unterworfene Faktoren. Da die Daten sich auf Grafschaften Englands beziehen, ist der Aufsatz offensichtlich sowohl von Bedeutung fur die Analyse regionaler Entwicklung als auch fur die Rolle der Stromungen in und aus dem Geschaftssektor in eben dieser Entwicklung.
Bandwidth estimation and distributed traffic regulation in wireless local area networks

In this paper, we introduce distributed traffic regulation for wireless local area networks (WLANs) operating in ad hoc mode. We use the concept of service curve to determine the minimum guaranteed service given to a backlogged connection. In a WLAN, the service curve depends on the number of active nodes, their traffic load in active periods, and the back-off procedure used for contention resolution. We will show that service curve can be used for distributed traffic regulation. We use some of the data packets, denoted as the probing packets, to estimate the service curve. The call is accepted if the service curve is higher than a preselected threshold, called the universal lower bound. The universal lower bound is independent of the number of nodes and traffic fluctuation and acts as a worst-case reference point for the network performance.
Does Risk Management Add Value? A Survey of the Evidence

The fact that 92% of the world's 500 largest companies recently reported using derivatives suggests that corporate managers believe financial risk management can increase shareholder value. Surveys of finance academics indicate that they too believe that corporate risk management is, on the whole, a valueadding activity. This article provides an overview of almost 30 years of broadbased, stock-market-oriented academic studies that address one or more of the following questions: 2005 Morgan Stanley.