Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Newborn HLA‐DR,DQ genotype screening: age‐ and ethnicity‐specific type 1 diabetes risk estimates

Objective: Certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐DR,DQ genotypes have been associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) risk, although it is unknown whether the association is due to alleles, haplotypes, genotypes, the formation of heterodimers, or all of the above. To characterize the role of the HLA‐DR,DQ genotype and ethnicity on the onset age of T1DM, we analyzed these factors in patients with T1DM and the general population.
Observed and Simulated Teleconnections Between the Stratospheric Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation and Northern Hemisphere Winter Atmospheric Circulation

The Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation (QBO) is the dominant mode of interannual variability in the tropical stratosphere, with easterly and westerly zonal wind regimes alternating over a period of about 28 months. It appears to influence the Northern Hemisphere winter stratospheric polar vortex and atmospheric circulation near the Earth's surface. However, the short observational record makes unequivocal identification of these surface connections challenging. To overcome this, we use a multicentury control simulation of a climate model with a realistic, spontaneously generated QBO to examine teleconnections with extratropical winter surface pressure patterns. Using a 30‐hPa index of the QBO, we demonstrate that the observed teleconnection with the Arctic Oscillation (AO) is likely to be real, and a teleconnection with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is probable, but not certain. Simulated QBO‐AO teleconnections are robust, but appear weaker than in observations. Despite this, inconsistency with the observational record cannot be formally demonstrated. To assess the robustness of our results, we use an alternative measure of the QBO, which selects QBO phases with westerly or easterly winds extending over a wider range of altitudes than phases selected by the single‐level index. We find increased strength and significance for both the AO and NAO responses, and better reproduction of the observed surface teleconnection patterns. Further, this QBO metric reveals that the simulated AO response is indeed likely to be weaker than observed. We conclude that the QBO can potentially provide another source of skill for Northern Hemisphere winter prediction, if its surface teleconnections can be accurately simulated.
Children's self-reported psychotic symptoms and adult schizophreniform disorder: a 15-year longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND Childhood risk factors for the development of adult schizophrenia have proved to have only modest and nonspecific effects, and most seem unrelated to the adult phenotype. We report the first direct examination of the longitudinal relationship between psychotic symptoms in childhood and adulthood. METHODS We analyzed prospective data from a birth cohort (N = 761), in which children were asked about delusional beliefs and hallucinatory experiences at age 11 years, and then followed up to age 26 years. Structured diagnostic interviews were employed at both ages and self-report of schizophreniform symptoms was augmented by other data sources at age 26 years. RESULTS Self-reported psychotic symptoms at age 11 years predicted a very high risk of a schizophreniform diagnosis at age 26 years (odds ratio, 16.4; 95% confidence interval, 3.9-67.8). In terms of attributable risk, 42% of the age-26 schizophreniform cases in the cohort had reported 1 or more psychotic symptoms at age 11 years. Age-11 psychotic symptoms did not predict mania or depression at age 26 years, suggesting specificity of prediction to schizophreniform disorder. The link between child and adult psychotic symptoms was not simply the result of general childhood psychopathology. CONCLUSION These findings provide the first evidence for continuity of psychotic symptoms from childhood to adulthood.
Optimizing Sulphur Delivery to Sub-irrigated, Pot-grown Chrysanthemums

OPTIMIZING SULPHUR DELIVERY TO SUB-IRRIGATED, POT-GROWN CHRYSANTHEMUMS William James Sutton Advisors: University of Guelph, 2019 Dr. Barry J. Shelp Dr. Gale G. Bozzo Greenhouse floriculture operations pose significant environmental risk due to the extensive use of fertilizer inputs and the generation of nutrient-rich wastewater. Here, we tested the hypothesis that sulphur (S) use efficiency of sub-irrigated, pot-grown chrysanthemums varies with supply and timing of S application. Two split-plot experiments (four blocks) were conducted with disbudded chrysanthemums grown under greenhouse conditions with S treatment (2.25 mmol L-1 supplied continuously over the crop cycle or 2.25, 1.125 and 0.5625 mmol L-1 S supplied during vegetative growth only) as the main plot and cultivar (‘Olympia’ and ‘Covington’) as the sub-plot. Morphological characteristics of plants with fully-expanded inflorescences were unaffected by S treatment. Construction of S and dry mass budgets revealed that S use efficiency increased significantly in both cultivars with decreasing S supply over the crop cycle. This study indicates that S delivery over the crop cycle can be markedly reduced, compared to typical commercial recommendations.
Incremental performance of an eChannel addition: long-term and volatility consideration perspectives

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model to evaluate the incremental performance of an eChannel addition. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 53 Taiwan financial services firms. In total, 33 of them introduced their online services, whereas the other 20 firms did not introduce their online services during the period under examination. Findings – The research findings show that firm asset values increase following eChannel additions. Thus, eChannel additions enhance firm financial performance. A further analysis comparing the performance between firms with and without eChannel additions also shows that firms with eChannel additions have higher asset value growth rates, which further validates the capacity of eChannel additions to enhance financial performance. Practical implications – Managers and shareholders in firms making eChannel additions are not required to be concerned regarding stock price volatility, and managers in firms witho.
Joint Precoding Optimization for Multiuser Multi-Antenna Relaying Downlinks Using Quadratic Programming

This paper studies the optimization problem for joint precoding design in a multi-antenna downlink channel using relaying. We formulate the joint source and relay precoding design by aiming at sum capacity maximization. Since this problem is in general nonconvex, we first convert this problem into standard convex quadratic programs, and then propose an iterative joint precoding optimization algorithm by utilizing efficient quadratic programming approaches. We observe that the iterative method always yields optimal precoding matrices which diagonalize the compound channel of the backward (source-to-relay) and the forward (relay-to-destination) links at high SNR regimes. Motivated by this observation, we further develop an efficient structured precoding design. Simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of our proposed precoding schemes.
Fat substitutes and health: an advisory from the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association.

The purpose of this Advisory is to review potential effects of fat substitutes on achieving the American Heart Association (AHA) dietary recommendations for fat intake and to examine the potential effects of fat substitutes on health. Fat substitutes are compounds incorporated into food products to provide them with some of the qualities of fat. Trends in dietary fat intake and the composition and labeling of fat substitutes also will be reviewed. The AHA recommends limiting total fat intake to ≤30% of calories and saturated fats to <10% of total energy intake for the population as a whole. The AHA also recommends that those with elevated LDL cholesterol levels or cardiovascular disease restrict saturated fats to <7% of calories.1 To achieve a more healthful dietary pattern in the United States, current dietary guidelines recommend increasing intake of fruits, vegetables, and grains and modifying the type and amount of fat consumed.1,2⇓ The emphasis is on achieving an overall healthful pattern of eating rather than on limiting the focus to merely achieving goals for macronutrient composition. Americans are responding to the dietary recommendations. The proportion of calories derived from fat in the United States is decreasing.3,4⇓ Data from part one of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III conducted from 1988 to 1991 indicated that in the American diet, 34% of calories were from fat, which is lower than previous estimates of 40% to 42% in the 1950s.3 Data from the National Food Consumption Survey and the Continuing Survey of Food Intake of Individuals (CSFII) are more mixed, with a downward trend between 1965 and 1988 and a shift upward by 1994 to 1995.4 Nonetheless, efforts to reduce or modify fat intake seem to continue. In the food supply, 30% of the total fat …
Finite-Time Consensus Using Stochastic Matrices With Positive Diagonals

We discuss the possibility of reaching consensus in finite time using only linear iterations, with the additional restrictions that the update matrices must be stochastic with positive diagonals and consistent with a given graph structure. We show that finite-time average consensus can always be achieved for connected undirected graphs. For directed graphs, we show some necessary conditions for finite-time consensus, including strong connectivity and the presence of a simple cycle of even length.
Ribosome Assembly as Antimicrobial Target

Many antibiotics target the ribosome and interfere with its translation cycle. Since translation is the source of all cellular proteins including ribosomal proteins, protein synthesis and ribosome assembly are interdependent. As a consequence, the activity of translation inhibitors might indirectly cause defective ribosome assembly. Due to the difficulty in distinguishing between direct and indirect effects, and because assembly is probably a target in its own right, concepts are needed to identify small molecules that directly inhibit ribosome assembly. Here, we summarize the basic facts of ribosome targeting antibiotics. Furthermore, we present an in vivo screening strategy that focuses on ribosome assembly by a direct fluorescence based read-out that aims to identify and characterize small molecules acting as primary assembly inhibitors.
Rigid Body Collision Response

In many virtual reality applications it is necessary to simulate the interaction among solid objects. One of the basic requirements is to ensure a non-penetration of rigid bodies. We show algorithms for detecting a collision of moving bodies along with the exact time of collision determination. Next we present a method for computation the postcollision velocities and positions of colliding objects. In our approach we exploit the laws of classical mechanics, however the physical accuracy is not the goal. We sacrifice the accuracy in exchange for simple and real-time algorithms.
Relationship between Cancer Worry and Stages of Adoption for Breast Cancer Screening among Korean Women

Background The possibility of developing breast cancer is a concern for all women; however, few studies have examined the relationship between cancer worry and the stages of adoption for breast cancer screening in Korea. Here, we investigated the associations between cancer worry, the stages of adopting breast cancer screening, and socio-demographic factors known to influence screening behaviors. Methods This study was based on the 2013 Korean National Cancer Screening Survey, an annual cross-sectional survey that utilized nationally representative random sampling to investigate cancer screening rates. Data were analyzed from 1,773 randomly selected women aged 40–74 years. Chi-squared tests and multinomial logistic analyses were conducted to determine the associations between cancer worry and the stages of adoption for breast cancer screening and to outline the factors associated with each stage. Results Korean women were classified into the following stages of adoption for breast cancer screening: pre-contemplation (24.7%), contemplation (13.0%), action/maintenance (50.8%), relapse risk (8.9%), and relapse (2.6%). Women in the action/maintenance stages reported more moderate to higher levels of worry about getting cancer than those in the pre-contemplation stage. Further, age of 40–49 years and having private cancer insurance were associated with women in the action/maintenance stages. Conclusion Interventions to address breast cancer worry may play an important role in increasing participation and equity in breast cancer screening.
Metabolic modelling and 13C flux analysis application to biotechnologically important yeasts and a fungus

All bioconversions in cells derive from metabolism. Microbial metabolisms contain potential for bioconversions from simple source molecules to unlimited number of biochemicals and for degradation of even detrimental compounds. Metabolic fluxes are rates of consumption and production of compounds in metabolic reactions. Fluxes emerge as an ultimate phenotype of an organism from an integrated regulatory function of the underlying networks of complex and dynamic biochemical interactions. Since the fluxes are time-dependent, they have to be inferred from other, measurable, quantities by modelling and computational analysis. C-labelling is crucial for quantitative analysis of fluxes through intracellular alternative pathways. Local flux ratio analysis utilises uniform C-labelling experiments, where the carbon source contains a fraction of uniformly C-labelled molecules. Carbon-carbon bonds are cleaved and formed in metabolic reactions depending on the in vivo fluxes. C-labelling patterns of metabolites or macromolecule components can be detected by mass spectrometry (MS) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Local flux ratio analysis utilises directly the C-labelling data and metabolic network models to solve ratios of converging fluxes. In this thesis the local flux ratio analysis has been extended and applied to analysis of phenotypes of biotechnologically important yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris, and a fungus Trichoderma reesei. Oxygen dependence of in vivo net flux distribution of S. cerevisiae was quantified by using local flux ratios as additional constraints to the stoichiometric model of the central carbon metabolism. The distribution of fluxes in the pyruvate branching point turned out to be most responsive to different oxygen availabilities. The distribution of fluxes was observed to vary not only between the fully respiratory, respiro-fermentative and fermentative metabolic states but also between different respiro-fermentative states. The local flux ratio analysis was extended
Superresolution mapping using a Hopfield neural network with lidar data

Superresolution mapping is a set of techniques to obtain a subpixel map from land cover proportion images produced by soft classification. Together with the information from the land cover proportion images, supplementary information at the subpixel level can be used to produce more detailed and accurate land cover maps. This research aims to use the elevation data from light detection and ranging (lidar) as an additional source of information for superresolution mapping using the Hopfield neural network (HNN). A new height function was added to the energy function of the HNN for superresolution mapping. The value of the height function was calculated for each subpixel of a certain class based on the Gaussian distribution. A set of simulated data was used to test the new technique. The results suggest that 0.8-m spatial resolution digital surface models can be combined with optical data at 4-m spatial resolution for superresolution mapping.
AntMonitor: A System for On-Device Mobile Network Monitoring and its Applications

In this paper, we present a complete system for on-device passive monitoring, collection, and analysis of fine grained, large-scale packet measurements from mobile devices. First, we describe the design and implementation of AntMonitor as a userspace mobile app based on a VPN-service but only on the device (without the need to route through a remote VPN server) and using only the minimum resources required. We evaluate our prototype and show that it significantly outperforms prior state-of-the-art approaches: it achieves throughput of over 90 Mbps downlink and 65 Mbps uplink, which is 2x and 8x faster than mobile-only baselines and is 94% of the throughput without VPN, while using 2-12x less energy. Second, we show that AntMonitor is uniquely positioned to serve as a platform for passive on-device mobile network monitoring and to enable a number of applications, including: (i) real-time detection and prevention of private information leakage from the device to the network; (ii) passive network performance monitoring; and (iii) application classification and user profiling. We showcase preliminary results from a pilot user study at a university campus.
Pitch Prediction for Mandarin TTS with Mutual Prosodic Constraint

Most of current pitch prediction methods for mandarin TTS try to get pitch contours from the contextual information with a group of weights assigning. Without a good method in prosody concatenation constraint, the predicted pitch contours are not always stable because of the incomplete accordance between prosody information and text information. The paper presents a new mandarin pitch prediction method with mutual prosodic constraint between syllables. The idea of this mutual constraint is first inspired by lots of observations on corpus, but then it has been strictly proved with performance comparison and feature contribution analysis of CART-Based prosodic parameter prediction. Based on this, a reasonable definition of prosody concatenation cost is presented to measure the naturalness of pitch contours between two adjacent syllables. By minimizing this cost, the model can generate fluent pitch contours, which has been proved to be able to make the TTS system more natural than traditional systems.
Iron: Protector or Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease? Still Controversial

Iron is the second most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. Despite being present in trace amounts, it is an essential trace element for the human body, although it can also be toxic due to oxidative stress generation by the Fenton reaction, causing organic biomolecule oxidation. This process is the basis of numerous pathologies, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The relationship between iron and cardiovascular disease was proposed in 1981 by Jerome Sullivan. Since then, numerous epidemiological studies have been conducted to test this hypothesis. The aim of this review is to present the main findings of the chief epidemiological studies published during the last 32 years, since Sullivan formulated his iron hypothesis, suggesting that this element might act as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We have analyzed 55 studies, of which 27 supported the iron hypothesis, 20 found no evidence to support it and eight were contrary to the iron hypothesis. Our results suggest that there is not a high level of evidence which supports the hypothesis that the iron may be associated with CVD. Despite the large number of studies published to date, the role of iron in cardiovascular disease still generates a fair amount of debate, due to a marked disparity in results.
Evidence for a Nimbostratus Uncinus in a Convectively Generated Mixed-Phase Stratiform Cloud Shield

AbstractThe structure of a melting layer associated with a mesoconvective system is examined using a combination of in situ aircraft measurements and a unique Doppler radar operated by the U.S. Navy that has a range resolution as fine as 0.5 m. Interest in this case was motivated by ground-based all-sky camera images that captured the transient development of midlevel billow cloud structures within a precipitating trailing stratiform cloud shield associated with a passing deep convective system. A sequence of high-fidelity time–height radar measurements taken of this storm system reveal that the movement of the billow cloud structure over the radar site corresponded with abrupt transitions in the observed low-level precipitation structure. Of particular note is an observed transition from stratiform to more periodic and vertically slanted rain shaft structures that both radar and aircraft measurements indicate have the same temporal periodicity determined to arise visually between successive billow cloud .
High-Sensitivity Gas-Pressure Sensor Based on Fiber-Tip PVC Diaphragm Fabry–Pérot Interferometer

We demonstrate a novel polyvinyl chloride (PVC) diaphragm-based fiber-tip Fabry–Perot interferometer for gas-pressure measurements with ultrahigh sensitivity. The PVC diaphragm has been coated to the end facet of a well-cut standard single-mode fiber by use of a plastic welder. An ultrahigh-pressure sensitivity of ∼65.5 nm/MPa at 1565 nm and a low-temperature cross sensitivity of ∼–5.5 kPa/°C have been experimentally demonstrated. The proposed sensor has advantages of high pressure sensitivity, miniature size, low cost, and easy fabrication.
Reconstructing Landscape Use Patterns Using Strontium Isotope Ratios

Strontium isotope ratios derive from the age and composition of the bedrock underlying an area and are incorporated without detectable fractionation into calciumbearing tissues (such as bone and tooth enamel) as animals eat. The isotopic composition of an animal’s tissues therefore derives from the location from which they derived the majority of their food. Strontium isotope ratios are useful for answering spatial questions about where an individual lived or moved throughout its lifetime. While researchers have frequently used this isotope system to address issue of archeological human mobility, it also holds potential to indicate dispersal and microhabitat preference in fauna. For example, because certain tissues like tooth enamel are metabolically inert after formation early in life, a comparison between the strontium isotope ratios in tooth enamel and the isotopic signature of where that animal lived as an adult should indicate the presence or absence of dispersal from their natal group at sexual maturity. Because strontium isotope ratios in riparian plant communities can be influenced by mobile surface water, animals with a preference for riparian or gallery forest microhabitats should have an isotopic signature unique from those with a preference for more xeric microhabitats in the same area. This dissertation uses modern habitats and fauna to model the variability and predictive power of strontium isotope ratios in identifying dispersal patterns in primates and habitat preference in primate and non-primate fauna. It concludes that there are significant isotopic differences between gallery forest and xeric grassland habitats in the same area and that these differences are reflected in fauna with habitat preferences for one or the other. It also identifies the most reliable methodological approaches for identifying the philopatric and dispersing sex in primate communities. Finally, it applies this methodological recommendation to strontium isotope data from South African hominins, concluding that both Australopithecus africanus and Australopithecus robustus followed patterns of female dispersal and male philopatry while also suggesting a larger home range size for A. africanus.