Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study: study design

Abstract: The primary objective of this multicenter, multinational, epidemiological study is the identification of infectious agents, dietary factors, or other environmental exposures that are associated with increased risk of autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Factors affecting specific phenotypic manifestations such as early age of onset or rate of progression or with protection from the development of T1DM will also be identified. The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) is an observational cohort study in which newborns who are younger than 4 months and have high‐risk human leukocyte antigen alleles in the general population or are first‐degree relatives (FDRs) of patients affected with T1DM will be enrolled. Six clinical centers in the USA and Europe will screen 361 588 newborns, of which it is anticipated that 17 804 will be eligible for enrollment with just over 7800 followed. Recruitment will occur over 5 yr, with children being followed to the age of 15 yr. Identification of such factors will lead to a better understanding of disease pathogenesis and result in new strategies to prevent, delay, or reverse T1DM.
The relationship between psychological contract and job satisfaction among nursing staff

Objective To investigate nurses' psychological contract and job satisfaction,and analyze the correlation between them.Methods A total of 600 nurses from 6 Grade-III Class-A hospitals in Harbin were recruited and investigated with the Psychological Contract Scale and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire.Results Regarding the psychological contract,the nurses showed clear recognition to their own responsibilities and higher expectations to the hospital.The factor of inter-personal responsibility and development responsibility of organization influenced the responsibility of staff.The nurses were not satisfied with the payment,working-busing,working conditions,implementation style of the policy and promotion opportunities.There was a positive correlation between psychological contract and job satisfaction.The personal factors which influenced job satisfaction and psychological contract were nurses' work motivation,professional position and monthly income.Conclusion Hospital organizations should focus on the shortcomings of organizational responsibilities and take effective measures to improve nurses' job satisfaction and promote the development of nursing.
Evaluating business credit risk by means of approach-integrating decision rules and case-based learning

This research utilizes a new approach which uses a hybrid learning system that combines two representations of knowledge: the first in a form of decision rules referring to general knowledge, and the other of single cases corresponding to exceptions or untypical situations. The Explore algorithm was chosen as a tool for inducing general rules. It generates all simple and sufficiently strong general rules from a given data set. Examples discovered by these rules are then used to identify exceptions and untypical cases. The paper discusses problems connected with tuning parameters of this approach and introduces a new procedure for this task. This methodology is applied to solve the problem of evaluating the risk of business credit applications in a Polish commercial bank. Using information about business credit applications, as described by 35 economic parameters and using five groups of banking risk, a knowledge base consisting of 70 decision rules and 15 specific cases was induced. Testing this model in the standard ‘leaving-one-out’ way we achieved the best classification accuracy of 81%. A comparative study showed that results obtained by other machine-learning algorithms resulted in significantly worse classification accuracy. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The equivalence of multi-criteria methods for radiotherapy plan optimization

Several methods can be used to achieve multi-criteria optimization of radiation therapy treatment planning, which strive for Pareto-optimality. The property of the solution being Pareto optimal is desired, because it guarantees that no criteria can be improved without deteriorating another criteria. The most widely used methods are the weighted-sum method, in which the different treatment objectives are weighted, and constrained optimization methods, in which treatment goals are set and the algorithm has to find the best plan fulfilling these goals. The constrained method used in this paper, the 2pϵc (2-phase ϵ-constraint) method is based on the ϵ-constraint method, which generates Pareto-optimal solutions. Both approaches are uniquely related to each other. In this paper, we will show that it is possible to switch from the constrained method to the weighted-sum method by using the Lagrange multipliers from the constrained optimization problem, and vice versa by setting the appropriate constraints. In general, the theory presented in this paper can be useful in cases where a new situation is slightly different from the original situation, e.g. in online treatment planning, with deformations of the volumes of interest, or in automated treatment planning, where changes to the automated plan have to be made. An example of the latter is given where the planner is not satisfied with the result from the constrained method and wishes to decrease the dose in a structure. By using the Lagrange multipliers, a weighted-sum optimization problem is constructed, which generates a Pareto-optimal solution in the neighbourhood of the original plan, but fulfills the new treatment objectives.
OPTION OF SWITCHING AN INVESTMENT PROJECT INTO AN AGRIBUSINESS PROJECT

In this article we discuss the application of real options theory to analyze an agribusiness investment project. Traditional analyses, using present value of a projected cash flow, cannot respond satisfactorily to the uncertainties of the environment. The theory of real options complements traditional analysis when assessing the flexibilities that permeate such investment projects. Next, we proceed to study the switch option of an ethanol manufacturing project to a flexible project, in which either ethanol or sugar can be produced. For this purpose, we utilized the tools found in the quadrinomial model. The result obtained is the calculation of the value of the switch option, which increases the value of the non flexible project. In accordance with the theory of real options, acquiring operational flexibility increases the value of the project studied.
Efficient Analytical Integration of Single Scattering Function

Light scattering through a participative medium has a significant impact on display. However, accurate and efficient simulation of scattering remains challenging. Monte Carlo or numerical integration techniques are commonly employed to solve the scattering equation. Single scattering is a common approximation that provides satisfactory results in many cases. Analytical integration of scattering under certain assumptions have been achieved by pre-computing a table of values. We present a new approximation to the single scattering equation that is easily integrable in real time. We analyze the error of this approximation and show that the numerical error is insignificant. The images are virtually indistinguishable from those obtained by the more accurate integration.
Epigenetic control of plant stress response

Living organisms have the clearly defined strategies of stress response. These strategies are predefined by a genetic make‐up of the organism and depend on a complex regulatory network of molecular interactions. Although in most cases, the plant response to stress based on the mechanisms of tolerance, resistance, and avoidance has clearly defined metabolic pathways, the ability to acclimate/adapt after a single generation exposure previously observed in several studies (Boyko A et al. [ 2007 ]: Nucleic Acids Res 35:1714–1725; Boyko and Kovalchuk, unpublished data), represents an interesting phenomenon that cannot be explained by Mendelian genetics. The latest findings in the field of epigenetics and the process of a reversible control over gene expression and inheritance lead to believe that organisms, especially plants, may have a flexible short‐term strategy of the response to stress. Indeed, the organisms that can modify gene expression reversibly have an advantage in evolutionary terms, since they can avoid unnecessary excessive rearrangements and population diversification. This review covers various epigenetic processes involved in plant stress response. We focus on the mechanisms of DNA methylation and histone modifications responsible for the protection of somatic cells and inheritance of stress memories. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. , 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from Contaminated Manure and Irrigation Water to Lettuce Plant Tissue and Its Subsequent Internalization

ABSTRACT The transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from manure-contaminated soil and irrigation water to lettuce plants was demonstrated using laser scanning confocal microscopy, epifluorescence microscopy, and recovery of viable cells from the inner tissues of plants. E. coli O157:H7 migrated to internal locations in plant tissue and was thus protected from the action of sanitizing agents by virtue of its inaccessibility. Experiments demonstrate that E. coli O157:H7 can enter the lettuce plant through the root system and migrate throughout the edible portion of the plant.
Exploring Anti-Smoking and Anti-Binge Drinking Issues in the Context of Generally Accepted Consumer Theory

ABSTRACT The marketing of social issues has become a significant area of government, public sector and nonprofit activity over recent times. However, consumer behavior oriented research is quite sparse and as such, furthering our understanding of consumer behavior related to social issues has both practical, as well as theoretical importance. This study examines the relationships between social issue involvement and susceptibility to interpersonal influence for social issues with attitudes toward social issues and intention to comply with a social marketing campaign. Data were gathered for two social issues from a convenience sample of individuals aged between 17 and 30. The results indicate that differing relationships were found with susceptibility to interpersonal influence, involvement and attitudes and intention to comply between the identified campaigns.
On Just-In-Time Production Leveling

On the other side, it is also well known that not every implementation of Lean Production was a success, especially in Western companies: some enterprises – together with the consultancy firms that should have supported them – forgot that there are some main hypotheses and issues to comply with, in order to achieve Toyota-like results. On top of this, certain requisites are not related to a mere managerial approach, but depend on exogenous conditions, e.g. market behavior or supplier location; thus, not every company can successfully implement a TPS system.
A homozygous BMPR1B mutation causes a new subtype of acromesomelic chondrodysplasia with genital anomalies

We present a patient with acromesomelic chondrodysplasia and genital anomalies caused by a novel homozygous mutation in BMPR1B, the gene coding for bone morphogenetic protein receptor 1B. The 16 year old girl, the offspring of a multiconsanguinous family, showed a severe form of limb malformation consisting of aplasia of the fibula, severe brachydactyly, ulnar deviation of the hands, and fusion of carpal/tarsal bones. In addition, she presented with hypoplasia of the uterus and ovarian dysfunction resulting in hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism. Mutation analysis of BMPR1B revealed a homozygous 8 bp deletion (del359–366). This mutation is expected to result in a loss of function and is thus different from the heterozygous missense mutations in BMPR1B recently shown to cause brachydactyly type A2 through a dominant negative effect. The patient’s skeletal phenotype shows an overlap with the clinical spectrum of the acromesomelic chondrodysplasias of the Grebe, Hunter-Thompson, and DuPan types caused by homozygous mutations in the gene coding for growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) which is a high-affinity ligand to BMPR1B. However, the phenotype described here differs from GDF5 associated chondrodysplasias because of the additional presence of genital anomalies and the distinct limb phenotype.
Title The utility of screening for perinatal depression in the second trimester among Chinese : A three-wave prospective longitudinal study

This paper aims to study the pattern of perinatal depressive symptomatology and determine the predictive power of second trimester perinatal depressive symptoms for future perinatal periods. A population-based sample of 2,178 women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in the second and third trimesters and at 6 weeks postpartum. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to determine the EPDS scores across three stages. The predictive power of the second trimester EPDS score in identifying women with an elevated EPDS score in the third trimester and at 6 weeks postpartum were determined. The predictive power of the second trimester EPDS score was further assessed using stepwise logistic regression and receiver operator characteristic curves. EPDS scores differed significantly across three stages. The rates were 9.9%, 7.8%, and 8.7% for an EPDS score of >14 in the second and third trimesters and at 6 weeks postpartum, respectively. Using a cut-off of 14/15, the second trimester EPDS score accurately classified 89.6% of women in the third trimester and 87.2% of those at 6 weeks postpartum with or without perinatal depressive symptomatology. Women with a second trimester EPDS score >14 were 11.78 times more likely in the third trimester and 7.15 times more likely at 6 weeks postpartum to exhibit perinatal depressive symptomatology after adjustment of sociodemographic variables. The area under the curve for perinatal depressive symptomatology was 0.85 in the third trimester and 0.77 at 6 weeks postpartum. To identify women at high risk for postpartum depression, healthcare professionals could consider screening all pregnant women in the second trimester so that secondary preventive intervention may be implemented.
Optimal scheduling of finite-state machines

The paper describes an algorithm for solving scheduling problems which contain multiple, interlocking cycles, such as scheduling constraints in state transition graphs. This algorithm is based on previous work on toroidal compaction but introduces three significant improvements: it allows the designer to use upper bound or equality constraints; it does not require an initial feasible solution; and it can handle multiple loops and conditional branches in the constraint system. Experimental results demonstrate the algorithm's effectiveness. <<ETX>>
From “necessary evil” to necessity: stakeholders' involvement in place branding

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the role of stakeholders in the creation, development and ultimately ownership of place brands. The paper contributes towards laying the foundations of a participatory view of place branding. It establishes an urgent need to rethink place branding towards a more participation‐oriented practice. This is based on the centrality of stakeholders in the creation, development and ownership of place brands. The role of stakeholders goes well beyond that of customers/consumers as they are citizens who legitimize place brands and heavily influence their meaning.Design/methodology/approach – The paper highlights a turn towards stakeholder‐oriented place branding in recent literature. This is contrasted to a critical evaluation of place branding practice where stakeholders are paid “lip service” regarding their participation, rather than being given opportunities to get more fully involved in the development of their place brand.Findings – An emerging discussion is .
Environmental and anthropogenic impacts on intra-specific variation in leatherback turtles: opportunities for targeted research and conservation

Intra-specific variation in life history traits and/or population trends provides 'natural experiments' to identify causes of observable differences among populations of organisms. Geo- graphically widespread marine species, for example, can experience variation in both environmental and anthropogenic impacts across their ranges that can differentially influence expression of life his- tory traits and population dynamics in separate populations. For example, body size and reproductive output differences among geographically separate, conspecific populations of leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea have been linked to variations in environmentally driven resource availability, which differentially affect the resilience of leatherback populations to anthropogenic pressures. Specifically, differences in life history traits and population trends among breeding populations of leatherbacks that forage in the eastern Pacific versus Atlantic Ocean reflect the variable nature of resource availability in the eastern Pacific. These environmentally driven life history differences have contributed to divergent population responses to anthropogenic sources of mortality. In this review, we provide a synoptic view of this body of research and conclude with strategic recommendations for future research and conservation initiatives. This approach has implications for other widely distrib- uted marine species with variations in life history traits that make them more susceptible to human- driven population declines.
Near-optimal packet scheduling scheme in satellite LTE networks

This study proposes a near-optimal packet scheduling scheme in the satellite long term evolution (LTE) network which uses multiuser multiple-in multiple-out technique. For the available resources in the satellite LTE network to be fully utilised and in order to meet the set targets of 4G standard, the need for an optimal scheduling scheme that will maximise the throughput without compromising the quality of service and fairness of users is very crucial. The aim of this study is to propose near-optimal scheduling schemes that have been obtained using Karush-Kuhn-Tucker multipliers and compare their performances with other throughput-optimal scheduling schemes. A new metric that can be used to compute the overall performance of the scheduling schemes is also presented. This work has adopted the use of a land mobile dual-polarised GEO satellite system.
Entrepreneurship in Social-Media Services in Oman – A Socio-Economic Scanning of the Sultanate

The document explores the background of entrepreneurship and social media from the perspective of the Sultanate of Oman, and explores the prevalence and usage of social media and social media business services across the Arab world and in particular, Oman. The review of data and of available literature reveals that entrepreneurship is increasingly being promoted in Oman as part of a strategy to promote the diversification of economy in light of declining oil prices and depleting oil reserves. With a view of exploring the scope of social media related services as a means of entrepreneurial ventures, the potential benefits of social media for businesses, the possible opportunities and challenges in entrepreneurship in social media management and marketing services in Oman have been reviewed and highlighted. The review reveals that in Oman and across the Arab region, as social media usage by businesses is gaining prominence, the lack of digital skills could act as a promoter for outsourcing of social media to external social media service agencies. The studies also reveal the gap between client expectations and the currently available services. In this light, the study concludes that this is a viable area for research that merits further exploration.
Putting the “brand” back into store brands: an exploratory examination of store brands and brand personality

Purpose – To explore how store brand personality might play a role in consumer perceptions towards store brands and how such personalities might vary when consumers are allowed to experience the product.Design/methodology/approach – Two different store brand products from high selling categories were compared with their leading national brands. A total of 139 respondents took the survey. Respondents were divided into four groups, each group representing a different experimental condition. Respondents rated the personality attributes on a seven point Likert scale.Findings – Results show that national brands have stronger brand personality traits when compared to store brands; however, such differences diminished when consumers were allowed to taste and experience the products.Practical implications – Retailers would be better off to let consumers experience and taste the products to drive consumer perceptions of store brands. Retailers should also focus on those categories where the differential in persona.
Mathematical Methods for Image Based Localization

The underlying question in localization is, where am I? In this thesis a purely image based approach is proposed to solve this problem. In order to create a complete image based system, there are many subproblems that have to be addressed. The localization problem can also be solved in other ways, for example, with a GPS. Two advantages with using images compared to GPS are that no open sky is needed and that a higher precision is possible to achieve. The thesis consists of an introductory chapter followed by six papers. In the first paper, enhancements of Grobner basis techniques to solve systems of polynomial equations are presented. The new strategies improve the numeric stability with several orders of magnitudes, compared to previous state of the art. This framework is then applied in the next three papers to solve several geometrical pose problems relevant for localization. The main difference between the papers is the level of knowledge of the inner calibration of the cameras. The calibration knowledge ranges from completely calibrated cameras to uncalibrated cameras with unknown radial distortion. The fifth paper of the thesis also treats the pose problem, but the method differs from the previous papers. In this paper a method is presented that guarantees a globally optimal solution at the price of computational complexity. To achieve this, the pose problem is reformulated and solved via a minimal vertex cover. The final paper is devoted to large-scale localization. Methods from image retrieval are utilized, and extended, to be able to perform city-scale localization. Moreover geometry is directly incorporated in the retrieval stage.
Assessment of social capital to internationalize educational institutions

Social capital promotes internationalization and competitiveness.Prevalent notions to measure Internationalization content of organizations are ill with ‘social capital’. Social capital is the core competency in knowledge-based organizations. This paper uses the Leif Edvinsson’s scheme of Intellectual Capital (IC) as the basis of analysis; because the IC causes change in the internationalization content.The particular concern of this paper is to assess and enhance the social capital in the internationalization content of the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT system), Pakistan, based on measured behavioral actions by utilizing Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, (KAP) Analysis technique.The internationalization content of CIIT system is characterized by Internationalization Academic Staff (IAS) and Non Internationalization Academic Staff (NIAS). IAS was found more responsive to the questionnaire.The results showed that IAS was having more internationalization knowledge.The attitude of both IAS and NIAS was positive and the practices were found to be more positive among IAS.The social capital exists at 65% as grand mean of the survey showed. Recommendations are offered on how the social capital can be built, thereby to enhance the CIIT system’s capacity to learn, adapt and internationalize in the marketplace.