Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the RhinAsthma Patient Perspective (RAPP) in the Polish population

Introduction The RhinAsthma Patient Perspective (RAPP) was developed in Italian to assess the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) impairment in patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) in daily practice. Aim To cross-culturally validate the Polish version. Material and methods The Polish version was administered to patients suffering from asthma and rhinitis in a prospective observational study. Polish RAPP, along with SF-12, ACT, and a Symptomatologic VAS was filled in twice, with a 4-week interval between visits. At visit 2, a Global Rating Scale (GRS) was completed to assess any change in health status. Internal consistency, validity, reliability, discriminant ability and responsiveness to change as well as Minimal Important Difference were determined. Results The factor and confirmatory analysis revealed a unidimensional structure of RAPP. Internal consistency was satisfactory with Cronbach’s α (visit 1 = 0.85, visit 2 = 0.89). High reliability (ICC = 0.89 and a CCC = 0.94) was found. Validity analyses showed good correlations of the Polish RAPP with Physical and Mental Component Scores of SF-12. In addition, RAPP adequately discriminated patients on the basis of the asthma control level and rhinitis severity (p < 0.03 for all the analyses), and demonstrated to be sensitive to change. MID value was 1 point. Conclusions The study confirmed the reliability and validity of the Polish version of RAPP demonstrating that it is a useful tool in the assessment of HRQoL in patients with asthma and comorbid allergic rhinitis, in clinical practice.
Shaping effects of the fiber-drawing on particle-rich silica optical fibers, numerical and experimental study

Multiphasic optical fibers are promising systems to develop new optical devices. The main issue for their optimization is the control of the structure of the phases. To improve the structuring capabilities, fiber drawing has been evidenced to modify the size and shape of the multiphasic structure of optical fibers. This possibility comes from the occurence of capillary effects during the flow of the material during the fiber drawing. To use the fiber drawing as a structure tailoring step, the main hindrance is the lack of information on the physical properties of the systems of interest. To that aim, this article presents the work done to measure these properties. Based on experimental results, the characterization of the flow of the fiber drawing of silica-based optical fibers containing nanoparticles is presented. A numerical model for the simulation of the flow of particles and its validation are detailed. Preliminary results of the deformation of particles of various properties in the flow of the fiber drawing are finally presented, indicating a possible non-newtonian behaviour of the particles.
Otomys unisulcatus – Karoo Bush Rat

Recommended citation: Do Linh San E, Babu N, Xalu M, Le Gars S, Perquin J-C, Baxter RM, Hoepfl J, Stuart C, Stuart M. 2016. A conservation assessment of Otomys unisulcatus. In Child MF, Roxburgh L, Do Linh San E, Raimondo D, DaviesMostert HT, editors. The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. South African National Biodiversity Institute and Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa. Emmanuel Do Linh San threats that could cause widespread population decline. However, there are potentially synergistic effects of climate change drying up wetlands and overgrazing/ browsing removing at least part of the plant food and cover that this species relies upon. Such effects on subpopulation trends and population distribution should be monitored.
Patient-adaptive compressed sensing for MRI

The theory of compressed sensing (CS) promises reconstruction of sparse signals with a sampling rate below the Nyquist criterion by taking randomized measurements under certain assumptions about the structure of the signal. Current compressed sensing techniques applied to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) require measurements concentrated heavily around the center of the Fourier space in order to yield somewhat usable results. PHILIPS Healthcare is interested in the potential time-saving benefits of compressed sensing applied to MRI, but requires robust and accurate reconstruction results. During the 106th European Study Group for Mathematics and Industry, PHILIPS challenged us to improve upon existing Fourier space sampling patterns for compressed sensing. The patterns could, for example, include patient dependent prior information. We demonstrate (experimentally) that current CSMRI techniques lack a sufficient amount of the property called incoherence. Incoherence is a measure of correlation between the measurement matrix and the basis in which the signal is sparse. A compressed sensing method without sufficient incoherence results in sub-optimal performance in terms of scan-time and/or image quality. By introducing the necessary incoherence, biased sampling in the Fourier space is no longer necessary. Increasing incoherence while keeping the similar sparsity level in a practical setting is not as straightforward. In this paper, we demonstrate an off-line approach based on prior patient information and evaluate the results with the structural similarity index (SSIM) as a measure of image reconstruction quality. The developed strategy provides an improved signal basis such that both scan-time reduction and good image reconstruction are attained. 86 SWI 2015 Proceedings
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) A non-renormalization theorem for chiral primary 3-point functions

: In this note we prove a non-renormalization theorem for the 3-point functions of 1/2 BPS primaries in the four-dimensional N = 4 SYM and chiral primaries in two dimensional N = (4 , 4) SCFTs. Our proof is rather elementary: it is based on Ward identities and the structure of the short multiplets of the superconformal algebra and it does not rely on superspace techniques. We also discuss some possible generalizations to less supersymmetric multiplets. two-dimensional , four Our both and the of the representations of the superconformal
Effects of dietary fish oil replacement by vegetable oil on the serum biochemical and haematological parameters of African catfish (Heterobranchus longifilis) fingerlings

The present study aimed to elucidate the impacts of dietary vegetable oil blends as alternative to fish oil on serum biochemical and haematological parameters in Heterobranchus longifilis fingerlings. Fish (4.65 ± 0.23g) were fed diets containing fish oil (FO), palm oil (PO), soybean oil (SO), blend of PO and SO (POSO) over a 12-week period. The experiment was carried out in 62-l circular tanks with 10 fish per tank. Fish were fed two times a day until apparent satiation. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected from each treatment for investigation of serum biochemical and haematological parameters. The results showed that total protein was not significantly affected by the different dietary lipid sources (p >0.05). However, serum glucose was significantly higher in fish fed the control diet (p 0.05). These results indicate that FO can be replaced with PO, SO or their combinations in the diet of H. longifilis fingerlings without any negative health impacts.
Without it no music: cognition, biology and evolution of musicality

Musicality can be defined as a natural, spontaneously developing trait based on and constrained by biology and cognition. Music, by contrast, can be defined as a social and cultural construct based on that very musicality. One critical challenge is to delineate the constituent elements of musicality. What biological and cognitive mechanisms are essential for perceiving, appreciating and making music? Progress in understanding the evolution of music cognition depends upon adequate characterization of the constituent mechanisms of musicality and the extent to which they are present in non-human species. We argue for the importance of identifying these mechanisms and delineating their functions and developmental course, as well as suggesting effective means of studying them in human and non-human animals. It is virtually impossible to underpin the evolutionary role of musicality as a whole, but a multicomponent perspective on musicality that emphasizes its constituent capacities, development and neural cognitive specificity is an excellent starting point for a research programme aimed at illuminating the origins and evolution of musical behaviour as an autonomous trait.
Robust and accurate deconvolution of tumor populations uncovers evolutionary mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis

Abstract Motivation Cancer develops and progresses through a clonal evolutionary process. Understanding progression to metastasis is of particular clinical importance, but is not easily analyzed by recent methods because it generally requires studying samples gathered years apart, for which modern single-cell sequencing is rarely an option. Revealing the clonal evolution mechanisms in the metastatic transition thus still depends on unmixing tumor subpopulations from bulk genomic data. Methods We develop a novel toolkit called robust and accurate deconvolution (RAD) to deconvolve biologically meaningful tumor populations from multiple transcriptomic samples spanning the two progression states. RAD uses gene module compression to mitigate considerable noise in RNA, and a hybrid optimizer to achieve a robust and accurate solution. Finally, we apply a phylogenetic algorithm to infer how associated cell populations adapt across the metastatic transition via changes in expression programs and cell-type composition. Results We validated the superior robustness and accuracy of RAD over alternative algorithms on a real dataset, and validated the effectiveness of gene module compression on both simulated and real bulk RNA data. We further applied the methods to a breast cancer metastasis dataset, and discovered common early events that promote tumor progression and migration to different metastatic sites, such as dysregulation of ECM-receptor, focal adhesion and PI3k-Akt pathways. Availability and implementation The source code of the RAD package, models, experiments and technical details such as parameters, is available at https://github.com/CMUSchwartzLab/RAD. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Asymptotic Analysis of Precoded Small Cell Networks

In this paper, we study precoded MIMO based small cell networks. We derive the theoretical sum-rate capacity, when multi-antenna base stations transmit precoded information to its multiple single-antenna users in the presence of inter-cell interference from neighboring cells. Due to an interference limited scenario, increasing the number of antennas at the base stations does not yield necessarily a linear increase of the capacity. We assess exactly the effect of multi-cell interference on the capacity gain for a given interference level. We use recent tools from random matrix theory to obtain the ergodic sum-rate capacity, as the number of antennas at the base station, number of users grow large. Simulations confirm the theoretical claims and also indicate that in most scenarios the asymptotic derivations applied to a finite number of users give good approximations of the actual ergodic sum-rate capacity.
Feedback Trading

Order ﬂow has been found to carry information to the market. When assessing how informative order ﬂow is, the VAR methodology is typically employed, using impulse response functions. However, in such analyses, the direction of causality runs explicitly from order ﬂow to asset return. If data are sampled at anything other than at the highest frequencies then any feedback trading may well appear contemporaneous; trading in period t depends on the asset return in that interval. The implications of contemporaneous feedback trading are examined in the spot USD/EUR currency market and we ﬁnd that when data are sampled at the one and ﬁve minute frequency, such trading strategies cause the price impact of order ﬂow to be signiﬁcantly larger than when feedback trading is ruled out. as the instruments. A Wald test is then performed on the coeﬃcients of those instruments. For the endogenous USD/EUR return regressor we begin by using the ﬁrst lag of either USD/GBP or GBP/EUR returns and continue increasing the lag length of the instruments until no more explanatory power is added by their inclusion. choice to which
The ING problem: a problem from the financial industry

In the 2007 Mathematics with Industry workshop, ING posed a challenging problem from financial mathematics. For a system of stochastic differential equations, representing an advanced model for asset prices, the question was whether a closed, or semi-closed, form of a pricing formula for call options could be derived. The asset price model of interest was the so-called hybrid Heston–Hull–White model. The industrial interest comes from the fact that valuing and risk-managing derivatives demands fast and accurate prices. As the financial models used in practice are becoming increasingly complex, efficient solution methods have to be developed to cope with such models. Needless to say that working with a closed form solution is highly efficient. The basis of modern option pricing theory is found in the famous Black–Scholes model, which itself is based on a one-factor stochastic model for asset prices,
Interpreting Big Data in the Macro Economy: A Bayesian Mixed Frequency Estimator

More and more are Big Data sources, such as Google Trends, being used to augment nowcast models. An often neglected issue within the previous literature, which is especially pertinent to policy environments, is the interpretability of the Big Data source included in the model. We provide a Bayesian modeling framework which is able to handle all usual econometric issues involved in combining Big Data with traditional macroeconomic time series such as mixed frequency and ragged edges, while remaining computationally simple and allowing for a high degree of interpretability. In our model, we explicitly account for the possibility that the Big Data and macroeconomic data set included have different degrees of sparsity. We test our methodology by investigating whether Google Trends in real time increase nowcast fit of US real GDP growth compared to traditional macroeconomic time series. We find that search terms improve performance of both point forecast accuracy as well as forecast density calibration not only before official information is released but also later into GDP reference quarters. Our transparent methodology shows that the increased fit stems from search terms acting as early warning signals to large turning points in GDP. KeywordsBig Data, Machine Learning, Interpretability, Illusion of Sparsity, Density Nowcast, Google Search Terms. 1We would like to thank Laurent Ferrara, Alessandro Giovonnelli, Nicolas Bonino-Gayoso, Markus Kaiser, Mark Schaffer, Gary Koop, Aubrey Poon and the conference participants of the Scottish Economic Society as well as the International Symposium on Forecasting for their invaluable comments and suggestions. 2Scottish Graduate Program in Economics and Spatial Economics & Econometrics Centre 3Spatial Economics & Econometrics Centre
Determination of Phytoestrogenic Potential of Anthranoids by Molecular Docking Studies

The interest in phytoestrogens as potential therapeutic agents has recently risen in the field of oncology. Consumption of phytoestrogens have decreased risk of mortality due to several types of cancer. Estrogen receptor alpha and beta (ER α and β) ligand binding domains were selected to determine phytoestrogenic potential of main anthranoids. Five anthranoid skeletons and their derivatives as hydroxyanthraquinones, total 18 ligand (emodin, aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, physcion, rhein, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, emodin-6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, glucofrangulin A, glucofrangulin B, frangulin A, frangulin B, anthrone, anthranol, anthraquinone, 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone, dianthrone skeletons and reference daidzein, genistein) -enzyme interactions were simulated by the docking program SYBYL X 2.0. Nine scoring functions for molecular docking were compared and evaluated. According to the our docking results, glucofrangulin B and emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside having similar binding affinity to ER α like reference isoflavone compounds daidzein and genistein. , also emodin showed best binding affinity to ER β. Emodin having similar total score with daidzein and genistein. The distance between the two hydroxyl substituents of estradiol and tested phytoestrogens were measured. According to our results the distance between two hydroxyl substituents was found similar. Drug candidate agents as phytoestrogens may be considered because of its potential activity of anthraquinones.
Taxonomy, Distribution, and Natural History of the Genus Heteromys (Rodentia: Heteromyidae) in Western Venezuela, with the Description of a Dwarf Species from the Península de Paraguaná

Abstract Heteromys anomalus is widely distributed along the Caribbean coast of South America and was generally considered the only spiny pocket mouse present in Venezuela until H. australis was reported recently from the Cordillera de Mérida. Here, I revise the spiny pocket mice of western Venezuela and compare specimens from the semi-insular Península de Paraguaná with samples from throughout the distributional area of H. anomalus. Morphological comparisons with all other species of the genus suggest that the Heteromys from Paraguaná are closely related to H. anomalus, but univariate and multivariate analyses show that they are much smaller than samples of H. anomalus. In addition, adults from Paraguaná display differences in cranial shape when compared with adults of H. anomalus. Hence, specimens from Paraguaná are here described as a new species, Heteromys oasicus, and taxonomic treatments of H. anomalus and H. australis in western Venezuela are also provided. Although the original geographic context of this case of dwarfism in body size is unknown, H. oasicus currently appears to be isolated in mesic vegetation on the low Cerro Santa Ana and Fila de Monte Cano, which lie in a matrix of tropical thorn forest. The new species represents one of the few vertebrates considered endemic to Paraguaná, but basic inventories and taxonomic studies are not yet complete in the region.
The role of ATM signalling and its mediator proteins in DNA double strand break repair

Although most DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are repaired by DNA nonhomologous end! joining (NHEJ), DSBs at heterochromatin (HC) regions undergo repair by homologous recombination (HR) in G2 phase. Repair of DSBs at HC regions requires ATM-dependent KAP1 phosphorylation and subsequent HC relaxation. The mediator proteins facilitate DSB repair at HC in G1 phase by retaining ATM and hence pKAP1 at DSBs until the completion of repair. In this thesis, I investigated the role of the mediator proteins in enabling DSB repair in G2 phase. I demonstrate that the mediator proteins are required for the slow component of DSB repair in G2, which represents HR. They also promote ATM-dependent pKAP1 formation in G2 as in G1. In addition, I have described a role for MDC1 in Rad51 loading and for RNF8 in DNA resection. Moreover, I demonstrate that BRCA1 overcomes an inhibitory barrier by 53BP1 to resection by promoting a G2! specific enlargement in 53BP1 foci during HR that involves 53BP1 repositioning to the foci periphery and vacation from the central core. RPA foci form in the core devoid of 53BP1. 53BP1 has opposing roles in HR; it creates a restrictive barrier to resection but promotes pKAP1 and HC relaxation. RAP80 also inhibits resection by binding to ubiquitylated histones at DSBs. I demonstrate that the DUB enzyme, POH1, is required to overcome the barrier posed to resection by RAP80 since its depletion leads to deficient 53BP1 vacation of the central core and deficient resection. BRCA1 and POH1 cooperate during G2 phase to promote resection and DSB repair by HR. Additionally; I investigated the role(s) of the chromatin remodelers BAF180 and CHD7 in transcriptional silencing following DSB induction, a process that requires ATM, RNF8 and RNF168. I demonstrate that deficient transcriptional silencing leads to a DSB repair defect at early times post IR.
School Resources and Educational Outcomes in Developing Countries: A Review of the Literature from 1990 to 2010

Developing countries spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year on schools, educational materials and teachers, but relatively little is known about how effective these expenditures are at increasing students' years of completed schooling and, more importantly, the skills that they learn while in school. This paper examines studies published between 1990 and 2010, in both the education literature and the economics literature, to investigate which specific school and teacher characteristics, if any, appear to have strong positive impacts on learning and time in school. Starting with over 9,000 studies, 79 are selected as being of sufficient quality. Then an even higher bar is set in terms of econometric methods used, leaving 43 "high quality" studies. Finally, results are also shown separately for 13 randomized trials. The estimated impacts on time in school and learning of most school and teacher characteristics are statistically insignificant, especially when the evidence is limited to the "high quality" studies. The few variables that do have significant effects - e.g. availability of desks, teacher knowledge of the subjects they teach, and teacher absence - are not particularly surprising and thus provide little guidance for future policies and programs.
Efectos de toxinas bacterianas en la señalización de la respuesta inflamatoria: MAPK, Ubiquitinación-Desubiquitinación

The inflammatory response involves cytokines generation, in which NF kB transcrip- tion factor is activated by either MAPK or IKKb kinase pathways; those pathways are also under the regulation of ubiquitination/deubiquitination process. To establish an infection, bacteria have developed interference mechanisms to hosts ubiquitination and MAPK pathways. Ubiquitination is interfered when bacterial toxins mimic either host E3 ligases or deubiquitination reactions in order to selectively avoid protein de- gradation. Bacterial toxins also interfere with MAPK pathway by dephosphrorylating or modifying its components to avoid their activation. In this review, we focus on bacterial toxins with ubiquitination/deubiquitinacion action and its influence on the inflammation response.