Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in AD

Proton MR spectroscopy (MRS) studies have found both decreased N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and increased myo-inositol in the occipital, temporal, parietal, and frontal regions of patients with AD, even at the early stages of the disease. This diffuse NAA decline is independent of regional atrophy and probably reflects a decrease in neurocellular viability. Reports of such metabolite changes are now emerging in the mild cognitive impairment prodrome and in investigation of the medial temporal lobe. In vivo quantitation of neural choline in AD has been inconclusive because of poor test–retest repeatability. Less robust evidence using phosphorous MRS has shown significant phosphocreatine decline and increments in the cell membrane phosphomonoesters in the early, and possibly asymptomatic, stages of the disease. These phosphorous metabolite disturbances normalize with disease progression. Phosphodiester concentration has been found to correlate strongly with AD plaque counts. MRS of AD has therefore introduced new pathophysiologic speculations. Studies of automated MRS for AD diagnosis have reported high sensitivity and moderate specificity, but are yet to test prospective samples and should be extended to include at least two MRS regions of interest. MRS has promise for predicting cognitive status and monitoring pharmacologic efficacy, and can assess cortical and subcortical neurochemical change. Additional material related to this article can be found on the Neurology Web site. Go to www.neurology. org and scroll down the Table of Contents for the March 13 issue to find the title link for this article.
Vitamin D Status in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus during Pregnancy and Postpartum

Of many vitamin D extraskeletal functions, its modulatory role in insulin secretion and action is especially relevant for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aims of the present study were to determine midgestational and early postpartum vitamin D status in pregnant women with and without GDM and to describe the relationship between midgestational and postpartum vitamin D status and parallel changes of glucose tolerance. A total of 76 pregnant women (47 GDM and 29 healthy controls) were included in the study. Plasma levels of 25(OH)D were measured using an enzyme immunoassay. Vitamin D was not significantly decreased in GDM compared to controls during pregnancy; however, both groups of pregnant women exhibited high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. Prevalence of postpartum 25(OH)D deficiency in post-GDM women remained significantly higher and their postpartum 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower compared to non-GDM counterparts. Finally, based on the oGTT repeated early postpartum persistent glucose abnormality was ascertained in 15% of post-GDM women; however, neither midgestational nor postpartum 25(OH)D levels significantly differed between subjects with GDM history and persistent postpartum glucose intolerance and those with normal glucose tolerance after delivery.
Social Security in Theory and Practice (I): Facts and Political Theories

166 countries have some kind of public old age pension. What economic forces create and sustain old age Social Security as a public program? We document some of the internationally and historically common features of Social Security programs including explicit and implicit taxes on labor supply, pay-as-you-go features, intergenerational redistribution, benefits which are increasing functions of lifetime earnings and not means-tested. We partition theories of Social Security into three groups: political', efficiency' and narrative' theories. We explore three political theories in this paper: the majority rational voting model (with its two versions: the elderly as the leaders of a winning coalition with the poor' and the once and for all election' model), the time-intensive model of political competition' and the taxpayer protection model'. Each of the explanations is compared with the international and historical facts. A companion paper explores the efficiency' and narrative' theories and derives implications of all the theories for replacing the typical pay-as-you-go system with a forced savings plan.
Would You Do as a Robot Commands? An Obedience Study for Human-Robot Interaction

: This paper presents an investigation into how people respond to a robot posing as an authority figure, giving commands. This is an increasingly important question as robots continue to become more autonomous and capable and participate in more task scenarios where they work with people. We designed and conducted a human-robot interaction obedience experiment with a human and a robot experimenter, and our results highlight the complexity of obedience and detail some of the variables involved, and show that, at the very least, people can be pressured by a robot to continue a highly tedious task. This paper offers an exploration of the ethical challenges of conducting obedience human-robot interaction studies, the results from one such study, and a set of initial guidelines for this area of research.
Interactions of the Apolipoprotein A5 Gene Polymorphisms and Alcohol Consumption on Serum Lipid Levels

Background Little is known about the interactions of apolipoprotein (Apo) A5 gene polymorphisms and alcohol consumption on serum lipid profiles. The present study was undertaken to detect the interactions of ApoA5–1131T>C, c.553G>T and c.457G>A polymorphisms and alcohol consumption on serum lipid levels. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 516 nondrinkers and 514 drinkers were randomly selected from our previous stratified randomized cluster samples. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), ApoA1 and ApoB were higher in drinkers than in nondrinkers (P<0.05–0.001). The genotypic and allelic frequencies of three loci were not different between the two groups. The interactions between –1131T>C genotypes and alcohol consumption on ApoB levels (P<0.05) and the ApoA1/ApoB ratio (P<0.01), between c.553G>T genotypes and alcohol consumption on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (P<0.05) and the ApoA1/ApoB ratio (P<0.05), and between c.457G>A genotypes and alcohol consumption on TG levels (P<0.001) were detected by factorial regression analysis after controlling for potential confounders. Four haplotypes (T-G-G, C-G-G, T-A-G and C-G-T) had frequencies ranging from 0.06 to 0.87. Three haplotypes (C-G-G, T-A-G, and C-G-T) were significantly associated with serum lipid parameters. The –1131T>C genotypes were correlated with TG, and c.553G>T and c.457G>A genotypes were associated with HDL-C levels in nondrinkers (P<0.05 for all). For drinkers, the –1131T>C genotypes were correlated with TC, TG, LDL-C, ApoB levels and the ApoA1/ApoB ratio (P<0.01 for all); c.553G>T genotypes were correlated with TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C levels (P<0.05–0.01); and c.457G>A genotypes were associated with TG, LDL-C, ApoA1 and ApoB levels (P<0.05–0.01). Conclusions The differences in some serum lipid parameters between the drinkers and nondrinkers might partly result from different interactions of the ApoA5 gene polymorphisms and alcohol consumption.
Emerging Roles for Glycogen in the CNS

The ability of glycogen, the depot into which excess glucose is stored in mammals, to act as a source of rapidly available energy substrate, has been exploited by several organs for both general and local advantage. The liver, expressing the highest concentration of glycogen maintains systemic normoglycemia ensuring the brain receives a supply of glucose in excess of demand. However the brain also contains glycogen, although its role is more specialized. Brain glycogen is located exclusively in astrocytes in the adult, with the exception of pathological conditions, thus in order to benefit neurons, and energy conduit (lactate) is trafficked inter-cellularly. Such a complex scheme requires cell type specific expression of a variety of metabolic enzymes and transporters. Glycogen supports neural elements during withdrawal of glucose, but once the limited buffer of glycogen is exhausted neural function fails and irreversible injury ensues. Under physiological conditions glycogen acts to provide supplemental substrates when ambient glucose is unable to support function during increased energy demand. Glycogen also supports learning and memory where it provides lactate to neurons during the conditioning phase of in vitro long-term potentiation (LTP), an experimental correlate of learning. Inhibiting the breakdown of glycogen or intercellular transport of lactate in in vivo rat models inhibits the retention of memory. Our current understanding of the importance of brain glycogen is expanding to encompass roles that are fundamental to higher brain function.
Salafism in Lebanon: From Apoliticism to Transnational Jihadism

Introduction 1. The Creed, Ideology, and Manhaj (Methodology) of Salafism: A Historical and Contemporaneous Framework 2. The Path to Salafism 3. The Quietest Salafi Ideology of Sheikh Sa'd al-Din Muhammed al-Kibbi 4. The Haraki (Activist) Salafi Ideology of Sheikh Zakariya 'Abd al Razaq al-Masri 5. The Emergence and Ideology of the Salafi-Jihadi Usbat al-Ansar 6. Salafism, Confessional Politics, and Shi'a Ascendancy: Al-Infitah (Opening Up) or The Rise to Rebellion? 7. The Sunni Leadership and Salafism: Political Expediency and Self-Denial 8. Salafism, the Divided House and the Syrian Rebellion: Jihad in the Path of Allah Conclusion Glossary Selected Bibliography Index
Human papillomavirus testing in primary screening for the detection of high-grade cervical lesions: a study of 7932 women

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) are the necessary cause of cervical carcinomas. To determine whether HPR-HPV DNA detection in primary routine screening could represent a sensitive and reliable technique for the detection of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL), laboratory analysis using 2 cytologic techniques (conventional and liquid-based), HPV testing with Hybrid Capture II assay (HC-II), followed by colposcopic examination of women with abnormal cervical finding and/or persistent HR-HPV infection, was conducted in 7932 women who had routine cervical examination. The sensitivity of HPV testing for detecting a histologically proven HGSIL was 100%, higher than that of conventional (68.1%) and liquid-based (87.8%) cytology. The low specificities of 85.6% and 87.3% of HPV testing slightly increased to 88.4% and 90.1% if HPV testing was reserved for woman >30 years old. The quantitative approach provided by the HC-II assay for the assessment of the viral load was not reliable for predicting HGSIL in normal smears. HR-HPV testing could be proposed in primary screening in association with cytology. With conventional cytology it significantly improves the detection of HGSIL. With the use of the same cervical scrape for HPV testing and liquid-based cytology, HR-HPV testing would allow to select positive samples treated in a second time for cytology which gives a good specificity. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer. com
OF THE STEM CELL FACTOR RECEPTOR C-KIT ( CD 117 ) IN ACUTE LEUKEMIAS

Background and Objective. The receptor for stem cell factor (CD117) is the gene product of the c-kit proto-ontogene. Together with its ligand, the stem cell factor (SCF), it plays an important role in hematopoiesis. In this study, we review the cellular distribution of CD117 in normal hematopoiesis and in hematopoietic malignancies focusing on the differential expression in subtypes of acute leukemias. Evidence and Information Sources. This review is based on a literature search in the Medline database, personal publications and results obtained as a reference laboratory of the German AMLBFM, AMLCG and ALL multi-center therapy studies. State of the Art and Perspectives. Membrane expression of CD117 can be found on leukemic blasts from approximately 60% of adult and childhood AML patients, often associated with an immature immunophenotype (CD34). Moreover, AML with t(8;21) are frequently CD117 positive. Despite earlier reports, most recent studies have not been able to demonstrate any significant prognostic impact of CD117 expression in either childhood or adult AML. A small proportion of T-lineage ALL (9%), mainly consisting of immature proT/pre-T-ALL, is CD117 positive. CD117 expression is rare in B-cell-precursor-ALL and occurs in less than 3% of cases. CD117 in combination with other antigens might facilitate the immunologic characterization of acute leukemias, especially those of myeloid and early T-cell origin. ©1997, Ferrata Storti Foundation
The Auditor's Consideration of the Going Concern Assumption: A Diagnostic Model

A central tenet of audited financial statements is the assumption that the reporting firm will remain in business for the foreseeable future, that is, it is a going concern. However, recent years have seen a wave of highly visible corporate failures that have greatly reduced investors' confidence in auditors' work. This paper develops a tool to evaluate the going concern risk of an audit client, within the risk analysis framework suggested by the auditing literature. The study is innovative along four dimensions. First, new developments in financial statement analysis research are applied to auditing. Second, in addition to quantitative indicators reflecting trends in financial statements, the model also includes qualitative corporate governance characteristics suggested by current audit practice. Third, the concept of going concern failure is broadened and is not restricted to legal bankruptcy. Finally, complementary multivariate classification techniques, logit, linear discriminant analysis, and recursive partitioning are used to provide predictive and interpretative guidance to auditors. Results suggest that a systematic interpretation of financial statements and an evaluation of investment and accounting decisions made by managers would allow auditors to classify firms before the advent of any economic loss. Furthermore, some ratios provide consistent signals about going concern failures. Implications about audit work are then discussed.
Optimum threshold detection in real-time scalable high-speed multi-wavelength optical code-division multiple-access LANs

We examine the properties and applications of a general class of multi-wavelength optical code-division multiple access codes in high-speed optical local area networks. We demonstrate that multiple pulse per row codes with optimum threshold detection admit maximization of the number of simultaneous users and spectral efficiency. The code design problem is also greatly simplified when the optimum threshold detection is employed. Based on our results, we propose a simple and low-cost receiver to enable true real-time network optimization.
Local government in the new Europe

Forward, Libor Kudlacek: local government in Europe - common directions of change European local government systems. Part 1 Dimensions of development in the 1990s: new tendencies of local government development in Europe economic restructuring and the capitalist periphery - implications for Eastern Europe free markets and centralized political power - a British paradox local government role-reversed in the new contract culture, Tim Williams management, tiers, size and amalgamations of local government large city reforms small communes and rural areas - decentralization reforms in France decentralizing federal states - the experience of Austria federalism and change. Part 2 East and Central Europe experiences: local government reform in Central and Eastern Europe rebuilding local government in Poland local government reform in Hungary development of local government finance in Hungary Czechoslovakia - regional and local government reform since 1989 territorial organization of society - Czechoslovak developments development of local government in Russia and the CIS regional development in the former USSR.
Effects of Baryons and Dissipation on the Matter Power Spectrum

We study the importance of baryonic physics on predictions of the matter power spectrum as it is relevant for forthcoming weak lensing surveys. We quantify the impact of baryonic physics using a set of three cos-mological numerical simulations. Each simulation has the same initial density field, but models a different set of physical processes. The first simulation evolves the density field using gravity alone, the second includes non-radiative gasdynamics, and the third includes radiative heating and cooling of baryons, star formation, and supernova feedback. We find that baryonic processes alter predictions for the matter power spectrum significantly relative to models that include only gravitational interactions. Our results imply that future weak lensing experiments such as LSST and SNAP will be very sensitive to the poorly-understood physics governing the nonlinear evolution of the baryonic component of the universe. The net effect is significantly larger in the case of the model with cooling and star formation, in which case our results imply that contemporary surveys such as the CFHT Wide survey may also be sensitive to baryonic processes. In particular, this effect could be important for forecasts of the constraining power of future surveys if information from scales ℓ 1000 is included in the analysis. We find that deviations are caused primarily by the rearrangement of matter within individual dark matter halos relative to the gravity-only case, rather than a large-scale rearrangement of matter. Consequently, we propose a simple model, based on the phenomenological halo model of dark matter clustering, for baryonic effects that can be used to aid in the interpretation of forthcoming weak lensing data.
A Derivative Valuation of the Florida Pension Election: From Db to Dc and Back

During the year 2002, The State of Florida's 600,000 public employees were given the unprecedented ability to convert their traditional Defined Benefit (DB) pension plan, into a self-managed Defined Contribution (DC) plan, where the individual controls asset allocation and investment decisions. To mitigate some of the personal risk associated with investment self-determination, the State of Florida granted each and every employee electing the DC plan, the right but not the obligation, to switch back into the DB plan at any point prior to retirement. The strike price of this option is the accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) in the DB plan. Motivated by these reforms, our paper presents some analytic results relating to the optimal time, and financial value, of this unique pension option. We start with a simple deterministic model to provide intuition, and conclude with a full-fledged stochastic model that derives a formal option value. Our paper goes beyond some of the recent academic literature by providing simple analytic guidance on the optimal time to 'elect', as well as our differing estimates of the value of this guarantee. In contrast to some competing papers in the insurance literature, we conclude that value of the so-called option is at most worth 30% of the DC contribution rate; and only when exercised at the 'optimal time'. Furthermore, for most Florida State employees above the age of 45, the option has little economic value, since the DB plan dominates the DC plan from day one. Of course, it remains to be seen what percent of Florida's 600,000 state employees will 'elect' to behave rationally with their newfound pension autonomy.
Clarke AGAINST CHEMICALLY INDUCED SEIZURES ON MICE

A study was conducted to prove whether ligustroside (A CNS Active substance) isolated from bark of Fraxinus Graffithii Clarke has antiseizure effects against chemically induced seizure. antiseizure test indicated that ligustroside increased seizure treshold on epileptic animals injected by CD90 metrazol i.p. (ED50 anti Met : 278.54 mg/kg BW), CD90 bicuculline (ED50 anti Bicuc : 424.57 mg/kg BW), and CD90 picrotoxin (ED50 anti Picro : 466.53 mg/kg BW). These experiments also reported that ligustroside decreased metrazol lethality test on animals. The capability of ligustroside to increase seizure threshold against anti metrazol test , anti bicuculline test, and anti picrotoxin test, meant that ligustroside may have antiseizure effects by increasing GABAfacilitated inhibition in CNS through interaction with benzodiazepine receptor of GABA-BZD-BARB/PICRO-CL receptor complexes. It is strongly supposed that clinically ligustroside would be active against absence seizures and myoclonic seizures. Further research will be needed to explore interaction between ligustroside and GABA-BZD-BARB/PICRO-CL receptor complex. Keyword: ligustroside, chemically induced seizure, antiseizure effect Correspondence: Achmad Basori, Department of Pharmacology, Airlangga University School of Medicine, Jl Prof Dr Moestopo 4-7, Surabaya 60131, phone 62-31-5020251 ext. 174
Race, Gender, and the Labor Market: Inequalities at Work

Women and minorities have entered higher-paying occupations, but their overall earnings still lag behind those of white men. Why? Looking nationwide at workers across all employment levels and occupations, Robert Kaufman examines the unexpected ways that prejudice and workplace discrimination continue to plague the labor market. Kaufman probes the mechanisms by which race and sex groups are sorted into "appropriate" jobs, showing how the resulting segregation undercuts earnings. He also uses an innovative integration of race-sex queuing and segmented-market theories to show how economic and social contexts shape these processes. His authoritative analysis reveals how race, sex, stereotyping, and devaluation interact to create earnings disparities, shedding new light on a vicious cycle that continues to the leave women and minorities behind.
Adaptive Fault-Tolerant Deadlock-Free Routing in Meshes and Hypercubes

We present an adaptive deadlock-free routing algorithm which decomposes a given network into two virtual interconnection networks, VIN/sub 1/ and VIN/sub 2/. VIN/sub 1/ supports deterministic deadlock-free routing, and VIN/sub 2/ supports fully-adaptive routing. Whenever a channel in VIN/sub 1/ or VIN/sub 2/ is available, it can be used to route a message. Each node is identified to be in one of three states: safe, unsafe, and faulty. The unsafe state is used for deadlock-free routing, and an unsafe node can still send and receive messages. When nodes become faulty/unsafe, some channels in VIN/sub 2/ around the faulty/unsafe nodes are used as the detours of those channels in VIN/sub 1/ passing through the faulty/unsafe nodes, i.e., the adaptability in VIN/sub 2/ is transformed to support fault-tolerant deadlock-free routing. Using information on the state of each node's neighbors, we have developed an adaptive fault-tolerant deadlock-free routing scheme for n-dimensional meshes and hypercubes with only two virtual channels per physical link. In an n-dimensional hypercube, any pattern of faulty nodes can be tolerated as long as the number of faulty nodes is no more than [n/2]. The maximum number of faulty nodes that can be tolerated is 2/sup n-1/, which occurs when all faulty nodes can be encompassed in an (n-1)-cube. In an n-dimensional mesh, we use a more general fault model, called a disconnected rectangular block. Any arbitrary pattern of faulty nodes can be modeled as a rectangular block after finding both unsafe and disabled nodes (which are then treated as faulty nodes). This concept can also be applied to k-ary n-cubes with four virtual channels, two in VIN/sub 1/ and the other two in VIN/sub 2/. Finally, we present simulation results for both hypercubes and 2-dimensional meshes by using various workloads and fault patterns.