Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pretreatment Prediction of Individual Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients’ Response to Anti-Cytokine Therapy Using Serum Cytokine/Chemokine/Soluble Receptor Biomarkers

The inability to match rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with the anti-cytokine agent most efficacious for them is a major hindrance to patients’ speedy recovery and to the clinical use of anti-cytokine therapy. Identifying predictive biomarkers that can assist in matching RA patients with more suitable anti-cytokine treatment was our aim in this report. The sample consisted of 138 RA patients (naïve and non-naïve) who were administered tocilizumab or etanercept for a minimum of 16 weeks as a prescribed RA treatment. Pretreatment serum samples were obtained from patients and clinical measures of their disease activity were evaluated at baseline and 16 weeks after treatment commenced. Using patients’ pretreatment serum, we measured 31 cytokines/chemokines/soluble receptors and used multiple linear regression analysis to identify biomarkers that correlated with patients’ symptom levels (DAS28-CRP score) at week 16 and multiple logistic analyses for biomarkers that correlated with patients’ final outcome. The results revealed that sgp130, logIL-6, logIL-8, logEotaxin, logIP-10, logVEGF, logsTNFR-I and logsTNFR-II pretreatment serum levels were predictive of the week 16 DAS28-CRP score in naïve tocilizumab patients while sgp130, logGM-CSF and logIP-10 were predictive in non-naïve patients. Additionally, we found logIL-9, logVEGF and logTNF-α to be less reliable at predicting the week 16 DAS28-CRP score in naïve etanercept patients. Multiple linear regression and multiple logistic regression analyses identified biomarkers that were predictive of remission/non-remission in tocilizumab and etanercept therapy. Although less reliable than those for tocilizumab, we identified a few possible biomarkers for etanercept therapy. The biomarkers for these two therapies differ suggesting that their efficacy will vary for individual patients. We discovered biomarkers in RA pretreatment serum that predicted their week 16 DAS28-CRP score and clinical outcome to tocilizumab therapy. Most of these biomarkers, especially sgp130, are involved in RA pathogenesis and IL-6 signal transduction, which further suggests that they are highly reliable. Trial Registration UMIN-CTR Clinical Trial UMIN000016298
Suicide and schizophrenia

Suicide and suicide attempts occur at a significantly greater rate in schizophrenia than in the general population. Common estimates are that 10% of people with schizophrenia will eventually have a completed suicide, and that attempts are made at two to five times that rate. Demographically associated with suicidality in schizophrenia are being young, being early in the course of the illness, being male, coming from a high socioeconomic family background, having high intelligence, having high expectations, not being married, lacking social supports, having awareness of symptoms, and being recently discharged from the hospital. Also associated are reduced self-esteem, stigma, recent loss or stress, hopelessness, isolation, treatment non-compliance and substance abuse. Clinically, the most common correlates of suicidality in schizophrenia are depressive symptoms and the depressive syndrome, although severe psychotic and panic-like symptoms may contribute as well. This review specifically explores the issue of depression in schizophrenia, in relation to suicide, by organizing the differential diagnosis of this state and highlighting their potentially treatable or correctable causes. This differential diagnosis includes both acute and chronic disappointment reactions, the prodrome of an acute psychotic episode, neuroleptic induced akinesia and akathisia, the possibility of direct neuroleptic-induced depression, negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and the possible co-occurrence of an independent depressive diathesis. The potential beneficial roles of ‘atypical’ antipsychotic agents, including both clozapine and more novel agents, and adjunctive treatment with other psychopharmacological medications are considered, and the important roles of psychosocial factors and interventions are recognized.
Wind-dispersed pollen mediates postglacial gene flow among refugia

A long-term genetic legacy of refugial isolation has been postulated and was demonstrated for maternal refugial lineages for numerous plant and animal species. The lineages were assumed to have remained separated from each other for several glacial periods. The conifer Abies alba Miller, silver fir, is an excellent model to test whether pollen-mediated gene flow may eliminate the genetic imprints of Pleistocene refugial isolation. Two DNA markers with contrasting modes of inheritance were applied to 100 populations covering the entire range of silver fir in Europe. The markers exhibited each two highly conserved alleles based on an insertion/deletion of 80 bp in the fourth intron of the mitochondrial nad5 gene and on a synonymous substitution in the chloroplast psbC gene. The geographical distribution of the maternally inherited mitochondrial variation supported the existence of at least two refugia with two recolonizing maternal lineages remaining largely separated throughout the range. The cline of the nad5 allele frequencies was much steeper than the one of the two psbC alleles. The psbC cline was as wide as the whole range of the species. Our results provide striking evidence that even a species with very long generation times and heavy pollen grains was able to establish a highly efficient pollen-mediated gene flow between refugia. Therefore we postulate that an exchange of genetic information between refugia by range-wide paternal introgression is possible in wind-pollinated plant species.
The estimated incidence of cystic fibrosis in Japan.

BACKGROUND It is believed that the incidence of cystic fibrosis (CF) among Asiatic races, including the Japanese, is very rare. This epidemiological study was carried out to investigate the incidence of CF in Japan. METHODS We collected literature describing CF cases among pure Japanese and found 124 cases reported as CF during the 43 years from 1951, when the first case was reported, to 1993. Only 104 cases (57 male and 47 female patients) of 124 cases met our diagnostic criteria. RESULTS A simple calculation based on the number of reported CF cases and of live births after 1980 suggested that the incidence of CF is about 1 in 350,000 in the Japanese population. Twenty-nine (27.9% of the total) of 30 patients diagnosed in the neonatal period presented symptoms of meconium ileus, an incidence higher than that reported for the white population. CONCLUSIONS Our study results suggest that the incidence of CF in the Japanese population is even rarer than had been estimated before and that there is a genetic difference between northern European and Japanese populations.
The Bertrand Paradox, the Useless Auctioneer and the Launhardt Model

We revisit the Cournot–Bertrand debate in the light of Cournot, Edgeworth and Launhardt, tracing back to Launhardt the origin of price competition in duopoly models with constant returns to scale. Then, we discuss the formalisation of consumer utility function for differentiated products, first appearing in Launhardt and then in Bowley. This allows us to point out that assuming that firms know the demand function(s) is equivalent to assuming that they know the structure of consumer preferences. Therefore, we argue that there is no role for the auctioneer, either in Cournot or in Walras.
A structural time series approach to modelling multiple and resurgent meat scares in Italy

This paper exploits a structural time series approach to model the time pattern of multiple and resurgent food scares and their direct and cross-product impacts on consumer response. A structural time series Almost Ideal Demand System (STS-AIDS) is embedded in a vector error correction framework to allow for dynamic effects (VEC-STS-AIDS). Italian aggregate household data on meat demand is used to assess the time-varying impact of a resurgent BSE crisis (1996 and 2000) and the 1999 Dioxin crisis. The VEC-STS-AIDS model monitors the short-run impacts and performs satisfactorily in terms of residuals diagnostics, overcoming the major problems encountered by the customary vector error correction approach.
Posttraumatic Stress, Depression, and Social Support among College Students after Hurricane Andrew.

A survey of 220 college students conducted one month after Hurricane Andrew hit Southern Florida included an impact assessment, the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors, the Reaction Index, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Inventory (CES-D), the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a Pre-/Posthurricane Stressorsand Hassles Survey. StUdents who reported having experienced the most severe impact damage from the storm also reported having experienced the most stress, anxiety, and depr.essive symptoms. Nearly half of the students who sustained high damage to their dwellings could be classified as depressed . Regression analyses revealed that material and emotional social support were significant predictors of anxiety and depression scores after the storm.
Can oil-rich countries encourage entrepreneurship?

This study provides the first empirical investigation to test one of transmission channels of resource curse, i.e. marginalized entrepreneurship activities. Our panel data analysis of 65 countries from 2004 to 2011 shows a negative and statistically significant association between oil rents dependency and entrepreneurship indicator. This finding is robust to control of other major drivers of entrepreneurship, unobservable country- and time-fixed effects and a different measurement of oil rents dependency. In addition, our main results show that government effectiveness among other dimensions of good governance has a statistically significant moderating effect in entrepreneurship–oil rents nexus.
Union Activism in an Inclusive System of Industrial Relations: Evidence from a Spanish Case Study

In this article we analyse the reasons for active trade union participation within the context of Spanish industrial relations. Spain represents a particularly interesting case as the unions' main activity, collective bargaining, is considered a public good. The present study is based on a representative survey of one region of the ‘Worker Commissions’ trade union and provides empirical evidence that union presence in the workplace has a significant influence on members' propensity for activism. Union presence in the workplace enhances collectivism and builds incentive for action in inclusive systems of industrial relations. By contrast, individualistic orientations and instrumental motives are of little relevance in the Spanish industrial relations context.
Partial Horizontal Inequity Orderings: A Non‐parametric Approach

We provide a partial ordering view of horizontal inequity (HI), based on the Lorenz criterion, associated with different post-tax income distributions and a (bistochastic) non-parametric estimated benchmark distribution. As a consequence, several measures consistent with the Lorenz criterion can be rationalized. In addition, we establish the so-called HI transfer principle, which imposes a normative minimum requirement that any HI measure must satisfy. Our proposed HI ordering is consistent with this principle. Moreover, we adopt a cardinal view to decompose the total effect of a tax system into a welfare gain caused by HI-free income redistribution and a welfare loss caused by HI, without any additive decomposable restriction on the indices. Hence, more robust tests can be applied. Other decompositions in the literature are seen as particular cases.
The Birth of Joint-Stock Banking: England and New England Compared

By the end of the nineteenth century, the banking systems of England and New England were very different. England possessed a small number of large-scale clearing banks that had established extensive branch networks and dominated the domestic market. In contrast, New England banking was characterized by a large number of small-scale institutions. Yet, a century earlier, there were striking similarities between the two systems. An analysis of their evolution over the course of the nineteenth century provides an international and comparative perspective on the continuing debate over banking institutions, lending patterns, and economic growth.
Community Decision Behavior: The Culture of Planning

Abstract This paper sets forth a conceptual framework for better understanding the relationships between the planning process and community decision-making. From an initial assumption concerning the nature of the decision-making process, the paper suggests four sets of independent variables that affect decision outcomes: (1) process roles (including the dimensions of specialization and skill); (2) the decision field (including the environment for decision not only in the community but within the deciding body itself); (3) planning and action strategies; and (4) issue attributes. Using this framework, a series of hypotheses are posed for future research, and the potential implications for urban planning are discussed.
An economic analysis of capital flight from Nigeria

Unlike Latin America, there have been no detailed estimates of capital flight or its determinants in Africa. The author addresses this problem and, using several concepts, provides"bands"or a"range"for capital flight in Nigeria. A significant proportion of capital flight can be estimated from recorded data in the balance of payments and debt statistics - but these estimates are only as good as the data are reliable. Significant amounts of capital flight, relative to external debt, took place between 1970 and 1989. Trade-faking was an important vehicle: exports were under-invoiced to the tune of about US $8.1 billion and imports were over invoiced about US $6.0 billion. Econometric analysis shows that the culprit to be domestic macroeconomic policy - in the form of inflation, exchange rate misalignment, fiscal deficit, and the lack of opportunities for profitable domestic investments - combined with the relative attractiveness of foreign investments. Eliminating distortions in the economy could minimize substantially externally held foreign claims and minimize capital flight. Among things that need to be done: (a) ensure that the nation's currency is not overvalued; (b) establish an integrated, unified tariff structure to reduce the rewards for trade-faking; (c) establish fiscal discipline, to maintain macroeconomic stability and reduce inflation; (d) ensure a positive real rate of interest - high enough to attract funds but not so high as to stifle investment initiatives; (e) adopt a realistic exchange rate determined by market forces; and (f) foster attitudinal changes that contribute positively to honest government.
Remote sensing estimates of stand-replacement fires in Russia, 2002–2011

The presented study quantifies the proportion of stand-replacement fires in Russian forests through the integrated analysis of Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data products. We employed 30 m Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus derived tree canopy cover and decadal (2001–2012) forest cover loss (Hansen et al 2013 High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change Science 342 850–53) to identify forest extent and disturbance. These data were overlaid with 1 km MODIS active fire (earthdata.nasa.gov/data/near-real-time-data/firms) and 500 m regional burned area data (Loboda et al 2007 Regionally adaptable dNBR-based algorithm for burned area mapping from MODIS data Remote Sens. Environ. 109 429–42 and Loboda et al 2011 Mapping burned area in Alaska using MODIS data: a data limitations-driven modification to the regional burned area algorithm Int. J. Wildl. Fire 20 487–96) to differentiate stand-replacement disturbances due to fire versus other causes. Total stand replacement forest fire area within the Russian Federation from 2002 to 2011 was estimated to be 17.6 million ha (Mha). The smallest stand-replacement fire loss occurred in 2004 (0.4 Mha) and the largest annual loss in 2003 (3.3 Mha). Of total burned area within forests, 33.6% resulted in stand-replacement. Light conifer stands comprised 65% of all non-stand-replacement and 79% of all stand-replacement fire in Russia. Stand-replacement area for the study period is estimated to be two times higher than the reported logging area. Results of this analysis can be used with historical fire regime estimations to develop effective fire management policy, increase accuracy of carbon calculations, and improve fire behavior and climate change modeling efforts.
The Statistical Signature of Pervasive Competition on Wage and Salary Incomes

Population biologists and comparative animal behaviorists assume that competition between members of the same species allocates resource utility, but they cannot validate that assumption without a unidimensional measure of resource utility such as money, which they do not have since they leave humans to the social sciences. One of the social sciences, economics takes the point of view that pervasive zero-sum competition between people does not determine wage andsalary incomes. The present article validates the assumption of populationbiology and comparative animal behavior that competition within a species allocates resource utility by finding the statistical signature of pervasive zero-sum competition in longitudinal data on individual wage and salary incomes.
Supply chain integration: the role of logistics service providers

Purpose – Considering the importance of supply chain integration (SCI) in literature and the increasing outsourcing of logistics, this paper aims to study the role of logistics service providers (LSPs) in supporting SCI and clients’ performance. Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on a two-step approach: a literature review on supply chain integration (SCI) and performance regarding how LSPs are taken into account; and an analysis of web sites of LSPs concerning how they communicate their role and whether they themselves consider they have a role in improving the SCI and performance of their clients. Results are then discussed in view of some major works on third party logistics. Findings – Some surprising conclusions are drawn. Among the analysed articles very few take LSPs into consideration. The web site analysis shows LSPs varying in their communication. Some do not consider SCI as part of their job, others balance between being pure “resource providers” and taking the riskier role of “supply chain designers”. The analysis of the roles LSPs can play in supply chains enriches the understanding of the SCI phenomenon. Research limitations/implications – In this paper SCI performance papers are analysed. A review of papers on LSPs could be another relevant starting point. The web site analysis concerns LSPs’ communication. Further research could complement with the shippers’ perspectives. Practical implications – Results suggest different dimensions to structure LSPs’ strategies vis-a` -vis clients’ SCI and performance. Originality/value – The main contributions of this paper are questioning and analysing what role LSPs play in SCI and performance, and expanding the framework for SCI studies.
Specific Human and Candida Cellular Interactions Lead to Controlled or Persistent Infection Outcomes during Granuloma-Like Formation

ABSTRACT A delayed type of multicellular process could be crucial during chronic candidiasis in determining the course of infection. This reaction, consisting of organized immune cells surrounding the pathogen, initiates an inflammatory response to avoid fungal dissemination. The goal of the present study was to examine, at an in vitro cellular scale, Candida and human immune cell interaction dynamics during a long-term period. By challenging human peripheral blood immune cells from 10 healthy donors with 32 Candida albicans and non-albicans (C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. dubliniensis, C. lusitaniae, C. krusei, and C. kefyr) clinical isolates, we showed that Candida spp. induced the formation of granuloma-like structures within 6 days after challenge, but their sizes and the respective fungal burdens differed according to the Candida species. These two parameters are positively correlated. Phenotypic characteristics, such as hypha formation and higher axenic growth rate, seem to contribute to yeast persistence within granuloma-like structures. We showed an interindividual variability of the human response against Candida spp. Higher proportions of neutrophils and elevated CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratios during the first days after challenge were correlated with early production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and associated with controlled infection. In contrast, the persistence of Candida could result from upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), IFN-γ, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and a poor anti-inflammatory negative feedback (IL-10). Importantly, regulatory subsets of NK cells and CD4lo CD8hi doubly positive (DP) lymphocytes at late stage infiltrate granuloma-like structures and could correlate with the IL-10 and TNF-α production. These data offer a base frame to explain cellular events that guide infection control or fungal persistence.
A New Concept: Aβ1–42 Generates a Hyperfunctional Proteolytic NCX3 Fragment That Delays Caspase-12 Activation and Neuronal Death

Although the amyloid-β1–42 (Aβ1–42) peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease is known to cause a dysregulation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, its molecular mechanisms still remain unclear. We report that the extracellular-dependent early increase (30 min) in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), following Aβ1–42 exposure, caused the activation of calpain that in turn elicited a cleavage of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger isoform NCX3. This cleavage generated a hyperfunctional form of the antiporter and increased NCX currents (INCX) in the reverse mode of operation. Interestingly, this NCX3 calpain-dependent cleavage was essential for the Aβ1–42-dependent INCX increase. Indeed, the calpain inhibitor calpeptin and the removal of the calpain-cleavage recognition sequence, via site-directed mutagenesis, abolished this effect. Moreover, the enhanced NCX3 activity was paralleled by an increased Ca2+ content in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stores. Remarkably, the silencing in PC-12 cells or the knocking-out in mice of the ncx3 gene prevented the enhancement of both INCX and Ca2+ content in ER stores, suggesting that NCX3 was involved in the increase of ER Ca2+ content stimulated by Aβ1–42. By contrast, in the late phase (72 h), when the NCX3 proteolytic cleavage abruptly ceased, the occurrence of a parallel reduction in ER Ca2+ content triggered ER stress, as revealed by caspase-12 activation. Concomitantly, the late increase in [Ca2+]i coincided with neuronal death. Interestingly, NCX3 silencing caused an earlier activation of Aβ1–42-induced caspase-12. Indeed, in NCX3-silenced neurons, Aβ1–42 exposure hastened caspase-dependent apoptosis, thus reinforcing neuronal cell death. These results suggest that Aβ1–42, through Ca2+-dependent calpain activation, generates a hyperfunctional form of NCX3 that, by increasing Ca2+ content into ER, delays caspase-12 activation and thus neuronal death.