Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Constructing the true art market index: A novel 2-step hedonic approach and its application to the German art market

This study develops a novel 2-step hedonic approach, which is used to construct a price index for German paintings. This approach enables the researcher to use every single auction record, instead of only those auction records that belong to a sub-sample of selected artists. This results in a substantially larger sample available for research and it lowers the selection bias that is inherent in the traditional hedonic and repeat sales methodologies. Using a unique sample of 61,135 auction records for German artworks created by 5,115 different artists over the period 1985 to 2007, we find that the geometric annual return on German art is just 3.8 percent, with a standard deviation of 17.87 percent. Although our results indicate that art underperforms the market portfolio and is not proportionally rewarded for downside risk, under some circumstances art should be included in an optimal portfolio for diversification purposes.
Regional Distribution of α‐Synuclein Pathology in Unimpaired Aging and Alzheimer Disease

The amygdaloid complex (AC) was found highly vulnerable to α-synuclein (αS) pathology in both familial and sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD), and recently, incidental Lewy bodies (LBs) were identified primarily in the lower brainstem. This challenges the traditional view that the substantia nigra (SN) is the region that is predominately affected in the spectrum of LB disorders. We examined the immunoreactivity of αS in the SN, the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM), and the AC in 904 subjects with or without concomitant AD pathology. αS-positive structures were seen in at least one of the studied brain areas in 121 subjects (13%). The affected regions in the αS-positive subjects included the SN (89%), the nbM (73%), and the AC (67%). This study also included 82 sporadic AD patients diagnosed using CERAD criteria. αS-positive structures were seen in 32% of the AD patients, with the SN and AC being equally affected. In a few subjects the AC was the only affected area. However, this was not inevitably associated with AD pathology, but was related to cognitive decline. Incidental LBs in the SN were described in the occasional subjects, with no αS pathology in the lower brainstem.
Improving competitive positioning through complementary organisational resources

Purpose – In this paper, the authors seek to draw upon resource‐based theory to explore the role of existing, complementary organisational resources, in leveraging sustainable improvements in competitive positioning, resulting from information systems initiatives.Design/methodology/approach – A research model has been derived from the literature, which is then used to guide the conduct of a major, integrated quantitative and qualitative survey of managers.Findings – In this paper, it is shown that improvements in competitive positioning are likely to be more significant and sustainable when a new IS initiative makes an indirect contribution, through the leveraging of complementary organisational resources, rather than stemming directly from the functionality of the IT asset.Research limitations/implications – The main limitations of this study relate to its use of a “convenience” sample and a “single‐informant”. However, both these comprises were viewed as being worthwhile, as it gave the authors the oppo.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to the Transverse Occipital Sulcus Affects Scene but Not Object Processing

Traditionally, it has been theorized that the human visual system identifies and classifies scenes in an object-centered approach, such that scene recognition can only occur once key objects within a scene are identified. Recent research points toward an alternative approach, suggesting that the global image features of a scene are sufficient for the recognition and categorization of a scene. We have previously shown that disrupting object processing with repetitive TMS to object-selective cortex enhances scene processing possibly through a release of inhibitory mechanisms between object and scene pathways [Mullin, C. R. , & Steeves, J. K. E. TMS to the lateral occipital cortex disrupts object processing but facilitates scene processing. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23, 4174–4184, 2011]. Here we show the effects of TMS to the transverse occipital sulcus (TOS), an area implicated in scene perception, on scene and object processing. TMS was delivered to the TOS or the vertex (control site) while participants performed an object and scene natural/nonnatural categorization task. Transiently interrupting the TOS resulted in significantly lower accuracies for scene categorization compared with control conditions. This demonstrates a causal role of the TOS in scene processing and indicates its importance, in addition to the parahippocampal place area and retrosplenial cortex, in the scene processing network. Unlike TMS to object-selective cortex, which facilitates scene categorization, disrupting scene processing through stimulation of the TOS did not affect object categorization. Further analysis revealed a higher proportion of errors for nonnatural scenes that led us to speculate that the TOS may be involved in processing the higher spatial frequency content of a scene. This supports a nonhierarchical model of scene recognition.
Diet and nutritional status in elderly Zimbabweans.

BACKGROUND nutritional studies in developing countries tend to focus on women of reproductive age and children. Little is known about the diet or nutritional status of elderly Africans. OBJECTIVE to record the diet, anthropometric, haematological and biochemical measurements which might reflect nutrition and social factors in a group of elderly Zimbabweans. DESIGN cross-sectional community survey. SETTING a remote rural area in north-eastern Zimbabwe and two urban townships located approximately 80 km from Harare. SUBJECTS 278 subjects (154 women, 174 rural), aged >60 years (range 60-92), living at home. METHOD subjects were selected by random cluster sampling. Diet was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were body mass index (BMI), waist : hip ratio (WHR), triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness (SFT). Laboratory analysis included serum albumin, calcium, haemoglobin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), cholesterol, triglycerides, vitamin B12 and red blood cell folate levels. RESULTS the staple diet was maize meal and vegetables; 74 (27%) ate a protein-containing meal less than once a week; 135 (49%) took milk less than once a week and 27% had serum Ca2+ < 2 mmol/l. The frequency of eating meat, milk, bread and fried food varied with income and education and declined with age. For all anthropometric measurements median values were higher in the urban area (BMI 21.1 vs 18.3, WHR 0.98 vs 0.9, triceps SFT 10 vs 6.7 mm; P < 0.001 for all) and related to the frequency of eating meat and fried food. The BMI was higher in those with more years of education. Within the rural area physical measurements were higher in a more prosperous area. Serum lipid concentrations were higher in urban residents (median cholesterol 4.4 vs 3.9 mmol/l, triglycerides 1.8 vs 1.5 mmol/l; P < 0.001 for both) and correlated with BMI, WHR and triceps SFT. Vitamin B12 concentrations were higher in urban residents, whereas folate concentrations were higher in rural residents. CONCLUSIONS dietary patterns, anthropometric measurements and biochemical values in a group of randomly-selected elderly Zimbabweans are influenced by area of residence, age, income and educational level.
Teacher’s Attitudes towards Educational Technology in English Language Institutes

The issue of attitude towards technology is not a new one; it has been around since computers were first placed in the classroom. There appears to be a positive attitude towards technology, so researchers aimed to seek out new information in an effort to find the relationship among teachers’ tenure, age, educational level, experience and teachers’ attitude toward technology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude towards technology among teachers working in several institutes in Mazandaran. A total of 100 teachers including 38 males and 62 females, ranging in age from 22 to 50 and 20 to 42 respectively completed a survey. The non-parametric Spearman Rank-Order Correlation was used to find the relationship between the variables. The result of the research questions showed that: (1) there was a statistically significant relationship between teacher experience and attitude toward technology, (2) there was a statistically significant relationship between teacher tenure and attitude towards technology, and (3) there was a statistically significant relationship between teacher age and attitude toward technology.
LIM Kinase 1 Modulates Cortical Actin and CXCR4 Cycling and Is Activated by HIV-1 to Initiate Viral Infection*

Almost all viral pathogens utilize a cytoskeleton for their entry and intracellular transport. In HIV-1 infection, binding of the virus to blood resting CD4 T cells initiates a temporal course of cortical actin polymerization and depolymerization, a process mimicking the chemotactic response initiated from chemokine receptors. The actin depolymerization has been suggested to promote viral intracellular migration through cofilin-mediated actin treadmilling. However, the role of the virus-mediated actin polymerization in HIV infection is unknown, and the signaling molecules involved remain unidentified. Here we describe a pathogenic mechanism for triggering early actin polymerization through HIV-1 envelope-mediated transient activation of the LIM domain kinase (LIMK), a protein that phosphorylates cofilin. We demonstrate that HIV-mediated LIMK activation is through gp120-triggered transient activation of the Rack-PAK-LIMK pathway, and that knockdown of LIMK through siRNA decreases filamentous actin, increases CXCR4 trafficking, and diminishes viral DNA synthesis. These results suggest that HIV-mediated early actin polymerization may directly regulate the CXCR4 receptor during viral entry and is involved in viral DNA synthesis. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that in resting CD4 T cells, actin polymerization can be triggered through transient treatment with a pharmacological agent, okadaic acid, that activates LIMK and promotes HIV latent infection of resting CD4 T cells. Taken together, our results suggest that HIV hijacks LIMK to control the cortical actin dynamics for the initiation of viral infection of CD4 T cells.
WASH is required for lysosomal recycling and efficient autophagic and phagocytic digestion

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein and SCAR homologue (WASH) is an important regulator of vesicle trafficking. The authors show that, in Dictyostelium, WASH is required for lysosomal hydrolase recycling and function. WASH is therefore crucial for both autophagic and phagocytic degradation, and cells lacking WASH are unable to either survive starvation or grow on certain bacteria.
Hepatic Resection Is Safe and Effective for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Portal Hypertension

Background & Aims Official guidelines do not recommend hepatic resection (HR) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal hypertension (PHT). This study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of HR for patients with HCC and PHT. Methods Mortality and survival after HR were analyzed retrospectively in a consecutive sample of 1738 HCC patients with PHT (n = 386) or without it (n = 1352). To assess the robustness of findings, we repeated the analysis using propensity score-matched analysis. We also comprehensively searched the PubMed database for studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of HR for patients with HCC and PHT. Results The 90-day mortality rate was 6.7% among those with PHT and 2.1% among those without it (P<.001). Patients without PHT had a survival benefit over those with PHT at 1, 3, and 5 years (96% vs 90%, 75% vs 67%, 54% vs 45%, respectively; P = .001). In contrast, PHT was not associated with worse short- or long-term survival when only propensity score-matched pairs of patients and those with early-stage HCC or those who underwent minor hepatectomy were included in the analysis (all P>.05). Moreover, the recurrence rates were similar between the two groups. Consistent with our findings, all 9 studies identified in our literature search reported HR to be safe and effective for patients with HCC and PHT. Conclusions HR is safe and effective in HCC patients with PHT and preserved liver function. This is especially true for patients who have early-stage HCC or who undergo minor hepatectomy.
Diversity and Universality of Endosymbiotic Rickettsia in the Fish Parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis

Although the presence of endosymbiotic rickettsial bacteria, specifically Candidatus Megaira, has been reported in diverse habitats and a wide range of eukaryotic hosts, it remains unclear how broadly Ca. Megaira are distributed in a single host species. In this study we seek to address whether Ca. Megaira are present in most, if not all isolates, of the parasitic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Conserved regions of bacterial 16S rRNA genes were either PCR amplified, or assembled from deep sequencing data, from 18 isolates/populations of I. multifiliis sampled worldwide (Brazil, Taiwan, and USA). We found that rickettsial rRNA sequences belonging to three out of four Ca. Megaira subclades could be consistently detected in all I. multifiliis samples. I. multifiliis collected from local fish farms tend to be inhabited by the same subclade of Ca. Megaira, whereas those derived from pet fish are often inhabited by more than one subclade of Ca. Megaira. Distributions of Ca. Megaira in I. multifiliis thus better reflect the travel history, but not the phylogeny, of I. multifiliis. In summary, our results suggest that I. multifiliis may be dependent on this endosymbiotic relationship, and the association between Ca. Megaira and I. multifiliis is more diverse than previously thought.
POLARIZATION OBSERVATIONS OF 100 PULSARS AT 774 MHz BY THE GREEN BANK TELESCOPE

We report on polarimetric observations of 100 pulsars centered on 774 MHz, made using the Green Bank Telescope, presenting their polarization profiles and polarized flux densities and comparing them with previous observations when possible. For 67 pulsars, these are the first such measurements made. Polarization profiles of 8 millisecond-pulsars in our sample show wide profiles and flat position-angle curves. Strong linear polarization, sometimes approaching 100% of the total intensity, has been detected in all or a part of the average pulse profiles of some pulsars. In general, circular polarization is very weak, although it is observed to be extremely strong in the leading component of PSR J1920+2650. Sense reversal of circular polarization as a function of pulse phase has been detected from both core and other components of more than 20 pulsars. Any relationship between the spin-down luminosity and the percentage of linear polarization is not evident in our data at this frequency.
Biohydrology of low flows in the humid Ethiopian highlands: The Gilgel Abay catchment

In Ethiopia the population is rapidly expanding. As a consequence the landscape is rapidly changing. Eucalyptus plantations are increasing and irrigation projects are implemented. The hydrological effects of the changing landscape on river (low) flows have not been well documented and therefore the amount of water available in the future might be over optimistic. The objective of this paper is to establish how low flows have been impacted by new developments in irrigation and by landscape change. For this paper, we choose the Gilgel Abay in the headwaters of the upper Blue Nile basin, since it has both good quality discharge data and it is located in the Tana Beles growth corridor. Numerical and statistical means were used to analyze the 25 years of available low flow data. We found a statistically significant decreasing trend (P < 0.00001) of low flow in the Gilgel Abay. From 1980’s to 1990’s the low flow decreased by 25% and from 1990’s to 2000’s the low flow was reduced by 46%. The deterministic analysis with the Parameter Efficient Distributed (PED) model supported the statistical findings and indicated that in the middle of the nineteen nineties, after irrigation projects and eucalyptus plantations increased greatly, the low flows decreased more rapidly.
Micropropagation and assessment of genetic stability in Celastrus paniculatus: An endangered medicinal plant

A highly efficient protocol for in vitro regeneration of an indigenous, endangered medicinal plant Celastrus paniculatus was achieved using nodal explants. Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.1 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) showed maximum percentage of shoot multiplication (83.4%) with 8.2 shoots/explants. Maximum rooting of 73.3% with 4.8 roots/shoot was achieved on half-strength MS media supplemented with 0.5 mg/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and the percentage of survival was 91% after acclimatization. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker study confirmed genetic stability for in vitro raised explants by showing 100% monomorphism. High multiplication rate associated with genetic stability ensure the efficacy of the present in vitro clonal propagation protocol of this important medicinal plant species.
Corrupted and missing predictors: Minimax bounds for high-dimensional linear regression

Missing and corrupted data are ubiquitous in many science and engineering domains. We analyze the information-theoretic limits of recovering sparse vectors under various models of corrupted and missing data. In particular, consider a high-dimensional linear regression model y = X β* + ϵ, where y ∈ R<sup>n</sup> is the response vector, X ∈ R<sup>nXp</sup> is a random design matrix with p ≫ n and rows distributed i.i. d. as N(0, Σ<sub>x</sub>), β* ∈ R<sup>p</sup> is the unknown regression vector, and ϵ ~ N(0,σ<sub>ϵ</sub><sup>2</sup>I) is independent additive noise. Whereas a traditional approach assumes that the covariates X are fully observed, we assume only that a corrupted version Z is observed. Our main contribution is to establish minimax rates of convergence for estimating β* in squared ℓ<sub>2</sub>-loss, assuming β* is k-sparse. Our upper and lower bounds in both additive noise and missing data cases scale as k log(p/k)/n, with prefactors depending only on the corruption and/or missing pattern of the data.
Hierarchical Monte-Carlo Planning

Monte-Carlo Tree Search, especially UCT and its POMDP version POMCP, have demonstrated excellent performanceon many problems. However, to efficiently scale to large domains one should also exploit hierarchical structure if present. In such hierarchical domains, finding rewarded states typically requires to search deeply; covering enough such informative states very far from the root becomes computationally expensive in flat non-hierarchical search approaches. We propose novel, scalable MCTS methods which integrate atask hierarchy into the MCTS framework, specifically lead-ing to hierarchical versions of both, UCT and POMCP. The new method does not need to estimate probabilistic models of each subtask, it instead computes subtask policies purely sample-based. We evaluate the hierarchical MCTS methods on various settings such as a hierarchical MDP, a Bayesian model-based hierarchical RL problem, and a large hierarchical POMDP.
The influence of binary stars on the kinematics of low-mass galaxies

In this paper, the influence of binary stars on the measured kinematics of dwarf galaxies is investigated. Using realistic distributions of the orbital parameters (semi-major axis, eccentricity, etc.), analytical expressions are derived for the changes induced by the presence of binary stars in the measured velocity moments of low-mass galaxies (such as the projected velocity dispersion and the fourth-order Gauss–Hermite coefficient h4). It is shown that there is a noticeable change in the observed velocity dispersion if the intrinsic velocity dispersion of a galaxy is of the same order as the binary velocity dispersion. The kurtosis of the line-of-sight velocity distribution (LOSVD) is affected even at higher values of the intrinsic velocity dispersion. Moreover, the LOSVD of the binary stars (i.e. the probability of finding a star in a binary system with a particular projected velocity) is given in closed form, approximating the constituent stars of all binaries to revolve on circular orbits around each other. With this binary LOSVD, we calculate the observed LOSVD, the latter quantifying the movement of stars along the line of sight caused both by the orbits of the stars through the galaxy and by the motion of the stars in binary systems. As suggested by the changes induced in the moments, the observed LOSVD becomes more peaked around zero velocity and develops broader high-velocity wings. These results are important in interpreting kinematics derived from integrated-light spectra of low-mass galaxies and many of the intermediate results are useful for comparison with Monte Carlo simulations.
SOX17 is a tumor suppressor in endometrial cancer

β-catenin is a key regulatory factor for the Wnt signaling pathway. SOX17 is an important β-catenin inhibitor, while MAML3 is a co-activator of β-catenin-mediated transcription. Out of 120 endometrial cancer (EC) patients, we found that those with tumors expressing higher SOX17 (n=68) had longer recurrence-free survival (P=0.024), while higher MAML3 expression (n=76) was associated with shorter recurrence-free survival (P=0.022). Immunohistochemical and immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that SOX17 and MAML3 co-localized in EC cell nuclei, and the MAML3 C-terminal region was necessary for SOX17 binding. SOX17 regulated MAML3 transcription via binding to the MAML3 promoter, decreasing Wnt pathway protein expression and suppressing EC cell growth and colony formation in vitro. In nude mice, SOX17 over-expression inhibited tumor growth, and co-inhibition or co-overexpression of SOX17 and MAML3 rescued this response. Our results suggest that decreasing SOX17 levels may promote EC development and progression, and that by downregulating MAML3 expression and Wnt signaling, SOX17 acts as a tumor suppressor that may improve outcome in patients with EC.
Association between the high-dose use of benzodiazepines and rehospitalization in patients with schizophrenia: a 2-year naturalistic study

Background High-dose use of benzodiazepines (BZPs) reportedly causes adverse effects on cognitive function and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia. However, effects of BZPs on the clinical course of schizophrenia have not been clarified. This study was set out to investigate the association between BZPs and rehospitalization of patients with schizophrenia. Methods In this retrospective study, patients with schizophrenia who were discharged from Tokyo Medical University Hospital between January 2009 and February 2012 were eligible as subjects. One hundred and eight patients who continued treatment for >2 years after hospital discharge were included in this study. Clinical characteristics, doses of prescribed medication such as BZPs and antipsychotics, and Global Assessment of Functioning scores at discharge were investigated. The primary outcome was rehospitalization of patients for any reason. Results In a total of 108 subjects with schizophrenia, 44 subjects (40.7%) experienced rehospitalization during the 2-year study period. A multivariate analysis by the Cox proportional hazards model revealed that low educational history (hazard ratio =2.43, P=0.032), younger onset age of schizophrenia (hazard ratio =2.10, P=0.021), and higher diazepam-equivalent dose (hazard ratio =6.53, P=0.011) were significantly associated with the time to rehospitalization after hospital discharge. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that high-dose use of BZPs at discharge in patients with schizophrenia might be associated with a shorter time to rehospitalization.