Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sexual activity as a risk factor for hepatitis C in Puerto Rico.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C (HCV) is a blood born infection that affects millions of people worldwide. Although IV drug use (IVDU) and blood transfusions have been clearly defined as transmission risk factors for HCV, the role of sexual transmission is still not clearly defined. AIMS To define the role of sexual transmission among Puerto Ricans HCV+ patients, and to determine if there is an association between sexual, and non-sexual risk factors, genotypes and viral load. METHODS A cross-sectional epidemiological IRB approved study was performed among patients with HCV+ enrolled from Nov-2001 to May-2002. The Puerto Rico Gastroenterology Association sponsored this study. Five hundred subjects completed a risk-factor study questionnaire. Blood samples were drawn to determine HCV genotype and viral load. RESULTS A male predominance was found (68%). Most patients (70%) were between 45-65 years old. The most common genotype was 1 (82%). Reported sexual risk factors were: sex with a drug user (30.3%), multiple sexual partners (>10) (28.9%), sex with an HCV infected partner (9.0%), and homosexuality (8.3%). Most common non-sexual risk factors were: blood transfusion (30.2%) and intravenous drug use (IVDU) (46.8%). Illicit drug users (IDU) reported having sex at a younger age (15.5 y/o), than those non-IDU (18.9 y/o) p=0.015. IDU reported both, a higher frequency of homosexual encounters than non-IDU (10.8% vs. 1.5%) p<0.0001, as well as having sex with another IDU (47.8% vs. 11.3%) p<0.0001. Those patients who reported sex with an HCV infected partner and were non-IDU had fewer partners than those who were IDU (1-2 vs. >20 partners) p<0.001. As a group, homosexuals had sex at a younger age, had multiple partners (> 20) and a higher proportion of sex with IVDU. After adjusting for age, gender, and risk factors, no significant association was found between genotype and sexual variables. The difference noted between groups in viral load had no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS Our data supports that sexual risk factors are common in HCV infected patients. High risk sexual practices such as early sexual intercourse, homosexuality and multiple sexual partners are the most common in patients with hepatitis C with use of illicit drugs as a risk factor also. The role of sexual transmission in this group cannot be clearly established. No significant relationship was found between genotype, viral load and sexual transmission. Patients with illegal drug use (IDU) showed significant difference from non users in regard to the age of the first sexual intercourse, the number of sexual partners and the practice of sex with other illicit drug users or partners of the same sex. When parenteral transmission is excluded, practicing sex with a HCV infected partner was the only identified risk factor in 6.5% of the studied population.
Founding Family Controlled Firms: Performance, Risk, and Value

An agency theory framework is used to test the effects of founding family control on firm performance, capital structure, and value. Both the finance and management literatures regarding the relationship between firm control and firm value are explored. Controlling for size, industry, and managerial ownership, the results suggest that firms controlled by the founding family have greater value, are operated more efficiently, and carry less debt than other firms.
Variance Estimates in Models with the Box-Cox Transformation: Implications for Estimations and Hypothesis Testing

The variance-covariance matrix of the parameter estimates in a model containing the Box-Cox transformation is analytically examined. Breaking the variance-covariance matrix into components helps in understanding (1) why some estimation algorithms are more efficient than others, (2) why both iterated OLS estimation and first derivative-only gradient estimation methods obtain biased estimates of the variances of the coefficients (with OLS underestimating the variances, and first derivative methods overestimating them), and (3) how the lack of scale invariance in the t-ratios for the linear coefficients makes hypothesis testing very misleading.
The role of information in Hong Kong individual stock futures trading

The impact of information flows on market variables such as traded volume have been well documented in the literature. In this article, the issue as to whether trading volume in derivatives responds to information flows in the underlying asset is considered. Using Hong Kong individual stock futures data, empirical analysis of information flows proxied by cash market volume and stock futures volume provides evidence that suggests that it is not the arrival of news to the market which motivates derivatives trading. Thus, the mystery of low volumes and illiquid markets for ISF cannot be explained by information arrival for the underlying stocks on which they are traded.
Lessons learned from an unstable genomic landscape

Abstract Purpose: This brief historical perspective will highlight the many accomplishments of the late William ‘Bill’ Morgan, and how his laboratory during the mid-1990s shaped the field of genomic instability. Bill focused on the processes responsible for radiation-induced genomic instability, and while ionizing radiation was known to induce this phenomenon, the precise causes were poorly understood. Here we revisit Bill’s unique approach to these problems, as he advocated the use of novel mammalian cell lines to tease apart the mechanisms responsible for destabilizing an otherwise stable nuclear genome. Conclusions: Genomic instability is a multifaceted process posited to be the driving force behind multistep carcinogenesis. Bill used a variety of innovative techniques that ultimately refined our understanding of the causes and consequences of radiation-induced chromosomal instability and the role it played in cancer predisposition. The central concepts of genomic instability fit nicely with the mutator phenotype hypothesis proposed by Lawrence Loeb, both of which represent functionally similar frameworks for describing how genomic stability can be compromised. The field of genomic instability has since advanced considerably, and much of our current knowledge is due to the efforts of Bill Morgan.
Contrasted patterns of hyperdiversification in Mediterranean hotspots

Dating the Tree of Life has now become central to relating patterns of biodiversity to key processes in Earth history such as plate tectonics and climate change. Regions with a Mediterranean climate have long been noted for their exceptional species richness and high endemism. How and when these biota assembled can only be answered with a good understanding of the sequence of divergence times for each of their components. A critical aspect of dating by using molecular sequence divergence is the incorporation of multiple suitable age constraints. Here, we show that only rigorous phylogenetic analysis of fossil taxa can lead to solid calibration and, in turn, stable age estimates, regardless of which of 3 relaxed clock-dating methods is used. We find that Proteaceae, a model plant group for the Mediterranean hotspots of the Southern Hemisphere with a very rich pollen fossil record, diversified under higher rates in the Cape Floristic Region and Southwest Australia than in any other area of their total distribution. Our results highlight key differences between Mediterranean hotspots and indicate that Southwest Australian biota are the most phylogenetically diverse but include numerous lineages with low diversification rates.
Neuroepithelial cells and the hypoxia emersion response in the amphibious fish Kryptolebias marmoratus

SUMMARY Teleost fish have oxygen-sensitive neuroepithelial cells (NECs) in the gills that appear to mediate physiological responses to hypoxia, but little is known about oxygen sensing in amphibious fish. The mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus, is an amphibious fish that respires via the gills and/or the skin. First, we hypothesized that both the skin and gills are sites of oxygen sensing in K. marmoratus. Serotonin-positive NECs were abundant in both gills and skin, as determined by immunohistochemical labelling and fluorescence microscopy. NECs retained synaptic vesicles and were found near nerve fibres labelled with the neuronal marker zn-12. Skin NECs were 42% larger than those of the gill, as estimated by measurement of projection area, and 45% greater in number. Moreover, for both skin and gill NECs, NEC area increased significantly (30–60%) following 7 days of exposure to hypoxia (1.5 mg l–1 dissolved oxygen). Another population of cells containing vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) proteins were also observed in the skin and gills. The second hypothesis we tested was that K. marmoratus emerse in order to breathe air cutaneously when challenged with severe aquatic hypoxia, and this response will be modulated by neurochemicals associated chemoreceptor activity. Acute exposure to hypoxia induced fish to emerse at 0.2 mg l–1. When K. marmoratus were pre-exposed to serotonin or acetylcholine, they emersed at a significantly higher concentration of oxygen than untreated fish. Pre-exposure to receptor antagonists (ketanserin and hexamethonium) predictably resulted in fish emersing at a lower concentration of oxygen. Taken together, these results suggest that oxygen sensing occurs at the branchial and/or cutaneous surfaces in K. marmoratus and that serotonin and acetylcholine mediate, in part, the emersion response.
Indicator Cokriging-Based Subpixel Mapping Without Prior Spatial Structure Information

Indicator cokriging (ICK) has been shown to be an effective subpixel mapping (SPM) algorithm. It is noniterative and involves few parameters. The original ICK-based SPM method, however, requires the semivariogram of land cover classes from prior information, usually in the form of fine spatial resolution training images. In reality, training images are not always available, or laborious work is needed to acquire them. This paper aims to seek spatial structure information for ICK when such prior land cover information is not obtainable. Specifically, the fine spatial resolution semivariogram of each class is estimated by the deconvolution process, taking the coarse spatial resolution semivariogram extracted from the class proportion image as input. The obtained fine spatial resolution semivariogram is then used to estimate class occurrence probability at each subpixel with the ICK method. Experiments demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed ICK with the deconvolution approach. It obtains comparable SPM accuracy to ICK that requires semivariogram estimated from fine spatial resolution training images. The proposed method extends ICK to cases where the prior spatial structure information is unavailable.
The strategic dis/advantage of voting early

Under sequential voting, voting late enables conditioning on which candidates are viable, while voting early can influence the field of candidates. But the latter effect can be harmful: shrinking the field increases not only the likelihood that future voters vote for one's favorite candidate, but also that they vote for an opponent. Specifically, if one's favorite candidate is significantly better than all others then early voting is disadvantageous and all equilibria are equivalent to simultaneous voting. Conversely, when some other candidate is almost as good then any Markov, symmetric, anonymous equilibrium involves sequential voting (and differs from simultaneous voting).
Defining critical windows in the development of the human immune system

Identifying critical windows in immune system development is crucial for determination of either safety or vulnerability to exposure to specific agents during rapidly changing phases of ontogeny. These phases in the human range from postconception early gestation through adolescence. A detailed understanding of these windows will facilitate avoidance of environmental toxins as well as allow improved planning for unavoidable exposures. Critical windows of immune development will be influenced by concomitant development, maturation and growth of other organ systems, thus the influence of potentially toxic exposures must be determined within a co-ordinated multisystem and multidisciplinary approach.
LONG‐TERM OUTCOME OF OPTIC NERVE ENCASEMENT AND OPTIC NERVE DECOMPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH FIBROUS DYSPLASIA: RISK FACTORS FOR BLINDNESS AND SAFETY OF OBSERVATION

OBJECTIVEFibrous dysplasia (FD) of bone may occur solely as a skeletal condition or it may occur in association with extraskeletal manifestations, including growth hormone (GH) excess. Uncertainty exists as to the management of FD involving the optic nerves. In an effort to clarify management, the authors studied a large population of patients. METHODSOne hundred four patients underwent an evaluation that includedreview of records, endocrine testing, cranial computed tomography, and neuro-ophthalmological examination. RESULTSNinety-one of 104 patients had craniofacial FD; complete records were available for 87 patients (174 nerves). Seventeen percent of the optic nerves were less than 50% encased, 22% were 50 to 99% encased, and 61% were 100% encased. Twelve percent of the nerves that were 100% encased showed evidence of optic neuropathy, but 88% did not. The group with optic neuropathy was not older than the group without. Patients with GH excess were significantly more likely to have nerves that were 100% encased (relative risk, 4.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–11.1; P = 0.0017) and to have optic neuropathy (relative risk, 3.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.0–7.1; P = 0.0019). Six prophylactic optic nerve decompressions were performed; in five patients, vision was stable after surgery, and one patient was blind after surgery. Thirteen interventional optic nerve decompression procedures were performed; six of the 13 patients showed some improvement and seven of the 13 showed no improvement or worsened vision. CONCLUSIONThe vast majority of optic nerves encased with FD do not exhibit symptoms of optic neuropathy and seem to be stable over time. GH excess is associated with increased risk of nerve encasement and optic neuropathy. Patients with craniofacial FD should be screened for GH excess, and optic nerve decompression should be performed only when there is objective evidence of progressive optic neuropathy.
Ocular manifestations of systemic disease: toxoplasmosis

Purpose of review To provide an overview of ocular toxoplasmosis, the leading cause of infectious posterior uveitis, focusing on recent trends of disease epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy and prevention. Recent findings Novel aspects of epidemiology, including growing importance of water transmission are discussed. The historical controversy of congenital versus postnatally acquired toxoplasmosis is revisited. Recent insights into pathogenesis of ocular toxoplasmosis are also reviewed, tipping the delicate balance between parasite virulence and host immunity. Diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis is also discussed in the light of serological, molecular and imaging tools. Finally, a critical analysis of current and emerging therapies for ocular toxoplasmosis is made. Preventive aspects are also commented upon. Summary Waterborne toxoplasmosis is increasingly recognized in outbreaks and in endemic areas. The importance of postnatally acquired toxoplasmosis is now well established, but should not lead to underestimation of congenital disease. Genetic determination of parasite virulence/individual susceptibility might correlate with disease outcomes. Serological, molecular and imaging tools may improve the diagnosis and follow-up of individuals with ocular toxoplasmosis. Despite emergence of alternative therapeutic regimens, including intravitreal antibiotics, classical therapy with sulfadiazine/pyrimethamine is still standard for toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis. Adequate prophylaxis is expected to have an effect in ocular burden of toxoplasmosis.
Intra‐examiner repeatability and agreement in accommodative response measurements

Purpose: Clinical measurement of the accommodative response (AR) identifies the focusing plane of a subject with respect to the accommodative target. To establish whether a significant change in AR has occurred, it is important to determine the repeatability of this measurement. This study had two aims: First, to determine the intraexaminer repeatability of AR measurements using four clinical methods: Nott retinoscopy, monocular estimate method (MEM) retinoscopy, binocular crossed cylinder test (BCC) and near autorefractometry. Second, to study the level of agreement between AR measurements obtained with the different methods.
On Optimal Lifetime Redistribution Policy

In this paper we examine various aspects of the optimal lifetime redistribution policy within a cohort. We characterise optimal redistribution policy when society consists of individuals who do not differ only in productivity, but also in time preference or myopia. We extend Diamond’s (2003) analysis on nonlinear taxation of savings into the three and four type models. Our results provide a rationale for distortions (upward and downward) in savings behaviour in a simple two period model where high skilled and low skilled individuals have different non-observable time preferences beyond their earning capacity. If we interpret our model so that there is no private savings, but public provision of pension in period 2, then in different versions (and different parameterization) of three type model we find the U-shaped pattern of the replacement rates. Our numerical results suggest that the retirement consumption is less dispersed than the first period consumption in a paternalistic case, whereas in a welfarist case the ordering is reversed. Our numerical simulations also show that consumption when old should be less dispersed than consumption when young when some individuals are myopic. Moreover our numerical results suggest that when there are myopic individuals in the economy, a paternalistic government policy increases saving and makes saving larger than with paternalist government policy where there are no myopic individuals.
Tail Estimates of East European Exchange Rates

In the literature, a consensus exists that distributions of exchange-rate returns are fat tailed. We use a nonparametric tail-index estimator based on extreme-value theory to shed light on some of the characteristics of the empirical distribution of black-market exchange-rate returns for seven East European currencies between 1955 and 1990, focusing on the information in the tails of the distribution. We modify an existing tail-index estimator to take into account information in both tails. The results support the existence of finite second moments in exchange- rate returns. Implicitly, the sum-stable distribution is rejected.
Title Regulatory interaction between NBS 1 and DNMT 1 responding to DNAdamage

*KURAに登録されているコンテンツの利用については,著作権法に規定されている私的使用や引用などの範囲内で行ってください。 *著作権法に規定されている私的使用や引用などの範囲を超える利用を行う場合には,著作権者の許諾を得てください。 ただし,著作権者 から著作権等管理事業者(学術著作権協会,日本著作出版権管理システムなど)に権利委託されているコンテンツの利用手続については ,各著作権等管理事業者に確認してください。 Title Regulatory interaction between NBS1 and DNMT1 responding to DNA damage Author(s) Hayashi, Naoyuki; Kobayashi, Masahiko; Shamma, Awad; Morimura, Yoko; Takahashi, Chiaki; Yamamoto, Ken-ichi Citation Journal of Biochemistry, 145(4): 429-435
Whole Exome Sequencing to Identify Genetic Causes of Short Stature

Background/Aims: Short stature is a common reason for presentation to pediatric endocrinology clinics. However, for most patients, no cause for the short stature can be identified. As genetics plays a strong role in height, we sought to identify known and novel genetic causes of short stature. Methods: We recruited 14 children with severe short stature of unknown etiology. We conducted whole exome sequencing of the patients and their family members. We used an analysis pipeline to identify rare non-synonymous genetic variants that cause the short stature. Results: We identified a genetic cause of short stature in 5 of the 14 patients. This included cases of floating-harbor syndrome, Kenny-Caffey syndrome, the progeroid form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, as well as 2 cases of the 3-M syndrome. For the remaining patients, we have generated lists of candidate variants. Conclusions: Whole exome sequencing can help identify genetic causes of short stature in the context of defined genetic syndromes, but may be less effective in identifying novel genetic causes of short stature in individual families. Utilized in the clinic, whole exome sequencing can provide clinically relevant diagnoses for these patients. Rare syndromic causes of short stature may be underrecognized and underdiagnosed in pediatric endocrinology clinics.
Financing Constraints and Corporate Growth

This paper analyses the dynamic investment and growth prospects of a financially constrained firm. Three types of financing constraints are examined: internal finance, debt ceiling and exponential interest costs. To study the growth dynamics of firms subject to the above constraints, numerical solutions, for assigned parameter values, are provided using the reverse shooting Runge-Kutta algorithm. The simulation results suggest that the firm"s real and financial variables are highly correlated for constrained firms, as the optimal policy of these businesses is to over-invest in capital in the initial years, and then deplete this excess capacity in future periods. This, however, results in slower rates of growth for the constrained firm, and for entities facing a debt ceiling, greater rates of fluctuation in their rates of expansion
Primary Education: Barriers to Entry and Bottlenecks to Completion

To improve the country`s standing on achieving the Millennium Development Goals on Education and Education for All targets, it is important to examine various economic and sociocultural demand-side factors that hinder children from attending and completing primary school, as well as maximizing their learning when they are in school. In this report, we look into two major issues regarding universal primary education, viz., late school entry and dropping out before completion of elementary, which are tied to a variety of factors related to demand for education. This paper focuses on a select few that appear to have substantial consequences on school attendance: perceptions about school readiness of children, economic factors (poverty and costs of education), differences in expectations between boys and girls, and education of mothers. Supply barriers also exacerbate these problems, particularly in a system that suffers continuous shortages of various education inputs. The examination in this paper includes reports using available national survey data and primary observations made during field visits and interviews in various areas of the country. This paper identifies and discusses the most pertinent factors related to why preprimary-aged children not in school are viewed as being too young for schooling, why primary-aged children not in school reportedly lack interest in schooling, and what puts some primary-aged students more at risk of dropping out than others.