Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of quantitative serum HBsAg for optimization of therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2a: a Romanian cohort study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The aim of the study was to assess the clinical utility of serum HBsAg quantification as a surrogate biomarker for the prediction of sustained virological response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with Pegylated Interferon alfa-2a (Peg-IFN α-2a). METHODS We performed a prospective cohort study which included 57 patients with CHB treated 48 weeks with Peg-IFN α-2a and followed for another 24 weeks. HBsAg was quantified at the baseline, during treatment and at the end of follow-up. SVR was defined as HBV-DNA below 2,000 IU/ml at 24 weeks after the end of therapy. RESULTS The majority of patients had HBeAg-negative CHB (68%, n=39). Positive predictive factors for SVR at baseline were low levels of HBsAg (3.72 log10 IU/ml, p=0.032) and HBV-DNA (3.96 log10 IU/ml, p=0.035). During treatment, patients who achieved SVR showed a marked decrease in serum HBsAg in comparison with nonresponders (at week 48 mean decrease of 1.06 +/- 1.3 log10 IU/ml versus 0.04 ± 0.5 log10 UI/ml, p=0.005). On therapy, HBV-DNA reduction ≥ 2 log10 IU/ml with any decrease of HBsAg level at week 12 had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 80% (95% CI: 51.91-95.43%) for SVR, while HBV-DNA decline < 2 log10 IU/ml without any decline of HBsAg had a negative predictive value (NPV) of 85.71% (95% CI: 42.23-97.63%) for SVR. CONCLUSIONS HBsAg quantification combined with HBV-DNA assessment could become an early useful tool to optimize the management of CHB patients treated with Peg-IFN α-2a, according to response guided therapy.
Firm Growth and Disclosure: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract Extant theoretical research posits that information asymmetry and agency issues affect the cost of external financing and hence impact the ability of firms to finance their growth opportunities. In contrast, the literature on disclosure policy posits that expanded and credible disclosure lowers the cost of external financing and improves a firm's ability to pursue potentially profitable projects. An empirical implication is that disclosure can help firms grow by relaxing external financing constraints, thereby allowing capital to flow to positive net present value projects. This paper empirically evaluates this prediction using firm-level data over an 11-year period. As anticipated by theory, we find a positive relation between firm disclosure policy and the externally financed growth rate, after controlling for other influences.
Decentralization Reforms and Regionalism in China: A review

Since 1978, the decentralization reforms, in general, and the reforms in planning and fiscal systems, in particular, have brought about dramatic changes in the context of central-regional/local relationships, which have in turn generated a tremendous impact on and problems for China’s regional development. This article aims to examine the impacts and consequences of China’s decentralization reform on regional development over the past seventeen years. With a brief review of prereform experiences, this article focuses on the decentralization reforms of planning and fiscal systems in the 1980s and 1990s: the contract-responsibility reforms and the ongoing tax-sharing reforms, and their regional implications and consequences. Special attention is paid to regionalism that is emerging as a result of these reforms. The authors argue that regionalism, in forms of territorial segmentation and confrontation, was planted in the traditional administrative economic system, but grew and was exacerbated by the current flawed or uncompleted decentralization reforms. The current tax-sharing system reform, which centered the functional division between the center and localities, seems to be on the right track, but its fate is hard to predict and far from claiming success.
Volatility in Emerging Stock Markets

Abstract This study examines the kinds of events that cause large shifts in the volatility of emerging stock markets. We first determine when large changes in the volatility of emerging stock market returns occur and then examine global and local events (social, political, and economic) during the periods of increased volatility. An iterated cumulative sums of squares (ICSS) algorithm is used to identify the points of shocks/sudden changes in the variance of returns in each market and how long the shift lasts. Both increases and decreases in the variance are identified. We then identify events around the time period when shifts in volatility occur. Most events tend to be local and include the Mexican peso crisis, periods of hyperinflation in Latin America, the Marcos-Aquino conflict in the Philippines, and the stock market scandal in India. The October 1987 crash is the only global event during the period 1985–1995 that caused a significant jump in the volatility of several emerging stock markets.
Informality, the State and the social contract in Latin America: A preliminary exploration

: This article sees informality in Latin America as a reflection of dysfunctional interactions between individuals and the State and of the latter's inability to perform adequately in regard to redistribution and the provision of public goods and services. This translates into low rates of social security contribution and coverage; pervasive evasion of tax, labour and business regulations; and low levels of tax collection, law enforcement and trust in the State. The challenge for these countries, the authors argue, is to build more inclusive social contracts underpinned by realistic domestic consensus, taking account of country-specific institutional backgrounds and prevailing social norms.
Tmprss3, a Transmembrane Serine Protease Deficient in Human DFNB8/10 Deafness, Is Critical for Cochlear Hair Cell Survival at the Onset of Hearing*

Mutations in the type II transmembrane serine protease 3 (TMPRSS3) gene cause non-syndromic autosomal recessive deafness (DFNB8/10), characterized by congenital or childhood onset bilateral profound hearing loss. In order to explore the physiopathology of TMPRSS3 related deafness, we have generated an ethyl-nitrosourea-induced mutant mouse carrying a protein-truncating nonsense mutation in Tmprss3 (Y260X) and characterized the functional and histological consequences of Tmprss3 deficiency. Auditory brainstem response revealed that wild type and heterozygous mice have normal hearing thresholds up to 5 months of age, whereas Tmprss3Y260X homozygous mutant mice exhibit severe deafness. Histological examination showed degeneration of the organ of Corti in adult mutant mice. Cochlear hair cell degeneration starts at the onset of hearing, postnatal day 12, in the basal turn and progresses very rapidly toward the apex, reaching completion within 2 days. Given that auditory and vestibular deficits often co-exist, we evaluated the balancing abilities of Tmprss3Y260X mice by using rotating rod and vestibular behavioral tests. Tmprss3Y260X mice effectively displayed mild vestibular syndrome that correlated histologically with a slow degeneration of saccular hair cells. In situ hybridization in the developing inner ear showed that Tmprss3 mRNA is localized in sensory hair cells in the cochlea and the vestibule. Our results show that Tmprss3 acts as a permissive factor for cochlear hair cells survival and activation at the onset of hearing and is required for saccular hair cell survival. This mouse model will certainly help to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying DFNB8/10 deafness and cochlear function.
On ε-Regularity Theorem and Asymptotic Behaviors of Solutions for Keller-Segel Systems

We deal with the equation (KS)$_m$ for the critical case of $q = m + 2/N$ with $N \ge 3$, $m > 1$, $q \ge 2$: $\partial_t u = \Delta u^m - \nabla \cdot (u^{q-1} \nabla v)$, $x \in \mathbb{R}^N$, $t>0$; $0 = \Delta v - \gamma v + u$, $x \in \mathbb{R}^N$, $t>0$; $u(x,0) = u_0(x)$, $\tau v(x,0) = \tau v_0(x)$, $x \in \mathbb{R}^N$. Based on a $\varepsilon$-regularity theorem in [Y. Sugiyama, Partial regularity and blow-up asymptotics of weak solutions to degenerate parabolic systems of porous medium type, submitted], we first show that the set $S_u$ of blow-up points of the weak solution u has at most the zero-Hausdorff dimension if $u \in C_w([0,T]; L^1(\mathbb{R}^N))$. Next, we give various conditions on the weak solution u so that the set $S_u$ consists of finitely many points. Furthermore, we obtain an explicit constant for $\varepsilon$ in such a way that if the local concentration of mass around some point $x \in S_u$ is less than $\varepsilon$, then u is in fact locally bounded around x, which may be.
Corporate Socially Responsible Investments: CEO Altruism, Reputation, and Shareholder Interests

Corporate managers often invest in activities that are deemed to be socially responsible. In some instances, these investments enhance shareholder value. However, in other cases, altruistic managers or managers who privately benefit from the positive attention arising from these activities may choose to make socially responsible investments even if they are not value enhancing. Given this backdrop, we investigate the various factors that motivate firm managers to make socially responsible investments. We find that larger firms, firms with greater free cash flow, and higher advertising outlays demonstrate higher levels of corporate social responsibility (CSR). We also find that companies with stronger institutional ownership are less likely to invest in CSR — which casts doubt on the argument that these investments are designed to promote shareholder value. Consistent with the literature that explores how CEO personal attributes influence corporate decision making, we find that female CEOs, younger CEOs, and managers who donate to both Republican and Democratic parties are significantly more likely to invest in CSR. This latter result suggests that CSR investments may not be driven solely for altruistic reasons, but instead may be part of a broader strategy to create goodwill and/or help maintain good political relations. Finally, we find a strong positive connection between the level of media scrutiny surrounding the firm and its CEO, and the level of CSR investment. This finding suggests that media attention helps induce firms to make socially responsible investments.
Board Characteristics, Accounting Report Integrity, and the Cost of Debt

Creditor reliance on accounting-based debt covenants suggests that debtors are potentially concerned with board of director characteristics that influence the integrity of financial accounting reports. In a sample of S&P 500 firms, we find that the cost of debt is inversely related to board independence and board size. We also find that fully independent audit committees are associated with a significantly lower cost of debt financing. Similarly, yield spreads are also negatively related to audit committee size and meeting frequency. Overall, these results provide market-based evidence that boards and audit committees are important elements affecting the reliability of financial reports.
Nonrandom pattern of cytogenetic abnormalities in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx

Cytogenetic analysis of short‐term cultures from 105 squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx (LSCC) revealed clonal chromosome aberrations in 56 tumors. Simple karyotypic changes (less than four aberrations per clone) were found in 24 cases, and the remaining 32 tumors had complex karyotypes with multiple numerical as well as unbalanced structural rearrangements. Extensive intratumor heterogeneity, in the form of multiple related subclones or unrelated clones, was observed in a large fraction of the tumors. The structural changes most often affected chromosomes 3, 1, 11, 7, 2, 15, 5, 4, 8, and 12, with rearrangements in the centromeric regions, i.e., the centromeric bands p10 and q10 and the juxtacentromeric bands p11 and q11, accounting for 43% of the total breakpoints. The most common imbalances brought about by numerical and unbalanced structural rearrangements were loss of chromosomal region 3p21–pter, chromosome arms 4p, 6q, 8p, 10p, 13p, 14p, 15p, and 17p, and gain of chromosomal regions 3q21–qter, 7q31–pter, and 8q. Among 17 recurrent aberrations identified, the most common were i(8q), hsr(11)(q13), i(3q), i(5p), and del(3)(p11). No statistically significant association was found between major karyotypic features and histological differentiation or TNM stage. The karyotypic features of the LSCC were also compared with previously published oral SCC, a subgroup of SCC that has been more extensively characterized cytogenetically. No clear‐cut karyotypic differences were found between LSCC and oral SCC, with the exception that i(8q) was significantly more frequent among the latter. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 28:66–76, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Culturally inclusive practice: A case study of an international student support initiative at an Australian university

This article explores from the students’ as well as the coordinator’s perspectives the effectiveness of an integrated culturally inclusive initiative in terms of facilitating international students’ adaptation. This initiative is a program that celebrates international students’ diverse learning cultures through sharing and understanding different cultural ways of learning. This study builds upon the extensive research conducted focusing on international students’ adaptation processes with a case-study approach consisting of participant observation, document analysis, questionnaire and in-depth interviewing. My findings support this initiative as a successful program providing support for international students. It is an effective practice for students, educators and policy makers in wider fields where intercultural dialogues are cherished.
Endothelin-1 activates phospholipases and channels at similar concentrations in porcine coronary arteries.

Sensitivity of endothelin-1 (ET-1)-ion channel interactions has been proposed to exceed that of ET-1-phospholipase activation in vascular smooth muscle. We wanted to determine whether short-circuiting ion channels with staphylococcal alpha-toxin pores would shift the ET-1-force relation to the right as predicted from the above proposal. Medium size porcine coronary arteries (outer diameter 0.7-1.5 mm) were mounted on isometric force transducers. ET-1 concentration response curves were compared between intact rings and those subjected to alpha-toxin treatment with Ca buffered at 0.1 microM. The EC50 for treated rings (1.5 +/- 1.0 nM, n = 5 pigs) was similar to that for intact rings (1.9 +/- 0.4 nM). The Ca sensitivity of the alpha-toxin-treated rings (EC50 = 0.43 +/- 0.08 microM) was similar to that reported by other laboratories for intact and alpha-toxin-treated arteries and was shifted eightfold to the left by a high concentration of ET-1 (10 nM). Measurements of [32P]phosphatidic acid ([32P]PA) levels were used to evaluate phospholipase activity in intact arteries. The time courses for [32P]PA production and contraction were similar in response to high (100 nM) and to low (1 nM) ET-1. Significant increases in both steady-state contraction and [32P]PA occurred over a wide range of ET-1 concentrations tested (0.3-100 nM). Our findings support the concept that ET-1-phospholipase coupling is operative over the whole concentration range that induces contractile responses. It is suggested that both Ca entry and Ca sensitization processes are activated by ET-1 at low concentrations (
Interactive Problem Solving and Dialogue in the ATIS Domain

This paper describes the present status of the discourse and dialogue models within the MIT ATIS system, extended to support the notion of booking a flight. The discourse model includes not only the resolution of explicit anaphoric references, but also indirect and direct references to information mentioned earlier in the conversation, such as a direct reference to an entry in a previously displayed table or an indirect reference to a date, as in "the following Thursday. " The system keeps a history table containing objects such as flights and dates, represented as semantic frames, as well as the active ticket, previously booked tickets, and previously displayed tables. During flight reservations scenarios, the system monitors the state of the ticket (which is displayed to the user), making sure that all information is complete (by querying the user) before allowing a booking. It may even initiate calls to the database to provide additional unsolicited information as appropriate. We have collected several dialogues of subjects using the system to make reservations, and from these, we are learning how to design better dialogue models.
Co-worker fatalities from hydrogen sulfide.

BACKGROUND Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, odorless gas that may cause rapid loss of consciousness and respiratory depression without warning. It has produced toxicity in workers in numerous industries and occupations. METHODS A review of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) for occupational deaths related to hydrogen sulfide from 1993 to 1999 was performed. RESULTS Fifty-two workers died of hydrogen sulfide toxicity in this 7-year period. Deaths were most commonly reported in workers who were white (85%), male (98%), and in their first year of employment with the company (48%). Common industries included waste management, petroleum, and natural gas. In 21% of cases, a co-worker died simultaneously or in the attempt to save the workers. CONCLUSIONS Hydrogen sulfide toxicity is uncommon, but potentially deadly. Toxicity is predominantly in new workers and co-worker fatalities occur in a significant minority of cases. Proper training and education on the warning signs of hydrogen sulfide toxicity may help reduce worker fatalities.
Torsades de pointes following clarithromycin treatment

A 75-year-old woman presenting with pre-syncope, shortness of breath and nausea was admitted to the emergency department following treatment with clarithromycin. Shortly after admission she developed a prolonged QT interval leading to torsades de pointes (TdP) and cardiac arrest. She was successfully cardioverted and clarithromycin was discontinued resulting in restoration of her usual QT interval. This case is an example of acquired long QT syndrome; a disorder that can be precipitated by macrolide antibiotics such as clarithromycin. Additional risk factors present in this case include: female gender, old age, heart disease, hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia. In this manuscript we comprehensively review past cases of clarithromycin-induced long QT syndrome (LQTS) and discuss them within the context of this case.
The communitarisation of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice: has institutional change triggered policy change?

This article investigates whether institutional change—the gradual communitarisation of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ)—has triggered policy change. A comparative view on the different AFSJ subpolicies nuances the widespread expectation that stronger involvement of the EU’s supranational institutions would lead to more liberal and harmonised EU policies. The rationale and core of most, although not all, AFSJ sub-policies have remained stable, regardless of altered decision-making rules. We argue that the existence or absence of a ‘settled’ policy core in a given AFSJ subpolicy and the level of conflict/unity inside each EU institution have been central scope conditions, enabling or constraining the choices of actors. If a policy core had been defined before institutional change took effect, certain EU institutions – notably, the Council as the dominant actor of the early intergovernmental cooperation – found it easier to co-opt or side-line competing actors with other preferences.
Negative Cash Flows, Duration, and Immunization: A Note

THE BOND IMMUNIZATION LITERATURE has developed two well-known results regarding duration; namely, that duration is no greater than a bond's term to maturity and that duration determines the holding period for which portfolio value is immunized against particular types of interest rate changes. This note demonstrates that these results may not hold if portfolio assets generate both cash inflows and cash outflows. Cash outflows could occur if the setting is expanded to include taxes, short-selling, margin-buying, or financial futures contracts. In each of these cases, negative cash flows are directly associated with the asset portfolio rather than with an independent liability. A taxable zero coupon bond example serves to illustrate the effects of negative cash flows on duration and their consequences for immunization. In particular, it is shown that after-tax duration does not determine an immunized holding period for the investor in a single zero coupon bond but does determine an immunized holding (borrowing) period for the issuer.1 Duration can be defined as:
HLA genotyping in type-I autoimmune hepatitis in Western India.

OBJECTIVES To analyze association of different HLA genotypes for predisposition to type-I autoimmune hepatitis in Western India. METHODS This study was undertaken on patients of type-I autoimmune hepatitis (defined by international criteria by IAHG, 1999). HLA genotyping for class I and II was done in 20 patients of autoimmune hepatitis and 100 healthy controls. Statistics were done using Halden's modification of Woolfs formula. RESULT Significant association of autoimmune hepatitis was found amongst class I antigens--HLA B27 [20 vs. 0 %] & HLA cw4 [40 vs. 15 %] and amongst class II antigens--DRBI*01XX [25 vs. 2%], DRB1*14XX [30 vs. 12%], DRB1*15XX [40 vs. 25%] and DRB1*07XX [20 vs. 9 %] at DRB1 locus. Stronger association was found with HLA B27, cw4 & HLA DRB1 *01XX. CONCLUSION Our data indicate that predisposition to autoimmune hepatitis is different in Indian patients and not associated with HLA DRB1*03XX or *04XX, as seen in Western world.
Deals and Delays: Firm-Level Evidence on Corruption and Policy Implementation Times

This paper examines whether demands for bribes for particular government services are associated with expedited or delayed policy implementation. The"grease the wheels"hypothesis, which contends that bribes act as speed money, implies three testable predictions. First, on average, bribe requests should be negatively correlated with wait times. Second, this relationship should vary across firms, with those with the highest opportunity cost of waiting being more likely to pay and face shorter delays. Third, the role of grease should vary across countries, with benefits larger where regulatory burdens are greatest. The data are inconsistent with all three predictions. According to the preferred specifications, ceteris paribus, firms confronted with demands for bribes take approximately 1.5 times longer to get a construction permit, operating license, or electrical connection than firms that did not have to pay bribes and, respectively, 1.2 and 1.4 times longer to clear customs when exporting and importing. The results are robust to controlling for firm fixed effects and at odds with the notion that corruption enhances efficiency.
Vulnerability and poverty dynamics in Vietnam

Drawing upon the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS) data that cover the whole of Vietnam in 2002 and 2004, ex ante measures of vulnerability are constructed. These are then compared with static indicators of poverty (i.e. the headcount ratio in a particular year). Detailed analyses of the panel data show that (i) in general, vulnerability in 2002 translates into poverty in 2004; (ii) vulnerability of the poor tends to perpetuate their poverty and (iii) sections of the nonpoor but vulnerable slip into poverty. Durable reduction in poverty is conditional on (i) accurate identification of the vulnerable, (ii) their sources of vulnerability and (iii) design of social safety nets that would enable the vulnerable to reduce risks and cope better with rapid integration of markets with the larger global economy.