Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cervical Infection With Vaccine-Associated Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Genotypes as a Predictor of Acquisition and Clearance of Other HPV Infections.

BACKGROUND Recent birth cohorts vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) may be protected against up to 4 genotypes (HPV-6, -11, -16, and -18). If natural competition exists between these and other HPV types, then the prevalence of other types may increase after vaccination. METHODS Cohort information from 3 studies was used to compare acquisition and clearance of 30 different HPV types (individually and grouped by species), according to infection status with vaccine-targeted types at baseline and the time of the index infection, respectively. Hazard ratios (HRs) were adjusted for predictors of multiple-type infection. RESULTS Among 3200 females across all studies, 857 were infected with HPV at baseline, and 994 acquired new infections during follow-up. Females infected with HPV-16 were at higher risk of acquiring other α-9 HPV types (HR, 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-3.0) but at similar risk of clearing existing α-9 HPV infections (HR, 0.9; 95% CI, .7-1.3). Females infected with vaccine-targeted types were generally at higher risk of acquiring additional types (HRs, > 1.0) and at equal risk of clearing existing infections. Accounting for multiple comparisons, none of the HRs of < 1.0 or >1.0 were statistically significant in our analyses of acquisition or clearance. CONCLUSIONS Vaccine-targeted HPV types do not appear to compete with other types, suggesting that HPV type replacement is unlikely to occur.
In search of childhood asthma: questionnaire, tests of bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and clinical evaluation

Background: The definition or diagnosis of asthma is a challenge for both clinicians and epidemiologists. Symptom history is usually supplemented with tests of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in spite of their uncertainty in improving diagnostic accuracy. Methods: To assess the interrelationship between respiratory symptoms, BHR, and clinical diagnosis of asthma, the respiratory symptoms of 1633 schoolchildren were screened using a questionnaire (response rate 81.2%) and a clinical study was conducted in a subsample of 247 children. Data from a free running test and a methacholine inhalation challenge test were available in 218 children. The diagnosis of asthma was confirmed by a paediatric allergist. Results: Despite their high specificity (>0.97), BHR tests did not significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy after the symptom history: area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.90 for a logistic regression model with four symptoms and 0.94 for the symptoms with free running test and methacholine inhalation challenge results. On the other hand, BHR tests had low sensitivity (0.35–0.47), whereas several symptoms had both high specificity (>0.97) and sensitivity (>0.7) in relation to clinical asthma, which makes them a better tool for asthma epidemiology than BHR. Conclusions: Symptom history still forms the basis for defining asthma in both clinical and epidemiological settings. BHR tests only marginally increased the diagnostic accuracy after symptom history had been taken into account. The diagnosis of childhood asthma should not therefore be overlooked in symptomatic cases with no objective evidence of BHR. Moreover, BHR should not be required for defining asthma in epidemiological studies.
The Formation of Parental Language Ideology in a Multilingual Context: A Case Study in Taiwan

In the past ten years, the number of English cram schools has tripled in Taiwan and more than 70% of fifth and sixth graders claim they attended cram schools before receiving formal English education in primary schools. In response to pressures of both globalisation and localisation, the government introduced a school policy of learning a Taiwanese minority language, in addition to Mandarin, in 2005. The majority of parents, however, are not keen to encourage their children to learn a Taiwanese second language compared to the ‘trend’ of learning English (as a foreign language). This study explores family language policies using a multiple-case-study strategy with twelve families whose children attend a language school in Taichung, Taiwan, with two additional cases from different geolinguistic areas. The main focus is on how parents form their ideologies about language and language learning. The data were gathered using semi-structured interviews. The macro- and micro-factors which underpin the parents’ language ideologies are the central focus of analysis. Amongst these families the process of ideology formation involves more than three languages, English, Mandarin, Minnan and Hakfa (which, in this study, is the only representative of other minority languages spoken in Taiwan). The three Chinese languages appear as ‘mother tongue’ in various combinations amongst the parents in the study. The findings indicate that the influence of macro- and micro-factors on parents’ language ideologies is complex and interactive, rather than linear. Significant macro-factors identified include the local, national and global sociolinguistic environments, government policies and economic factors, notably the labour market. Macro-factors, as well as micro-factors, do not influence parents’ ideologies in isolation from each other. Similar, shared macro-contexts are responded to in diverse ways by the parents in the study, with familial mother tongue, educational experiences and different perceptions of the social roles of language all playing a part. Parents’ language ideologies are, therefore, clearly not structurally determined, but neither do the parents act as ‘free agents’ in their ideological choices which, in turn, have an impact on family language management and language practices. The complexity and fluidity of the Taiwanese language situation and the rapid social, political and economic changes that are taking place in the community make this study particularly valuable in enhancing our understanding of how personal language ideologies evolve.
Evaluation of in vivo antimycobacterial activity of some folklore medicinal plants and enumeration of colony forming unit in murine model

Objectives: The present study was carried out to investigate the in vivo antimycobacterial activity of methanol extract of Alstonia scholaris and Mucuna imbricata in murine model. Materials and Methods: Female BALB/c mice were infected with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv suspension. Extracts were administered orally for 2 weeks from 7th day postinfection at a dose of 200 mg/kg and rifampicin at 20 mg/kg as standard. The synergistic groups were 10 and 100 mg/kg for rifampicin and extract, respectively. Results: The final body weight of mycobacteria-infected group was significantly reduced (15.41 ± 0.42, P < 0.01), but following treatment with the plant extract plus rifampicin could elevate the body weight. Colony forming unit (CFU) count of lung (8.71 ± 0.01) and spleen (8.59 ± 0.01) was significantly higher in infected and untreated group (P < 0.01). It was observed that activity of the synergistic group displayed powerful and maximum response against tuberculosis (TB) infection with lower CFU counts. Histopathology study showed cells such as lymphocytes, epithelioid, Langhans giant cell, and fibrous tissue proliferation in lungs; depletion of lymphocytes in the spleen. Conclusions: The data indicate that methanol extract of A. scholaris has potential antimycobacterial activity, and the synergistic group consisting of rifampicin and A. scholaris could be a rational choice for the treatment of TB.
Problems and Results on 3-chromatic Hypergraphs and Some Related Questions

A hypergraphi is a collection of sets. This paper deals with finite hy-pergraphs only. The sets in the hypergraph are called edges, the elements of these edges are points. The degree of a point is the number of edges containing it. The hypergraph is r-uniform if every edge has r points. A hypergraph is simple if any two edges have at most one common point, and it is called a clique if any two edges have at least one common point. The chromatic number of a hypergraph is the least number k such that the points can be k-colored so that no edge is monochromatic. As far as we know families of sets with chromatic number 2 were first investigated systematically by M i 11 e r (who used the term property B) in the case of infinite edges. There now is a large literature of this subject both for finite and infinite sets. The main idea behind our investigations is that being simple or being a clique imposes surprisingly strict properties on 3-chromatic hypergraphs .
MST kinases in development and disease

The mammalian MST kinase family, which is related to the Hippo kinase in Drosophila melanogaster, includes five related proteins: MST1 (also called STK4), MST2 (also called STK3), MST3 (also called STK24), MST4, and YSK1 (also called STK25 or SOK1). MST kinases are emerging as key signaling molecules that influence cell proliferation, organ size, cell migration, and cell polarity. Here we review the regulation and function of these kinases in normal physiology and pathologies, including cancer, endothelial malformations, and autoimmune disease.
Application of X-ray computed tomography in silicon solar cells

The present study outlines the characterization of the internal microstructure in a multicrystalline silicon solar cell, by means of a powerful non-intrusive experimental method, namely X-ray computed tomography. The purpose of this research is to give a better understanding of the silicon solar cells metallization layers and defects related to its processing. Resulting tomographic images showed the distribution of bismuth glass and porosity in Al and Ag contact layers. At the same time, 3D tomographic images revealed the presence of process induced defects. In this work the usefulness of the CT technique for the in depth study of silicon solar cells is shown.
Lagrangian statistics in the South Atlantic as derived from SOS and FGGE drifters

Daily averaged positions obtained from satellite-tracked drifting buoys launched during the First GARP Global Experiment (FGGE) and those launched as part of the ONR sponsored Southern Ocean Studies (SOS) are used to analyze eddy diffusivity due to mesoscale motions and its parameterization in some regions of the South Atlantic Ocean, significantly extending the energy range for which this type of estimations are available. Diffusion coefficients, Lagrangian integral time scales and velocity variances are calculated, and Taylor's (1921) Theorem which relates eddy diffusivity estimates with the dispersion of particles from a fixed origin is tested. In all of the cases analyzed here, the anisotropy of the statistics appears as an outstanding feature, with zonal values being larger than meridional ones. Although the conditions of stationarity and homogeneity of the statistics required by Taylor's Theorem are not fulfilled, a positive test for relation was observed for small lags. However, for later times, diffusion and dispersion curves have a tendency to diverge due to the influence of mean current shear. This interpretation is evident in the large differences between diffusion and dispersion in the Brazil/Malvinas extension where there is substantial current shear and a very close agreement between the curves in the gyre interior where the shear is small. The relationship bctwccn the diffusion coefficients and eddY'velocity statistics for different regimes in the gyre are explored with the conclusion that it is impossible to decide between the hypothesis that the diffusion is proportional to the eddy velocity, i.e. mixing-length theory applies, and the alternate case of the diffusion scaling with the velocity variance or eddy energy. The implications this has to any global parameterization of eddy diffusion is discussed.
How well do Markov switching models describe actual business cycles? The case of synchronization

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of using a Markov switching model to measure the synchronization of business cycles. We use a Bayesian, Gibbs sampling approach to estimate a multivariate Markov switching model of GDP growth for several countries. We look for evidence of synchronization across countries in the sense of common Markov states, covariance of impulses and a long-run co-integrating relationship. We then use the fitted data implied by the posterior distribution of the Markov switching VAR, in conjunction with a dating rule, to obtain the posterior distribution of binary business cycle states. We use these to investigate the posterior distributions of non-parametric measures of synchronization described by Harding and Pagan (2003) and compare them with similar measures obtained from standard reference chronologies. As a point of reference, we repeat this exercise using simulated data from a linear VAR. We find no evidence of a common Markov state, but some evidence of the propagation of country-specific disturbances across countries and of a co-integrating relationship between the United States and Canada. Posterior odds ratios overwhelmingly favour the Markov switching model over the linear VAR and we find that the posterior distributions of the non-parametric measures of synchronization produced by the Markov switching VAR match the data more closely than those produced by the linear VAR. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors: A New Mechanism of Action

Background— Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are valuable agents for the treatment of hypertension, heart failure, and other cardiovascular and renal diseases. The cardioprotective effects of ACE inhibitors are mediated by blockade of both conversion of angiotensin (Ang) I to Ang II and kinin hydrolysis. Here, we report a novel mechanism that may explain the cardiac antifibrotic effect of ACE inhibition, involving blockade of the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP). Methods and Results— To study the role of Ac-SDKP in the therapeutic effects of the ACE inhibitor captopril, we used a model of Ang II–induced hypertension in rats treated with the ACE inhibitor either alone or combined with a blocking monoclonal antibody (mAb) to Ac-SDKP. These hypertensive rats had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as well as increases in cardiac fibrosis, cell proliferation, transforming growth factor-&bgr; (TGF-&bgr;) expression, and phosphorylation of Smad2 (P-Smad2), a signaling mediator of the effects of TGF-&bgr;. The ACE inhibitor did not decrease either blood pressure or LVH; however, it significantly decreased LV collagen from 13.3±0.9 to 9.6±0.6 &mgr;g/mg dry wt (P<0.006), and this effect was blocked by the mAb (12.1±0.6; P<0.034, ACE inhibitor versus ACE inhibitor+mAb). In addition, analysis of interstitial collagen volume fraction and perivascular collagen (picrosirius red staining) showed a very similar tendency. Likewise, the ACE inhibitor significantly decreased LV monocyte/macrophage infiltration, cell proliferation, and TGF-&bgr; expression, and these effects were blocked by the mAb. Ang II increased Smad2 phosphorylation 3.2±0.9-fold; the ACE inhibitor lowered this to 0.6±0.1-fold (P<0.001), and the mAb blocked this decrease to 2.1±0.3 (P<0.001, ACE inhibitor versus ACE inhibitor+mAb). Similar findings were seen when the ACE inhibitor was replaced by Ac-SDKP. Conclusions— We concluded that in Ang II–induced hypertension, the cardiac antifibrotic effect of ACE inhibitors is a result of the inhibition of Ac-SDKP hydrolysis, resulting in a decrease in cardiac cell proliferation (probably fibroblasts), inflammatory cell infiltration, TGF-&bgr; expression, Smad2 activation, and collagen deposition.
Slow Focus : Belief Evolution in the U . S . Acid Rain Program

This paper quantifies the beliefs of private electric utilities about the sulfur dioxide allowance price under the U.S. Acid Rain Program. This first large-scale cap-and-trade program exposed the heavily regulated electric utility industry to an unprecedented pollution permit market. The program offers an ideal setting for studying how firms behave in a new environment. I estimate firms’ beliefs about the future allowance price using a threedimensional continuous-state dynamic model of allowance trades, coal quality, and pollution abatement investment. A maximum simulated likelihood estimator accounts for measurement errors in a state variable. Applying new dynamic programming acceleration methods vastly reduces the computation burden. I find that firms initially underestimate the role of market fundamentals as a driver of allowance prices. Smaller firms, and firms facing less competitive pressure, exhibit more biased beliefs. Over the years, firms’ beliefs appear to converge toward the true stochastic process of allowance prices. Improving beliefs and reducing price volatility have important implications for firm values, aggregate emissions and compliance costs. Dynamics can make cap-and-trade programs more efficient than taxes. ∗PhD Candidate in Public Policy, Harvard University. Email: cuicuichen@fas.harvard. edu. I am extremely grateful to my advisors — Ariel Pakes, Elie Tamer, Joe Aldy, Richard Zeckhauser and Rob Stavins — for their continual support and warm encouragement. I have also benefitted immensely from discussions with Rob Bray, Myrto Kalouptsidi, Robin Lee, and Forest Reinhardt. Special thanks go to Dallas Burtraw, Denny Ellerman, Kenon Smith, and the industry interviewees for patiently answering my endless questions about institutional details, and to Paul Edmon, Mike Ethier, and the AMPL company for generously providing crucial computational support. I also thank participants at the Environmental Lunch, the Industrial Organization Workshop, and Seminar in Environmental Economics and Policy at Harvard for their helpful comments. Financial support from the Environment and Natural Resources Program at Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science is gratefully acknowledged.
Profiling of Discrete Gynecological Cancers Reveals Novel Transcriptional Modules and Common Features Shared by Other Cancer Types and Embryonic Stem Cells

Studies on individual types of gynecological cancers (GCs), utilizing novel expression technologies, have revealed specific pathogenetic patterns and gene markers for cervical (CC), endometrial (EC) and vulvar cancer (VC). Although the clinical phenotypes of the three types of gynecological cancers are discrete, the fact they originate from a common embryological origin, has led to the hypothesis that they might share common features reflecting regression to early embryogenesis. To address this question, we performed a comprehensive comparative analysis of their profiles. Our data identified both common features (pathways and networks) and novel distinct modules controlling the same deregulated biological processes in all three types. Specifically, four novel transcriptional modules were discovered regulating cell cycle and apoptosis. Integration and comparison of our data with other databases, led to the identification of common features among cancer types, embryonic stem (ES) cells and the newly discovered cell population of squamocolumnar (SC) junction of the cervix, considered to host the early cancer events. Conclusively, these data lead us to propose the presence of common features among gynecological cancers, other types of cancers, ES cells and the pre-malignant SC junction cells, where the novel E2F/NFY and MAX/CEBP modules play an important role for the pathogenesis of gynecological carcinomas.
International migration in macro-stratification perspective : Bringing power back in

This paper challenges the inward looking perspective of recent immigration research by situating migration to the United States within a global and historical context. This macro-stratification perspective breaks out of the confines of national contexts to explore how international migration is shaped by global power divides. We argue that in order to fully understand international migration, it is necessary to account for both the emergence of global power structures and the historical domination of Europe. We develop our argument by first outlining the significance of global power divides, with a particular focus on the United States. We then demonstrate how patterns of movement and incorporation are shaped by these power divides. This sheds new light on inequalities between native born and foreign born individuals in the United States. We conclude by highlighting the implications of the macro-stratification perspective for both future research and social change.
Formalization ov Coercions in Lexical Semantics

Coercions are not all alike. Container/contents coercions make standard and coerced content avail- able for future discourse exploitation. But eventuality based coercions and others don’t. The typology of coercions with respect to their behavior on discourse continuations seems rich and in need of investigation, especially cross-linguistically. We propose a framework that is robust enough and precise enough to permit an investigation of this typology.
Seasonal Changes in Immunoreactivity of Inhibin/Activin Subunits in the Epididymis of Wild Ground Squirrels (Citellus dauricus Brandt)

Abstract The inhibin/activin subunits (α, βA and βB) have been found in epididymal tissue of many mammals, but there have been no data available for wild seasonal breeders so far. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunoreactivities of inhibin/activin α, βA and βB subunits in the epididymis of wild ground squirrels during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were performed to detect the epididymal immunolocalizations and immunoreactivities of the three subunits. Strong immunostaining of α subunit was present in the interstitial part of the caput epididymis and epithelial parts of the corpus epididymis and cauda epididymis during the breeding season, whereas no α subunit was found in the nonbreeding season. βA and βB subunits were expressed in all cell types of the epithelium throughout the whole seasonal cycle, and immunostaining in the breeding season was likely stronger compared with that of the nonbreeding season. These results suggested that the epididymis might be a potential source of inhibin and activin in the wild male ground squirrel, and the secretion of epididymal inhibin and activin showed distinct seasonal changes. Furthermore, inhibin and activin might function as paracrine and/or autocrine factors that have an effect on the epididymis.
Spatial distribution of luminous X‐ray binaries in spiral galaxies

We have modelled the spatial distribution of luminous X-ray binaries (XRBs) in spiral galaxies that are like the Milky Way using an evolutionary population synthesis code. In agreement with previous theoretical expectations and observations, we find that both high- and low-mass XRBs show clear concentrations towards the galactic plane and bulge. We also compare XRB distributions under the galactic potential with a dark matter halo and the modified Newtonian dynamics potential, and we suggest that the difference may serve as potential evidence to discriminate between these two types of model.