Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Genetic Variants, Birthweight and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function Suggests a Genetic Variant in the SERPINA6 Gene Is Associated with Corticosteroid Binding Globulin in the Western Australia Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study

Background The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulates stress responses and HPA dysfunction has been associated with several chronic diseases. Low birthweight may be associated with HPA dysfunction in later life, yet human studies are inconclusive. The primary study aim was to identify genetic variants associated with HPA axis function. A secondary aim was to evaluate if these variants modify the association between birthweight and HPA axis function in adolescents. Methods Morning fasted blood samples were collected from children of the Western Australia Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) at age 17 (n = 1077). Basal HPA axis function was assessed by total cortisol, corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The associations between 124 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 16 HPA pathway candidate genes and each hormone were evaluated using multivariate linear regression and penalized linear regression analysis using the HyperLasso method. Results The penalized regression analysis revealed one candidate gene SNP, rs11621961 in the CBG encoding gene (SERPINA6), significantly associated with total cortisol and CBG. No other candidate gene SNPs were significant after applying the penalty or adjusting for multiple comparisons; however, several SNPs approached significance. For example, rs907621 (p = 0.002) and rs3846326 (p = 0.003) in the mineralocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C2) were associated with ACTH and SERPINA6 SNPs rs941601 (p = 0.004) and rs11622665 (p = 0.008), were associated with CBG. To further investigate our findings for SERPINA6, rare and common SNPs in the gene were imputed from the 1,000 genomes data and 8 SNPs across the gene were significantly associated with CBG levels after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Birthweight was not associated with any HPA outcome, and none of the gene-birthweight interactions were significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Conclusions Our study suggests that genetic variation in the SERPINA6 gene may be associated with altered CBG levels during adolescence. Replication of these findings is required.
A Unified Resource Allocation Framework for Defending Against Pollution Attacks in Wireless Network Coding Systems

Pollution attacks can cause severe damages in network coding systems. Many approaches have been proposed to defend against pollution attacks. However, the current approaches implicitly assume that the defender has adequate resources to defend against pollution attacks. When the resources of the defender are limited, they provide no information for the defender to allocate the resources to get better defense performance. In this paper, we consider the case that the defender's resources are limited and study how the defender allocates resources to defend against pollution attacks. We first study this problem in one-session transmissions, and we propose a two-player strategic game to model the interactions between the defender and the attacker. Under this model, two algorithms are proposed to find the best response strategy for the defender. Then, we study the resource allocation problem in a multi-session setting. We propose an extensive game model and an enhancement algorithm to solve the resource allocation problem under this circumstance. Finally, we conducted extensive simulations to evaluate the proposed algorithms. The results demonstrate that our algorithms can significantly improve the utility of the defender, with reasonable computation time.
The correlation between supermassive black hole mass and the structure of ellipticals and bulges

We demonstrate a strong correlation between supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass and the global structure of ellipticals and bulges: more centrally concentrated bulges and ellipticals (higher Sersic index $n$) host higher-mass black holes. This correlation is as good as that previously found between SMBH mass and central velocity dispersion, with comparable scatter. In addition, by carefully modeling the bulges of disk galaxies so that bars, inner disks, and the like do not accidentally contribute to bulge light, we find that the correlation between SMBH mass and bulge or elliptical luminosity is similarly close.
The pricing of shares in equity markets with securities class action lawsuits

This study develops an analytical model of a securities market in which investors can engage in securities class action lawsuits following a firm’s release of unfavorable news. Because all investors in the model have rational expectations, the model takes into account the fact that the buyers of the firm’s shares anticipate litigation, which reduces the price they are willing to pay and amplifies the price reaction to bad news. I derive the equilibrium prices in this model and apply it to the issues of litigation insurance, links between firm-specific information and cost of capital, and manipulations of financial reports by the firm’s managers.
Downregulation of Protein Phosphatase 2A Carboxyl Methylation and Methyltransferase May Contribute to Alzheimer Disease Pathogenesis

ABαC, a major protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) heterotrimeric enzyme, binds to and regulates the microtubule cytoskeleton and tau. We have shown that ABαC protein expression levels are selectively reduced in Alzheimer disease (AD). Notably, the carboxyl methylation of PP2A catalytic subunit (PP2AC) is critically required for ABαC holoenzyme assembly, and catalyzed by a specific methyltransferase (PPMT). Here, we provide the first analysis of human PPMT and methylated PP2AC in brain regions from AD, non-AD demented, and aged control autopsy cases. Immunoblotting analyses revealed that PPMT protein expression and PP2AC methylation levels were quantitatively decreased in AD-affected brain regions. Immunohistochemical studies showed that PPMT was abundant in neurons throughout the cortex in normal control and non-AD demented cases. However, in AD, there was a regional loss of PPMT immunoreactivity that closely paralleled the severity of tau pathology, but not amyloid plaque burden. We propose that the deregulation of PPMT and PP2A methylation/demethylation cycles contributes to AD pathogenesis, by inducing changes in PP2A heteromultimeric composition and substrate specificity. In turn, PP2A dysfunction compromises the mechanisms that control tau, neuronal plasticity, and survival.
Baculovirus Insecticides in Latin America: Historical Overview, Current Status and Future Perspectives

Baculoviruses are known to regulate many insect populations in nature. Their host-specificity is very high, usually restricted to a single or a few closely related insect species. They are amongst the safest pesticides, with no or negligible effects on non-target organisms, including beneficial insects, vertebrates and plants. Baculovirus-based pesticides are compatible with integrated pest management strategies and the expansion of their application will significantly reduce the risks associated with the use of synthetic chemical insecticides. Several successful baculovirus-based pest control programs have taken place in Latin American countries. Sustainable agriculture (a trend promoted by state authorities in most Latin American countries) will benefit from the wider use of registered viral pesticides and new viral products that are in the process of registration and others in the applied research pipeline. The success of baculovirus-based control programs depends upon collaborative efforts among government and research institutions, growers associations, and private companies, which realize the importance of using strategies that protect human health and the environment at large. Initiatives to develop new regulations that promote the use of this type of ecological alternatives tailored to different local conditions and farming systems are underway.
Comparing herd selection strategies fo A2 beta-casein

Herd conversion strategies for A2 beta-casein were investigated within an inter-temporal simulation model with annual time-steps comprising three sub-herds based on allele status (A1A1, A1A2, and A2A2). Cows that are homozygous for the A2 allele of the beta-casein gene are known as A2 cows (A2A2), and produce milk known commercially as ‘A2 milk’. The simplest herd conversion process is to use semen from A2A2 bulls. However, the conversion function is curvilinear and asymptotic and this strategy by itself cannot achieve herd purity. Conversion rates can be increased markedly through genotyping of calves and/or cows. This is necessary for completion of the conversion process. Mating of yearlings with A2 semen can have considerable impact, particularly in association with increased replacement rates. Combining these strategies can lead to pure A2A2 herds within 5 to 8 years, depending on initial herd structure. Use of sex-selected semen can further reduce the conversion period. There is potential for reduced cow herd gain in breeding worth as a result of non-use of elite bulls that are not A2A2. For example, a loss of 20 breeding worth units in the bull team would result in ten years being required to achieve breeding worth gains otherwise achievable in nine years.
1994 International Conference on Parallel Processing THEORY OF GENERALIZED BRANCH AND COMBINE CLOCK NETWORKS

In a recent development a new clock distribution scheme, called Branch-and-Combine or BaC, has been introduced. The scheme is the first to guarantee constant skew bound regardless of network size. In this paper we generalize and extend the work on BaC networks. We establish some interesting results on clocking paths, node input sequences, node inputs' relative timing, network stability, and skew bound. Furthermore, this study establishes an upper bound on maximum clocking rates for BaC networks which is about double that predicted by earlier studies.
1 Money Doctors

We present a new model of money management, in which investors delegate portfolio management to professionals based not only on performance, but also on trust. Trust in the manager reduces an investor‟s perception of the riskiness of a given investment, and allows managers to charge higher fees to investors who trust them more. Money managers compete for investor funds by setting their fees, but because of trust the fees do not fall to costs. In the model, 1) managers consistently underperform the market net of fees but investors still prefer to delegate money management to taking risk on their own, 2) fees involve sharing of expected returns between managers and investors, with higher fees in riskier products, 3) managers pander to investors when investors exhibit biases in their beliefs, and do not correct misperceptions, and 4) despite long run benefits from better performance, the profits from pandering to trusting investors discourage managers from pursuing contrarian strategies relative to the case with no trust. We show how trust-mediated money management renders arbitrage less effective, and may help destabilize financial markets. 1 The authors are from CREI and UPF, Harvard University, and University of Chicago, respectively. We are grateful to Charles Angelucci, Nick Barberis, John Campbell, Roman Inderst, Sendhil Mullainathan, Lubos Pastor, Raghuram Rajan, Jonathan Reuter, Josh Schwartzstein, Charles-Henri Weymuller, Luigi Zingales and Yanos Zylberberg for extremely helpful comments. Disclosure: Shleifer was a co-founder of LSV Asset Management, a money management firm, but is no longer a shareholder in the firm. Shleifer‟s wife is a partner in a hedge fund, Bracebridge Capital. Vishny was a co-founder of LSV Asset Management. He retains an ownership interest.
Colon cancer mucin: A new ligand for the β-galactoside-binding protein galectin-3

Abstract Galectin-3, an endogenous β-galactoside-binding lectin, is present on colon cancer cells and may play a role in metastasis. Galectin-3 binds poly- N -acetyllactosamine structures on glycoproteins, but its natural ligands remain to be fully defined. Galectin-3 bound to purified native and desialylated colon cancer mucin in a concentration-dependent manner, which was completely inhibited by 0.1 m lactose, the competitive inhibitory sugar for this protein. Mucin purified from highly metastatic LS-Lim6 human colon cancer cells bound galectin-3 to 2-fold greater extent than mucin from low-metastatic parental cell line LS174T. Desialylation increased binding to mucin >4-fold. Mucin purified from LS-B colon cancer cells is fully glycosylated and bound >40-fold more galectin-3 than mucin purified from clonal cell line LS-C, which produces mucin lacking peripheral carbohydrate structures. Endogenous galectin-3 was detected by Western analysis in all cell lines, and its expression was related to mucin production and metastatic capacity. When serum from a patient with metastatic colorectal cancer was chromatographed on Superose 6, >70% of galectin-3 ligand was identified as circulating mucin. Colon cancer mucin is a newly identified ligand for galectin-3, and binding of galectin-3 to mucins depends on peripheral carbohydrate structures. Binding of this endogenous lectin to mucins may influence cellular interactions that play a role in colon cancer metastasis.
Reperfusion Therapies for Acute Ischemic Stroke: An Update

Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) within 4.5 hours of symptoms onset significantly improves clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. This narrow window for treatment leads to a small proportion of eligible patients to be treated. Intravenous or intra-arterial trials, combined intravenous/intra-arterial trials, and newer devices to mechanically remove the clot from intracranial arteries have been investigated or are currently being explored to increase patient eligibility and to improve arterial recanalization and clinical outcome. New retrievable stent-based devices offer higher revascularization rates with shorter time to recanalization and are now generally preferred to first generation thrombectomy devices such as Merci Retriever or Penumbra System. These devices have been shown to be effective for opening up occluded vessels in the brain but its efficacy for improving outcomes in patients with acute stroke has not yet been demonstrated in a randomized clinical trial. We summarize the results of the major systemic thrombolytic trials and the latest trials employing different endovascular approaches to ischemic stroke.
CHANGES IN THE GENDER GAP IN CRIME AND WOMEN ’ S ECONOMIC MARGINALIZATION CRIMINAL JUSTICE

One of the most persistent research findings in criminology is that men commit much more crime than women. This typically is referred to as the gender gap in offending. Many researchers have noted that during the past several decades, women and men have converged in their rates of crime and the gender gap in offending has narrowed. Several explanations of this convergence have been proposed, including the economic marginalization hypothesis, which argues that the gender gap in crime has narrowed because women have experienced increasing economic hardship relative to men. This article reviews research on changes over time in the relative crime of women and men. It presents an analysis of Uniform Crime Reports data on the gender gap in offending from 1960 to 1997 and concludes that there has been an appreciable narrowing of the gap over this period in both property and violent offenses. The article then assesses the evidence in the criminological literature regarding the possible reasons for these changes, including the economic marginalization hypothesis. It then reviews evidence from demographic and economic research regarding the increasing marginalization of women and concludes that changes in the gender gap in crime are consistent with the findings of this research. Finally, the article proposes avenues for extending and refining the economic marginalization perspective. THE NATURE OF CRIME: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
Investment Timing And Predatory Behaviour In Duopoly With Debt

This paper examines the effect of debt and limited liability on investment timing in a duopoly with aggregate demand uncertainty and irreversible investment. Two patterns of investment emerge, depending on the parameter values and debt-levels. If debt levels of the firms are sufficiently different, an increase in debt delays investment. As debt-levels become more similar, a race for market shares begins: Firms wish to commit to not quitting the market first in adverse states. Moreover, firms may engage in predatory investment, if the competitor has a comparably high debt burden. Therefore, debt has a strategic disadvantage. So this paper can explain both the relative low debt-ratios observed in most industries and the strong investment activities in exceptionally highly leveraged industries. Moreover, the model of this paper can explain predatory behavior of firms with neither relying on reputational, on networkor learning-effects, nor on defining predatory behavior as deviations from tacit collusion. JEL classification: D81, G31, G33, L13
A Minimax Theory for Adaptive Data Analysis

In adaptive data analysis, the user makes a sequence of queries on the data, where at each step the choice of query may depend on the results in previous steps. The releases are often randomized in order to reduce overfitting for such adaptively chosen queries. In this paper, we propose a minimax framework for adaptive data analysis. Assuming Gaussianity of queries, we establish the first sharp minimax lower bound on the squared error in the order of $O(\frac{\sqrt{k}\sigma^2}{n})$, where $k$ is the number of queries asked, and $\sigma^2/n$ is the ordinary signal-to-noise ratio for a single query. Our lower bound is based on the construction of an approximately least favorable adversary who picks a sequence of queries that are most likely to be affected by overfitting. This approximately least favorable adversary uses only one level of adaptivity, suggesting that the minimax risk for 1-step adaptivity with k-1 initial releases and that for $k$-step adaptivity are on the same order. The key technical component of the lower bound proof is a reduction to finding the convoluting distribution that optimally obfuscates the sign of a Gaussian signal. Our lower bound construction also reveals a transparent and elementary proof of the matching upper bound as an alternative approach to Russo and Zou (2015), who used information-theoretic tools to provide the same upper bound. We believe that the proposed framework opens up opportunities to obtain theoretical insights for many other settings of adaptive data analysis, which would extend the idea to more practical realms.
A New Class of Waveguide Dual-Mode Filters Using TM and Nonresonating Modes

An innovative class of very compact and selective waveguide dual-mode filters is presented in this paper. The basic structure is the TM dual-mode cavity. Such a cavity employs both resonant and nonresonating modes so as to provide two reflection and two transmission zeros. The high design flexibility in terms of transmission zero positioning and response bandwidth has been demonstrated by means of several single cavity designs. The design of Nth-order multiple cavity filters with N transmission zeros is presented and discussed. Different filter topologies are obtained depending on the waveguide structure used to connect adjacent cavities. An efficient mode-matching analysis method is proposed and verified for fast filter optimization. An eighth-order filter with eight transmission zeros has been designed, manufactured, and tested to demonstrate the potentialities of the filter class proposed.
Alternative Blood Products and Clinical Needs in Transfusion Medicine

The primary focus of national blood programs is the provision of a safe and adequate blood supply. This goal is dependent on regular voluntary donations and a regulatory infrastructure that establishes and enforces standards for blood safety. Progress in ex vivo expansion of blood cells from cell sources including peripheral blood, cord blood, induced pluripotent stem cells, and human embryonic stem cell lines will likely make alternative transfusion products available for clinical use in the near future. Initially, alloimmunized patients and individuals with rare blood types are most likely to benefit from alternative products. However, in developed nations voluntary blood donations are projected to be inadequate in the future as blood usage by individuals 60 years and older increases. In developing nations economic and political challenges may impede progress in attaining self-sufficiency. Under these circumstances, ex vivo generated red cells may be needed to supplement the general blood supply.
Isolated Aspergillus thyroiditis in an immunocompromised patient

Sir, We describe a 30-year-old woman who presented with a progressively enlarging anterior neck mass with pain, local warmth and skin erythema. The patient had been on haemodialysis because of a 3-month history of renal failure due to lupus nephritis. She was also on monthly cyclophosphamide pulse therapy and daily prednisolone (30 mg daily). Her vital signs were as follows: temperature, 37.6°C; blood pressure, 130/80 mmHg; pulse rate, 95–105/min; and respiratory rate, 20/min. Her laboratory results, including thyroid studies, are shown in Table 1. A thyroid scan revealed large defects bilaterally. Initially, subacute thyroiditis was considered the most probable diagnosis, and the daily dose of oral prednisolone was increased to 60 mg. The patient complained of nervousness, irritability, hyperactivity and palpitation, and a β-adrenergic blocker and propylthiouracil were prescribed. When the patient revisited our clinic 3 weeks later, she complained of a progressively enlarging thyroid and respiratory distress. Her chest X-ray revealed tracheal compression and deviation. Because of respiratory failure, she required endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation followed by emergency total thyroidectomy. Table 1 Results of the patient’s laboratory tests Microscopy of the thyroid revealed infectious thyroiditis with suppurative inflammation, abscess formation, and considerable tissue destruction throughout the gland. Septate hyphae, < 5 μm in thickness, with branching at acute angles were identified. These findings were consistent with a fungal thyroiditis caused by Aspergillus. Blood vessels were invaded by the hyphae of the fungus (Figure 1). A culture of the aspirated fluid showed no growth. The results of repeated tests with an Aspergillus antigen (galactomannan) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were negative. There was no evidence of aspergillosis in the other organs. Blood and sputum cultures were negative. Intravenous liposomal amphotericin B (5 mg/kg daily) was initiated, and later switched to oral voriconazole (200 mg twice a day for 2 days, and then 100 mg twice a day) on the day of discharge, 2 weeks after the initiation of amphotericin B, and was continued for the following 12 weeks. Because tests showed a decreasing thyroid function, hormone replacement was begun 10 days after surgery. Fig. 1 Periodic acid–Schiff stain demonstrates numerous fungal profiles (arrows) in the thyroid stroma with angio-invasion (original magnification, × 200).