Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contemporary aetiology, clinical characteristics and prognosis of adults with heart failure observed in a tertiary hospital in Tanzania: the prospective Tanzania Heart Failure (TaHeF) study

Objective This study aimed to describe the contemporary aetiology, clinical characteristics and mortality and its predictors in heart failure (HF) in Tanzania. Methods Design; Prospective observational study. Setting; Cardiovascular Center of the Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Patients ≥18 years of age with HF defined by the Framingham criteria. Main outcome measure All-cause mortality. Results Among 427 included patients, 217 (51%) were females and the mean (SD) age was 55 (17) years. HF aetiologies included hypertension (45%), cardiomyopathy (28%), rheumatic heart disease (RHD) (12%) and ischaemic heart disease (9%). Concurrent atrial fibrillation (AF), clinically significant anaemia, diabetes, tuberculosis and HIV were found in 16%, 12%, 12%, 3% and 2%, respectively, while warfarin was used in 3% of the patients. The mortality rate, 22.4 per 100 person-years over a median follow-up of 7 months, was independently associated with AF, HR 3.4 (95% CI 1.6 to 7.0); in-patient 3.2 (1.5 to 6.8); anaemia 2.3 (1.2 to 4.5); pulmonary hypertension 2.1 (1.1 to 4.2) creatinine clearance 0.98 (0.97 to 1.00) and lack of education 2.3 (1.3 to 4.2). Conclusions In HF in Tanzania, patients are younger than in the developed world, but aetiologies are becoming more similar, with hypertension becoming more and RHD less important. Predictors of mortality possible to intervene against are anaemia, AF and lack of education.
Joint Labour Supply Dynamics of Older Couples

This paper studies the labour force participation dynamics of older couples in the United States.Longitudinal data from the five available waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is used to investigate if the dynamics introduced by considering both spouses' behavior provide additional information in trying to fit observed participation sequences.The paper uses a bivariate dynamic binary choice model with unobserved heterogeneity and serial correlation to disentangle the many sources of dynamics and correlation in a couple's decision making.First, strong true state-dependence is found and results in a bunching of participation and non-participation sequences.Cross-spouse state-dependence is also found which points to indirect effects of social security and pension incentives through complementarity in leisure.Second, the Spouse Allowance program is found to have predicted effects on participation of the couple and these effects are statistically significant.A simulation exercise presents evidence that the elimination of the spouse allowance can raise participation of wives at age 62 by more than the decrease in participation of husbands at age 65.
Chorea in the Both Lower Limbs Associated with Nonketotic Hyperglycemia

Hemichorea-hemiballism (HC-HB) is a complication of non-ketotic hyperglycemia (NKH); in NKH patients, the frequency of occurrence of HC-HB is greater than that of bilateral chorea. We report the case of a hyperglycemic patient who showed chorea in both the lower limbs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed high signal intensity on T1-weighted images of the bilateral dorsolateral putamen. The abnormal involuntary movements disappeared after oral administration of haloperidol. Our case report that chorea associated with NKH is correlated with the topography of the basal ganglia.
How can a Bayesian approach inform neuroscience?

In this review we consider how Bayesian logic can help neuroscientists to understand behaviour and brain function. Firstly, we review some key characteristics of Bayesian systems – they integrate information making rational use of uncertainty, they apply prior knowledge in the interpretation of new observations, and (for several reasons) they are very effective learners. Secondly, we illustrate how some well‐known psychological phenomena including visual illusions, categorical perception and attention can be understood in terms of Bayesian inference. We also consider how formal models can clarify our understanding of psychological constructs, by giving a truly computational definition of psychological processes. Finally, we consider how probabilistic representations and hence Bayesian algorithms could be implemented by neural populations. In particular, we explore how different types of population coding may lead to different predictions about activity in both single‐unit and imaging studies, and draw a distinction in this context between the representation of parameters and implementation of computations.
Nonspecific Immunoglobulin M Binding and Chondroitin Sulfate A Binding Are Linked Phenotypes of Plasmodium falciparum Isolates Implicated in Malaria during Pregnancy

ABSTRACT Binding of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies from normal human serum to the surface of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (iRBC) has previously been demonstrated only in parasites that form rosettes with uninfected red cells. We show that natural, nonspecific IgM but not IgG, IgA, IgD, or IgE also binds to the surface of iRBC selected for adhesion to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA), a placental receptor for parasites associated with malaria in pregnancy. The protease sensitivity of IgM-binding appears to match that of CSA binding, suggesting that the two phenotypes may be mediated by the same parasite molecule. We also show that a wide range of mouse monoclonal antibodies of the IgM class bind nonspecifically to CSA-selected iRBC, an important consideration in the interpretation of immunological assays performed on these parasite lines.
Going Up in Dreams and Esteem

Mentoring programs are an effective way to offer gifted students authentic learning opportunities. Although there are many mentoring models, the fundamental relationship between mentor and mentee has remained consistent throughout the ages. One mentoring model that has recently grown in popularity is the cross-age mentoring model. In this model, the mentor is an older student who is paired with a younger elementary or middle school–age mentee. This article describes the effectiveness of the Crimson G.U. I.D. E. (Going Up In Dreams and Esteem) Program. The Crimson G.U. I.D. E. Program utilized the cross-age mentoring model by matching gifted high school students with struggling elementary school students in a structured after-school mentoring program. The program provided gifted high school students an opportunity to develop the leadership skills necessary for lifelong success. Suggestions for replicating this mentoring program are offered.
Epimorphin Alters the Inhibitory Effects of SOX9 on Mmp13 in Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells

Background and Aims Liver fibrosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. It is characterised by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition from activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Although potentially reversible, treatment remains limited. Understanding how ECM influences the pathogenesis of the disease may provide insight into novel therapeutic targets for the disease. The extracellular protein Epimorphin (EPIM) has been implicated in tissue repair mechanisms in several tissues, partially, through its ability to manipulate proteases. In this study, we have identified that EPIM modulates the ECM environment produced by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), in part, through down-regulation of pro-fibrotic Sex-determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9). Methods Influence of EPIM on ECM was investigated in cultured primary rat HSCs. Activated HSCs were treated with recombinant EPIM or SOX9 siRNA. Core fibrotic factors were evaluated by immunoblotting, qPCR and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Results During HSC activation EPIM became significantly decreased in contrast to pro-fibrotic markers SOX9, Collagen type 1 (COL1), and α- Smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Treatment of activated HSCs with recombinant EPIM caused a reduction in α-SMA, SOX9, COL1 and Osteopontin (OPN), while increasing expression of the collagenase matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13). Sox9 abrogation in activated HSCs increased EPIM and MMP13 expression. Conclusion These data provide evidence for EPIM and SOX9 functioning by mutual negative feedback to regulate attributes of the quiescent or activated state of HSCs. Further understanding of EPIM's role may lead to opportunities to modulate SOX9 as a therapeutic avenue for liver fibrosis.
Source Reconstruction Accuracy of MEG and EEG Bayesian Inversion Approaches

Electro- and magnetoencephalography allow for non-invasive investigation of human brain activation and corresponding networks with high temporal resolution. Still, no correct network detection is possible without reliable source localization. In this paper, we examine four different source localization schemes under a common Variational Bayesian framework. A Bayesian approach to the Minimum Norm Model (MNM), an Empirical Bayesian Beamformer (EBB) and two iterative Bayesian schemes (Automatic Relevance Determination (ARD) and Greedy Search (GS)) are quantitatively compared. While EBB and MNM each use a single empirical prior, ARD and GS employ a library of anatomical priors that define possible source configurations. The localization performance was investigated as a function of (i) the number of sources (one vs. two vs. three), (ii) the signal to noise ratio (SNR; 5 levels) and (iii) the temporal correlation of source time courses (for the cases of two or three sources). We also tested whether the use of additional bilateral priors specifying source covariance for ARD and GS algorithms improved performance. Our results show that MNM proves effective only with single source configurations. EBB shows a spatial accuracy of few millimeters with high SNRs and low correlation between sources. In contrast, ARD and GS are more robust to noise and less affected by temporal correlations between sources. However, the spatial accuracy of ARD and GS is generally limited to the order of one centimeter. We found that the use of correlated covariance priors made no difference to ARD/GS performance.
Testing for Cointegration in Markov Switching Error Correction Models

This paper proposes an efficient test designed to have power against alternatives where the error correction term follows a Markov switching dynamics. The adjustment to long run equilibrium is different in different regimes characterised by the hidden state Markov chain process. Using a general nonlinear MS-ECM framework, we propose an optimal test for the null of no cointegration against an alternative of a globally stationary MS cointegration. The Monte Carlo studies demonstrate that our proposed tests display superior powers compared to the linear tests. In an application to price-dividend relationships, our test is able to find cointegration while linear based tests fail to do so.
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Frames of Reference in Spatial Span

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Event Studies and the Law - Part I: Technique and Corporate Litigation

Event studies are among the most successful uses of econometrics in policy analysis. By providing an anchor for measuring the impact of events on investor wealth, the methodology offers a fruitful means for evaluating the welfare implications of private and government actions. This paper is the first in a set of two papers that review the use and impact of the event study methodology in the legal domain. This paper begins by briefly reviewing the event study methodology and its strengths and limitations for policy analysis. It then reviews in detail how event studies have been used to evaluate the wealth effects of corporate litigation: Defendants experience economically-meaningful and statistically-significant wealth losses upon the filing of the suit, whereas plaintiff firms experience no significant wealth effects upon filing a lawsuit. Also, there is a significant wealth increase for defendant firms when they settle a suit with another firm, in contrast to other types of plaintiffs, and in contrast to the settling plaintiff firms. These findings suggest that, at a minimum, lawsuits are not a value-enhancing way for corporations to settle their disagreements with other corporations. In addition, the market appears to impose a higher sanction on firms than actual criminal sanctions, and reputational losses are of equal magnitude for civil fines as criminal ones. The paper concludes with some recommendations for researchers: The standards for conducting an event study are well established. Researchers can increase the power of an event study by increasing the sample size, and by narrowing the public announcement period to as short a time-frame as possible. The companion paper reviews the use of event studies in corporate law and regulation.
Raising Students Awareness to Climate Change

Much energy and money is dedicated to increasing climate change awareness and pro-environmental behaviors. Mere communication campaigns, which are often alarmist, are widely used despite their uncertain effectiveness. We suggest that using binding communication strategies would prove more adequate. Binding communication consists in combining a persuasive message and a preparatory act linked to the persuasive message. This procedure is generally reported to be more efficient than a single persuasive message at influencing attitudes and behavior. This hypothesis was tested in a study in which students were presented with a classic climate change communication with/without a preparatory act (participant-proposed solutions). Results showed that although knowledge about climate change increased in both conditions, attitudes and behavior follow-through were positively affected only in the binding communication condition. Therefore, in addressing climate change and global warming behaviors, pairing a persuasive message with personal solution generation is a potentially valid and useful technique.
A feasibility study on the automatic detection of atrial fibrillation using an unobtrusive bed-mounted sensor

We present a feasibility study on the automatic detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) from a cardiac vibration signal (ballistocardiogram). Signals were recorded by means of an electromechanical foil attached to a bed's mattress. A clinical study with 10 AF patients was conducted to assess whether ballistocardiograms (BCG) provide sufficient information to automatically distinguish atrial fibrillations from normal sinus rhythms. For this purpose, the BCGs were split into 30 s long epochs which were manually labelled as AF or sinus rhythm. Using features extracted from an autoregressive time-frequency representation of the BCG, a support vector machine classifier was trained to detect AF epochs. The classifier was evaluated on a set of 245 epochs by means of leave-one-out cross-validation. Our results (sensitivity: 96.2 % / specificity: 91.9 %) suggest that it is indeed feasible to use bed-mounted BCG sensors to screen for atrial fibrillations.
The Cleveland Tyrannosaur Skull (Nanotyrannus or Tyrannosaurus): New Findings Based on CT Scanning, with Special Reference to the Braincase

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s skull of a small tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur (CMNH 7541) collected from the Hell Creek Formation has sparked controversy, with competing hypotheses suggesting that it represents a separate taxon of dwarf tyrannosaurid (Nanotyrannus lancensis), a juvenile specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex (the only other acknowledged Hell Creek tyrannosaurid), or a compromise position (a juvenile Nanotyrannus). Beyond this controversy, CMNH 7541 holds importance because of the anatomical information that such a well preserved skull can provide, and it is in this context that we have sought to probe the structure of the braincase region (e.g., pneumatic sinuses, cranial nerve foramina), as well as other regions of the skull. We subjected the skull to computed x-ray tomography (CT scanning), followed by computer analysis and 3D visualization. The braincase and a number of other bones (e.g., vomer, quadrate, quadratojugal, palatine, mandible) were digitally ‘‘extracted’’ from the CT datasets. Although the new findings strongly confirm the long-held view that CMNH 7541 pertains to a tyrannosaurid, the mosaic of characters it presents makes finer taxonomic assignment difficult. For example, some characters support affinities with T. rex, yet other characters argue for a much more basal position. The key question that awaits resolution is whether the differences observed can be attributed to juvenility, and such resolution will require information from new, as yet unpublished specimens. Nevertheless, some of the differences seen in CMNH 7541 (e.g., the pattern of pneumatic foramina in the basicranium) are highly divergent and are harder to attribute to ontogeny. Among other findings, we report here thin, laminar structures within the main nasal airway that are interpretable as being respiratory turbinates, which have potential implications for metabolic physiology.
AN INVESTIGATION ON APPLICATION OF THE ELECTRIC RESISTIVITY TOMOGRAPHY METHOD TO CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Reinforced concrete used for bridge decks and pillars, highways and other transportation facilities experience loss of integrity over time caused by poor initial quality, action of de-icing salts, temperature changes, fatigue and, above all, delamination caused by corrosion of reinforcement bars (rebars for brevity). Electrical resistivity is sensitive to those losses of integrity. Using 3D numerical modeling we first examine resistivity responses associated with those problems. In the case of rebars, differences occur if they are corroded or not and if cracking or delamination is taking place; resistivity anisotrophy is also indicative of rebar distribution and concrete integrity. We also investigate the potential of imaging to recover the resistivity distribution. Finally, the technique is applied to the auscultation of two bridge decks in Montreal and compared with other geophysical and geotechnical data.
The Starburst in the Abell 1835 Cluster Central Galaxy: A Case Study of Galaxy Formation Regulated by an Outburst from a Supermassive Black Hole

We present an analysis of the starburst in the Abell 1835 cluster's cD galaxy. The dense gas surrounding the galaxy is radiating X-rays at a rate of ~1045 ergs s-1, which is consistent with a cooling rate of ~1000-2000 M☉ yr-1. However, Chandra and XMM-Newton observations found less than 200 M☉ yr-1 of cooling below ~2 keV, a level that is consistent with the cD's current star formation rate of 100-180 M☉ yr-1. One or more heating agents (feedback) must then be replenishing the remaining radiative losses. Supernova explosions and thermal conduction are unable to do so. However, the active galactic nucleus (AGN) is pumping ≃1.4 × 1045 ergs s-1into the hot gas, which is enough power to offset most of the radiative cooling losses. The AGN jet power exceeds the radio synchrotron power by ~4000 times, making this one of the most radiatively inefficient radio sources known. The jet power implies that the supermassive black hole has accreted at a mean rate of ~0.3 M☉ yr-1 over the last 40 Myr or so, which is a small fraction of the Eddington accretion rate for a ~109 M☉ black hole. The ratio of black hole growth rate by accretion to bulge growth by star formation is consistent with the slope of the (Magorrian) relationship between bulge and central black hole mass in nearby quiescent galaxies. The starburst follows the Schmidt-Kennicutt parameterizations, indicating that the local environment is not substantially altering the IMF and other conditions leading to the onset of star formation. The consistency between net cooling, heating (feedback), and the cooling sink (star formation) in this system resolves the primary objection to traditional cooling flow models.
On the universality of the Milan factor for 1/Q power corrections to jet shapes

We perform the two-loop analysis of the 1/Q power corrections to jet-shape variables. This step is necessary for producing reliable theoretical predictions for the relative magnitudes of genuine confinement effects. We show that the rescaling factor recently derived for the thrust case (the Milan factor) remains the same for the class of observables which includes the C-parameter, invariant jet masses, jet broadening and the energy-energy correlation measure. We list the expressions which should be used for extracting 1/Q power effects in jet shapes. We also envisage large non-perturbative effects, characterised by fractional powers of Q, in certain semi-inclusive observables such as the height of the spectrum of Drell-Yan lepton pairs with invariant mass Q and transverse momentum Qt = 0, and back-to-back energy flows in e+e? and DIS.
Drug Synergy of Tenofovir and Nanoparticle-Based Antiretrovirals for HIV Prophylaxis

Background The use of drug combinations has revolutionized the treatment of HIV but there is no equivalent combination product that exists for prevention, particularly for topical HIV prevention. Strategies to combine chemically incompatible agents may facilitate the discovery of unique drug-drug activities, particularly unexplored combination drug synergy. We fabricated two types of nanoparticles, each loaded with a single antiretroviral (ARV) that acts on a specific step of the viral replication cycle. Here we show unique combination drug activities mediated by our polymeric delivery systems when combined with free tenofovir (TFV). Methodology/Principal Findings Biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles loaded with efavirenz (NP-EFV) or saquinavir (NP-SQV) were individually prepared by emulsion or nanoprecipitation techniques. Nanoparticles had reproducible size (d ∼200 nm) and zeta potential (-25 mV). The drug loading of the nanoparticles was approximately 7% (w/w). NP-EFV and NP-SQV were nontoxic to TZM-bl cells and ectocervical explants. Both NP-EFV and NP-SQV exhibited potent protection against HIV-1 BaL infection in vitro. The HIV inhibitory effect of nanoparticle formulated ARVs showed up to a 50-fold reduction in the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) compared to free drug. To quantify the activity arising from delivery of drug combinations, we calculated combination indices (CI) according to the median-effect principle. NP-EFV combined with free TFV demonstrated strong synergistic effects (CI50 = 0.07) at a 1∶50 ratio of IC50 values and additive effects (CI50 = 1.05) at a 1∶1 ratio of IC50 values. TFV combined with NP-SQV at a 1∶1 ratio of IC50 values also showed strong synergy (CI50 = 0.07). Conclusions ARVs with different physicochemical properties can be encapsulated individually into nanoparticles to potently inhibit HIV. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that combining TFV with either NP-EFV or NP-SQV results in pronounced combination drug effects, and emphasize the potential of nanoparticles for the realization of unique drug-drug activities.