Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Populational adaptive evolution, chemotherapeutic resistance and multiple anti-cancer therapies

Resistance to chemotherapies, particularly to anticancer treatments, is an increasing medical concern. Among the many mechanisms at work in cancers, one of the most important is the selection of tumor cells expressing resistance genes or phenotypes. Motivated by the theory of mutation-selection in adaptive evolution, we propose a model based on a continuous variable that represents the expression level of a resistance gene (or genes, yielding a phenotype) influencing in healthy and tumor cells birth/death rates, effects of chemotherapies (both cytotoxic and cytostatic) and mutations. We extend previous work by demonstrating how qualitatively different actions of chemotherapeutic and cytostatic treatments may induce different levels of resistance. The mathematical interest of our study is in the formalism of constrained Hamilton-Jacobi equations in the framework of viscosity solutions. We derive the long-term temporal dynamics of the fittest traits in the regime of small mutations. In the context of adaptive cancer management, we also analyse whether an optimal drug level is better than the maximal tolerated dose.
Multimedia Security : Watermarking Techniques

A recent proliferation and success of the Internet, together with availability of relatively inexpensive digital recording and storage devices has created an environment in which it became very easy to obtain, replicate and distribute digital content without any loss in quality. This has become a great concern to the multimedia content (music, video, and image) publishing industries, because technologies or techniques that could be used to protect intellectual property rights for digital media, and prevent unauthorized copying did not exist.
Persistence of Pathological Distribution of NK Cells in HIV-Infected Patients with Prolonged Use of HAART and a Sustained Immune Response

Objective A prospective analysis of the distribution of NK subsets and natural cytotoxicity receptors (NKp30/NKp46) in HIV patients with long-term HAART use and sustained virological and immunological response. Methods The main inclusion criteria were: at least 3 years’ receipt of HAART; current CD4+ count ≥ 500 cells/mm3; undetectable viral load for at least 24 months; no hepatotropic virus co-infection. Percentages of CD56dim, CD56bright NK cells and CD56neg CD16+ cells were obtained. Expression of the NCRs, NKp30 and NKp46 was analysed in CD56+ cells. Thirty-nine infected patients and sixteen healthy donors were included in the study. Results The percentages of total CD56+ and CD56dim NK cells were significantly lower in HIV-infected patients than in healthy donors (70.4 vs. 50.3 and 80.9 vs. 66.1 respectively). The percentage of total CD56+ NK cells expressing NCR receptors was lower in HIV patients than in healthy donors (NKp30: 25.20 vs. 58.63; NKp46: 24.8 vs. 50.59). This was also observed for CD56dim and CD56bright NK cells. Length of time with undetectable HIV viral load was identified as an independent factor associated with higher expression of NKp30 and NKp46. Conclusion Despite the prolonged and effective use of HAART, HIV-infected patients do not fully reconstitute the distribution of NK cells. Length of time with an undetectable viral load was related to greater recovery of NKp30/NKp46 receptors.
Adjustment costs and dynamic factor demands : investment and employment under uncertainty

Chapter 1 studies solution techniques for problems of dynamic control under uncertainty with linear costs of control. Necessary conditions for optimality of control policies are derived from a feasible perturbation argument, and it is shown that under restrictive conditions the optimal policy can be based on current events only. A solution is explicitly derived under the assumption of constant-elasticity functional forms and of uncertainty described by geometric Brownian motion processes. Under these assumption, an alternative approach to the solution is proposed, based on optimal stopping arguments: using well-known financial tAchniques, the solution can be found via valuation of options to exercise control at the margin. Chapter 2 applies the control technique to the problem of irreversible capital accumulation. Under the realistic assumption that capital equipment has no value unless used in production, the optimal investment rule is derived in closed form. It is found that the degree of uncertainty facing the firm is an important determinant of the irreversible investment decision: the more uncertain are future business conditions and the more variable is the purchase price of capital, the more cautious firme should be in their investment decisions. The dynamics of the firm's value and the ergodic distribution of several observable variables are derived, and a preliminary discussion is offered of the results' implications for the empirical study of investment. Chapter 3 studies the effect on labor demand of European severance pay legislation. The form of firms' employment policies is derived using the techniques developes in Chapter 1; firms are more reluctant to hire in the presence of firing costs, but are more reluctant to fire as well. It is found that employment is, on average, higher when firing costs are large. The parameters of stochastic processes taken as exogenous by firms are shown to affect the employment policy in intuitive ways, and the European employment experience of the last fifteen years is interpreted under the assumption that a regime switch in the stochastic environment of European firms occurred after the first oil shock. Thesis Supervisor: Rudiger Dornbusch Title: Professor of economics
A Study of the Distribution of Star-forming Regions in Luminous Infrared Galaxies by Means of Hα Imaging Observations

We performed Hα imaging observations of 22 luminous infrared galaxies to investigate how the distribution of star-forming regions in these galaxies is related to galaxy interactions. Based on correlation diagrams between Hα flux and continuum emission for individual galaxies, a sequence for the distribution of star-forming regions was found: very compact (∼100 pc) nuclear starbursts with almost no star-forming activity in the outer regions (type 1), dominant nuclear starbursts ≲1 kpc in size with a negligible contribution from the outer regions (type 2), nuclear starbursts ≳1 kpc in size with a significant contribution from the outer regions (type 3), and extended starbursts with relatively faint nuclei (type 4). These classes of star-forming regions were found to be strongly related to global star-forming properties, such as star formation efficiency, far-infrared color, and dust extinction. There was a clear tendency for the objects with more compact distributions of star-forming regions to show a higher star formation efficiency and hotter far-infrared color. An appreciable fraction of the sample objects were dominated by extended starbursts (type 4), which is unexpected in the standard scenario of interaction-induced starburst galaxies. We also found that the distribution of star-forming regions was weakly but clearly related to galaxy morphology: severely disturbed objects had a more concentrated distribution of star-forming regions. This suggests that the properties of galaxy interactions, such as dynamical phase and orbital parameters, play a more important role than the internal properties of progenitor galaxies, such as dynamical structure or gas mass fraction. We also discuss the evolution of the distribution of star-forming regions in interacting galaxies.
Weakly Monotonic Solutions for Cooperative Games

The principle of weak monotonicity for cooperative games states that if a game changes so that the worth of the grand coalition and some player's marginal contribution to all coalitions increase or stay the same, then this player's payoff should not decrease. We investigate the class of values that satisfy efficiency, symmetry, and weak monotonicity. It turns out that this class coincides with the class of egalitarian Shapley values. Thus, weak monotonicity reflects the nature of the egalitarian Shapley values in the same vein as strong monotonicity reflects the nature of the Shapley value. An egalitarian Shapley value redistributes the Shapley payoffs as follows: First, the Shapley payoffs are taxed proportionally at a fixed rate. Second, the total tax revenue is distributed equally among all players.
Stability testing of two-dimensional discrete linear system polynomials by a two-dimensional tabular form

A new test for determining whether a bivariate polynomial does not vanish in the closed exterior of the unit bicircle (is stable) is developed. A stable bivariate polynomial is the key for stability of two-dimensional (2-D) recursive linear discrete systems. The 2-D stability test stems from a modified stability test for one-dimensional (1-D) systems that has been developed by the author. It consists of a 2-D table, a sequence of centro-symmetric matrices, and a set of accompanying necessary and sufficient conditions for 2-D stability imposed on it. The 2-D table is constructed by a three-term recursion of these matrices or corresponding bivariate polynomials. The minimal set of necessary and sufficient conditions for stability consists of testing two univariate polynomial, one before and one after completing the table, for no zeros outside and no zeros on the unit circle, respectively. A larger set of useful conditions that are necessary for 2D stability, and may indicate earlier instability, is also shown.
Climate Variability, Weather and Enteric Disease Incidence in New Zealand: Time Series Analysis

Background Evaluating the influence of climate variability on enteric disease incidence may improve our ability to predict how climate change may affect these diseases. Objectives To examine the associations between regional climate variability and enteric disease incidence in New Zealand. Methods Associations between monthly climate and enteric diseases (campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis) were investigated using Seasonal Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models. Results No climatic factors were significantly associated with campylobacteriosis and giardiasis, with similar predictive power for univariate and multivariate models. Cryptosporidiosis was positively associated with average temperature of the previous month (β = 0.130, SE = 0.060, p <0.01) and inversely related to the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) two months previously (β = −0.008, SE = 0.004, p <0.05). By contrast, salmonellosis was positively associated with temperature (β = 0.110, SE = 0.020, p<0.001) of the current month and SOI of the current (β = 0.005, SE = 0.002, p<0.050) and previous month (β = 0.005, SE = 0.002, p<0.05). Forecasting accuracy of the multivariate models for cryptosporidiosis and salmonellosis were significantly higher. Conclusions Although spatial heterogeneity in the observed patterns could not be assessed, these results suggest that temporally lagged relationships between climate variables and national communicable disease incidence data can contribute to disease prediction models and early warning systems.
The Good Project: Humanitarian Relief NGOs and the Fragmentation of Reason

NGOs set out to save lives, relieve suffering, and service basic human needs. They are committed to serving people across national borders and without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, or religion, and they offer crucial help during earthquakes, tsunamis, wars, and pandemics. But with so many ailing areas in need of assistance, how do these organizations decide where to go—and who gets the aid? In The Good Project, Monika Krause dives into the intricacies of the decision-making process at NGOs and uncovers a basic truth: It may be the case that relief agencies try to help people but, in practical terms, the main focus of their work is to produce projects. Agencies sell projects to key institutional donors, and in the process the project and its beneficiaries become commodities. In an effort to guarantee a successful project, organizations are incentivized to help those who are easy to help, while those who are hardest to help often receive no assistance at all. The poorest of the world are made to compete against each other to become projects—and in exchange they offer legitimacy to aid agencies and donor governments. Sure to be controversial, The Good Project offers a provocative new perspective on how NGOs succeed and fail on a local and global level.
When Water is no Longer Heaven Sent: Comparative Pricing Analysis in an AGE Model

In this paper we present a applied general equilibrium model with special features that allows for comparative analysis of different pricing scheme. We look at Boiteux-Ramsey Pricing, Marginal Cost Pricing as well as an arbitrary water pricing increase for the agriculture sectors. A standard AGE was adapted by explicitly modeling water production with its different technologies, water demand by different users also needed to be refined since they are generally modeled with fixed coefficient with no substitution allowed. Results show that the choice of applying one policy over another can rely on the water management authorities (or government)objectives. If considering economic efficiency and water conservation the Boiteux-Ramsey pricing seems to be the best alternative. Moreover, we show that BRP become more clearly advantageous vs MCP the more rigid (small capacities to substitute water for other inputs) the economy's agents.
Agglomeration Externalities, Innovation and Regional Growth: Theoretical Perspectives and Meta-Analysis

Technological change and innovation and are central to the quest for regional development. In the globally-connected knowledge-driven economy, the relevance of agglomeration forces that rely on proximity continues to increase, paradoxically despite declining real costs of information, communication and transportation. Globally, the proportion of the population living in cities continues to grow and sprawling cities remain the engines of regional economic transformation. The growth of cities results from a complex chain that starts with scale, density and geography, which then combine with industrial structure characterised by its extent of specialisation, competition and diversity, to yield innovation and productivity growth that encourages employment expansion, and further urban growth through inward migration. This paper revisits the central part of this virtuous circle, namely the Marshall-Arrow-Romer externalities (specialisation), Jacobs externalities (diversity) and Porter externalities (competition) that have provided alternative explanations for innovation and urban growth. The paper evaluates the statistical robustness of evidence for such externalities presented in 31 scientific articles, all building on the seminal work of Glaeser et al. (1992). We aim to explain variation in estimation results using study characteristics by means of ordered probit analysis. Among the results, we find that the impact of diversity depends on how it is measured and that diversity is important for the high-tech sector. High population density increases the chance of finding positive effects of specialisation on growth. More recent data find more positive results for both specialization and diversity, suggesting that agglomeration externalities become more important over time. Finally, primary study results depend on whether or not the externalities are considered jointly and on other features of the regression model specification.
Differential expression of somatostatin receptor subtypes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell subsets.

BACKGROUND Somatostatin (SS)-binding sites have been demonstrated in human lymphoid tissues and peripheral blood cells. However, not much is known with respect to the SS receptor subtype (sst) expression pattern and the expression of SS itself in the immune system. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the mRNA expression of the five known sst (sst(1-5)) in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (sub)populations. Moreover, the expression of the mRNAs encoding SS and the SS-like peptide cortistatin (CST) in immune cell subsets was studied. METHODS RT-PCR and quantitative PCR were performed to evaluate sst, SS and CST mRNA expression in cells in the basal or activated state. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis using fluorescent SS was performed to visualize sst protein on cell membranes. RESULTS B- and T-lymphocytes selectively expressed sst(3) mRNA. sst(3) expression in B-lymphocytes was significantly lower compared with T-lymphocytes. Unstimulated, freshly isolated monocytes did not express any sst mRNA. Upon activation, monocytes selectively expressed sst(2) mRNA, whereas T-lymphocyte activation upregulated sst(3) expression. sst(2) mRNA expression on monocytes was confirmed by FACS analysis. B- and T-lymphocytes did not express SS mRNA, while both cell types expressed CST mRNA. CST mRNA expression was downregulated following T-lymphocyte activation. CONCLUSION We demonstrate for the first time unequivocally that human peripheral blood B- and T-lymphocytes selectively express sst(3), whereas monocytes do not express sst. However, upon activation, monocytes are induced to express sst(2A). No expression of SS mRNA was detected in any cell type, whereas all cell types expressed CST mRNA. The differential expression of sst and CST mRNA in lymphocytes and monocytes suggests a functional significance for the CST-sst interaction in immune cells, but further studies should be performed to evaluate the significance of sst and CST in these cells.
Insurance status and access to urgent ambulatory care follow-up appointments.

CONTEXT There is growing pressure to avoid hospitalizing emergency department patients who can be treated safely as outpatients, but this strategy depends on timely access to follow-up care. OBJECTIVE To determine the association between reported insurance status and access to follow-up appointments for serious conditions that are commonly identified during an emergency department visit. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Eight research assistants called 499 randomly selected ambulatory clinics in 9 US cities (May 2002-February 2003) and identified themselves as new patients who had been seen in an emergency department and needed an urgent follow-up appointment (within 1 week) for 1 of 3 clinical vignettes (pneumonia, hypertension, or possible ectopic pregnancy). The same person called each clinic twice using the same clinical vignette but different insurance status. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Proportion of callers who were offered an appointment within a week. RESULTS Of 499 clinics contacted in the final sample, 430 completed the study protocol. Four hundred six (47.2%) of 860 total callers and 277 (64.4%) of 430 privately insured callers were offered appointments within a week. Callers who claimed to have private insurance were more likely to receive appointments than those who claimed to have Medicaid coverage (63.6% [147/231] vs 34.2% [79/231]; difference, 29.4 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, 21.2-37.6; P<.001). Callers reporting private insurance coverage had higher appointment rates than callers who reported that they were uninsured but offered to pay 20 dollars and arrange payment of the balance (65.3% [130/199] vs 25.1% [50/199]; difference, 40.2; 95% confidence interval, 31.4-49.1; P<.001). There were no differences in appointment rates between callers who claimed to have private insurance coverage and those who reportedly were uninsured but willing to pay cash for the entire visit fee (66.3% [132/199] vs 62.8% [125/199]; difference, 3.5; 95% confidence interval -3.7 to 10.8; P = .31). The median charge was 100 dollars (range, 25 dollars-600 dollars). Seventy-two percent of clinics did not attempt to determine the severity of the caller's condition. CONCLUSIONS Reported insurance status is associated with access to timely follow-up ambulatory care for potentially serious conditions. Having private insurance and being willing to pay cash may not eliminate the difficulty in obtaining urgent follow-up appointments.
Prognostic Value of Survivin in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Purpose The potential prognostic value of survivin in resected non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is variably reported. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of literatures evaluating survivin expression in resected NSCLC as a prognostic indicator. Methods Relevant literatures were identified using PubMed, EMBASE and Chinese Biomedicine Databases. We present the results of a meta-analysis of the association between survivin expression and overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients. Studies were pooled and summary hazard ratios (HR) were calculated. Subgroup analyses and publication bias were also conducted. Results We performed a final analysis of 2703 patients from 28 evaluable studies. Combined HRs suggested that survivin overexpression had an unfavorable impact on NSCLC patients' survival with no evidence of any significant publication bias (HR = 2.03, 95%CI: 1.78–2.33, Egger's test, P = 0.24) and no severe heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 26.9%). Its effect also appeared significant when stratified according to the studies categorized by histological type, HR estimate, patient race, cutoff point (5%, 10%), detection methods and literature written language except for disease stage. Survivin was identified as a prognostic marker of advanced-stage NSCLC (HR = 1.93, 95%CI: 1.49-2.51), but not early-stage NSCLC (HR = 1.97, 95%CI: 0.76-5.14), in spite of the combined data being relatively small. Conclusion This study shows that survivin expression appears to be a pejorative prognostic factor in terms of overall survival in surgically treated NSCLC. Large prospective studies are now needed to confirm the clinical utility of survivin as an independent prognostic marker.
Looking at Both Sides of the Equation: Do Student Background Variables Explain Math Performance?

Consistently high failure rates in the college algebra course in a predominantly Hispanic university prompted this study. A cohort of 1,362 students completed a survey addressing students’ entry-level knowledge, educational expectation and motivation indicators, attitudes toward math, and family support for education. The lack of significant differences between ethnic groups in the variables measured may indicate a need to shift researchers’ attention from student background variables toward the teaching component of the teaching-learning equation.
An Experiment on Risky Choice Amongst Households

A host of experiments have examined theories of risky choice using "individuals". However, many important economic decisions are taken within multi-adult "households". This paper reports on the first economic experiment designed to test theories of household choice. We use established couples and face them individually and jointly with decisions involving monetary payoffs. We find that joint choices typically are more risk averse than those made by individuals. Meanwhile, choices made by couples exhibit the same kinds of departures from expected utility theory (e.g. the common ratio and common consequence effects) as are regularly recorded with individuals. Copyright 2005 Royal Economic Society. (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)