Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Racial and socioeconomic disparities in the allocation of expanded criteria donor kidneys.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES In carefully selected individuals, receiving expanded criteria donor (ECD) kidneys confer a survival advantage over remaining on dialysis. However, wait lists for ECD kidneys often include a significant proportion of young patients, who have no predictable survival benefit from ECD kidneys. This study hypothesized that educational and socioeconomic factors might influence a younger patient's decision to accept an ECD kidney. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS This study was a retrospective analysis of all first single-kidney transplants in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database from 2000 to 2009 in patients aged 18-40 years and waitlisted <3 years. The primary outcome measured was the odds of receiving an ECD kidney compared with an standard criteria donor kidney in different demographic subgroups. Race, income, and education were analyzed in main-effect and two-way interaction models, corrected for candidate panel reactive antibodies and sex. RESULTS Of 13,615 ECD transplants, 591 kidneys (4.3%) went to recipients aged between 18 and 40 years who were waitlisted <3 years. African Americans (odds ratio, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.26 to 2.33) or those with low education (odds ratio, 2.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.38 to 3.89) were more likely to receive an ECD kidney than Caucasians or those with a college degree, respectively. However, African Americans with higher education levels did not have significantly higher odds of receiving an ECD kidney than Caucasians with a college degree. CONCLUSIONS In patients aged <40 years and waitlisted <3 years, African Americans and those with lower educational status and low income are more likely to receive an ECD kidney than Caucasians or those with higher education. It is important that health care providers and patients understand such disparities to facilitate a more rational use of ECD kidneys.
Harnessing the Wisdom of Crowds

We examine the negative information externality associated with herding on a crowd-based earnings forecast platform (Estimize.com). By tracking user viewing activities, we monitor the amount of information a user viewed before she makes an earnings forecast. We find the more public information viewed, the less weight she will put on her private information. While this improves the accuracy of each individual forecast, it reduces the accuracy of the consensus forecast since useful private information is prevented from entering the consensus. Predictable errors made by "influential users" early persist in the consensus forecast and result in return predictability at the earnings announcements. To address the endogeneity concerning the information acquisition choice, we collaborate with Estimize.com to run experiments where we restrict the information set on randomly selected stocks and users. The experiments confirm that "independent" forecasts lead to more accurate consensus and convince Estimize.com to switch to a "blind" platform from November 2015. Overall, our findings suggest that wisdom of crowds can be better harnessed by encouraging independent voice from the participants.
The Courage of Misguided Convictions

The field of modern financial economics assumes that people behave with extreme rationality, but they do not. Furthermore, people’s deviations from rationality are often systematic. Behavioral finance relaxes the traditional assumptions of financial economics by incorporating these observable, systematic, and very human departures from rationality into standard models of financial markets. We highlight two common mistakes investors make: excessive trading and the tendency to disproportionately hold on to losing investments while selling winners. We argue that these systematic biases have their origins in human psychology. The tendency for human beings to be overconfident causes the first bias in investors, and the human desire to avoid regret prompts the second.
Large Scale Chromosome Folding Is Stable against Local Changes in Chromatin Structure

Characterizing the link between small-scale chromatin structure and large-scale chromosome folding during interphase is a prerequisite for understanding transcription. Yet, this link remains poorly investigated. Here, we introduce a simple biophysical model where interphase chromosomes are described in terms of the folding of chromatin sequences composed of alternating blocks of fibers with different thicknesses and flexibilities, and we use it to study the influence of sequence disorder on chromosome behaviors in space and time. By employing extensive computer simulations,we thus demonstrate that chromosomes undergo noticeable conformational changes only on length-scales smaller than 105 basepairs and time-scales shorter than a few seconds, and we suggest there might exist effective upper bounds to the detection of chromosome reorganization in eukaryotes. We prove the relevance of our framework by modeling recent experimental FISH data on murine chromosomes. Author Summary A key determining factor in many important cellular processes as DNA transcription, for instance, the specific composition of the chromatin fiber sequence has a major influence on chromosome folding during interphase. Yet, how this is achieved in detail remains largely elusive. In this work, we explore this link by means of a novel quantitative computational polymer model for interphase chromosomes where the associated chromatin filaments are composed of mixtures of fibers with heterogeneous physical properties. Our work suggests a scenario where chromosomes undergo only limited reorganization, namely on length-scales below 105 basepairs and time-scales shorter than a few seconds. Our conclusions are supported by recent FISH data on murine chromosomes.
Dengue Virus NS1 Protein Modulates Cellular Energy Metabolism by Increasing Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Activity

ABSTRACT Dengue is one of the main public health concerns worldwide. Recent estimates indicate that over 390 million people are infected annually with the dengue virus (DENV), resulting in thousands of deaths. Among the DENV nonstructural proteins, the NS1 protein is the only one whose function during replication is still unknown. NS1 is a 46- to 55-kDa glycoprotein commonly found as both a membrane-associated homodimer and a soluble hexameric barrel-shaped lipoprotein. Despite its role in the pathogenic process, NS1 is essential for proper RNA accumulation and virus production. In the present study, we identified that glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) interacts with intracellular NS1. Molecular docking revealed that this interaction occurs through the hydrophobic protrusion of NS1 and the hydrophobic residues located at the opposite side of the catalytic site. Moreover, addition of purified recombinant NS1 enhanced the glycolytic activity of GAPDH in vitro. Interestingly, we observed that DENV infection promoted the relocalization of GAPDH to the perinuclear region, where NS1 is commonly found. Both DENV infection and expression of NS1 itself resulted in increased GAPDH activity. Our findings indicate that the NS1 protein acts to increase glycolytic flux and, consequently, energy production, which is consistent with the recent finding that DENV induces and requires glycolysis for proper replication. This is the first report to propose that NS1 is an important modulator of cellular energy metabolism. The data presented here provide new insights that may be useful for further drug design and the development of alternative antiviral therapies against DENV. IMPORTANCE Dengue represents a serious public health problem worldwide and is caused by infection with dengue virus (DENV). Estimates indicate that half of the global population is at risk of infection, with almost 400 million cases occurring per year. The NS1 glycoprotein is found in both the intracellular and the extracellular milieus. Despite the fact that NS1 has been commonly associated with DENV pathogenesis, it plays a pivotal but unknown role in the replication process. In an effort to understand the role of intracellular NS1, we demonstrate that glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) interacts with NS1. Our results indicate that NS1 increases the glycolytic activity of GAPDH in vitro. Interestingly, the GAPDH activity was increased during DENV infection, and NS1 expression alone was sufficient to enhance intracellular GAPDH activity in BHK-21 cells. Overall, our findings suggest that NS1 is an important modulator of cellular energy metabolism by increasing glycolytic flux.
Angiotensin II‐induced cardiac hypertrophy is associated with associated with different mitogen‐activated protein kinase activation in normotensive and hypertensive mice

Objective In addition to its haemodynamic effects, angiotensin II (AngII) is thought to contribute to the development of cardiac hypertrophy via its growth factor properties. The activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) is crucial for stimulating cardiac growth. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine whether the trophic effects of AngII and the AngII-induced haemodynamic load were associated with specific cardiac MAPK pathways during the development of hypertrophy. Methods The activation of the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), the c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and the p38 kinase was followed in the heart of normotensive and hypertensive transgenic mice with AngII-mediated cardiac hypertrophy. Secondly, we used physiological models of AngII-dependent and AngII-independent renovascular hypertension to study the activation of cardiac MAPK pathways during the development of hypertrophy. Results In normotensive transgenic animals with AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy, p38 activation is associated with the development of hypertrophy while ERK and JNK are modestly stimulated. In hypertensive transgenic mice, further activation of ERK and JNK is observed. Moreover, in the AngII-independent model of renovascular hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy, p38 is not activated while ERK and JNK are strongly stimulated. In contrast, in the AngII-dependent model, all three kinases are stimulated. Conclusions These data suggest that p38 activation is preferentially associated with the direct effects of AngII on cardiac cells, whereas stimulation of ERK and JNK occurs in association with AngII-induced mechanical stress.
The Algebra of Assortative Encounters and the Evolution of Cooperation

This paper explores the way in which assortative matching can maintain cooperative behavior under evolutionary dynamics. If encounters are random, then in Prisoner's Dilemma games, defectors necessarily get higher payoffs than cooperators and thus will eventually prevail. But if matching is assortative, the cost of cooperating may be repaid by higher probabilities of playing against a cooperating opponent. This paper shows that a simple index of assortativity allows a unifying treatment of the evolutionary dynamics in a wide variety of models of social encounters.
Robust declassification

Abstract: Security properties based on information flow, such as noninterference, provide strong guarantees that confidentiality is maintained. However, programs often need to leak some amount of confidential information in order to serve their intended purpose, and thus violate noninterference. Real systems that control information flow often include mechanisms for downgrading or declassifying information; however, declassification can easily result in the unexpected release of confidential information. This paper introduces a formal model of information flow in systems that include intentional information leaks and shows how to characterize what information leaks. Further, we define a notion of robustness for systems that include information leaks introduced by declassification. Robust systems have the property that an attacker is unable to exploit declassification channels to obtain more confidential information than was intended to be released. We show that all systems satisfying a noninterference-like property are robust; for other systems, robustness involves a nontrivial interaction between confidentiality and integrity properties. We expect this model to provide new tools for the characterization of information flow properties in the presence of intentional information leaks.
The Impact of Cocaine Use on Outcomes in HIV-Infected Patients Receiving Buprenorphine/Naloxone

Background:Cocaine use is common in opioid-dependent HIV-infected patients, but its impact on treatment outcomes in these patients receiving buprenorphine/naloxone is not known. Methods:We conducted a prospective study in 299 patients receiving buprenorphine/naloxone who provided baseline cocaine data and a subset of 266 patients who remained in treatment for greater than or equal to one quarter. Assessments were conducted at baseline and quarterly for 1 year. We evaluated the association between baseline and in-treatment cocaine use on buprenorphine/naloxone retention, illicit opioid use, antiretroviral adherence, CD4 counts, HIV RNA, and risk behaviors. Results:Sixty-six percent (197 of 299) of patients reported baseline cocaine use and 65% (173 of 266) of patients with follow-up data reported in-treatment cocaine use. Baseline and in-treatment cocaine use did not impact buprenorphine/naloxone retention, antiretroviral adherence, CD4 lymphocytes, or HIV risk behaviors. However, baseline cocaine use was associated with a 14.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.0-24.2) times greater likelihood of subsequent cocaine use (95% CI, 9.0-24.2), a 1.4 (95% CI, 1.02-2.00) times greater likelihood of subsequent opioid use, and higher log10 HIV RNA (P < 0.016) over time. In-treatment cocaine use was associated with a 1.4 (95% CI, 1.01-2.00) times greater likelihood of concurrent opioid use. Conclusions:Given cocaine use negatively impacts opioid and HIV treatment outcomes, interventions to address cocaine use in HIV-infected patients receiving buprenorphine/naloxone treatment are warranted.
Non-dipping status and selected adipokines concentration in children with primary arterial hypertension

ABSTRACT High blood pressure (BP) in children and adolescents is associated with increased risk of persistent hypertension (HT) in adulthood and, consequently, cardiovascular disease and target organ damage. Aim: The values of selected anthropometric parameters and laboratory test results including leptin and apelin concentration were evaluated with regard to averaged values of office BP measurements and 24-hour ABPM. Material and methods: The study included 55 children: 23-with primary HT and coexisting overweight or obese (HT-OB), 16-with primary HT and normal weight (HT-NW), and 16 healthy children (C). Results: The concentration of leptin and apelin in HT-OB children was significantly higher than in the C and HT-NW group. A similar finding for leptin level was demonstrated in comparison of HT-NW with C group. In children with HT-OB, the lack of decline in nocturnal DBP was associated with significantly higher BMI and the Cole’s Index value. Children with HT-OB and lack of decline in nocturnal SBP showed lower leptin and insulin concentrations, and lower values of HOMA-IR as compared with dipping children. Positive correlation in the whole study group was found between adipokines levels and BP measurements. In conclusion, children with primary HT show higher concentration of adipokines compared with their healthy peers. The data on relationship of serum adipokines levels with anthropometric and BP parameters in children may be helpful to clarify the sequence of disturbances in the cardiovascular system in adults, which requires further examination.
The outcomes of intra-aortic balloon pump usage in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a comprehensive meta-analysis of 33 clinical trials and 18,889 patients

Background The effects of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) usage in patients with acute myocardial infarction remain controversial. This study sought to evaluate the outcomes of IABP usage in these patients. Methods Medline, EMBASE, and other internet sources were searched for relevant clinical trials. The primary efficacy endpoints (in-hospital, midterm, and long-term mortality) and secondary endpoints (reinfarction, recurrent ischemia, and new heart failure in the hospital) as well as safety endpoints (severe bleeding requiring blood transfusion and stroke in-hospital) were subsequently analyzed. Results Thirty-three clinical trials involving 18,889 patients were identified. The risk of long-term mortality in patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction was significantly decreased following IABP use (odds ratio [OR] 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.48–0.91, P=0.010). Both in-hospital and midterm mortality did not differ significantly between the IABP use group and no IABP use group (in-hospital: OR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.59–1.28, P=0.479; midterm: OR 1.12, 95% CI: 0.53–2.38, P=0.768). IABP insertion was not associated with the risk reduction of reinfarction, recurrent ischemia, or new heart failure. However, IABP use increased the risk of severe bleeding requiring blood transfusion (OR 2.05, 95% CI: 1.29–3.25, P=0.002) and stroke (OR 1.71, 95% CI: 1.04–2.82, P=0.035). In the thrombolytic therapy and cardiogenic shock subgroups, reduced mortality rates following IABP use were observed. Conclusion IABP insertion is associated with feasible benefits with respect to long-term survival rates in patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction, particularly those suffering from cardiogenic shock and receiving thrombolytic therapy, but at the cost of higher incidence of severe bleeding and stroke.
Reproductive Abnormalities, Teratogenicity, and Developmental Problems in American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) Exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls

This study found abnormalities in multiple reproductive stages in captive American kestrels (Falco sparverius) when exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) through dietary and in ovo exposure. American kestrels laid eggs with environmentally relevant total PCB levels (34.1 μg/g whole egg wet weight) when consuming PCB-spiked (Aroclor 1248:1254:1260) food (5–7 μg/g body weight per day) for 100 d only in 1998. In 1999, the same adults laid eggs with estimated total PCBs of 23 μg/g. Effects of maternal (only female exposed) and paternal (only male expose d) in ovo PCB exposure were investigated. Maternal F1 eggs contained predicted total PCB concentrations of 0.34 μg/g. Specific abnormalities occurred more frequently during dietary F0 exposure, particularly aggressive courtship interactions, clutch abandonment, occurrences of cracked eggs, and developmental effects. Multiple developmental effects were more pronounced during than after dietary PCB exposure of adults, and although these effects were limited, nevertheless they occurred in the F1 maternal and F1 paternal pairs. However, the incidence of multiple deformities throughout the breeding season increased dramatically from 1998 (13%) to 1999 (56%) in F0 PCB-exposed pairs. Developmental abnormalities were unlikely to be attributed to the extrinsic factors of disease, genetics, or nutritional (vitamin D3) deficiencies, but rather to adverse changes in parental behavior and intrinsic factors involving altered genetic material and PCB exposure. Readily cleared PCB congeners may induce specific types of behavioral and developmental abnormalities, but persistent congeners and metabolites are likely producing (1) odd laying patterns, (2) developmental effects including embryonic underdevelopment and edema, and (3) increased incidences of multiple deformities within a clutch.
Measurement of Central Corneal Thickness Using Ultrasound Pachymetry and Orbscan II in Normal Eyes

Purpose: To compare ultrasound pachymetry and Orbscan II for measurement of central corneal thickness (CCT) in normal eyes. Methods: The current study was performed at Labbafinejad Medical Center (LMC), Tehran, Iran. Three hundred eyes from 150 healthy individuals referred for keratorefractive surgery were assessed first by Orbscan II and then by ultrasound pachymetry, and CCT values were recorded and compared. Results: Overall, Orbscan II overestimated CCT as compared to ultrasound pachymetry by about 2.4% (mean values 547.6 ± 34.7 versus 534.8 ± 34.7, respectively, P < 0.001). The difference was more significant when CCT was less than 500 microns (mean values 493.2 ± 16.9 versus 479.9 ± 15.6, mean overestimation: 2.6%, P < 0.001). There was good linear correlation between the two methods (Pearson's correlation r = 0.968, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Orbscan II has good correlation with ultrasound pachymetry for measurement of CCT in normal eyes; however Orbscan II should not be used to evaluate corneal thickness before keratorefractive surgeries, as it tends to overestimate corneal thickness and may result in undesirable, low residual stromal thickness.
TOPIC HIGHLIGHT

Pancreatic cancer is the second most common abdominal cancer in North America with an estimated 20% resectability at diagnosis, and overall 5-year survival of 5%. Pain is common in pancreatic cancer patients with 70%-80% suffering substantial pain. Celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) is a technique that can potentially improve pain control in pancreatic cancer while preventing further escalation of opioid consumption. CPN is performed by injecting absolute alcohol into the celiac plexus neural network of ganglia. This review sets out to explore the current status of CPN in non-resectable pancreatic cancer. We will examine: (1) the efficacy and safety of percutaneous-CPN and endoscopic ultrasound guided-CPN; (2) specific technique modifications including bilateral (vs central) injections and celiac ganglia neurolysis; and (3) the issue of CPN timing, early at pancreatic cancer diagnosis vs traditional late use as salvage therapy. © 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights
Tissue‐specific expression from CaMV 35S enhancer subdomains in early stages of plant development.

The cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S enhancer is able to confer strong constitutive expression in plants. We have previously defined two domains within this enhancer that can confer different tissue‐specific expression patterns throughout development. We show here that the upstream domain (B) has a modular organization. It contains at least five subdomains that are able to confer distinct expression patterns when fused to the downstream domain (A). When fused to a minimal promoter only three of the five subdomains give any expression in the early stages of plant development. Comparison of the expression patterns conferred by the subdomains alone, in combination with the downstream domain or in combination with other subdomains provides evidence for synergistic interactions among cis‐elements within the 35S enhancer.