Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A combined 2‐deoxyglucose and neurophysiological study of primate somatosensory cortex

The metabolic activity pattern produced in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) of primates by repetitive delivery of a tactile stimulus is distinctly patchy. The functional significance of these patches, however, remains obscure. This investigation sought to determine the correlation between neural and metabolic activity produced by tactile stimuli and to evaluate the relationship, if any, between the neural activity and metabolic patches evoked by similar stimuli. Experiments were undertaken in which extracellular microelectrode recordings were carried out in animals that subsequently underwent a 2‐deoxyglucose (2DG) study. Three types of relations were identified. First, the receptive fields (RF) and modality properties of neurons sampled in locations at which patches of metabolic label were found matched the “place” and “modal” properties of the stimulus used to produce 2DG labeling. Second, in cortical locations where the RF and modality properties of the sampled neurons differed from either the place or modal properties of the stimulus used to evoke the 2DG label, no above‐background increases in metabolic labeling were found. Finally, in some cortical locations at which the receptive field and modality properties of the neurons matched those of the 2‐deoxyglucose mapping stimulus, no above‐background increases in metabolic labeling were found. This outcome leads us to suggest that moment‐to‐moment changes in neural responsivity, which might remain undetected by conventional receptive field mapping methods, contribute to the patchy pattern of metabolic activity visualized by the 2‐deoxyglucose method.
Serum Resistance in Haemophilus ducreyiRequires Outer Membrane Protein DsrA

ABSTRACT Haemophilus ducreyi is resistant to killing by normal serum antibody and complement. We discovered an H. ducreyiouter membrane protein required for expression of serum resistance and termed it DsrA (for “ducreyi serum resistance A”). ThedsrA locus was cloned, sequenced, and mutagenized. An isogenic mutant (FX517) of parent strain 35000 was constructed and characterized, and it was found to no longer express dsrA. FX517 was at least 10-fold more serum susceptible than 35000. DsrA was expressed by all strains of H. ducreyi tested, except three naturally occurring, avirulent, serum-sensitive strains. FX517 and the three naturally occurring dsrA-nonexpressing strains were complemented in trans with a plasmid expressingdsrA. All four strains were converted to a serum-resistant phenotype, including two that contained truncated lipooligosaccharide (LOS). Therefore, serum resistance in H. ducreyi does not require expression of full-length LOS but does require expression ofdsrA. The dsrA locus from eight additionalH. ducreyi strains was sequenced, and the deduced amino acid sequences were more than 85% identical. The major difference between the DsrA proteins was due to the presence of one, two, or three copies of the heptameric amino acid repeat NTHNINK. These repeats account for the variability in apparent molecular mass of the monomeric form of DsrA (28 to 35 kDa) observed in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Since DsrA is present in virulent strains, is highly conserved, and is required for serum resistance, we speculate that it may be a virulence factor and a potential vaccine candidate.
Consumption of ginger (Zingiber officinale roscoe) does not affect ex vivo platelet thromboxane production in humans.

OBJECTIVES Ginger (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe) has been claimed to exert an anti-thrombotic effect in humans as ginger extracts inhibit cyclo-oxygenase activity of platelets in vitro. Effects of ginger consumption on ex vivo platelet function, however, are contradictory. We therefore investigated whether daily consumption of raw or cooked ginger decreases platelet cyclo-oxygenase activity as assessed by ex vivo maximally stimulated platelet thromboxane B2 production. DESIGN We carried out a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study of 3 x 2 weeks. SUBJECTS Eighteen healthy volunteers aged 22 +/- 3 y (mean +/- s.d.) participated in the study; there were no dropouts. INTERVENTIONS Subjects consumed 15 g of raw ginger root, 40 g of cooked stem ginger, or placebo daily for two weeks. We took fasted venous blood samples and measured thromboxane B2 production in maximally stimulated platelet-rich plasma at days 12 and 14 of each treatment period. RESULTS Mean decrease in thromboxane production relative to placebo was 1 +/- 9% for ginger root, and -1 +/- 8% for stem ginger, with no effect of treatment order (P = 0.984). CONCLUSIONS We cannot confirm the putative anti-thrombotic activity of ginger in humans.
Retinal nerve fibre layer and visual function loss in glaucoma: the tipping point

Aims To determine the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness at which visual field (VF) damage becomes detectable and associated with structural loss. Methods In a prospective cross-sectional study, 72 healthy and 40 glaucoma subjects (one eye per subject) recruited from an academic institution had VF examinations and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) optic disc cube scans (Humphrey field analyser and Cirrus HD-OCT, respectively). Comparison of global mean and sectoral RNFL thicknesses with VF threshold values showed a plateau of threshold values at high RNFL thicknesses and a sharp decrease at lower RNFL thicknesses. A ‘broken stick’ statistical model was fitted to global and sectoral data to estimate the RNFL thickness ‘tipping point’ where the VF threshold values become associated with the structural measurements. The slope for the association between structure and function was computed for data above and below the tipping point. Results The mean RNFL thickness threshold for VF loss was 75.3 μm (95% CI: 68.9 to 81.8), reflecting a 17.3% RNFL thickness loss from age-matched normative value. Above the tipping point, the slope for RNFL thickness and threshold value was 0.03 dB/μm (CI: −0.02 to 0.08) and below the tipping point, it was 0.28 dB/μm (CI: 0.18 to 0.38); the difference between the slopes was statistically significant (p<0.001). A similar pattern was observed for quadrant and clock-hour analysis. Conclusions Substantial structural loss (∼17%) appears to be necessary for functional loss to be detectable using the current testing methods.
The Effect of the Voting Rights Act on Enfranchisement: Evidence from North Carolina

Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act required covered jurisdictions—those deemed perniciously politically discriminatory to minorities—to preclear changes to their voting practices with the Department of Justice. By exploiting the use of a federally imposed threshold for how Section 5 coverage was applied in North Carolina, this article estimates the effect of coverage using a difference-in-differences design. This article finds that Section 5 coverage increased black voter registration by 14–19 percentage points, white registration by 10–13 percentage points, and overall voter turnout by 10–19 percentage points. Additional results for Democratic vote share suggest that some of this overall increase in turnout may have come from reactionary whites. This article finds that Section 5 coverage had a statistically and substantively meaningful effect on enfranchisement, although an effect consistent with the more modest of extant estimates in the literature.
Examining Procedural Justice and Legitimacy in Corporate Offending and Beyond‐Compliance Behavior: The Efficacy of Direct and Indirect Regulatory Interactions

Tom Tyler's Procedural Justice Theory has received support in a variety of studies using criminal justice authorities as the research focus. To date, the theory has not been empirically tested using corporate malfeasance as an outcome, despite evidence that procedural justice is important in achieving regulatory compliance. This study uses factorial survey methods to examine whether corporate behavior is predicted by professionals' perceptions of procedural justice and legal legitimacy. We find that procedural justice and legitimacy considerations are salient only when managers have direct contact with regulatory authorities. This supports John Braithwaite's argument that effective regulation is enhanced by microlevel interactions in which procedural justice can be effectively leveraged to promote compliance.
Spectroscopic studies of protein folding: Linear and nonlinear methods

Although protein folding is a simple outcome of the underlying thermodynamics, arriving at a quantitative and predictive understanding of how proteins fold nevertheless poses huge challenges. Therefore, both advanced experimental and computational methods are continuously being developed and refined to probe and reveal the atomistic details of protein folding dynamics and mechanisms. Herein, we provide a concise review of recent developments in spectroscopic studies of protein folding, with a focus on new triggering and probing methods. In particular, we describe several laser‐based techniques for triggering protein folding/unfolding on the picosecond and/or nanosecond timescales and various linear and nonlinear spectroscopic techniques for interrogating protein conformations, conformational transitions, and dynamics.
Immunomodulatory function of the 5‐HT3 receptor antagonist tropisetron

Objective: To characterize the immune modulatory effects of 5‐HT3 receptor antagonist treatment in patients with fibromyalgia, autoimmune disorders, and chronic pain. Methods: Multiplex‐assisted cytokine measurements were performed before and during treatment. Whole blood stimulation with TNF‐α was carried out to determine the proinflammatory response induced by exogenous TNF‐α. Results: Five of nine patients clinically responded to treatment, and two had a moderate response. All patients had significantly elevated levels of T‐H1 cytokines more prominent than TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6. Treatment resulted in transient effects on peripheral monocyte counts in all but one patient, a plasma IL‐1β increase in two responder patients, and decreased T‐H1 cytokines in two responder patients. Ex vivo TNF‐α stimulation was transiently reconstituted in three responder patients to a significant level. Three patients showed a marginal reconstitutive response. Conclusion: 5‐HT3 receptor blockade transiently affects monocyte tissue infiltration, modulates T‐H1 cytokines in clinical responders as well as MIP‐1β in moderate responders, and transiently affects the ex vivo response to exogenous TNF‐α.
Interval Training in Men at Risk for Insulin Resistance

Abstract We compared 3 months of eucaloric (12 kcal/kg/wk) steady state aerobic training (AER) to interval training (INT) in men at risk for insulin resistance. Primary outcomes included oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) and HOMA-IR 24 h and 72 h after each participants last exercise session. Secondary outcomes were VO2max, anthropometry, and metabolic syndrome expressed as a summed z-score (zMS). We also performed a sub-analysis for participants entering the trial above and below the HOMA-IR study median. Mean (95% CI) AER ( − 12.81 mg/dl; − 24.7, − 1.0) and INT ( − 14.26 mg/dl; − 24.9, − 3.6) significantly improved 24 h OGTT. HOMA-IR did not improve for AER, but did for INT 24 h and 72 h post-exercise. VO2max improved similarly for both groups. Changes in body mass for INT ( − 2.29 kg; − 3.51, − 1.14), AER, ( − 1.32 kg; − 2.62, 0.58)] and percent body fat [INT, − 0.83%; − 1.62, − 0.03), AER ( − 0.17%; − 1.07, 0.06)] were only significant for INT. When examined as a full cohort, zMS improved for both groups. Upon HOMA-IR stratification, only high HOMA-IR AER showed significant improvements, while both low and high INT HOMA-IR participants demonstrated significant reductions (P<0.05). Eucaloric AER and INT appear to affect fasting glucose, OGTT and VO2max similarly, while INT may have a greater impact on HOMA-IR and zMS.
SERIAL CHANGES OF LIVER FUNCTION TESTS BEFORE AND DURING METHIMAZOLE TREATMENT IN THYROTOXIC PATIENTS.

OBJECTIVE Overt hyperthyroidism and methimazole (MMI) treatment are frequently associated with abnormal liver function tests (LFTs). We describe the serial changes of LFTs in MMI-treated hyperthyroid patients. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed all 77 patients presenting with newly diagnosed overt hyperthyroidism (59 Graves diseases, 11 toxic nodular goiters, 4 toxic adenomas, 3 amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis) between 2012 and 2014. All patients started MMI at 10 to 60 mg/day that was gradually tapered. We measured thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotrasnferase (AST) at baseline and at 6 weeks, 4.5 months and 10 months after starting the MMI treatment. The concomitant medication was stable during MMI treatment. RESULTS At baseline, 25 patients (32.5%) had abnormal LFT, of which 5 had ALT or AST levels >2× the upper limit of normal (ULN). In most patients with baseline abnormal LFT, MMI treatment resulted in a normalization of serum ALT and AST. Thirteen patients with normal baseline LFT had <2× the ULN elevations of LFT sometime during treatment. There was a case of significant hepatotoxicity. During treatment, there were no significant differences in LFT levels between patients with initially normal or abnormal LFT. In a Cox proportional hazard regression model, abnormal LFT at baseline, abnormal thyroid function at the last evaluation, and MMI dose were not predictors of abnormal LFT at the final evaluation. CONCLUSION MMI treatment can induce insignificant LFT elevation, <2× the ULN. MMI can be safely administered in hyperthyroid patients with abnormal LFT, and normalization of increased AST and ALT levels should be anticipated. ABBREVIATIONS ALT = alanine aminotransferase AST = aspartate aminotransferase fT4 = free thyroxine HCV = hepatitis C virus LFT = liver function test LOCF = last observation carried forward MMI = methimazole PTU = propylthiouracil TSH = thyroid-stimulating hormone ULN = upper limit of normal.
Probability of financial distress and proposed adoption of corporate governance structures: Evidence from Pakistan

Abstract This study examines the role of voluntary adoption of corporate governance mechanisms in mitigating the financial distress status of firms. Using the sample of 52 firms from non-financial sector listed at Karachi Stock Exchange and selecting time period of 10 years from 2006 to 2015, the study finds out the practices that are beneficial for firms and helps them in reducing the financial distress. Results of the study show that there is a negative significant relationship of blockholder ownership, director ownership and audit committee with the probability to financial distress. The causal relationship is also tested, and results show that voluntary adoption of corporate governance structures leads towards lower level of financial distress.
Increased longevity in older users of postmenopausal estrogen therapy: the Leisure World Cohort Study

Objective:To examine the effect of postmenopausal estrogen therapy (ET), including duration and recency of use, on all-cause mortality in older women. Design:As part of a prospective cohort study of residents of a California retirement community begun in the early 1980s, Leisure World Cohort women (median age, 73 y) completed a postal health survey including details on ET use and were followed up for 22 years (1981-2003). Age- and multivariate-adjusted risk ratios (RR) and 95% CIs were calculated using proportional hazard regression. Results:Of the 8,801 women, 6,626 died during follow-up (median age, 88 y). ET users had an age-adjusted mortality rate of 52.9 per 1,000 person-years compared with 56.5 among lifetime nonusers (RR = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.96). Risk of death decreased with both increasing duration of ET and decreasing years since last use (P for trend <0.001). The risk was lowest among long-term (≥15 y) users (RR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74-0.93 for 15-19 y and RR = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80-0.94 for 20+ y). For long-term users, the age-adjusted mortality rate was 50.4 per 1,000 person-years. Lower-dose users (≤0.625 mg) had a slightly better survival rate than higher-dose users (RR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.78-0.91 vs RR = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.97). Risk did not differ by route of administration (P = 0.56). Further adjustment for potential confounders had little effect on the observed RRs for ET. Conclusion:Long-term ET is associated with lower all-cause mortality in older women.
Activation of protective innate-adaptive immunity duo for conferring rapid-sustained-broad protection of vaccines against infectious agents

D the advantages of DNA vaccines, overcoming their lower efficacy relative to that of conventional vaccines remains a challenge. Here, we constructed a human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) envelope-coated, nonreplicable, baculovirusbased virus like particle (VLP) forming DNA vaccine against swine influenza A/California/04/2009(H1N1). Previous we reported the efficacy of influenza HA DNA vaccine using a non-replicable baculoviral DNA vaccine (AcHERV-pdmH1N1 HA). However, AcHERV-pdmH1N1 HA vaccine only elicits an immune response against same HA antigen and limits the degree of immune response against whole viral antigen compare to the commercial killed vaccine. Here, we constructed a baculovirus carrying pdmH1N1 HA, NA and M gene for making VLP in host cell. Comparable to monovalent HA vaccine, AcHERVpdmH1N1 HA-NA-M showed a strong humoral, cellular immune responses, and protected against pathogenic H1N1 virus in challenge test. Our AcHERV-pdmH1N1 VLP forming DNA vaccine could be a potential vaccine candidate to achieve an efficacy comparable to that of killed virus vaccines.
Essays in applied macroeconomics

I present a thesis in three chapters in the broad field of Applied Macroeconomics. The first chapter is an empirical investigation into the “granular hypothesis” - the hypothesis that shocks to extremely large firms can have aggregate economic consequences. Identifying this channel is nontrivial as it may be the case that large firms respond more to aggregate shocks than most firms. I present a new way to identify true firm-level shocks by looking at stock price movements around the times that firms release financial information. I argue such movements reflect firm-specific, rather than aggregate information. Using a measure of firm shocks recovered using this information suggests that the importance of such shocks for aggregate economic outcomes has been overestimated by previous work in the literature. A good univariate representation of US GDP is a random walk with drift. The second chapter shows that nonetheless US recessions have been associated with predictable short-term recoveries with relatively small changes in long-term GDP forecasts. To detect these predictable changes, it is important to use a multivariate time series model. We discuss reasons why univariate representations can miss key characteristics of the underlying variable such as predictability, especially during recessions. The third chapter develops a general equilibrium model to investigate the macroeconomic consequences of liquidity regulation, a form of regulation which was strengthened substantially after the 2008 financial crisis. The model is used to identify two separate channels through which liquidity regulation can affect the cost of capital: the “crowding out” and “financial repression” channels. In the absence of these, I establish a neutrality result in which liquidity regulation does not affect the wider economy. The principal policy implication of this chapter is that regulators should not count safe assets which they require banks to hold for liquidity purposes against bank capital requirements.
The Economic Impacts of Government Spending Cut: The Case of Indonesia

This paper attempts to analyze the impact of fiscal policy on the macroeconomic performance in Indonesia. Using CGE EMERALD (Computable General Equilibrium Model with Economic Regional Analysis Dimensions), we simulate the impact of 1 percent deficit reduction (i.e. government expenditures cut) on macroeconomic variables both in national and regional levels. The overall simulations show that the decrease in government expenditures has positive impacts on real private investment expenditures and export volume as well as aggregate capital stock. Also, the decrease in government expenditures reduces import volume higher than that of export. In relation to employment, the negative impact is marginally only on the non-tradable sectors. Those findings imply that not all government expenditures are productive in nature. Hence, they perform the feasibility of government policy to reduce the government spending and conduct balance budget as well as counter-cyclical policies in the future not only to maintain economic growth in general but also balance of payment and fiscal sustainability in particular.
Pricing policy and computational resource provisioning for delay-aware mobile edge computing

Mobile edge computing is a novel technique to offer cloud-based computation offloading services to mobile users with short delay. However, the Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) of the edge cloud are generally different from the CSPs of remote Internet cloud. Considering the competition between the heterogeneous clouds, we study the optimal provisioning of the computational resource in the edge cloud. We firstly analyze the Nash equilibrium prices of the cloud market when the amount of edge computational resource is given. Based on the pricing policy, we further design an algorithm to optimize the edge computational resource capacity so that the profit of the edge cloud is maximized. We also derive the lower and upper bound of the optimal edge computational resource. The numerical results indicate that the profit of the edge cloud is greatly influenced by the price of the remote cloud when users care more about the price than the delay.
Monitoring patients using control charts: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE To systematically review the uses control charts to monitor clinical variables in individual patients. DATA SOURCES Systematic searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and five other databases yielded 74 studies, of which seven met our inclusion criteria of using control charts to monitor clinical variables for disease at an individual patient level. REVIEW METHODS Included articles were reviewed independently by two reviewers. Data were extracted on study design clinical condition or disease being monitored, clinical variable or marker, measurement method, outcome measure and any changes in clinical indicator identified in the articles. RESULTS Control charts were applied to four conditions--hypertension, asthma, renal function post-transplant and diabetes. Studies fell into two categories. Three studies sought to determine the 'performance' of control charts in comparison with existing 'gold standard methods' in terms of sensitivity and specificity based on moderate sample sizes (n = 35-45). This category of studies found control charts to be simple, low-cost, effective tools with good sensitivity and specificity characteristics and concluded in favour of control charts. The other four studies were individual patient case-studies in which the use of control charts to monitor clinical variables was associated with a positive impact on patient and carer experience albeit anecdotally and with varying degrees of attention. CONCLUSIONS Control charts appear to have a promising but largely under-researched role in monitoring clinical variables in individual patients. Furthermore, rigorous evaluation of control charts is required.