Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Standardisation of the Twinning Rate

Abstract In many studies the twinning rate, being strongly dependent on maternal age (and parity), has been standardised according to the maternal age distribution. The direct method requires very informative twinning data for the target population. The indirect method is used when the data for the target population is not sufficiently informative or when the target population is small. We have earlier introduced an alternative indirect technique for standardising the twinning rate. Our technique requires even less of the twinning data. Besides maternal age, parity is an influential factor, and should, if possible, be taken into account. In this study we present the traditional standardisation methods based on both maternal age and parity, we propose a new direct standardisation method and we develop our standardisation methods so that they take into account both maternal age and parity. We apply these standardisation methods to data from Finland, 1953–1964, from St. Petersburg, Russia, 1882–92, from Canada 1952–1967, and from Denmark, 1896–1967. These methods all give results very similar to those for the Finnish data, but the effect of parity is strongest with the direct methods. This may be due to the fact that, among extramarital maternities, parity has a strongly increasing effect on the twinning rate. This may be attributed to a higher reproduction capacity among unmarried mothers. Standardisations of the Canadian and the Danish data also give reliable results. With the St. Petersburg data, however, the different standardisations show notable discrepancies. These discrepancies are compared with Allen’s findings.
T Cell Proliferation in Response to Interleukins 2 and 7 Requires p38MAP Kinase Activation*

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a potent T cell mitogen. However, the signaling pathways by which IL-2 mediates its mitogenic effect are not fully understood. One of the members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, p42/44MAPK (ERK2/1), is known to be activated by IL-2. We have now investigated the response to IL-2 of two other members of the MAP kinase family, p54MAP kinase (stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK)) and p38MAP kinase (p38/Mpk2/CSBP/RK), which respond primarily to stressful and inflammatory stimuli (e.g. tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1, and lipopolysaccharide). Here we show that IL-2, and another T cell growth factor, IL-7, activate both SAPK/JNK and p38MAP kinase. Furthermore, inhibition of p38MAP kinase activity with a specific pyrinidyl imidazole inhibitor SB203580 that prevents activation of its downstream effector, MAPK-activating protein kinase-2, correlated with suppression of IL-2- and IL-7-driven T cell proliferation. These data indicate that in T cells p38MAP kinase has a role in transducing the mitogenic signal.
The “Right” Price for Art Collectibles: A Quantile Hedonic Regression Investigation of Picasso Paintings

Different art objects are likely to be priced by means of different systems of hedonic characteristics; more precisely, different evaluation procedures for high- and low-price items are often postulated. However, the empirical evidence on this point is scant. The purpose of this article is to fill this gap with a quantile hedonic regression approach. Using a dataset of 716 Picasso paintings sold at auction worldwide, the authors highlight the critical role of the price classes in determining the evaluation criteria of art items.
Calpain Inhibitors Protect Against Depolarization‐induced Neurofilament Protein Loss of Septo‐hippocampal Neurons in Culture

We examined the effect of a 6 min depolarization with 60 mM KCl and 1.8, 2.8 or 5.8 mM extracellular CaCl2 on neurofilament proteins of high (NF‐H), medium (NF‐M) and low (NF‐L) molecular weight in primary septo‐hippocampal cultures. One day after depolarization, Western blot analyses revealed losses of all three neurofilament proteins. Increasing the extracellular calcium concentration from 1.8 to 5.8 mM CaCl2 in the presence of 60 mM KCl produced increased losses of all three neurofilament proteins to ˜80% of control values in the absence of cell death. Calcium‐dependent losses of the neurofilament proteins correlated with calcium‐dependent increases in calpain 1‐mediated breakdown products of alpha‐spectrin. Calpain inhibitors 1 and 2, applied immediately after depolarization and made available to cultures for 24 h, reduced losses of all three neurofilament proteins to ˜14% of control values. The protective effects of calpain inhibitors 1 and 2 were influenced by different levels of extracellular calcium. Qualitative immunohistochemical evaluations confirmed semiquantitative Western blot data on neurofilament loss and protection by calpain inhibitors 1 and 2. We propose that brief depolarization causes loss of neurofilament proteins, possibly due to calpain activation. Thus, calpain inhibitors could represent a viable strategy for preserving the cytoskeletal structure of injured neurons.
Genome-wide profiling of the C. elegans dsRNAome

Recent studies hint that endogenous dsRNA plays an unexpected role in cellular signaling. However, a complete understanding of endogenous dsRNA signaling is hindered by an incomplete annotation of dsRNA-producing genes. To identify dsRNAs expressed in Caenorhabditis elegans, we developed a bioinformatics pipeline that identifies dsRNA by detecting clustered RNA editing sites, which are strictly limited to long dsRNA substrates of Adenosine Deaminases that act on RNA (ADAR). We compared two alignment algorithms for mapping both unique and repetitive reads and detected as many as 664 editing-enriched regions (EERs) indicative of dsRNA loci. EERs are visually enriched on the distal arms of autosomes and are predicted to possess strong internal secondary structures as well as sequence complementarity with other EERs, indicative of both intramolecular and intermolecular duplexes. Most EERs were associated with protein-coding genes, with ∼1.7% of all C. elegans mRNAs containing an EER, located primarily in very long introns and in annotated, as well as unannotated, 3′ UTRs. In addition to numerous EERs associated with coding genes, we identified a population of prospective noncoding EERs that were distant from protein-coding genes and that had little or no coding potential. Finally, subsets of EERs are differentially expressed during development as well as during starvation and infection with bacterial or fungal pathogens. By combining RNA-seq with freely available bioinformatics tools, our workflow provides an easily accessible approach for the identification of dsRNAs, and more importantly, a catalog of the C. elegans dsRNAome.
The Interaction of Bovine Adrenodoxin with CYP11A1 (Cytochrome P450scc) and CYP11B1 (Cytochrome P45011β)

The kinetics of protein-protein interaction and heme reduction between adrenodoxin wild type as well as eight mutants and the cytochromes P450 CYP11A1 and CYP11B1 was studied in detail. Rate constants for the formation of the reduced CYP11A1·CO and CYP11B1·CO complexes by wild type adrenodoxin, the adrenodoxin mutants Adx-(4–108), Adx-(4–114), T54S, T54A, and S112W, and the double mutants Y82F/S112W, Y82L/S112W, and Y82S/S112W (the last four mutants are Δ113–128) are presented. The rate constants observed differ by a factor of up to 10 among the respective adrenodoxin mutants for CYP11A1 but not for CYP11B1. According to their apparent rate constants for CYP11A1, the adrenodoxin mutants can be grouped into a slow (wild type, T54A, and T54S) and a fast group (all the other mutants). The adrenodoxin mutants forming the most stable complexes with CYP11A1 show the fastest rates of reduction and the highest rate constants for cholesterol to pregnenolone conversion. This strong correlation suggests that C-terminal truncation of adrenodoxin in combination with the introduction of a C-terminal tryptophan residue enables a modified protein-protein interaction rendering the system almost as effective as the bacterial putidaredoxin/CYP101 system. Such a variation of the adrenodoxin structure resulted in a mutant protein (S112W) showing a 100-fold increased efficiency in conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone.
MR Imaging of Uterine Epithelioid Trophoblastic Tumor: A Case Report

Epithelioid trophoblastic tumor (ETT) is a rare gestational trophoblastic neoplasm of chorionic-type intermediate trophoblasts, and it is most frequently located in the lower uterine segment and endocervix. Due to the epithelial-growth pattern with geographic necrosis exhibited by the neoplastic cells, ETT is commonly confused, both clinically and pathologically, with squamous cell carcinoma. Although there have been no previous reports of ETT focusing on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, we report a case of uterine ETT with special attention to the MRI findings referring to the pathological findings and MR images of previous reports. A 42-year-old Japanese woman (gravid 1, para 1) presented with uterus enlargement during screening, and complained of recent-onset lower abdominal pain. The MRI showed a solid tumor throughout the entire myometrium of the lower uterine segment, with the hemorrhagic cystic portion extending to the posterior subserosal space. Following hysterectomy, the final pathological diagnosis was ETT. An ETT is essentially a solid tumor composed of intermediate trophoblasts that exhibit an epithelial-like growth pattern and contain geographic necrosis with calcification. In our case, MRI revealed a non-specific-intensity solid tumor in the lower uterine segment with massive necrosis and hemorrhage extending to the subserosa. While it is difficult to distinguish between ETT and uterine carcinomas, recognition of certain tumor shapes and necrosis could enable more accurate diagnosis before treatment.
The Relevance of Charisma for Transformational Leadership in Stable Organizations

One of the primary dimensions of the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) developed by Bass and associates is idealized influence, or charisma. However, there has been very little empirical support for this dimension in a number of previous studies. We argue that this lack of support is due to the attributional nature of charisma and the situational impact on the existence of, or the need for, charismatic leadership. The current study supported this contention and provided a more parsimonious operationalization of the MLQ, which did not include the idealized influence dimension.
Risk of autistic disorder after exposure to general anaesthesia and surgery: A nationwide, retrospective matched cohort study

BACKGROUND Deficits of learning, memory and cognition have been observed in newborn animals exposed to general anaesthetics. However, conclusions from clinical studies conducted in humans to investigate the relationship between anaesthesia and neurodevelopmental disorders have been inconsistent. Autistic disorder is typically recognised earlier than other neurobehavioural disorders. Although certain genes apparently contribute to autistic disorder susceptibility, other factors such as perinatal insults and exposure to neurotoxic agents may play a crucial role in gene–environmental interaction. OBJECTIVE This study was designed to investigate the association of exposure to general anaesthesia/surgery with autistic disorder. We hypothesised that exposure to general anaesthesia and surgery before 2 years of age is associated with an increased risk of developing autistic disorder. DESIGN A retrospective matched-cohort study. SETTING A medical university. Data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2001 to 2010 were analysed. PATIENTS The birth cohort included 114 435 children, among whom 5197 were exposed to general anaesthesia and surgery before the age of 2 years. The 1 : 4 matched controls comprised 20 788 children. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary endpoint was the diagnosis of autistic disorder after the first exposure to general anaesthesia and surgery. RESULTS No differences were found in the incidence of autistic disorder between the exposed group (0.96%) and the unexposed controls (0.89%) (P = 0.62). Cox proportional regression showed that the hazard ratio of exposure to general anaesthesia and surgery was 0.93 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.57 to 1.53] after adjusting for potential confounders. Age at first exposure did not influence the risk of autistic disorder. No relationship was found between the total number of exposures and the risk of autistic disorder. CONCLUSION Exposure to general anaesthesia and surgery before the age of 2 years age at first exposure and number of exposures were not associated with the development of autistic disorder.
Comparative efficacy of targeted maintenance therapy for newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer: a network meta-analysis

Background: The number of published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) using targeted maintenance therapy for newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer is increasing. Our objective was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of each maintenance therapy using a network meta-analysis. Materials and methods: A systematic search for RCTs was conducted using Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL databases followed by a Bayesian network meta-analysis. The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS) and the secondary outcome was overall survival (OS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% credible intervals (95% CrIs) were used to estimate outcomes. Results: A total of 11 RCTs involving 6631 patients were included. Network meta-analysis showed that pure maintenance therapy with pazopanib resulted in a significantly better PFS compared with placebo (HR, 0.77; 95% CrI, 0.65–0.92). Bevacizumab-throughout treatment was also associated with a better PFS (HR, 0.76, 95% CrI, 0.69–0.84). However, anti-CA-125 monoclonal antibodies (abagovomab and oregovomab) showed no significant survival benefit. Moreover, combined analysis showed that targeted-throughout was not significantly superior to pure targeted maintenance therapy for PFS and OS. Stratified analysis showed paralleled results with no significant difference between pazopanib pure maintenance and bevacizumab-throughout treatments. Conclusion: Our study showed a survival advantage conferred by pazopanib and bevacizumab as maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer. Further clinical trials are essential to both determine the effect of bevacizumab in the maintenance stage and identify the specific subgroup(s) that benefit.
Observations on subcutaneous macrophages. Phago-cytosis of iron-dextran and ferritin synthesis.

The structure of macrophages at the site of subcutaneous injections of iron-dextran has been studied with the electron microscope. Iron-dextran has a macromolecular structure which can be distinguished from that of its metabolic product, the iron-storage protein ferritin. By a process of pinocytosis the macrophages ingest iron-dextran, then concentrate it within cytoplasmic vacuoles, apoferritin is synthesized and the iron is finally stored within this protein to form ferritin. At first individual molecules of ferritin are uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm, accompanied by a few molecules in the nucleoplasm but, as a rule, none in mitochondria. One week after injection, vacuoles containing a mixture of iron-dextran and ferritin are found, and these are gradually replaced by vacuoles containing only ferritin.
Copolarized and Cross-Polarized Backscattering From Random Rough Soil Surfaces From L-Band to Ku-Band Using Numerical Solutions of Maxwell's Equations With Near-Field Precondition

We extend the 3-D numerical method of Maxwell's equation (NMM3D) for rough soil surface scattering from L-band to C-, X-, and Ku-bands. We illustrate the results for copolarization, cross-polarization, and polarization ratio (HH/VV). Copolarized and cross-polarized backscattering coefficients from NMM3D are analyzed for frequency dependence, incident angle dependence, and soil moisture dependence. We also cross compare results from analytical and empirical models. The 16 × 16 squared wavelength (λ2) of rough surface is applied for NMM3D using 256 processors on NSF Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment clusters. Polarization ratio, HH/VV, is studied to address the feature of dependence on frequency for same fields (same physical parameters for the model). HH/VV is shown useful to provide additional information to study land surface. Results from NMM3D are also validated with POLARSCAT measurement data-1. NMM3D shows good agreement with data and better performance while considering copolarization, cross-polarization, and polarization ratio (HH/VV) together. The key advancement in computation efficiency in this paper is the implementation of a physically based near-field precondition algorithm in NMM3D to accelerate parallel computation. With precondition, the computation time is faster by ten times for larger root-mean-square height.
Clinical analysis of 64 patients with lung-cancer-associated hypercalcemia.

OBJECTIVE This study investigated the factors influencing survival time of patients with lung-cancer-associated hypercalcemia. DATA AND METHODS A total of 64 pathologically confirmed patients with Stage IV lung-cancer-associated hypercalcemia were enrolled from Beijing Hospitals between August 2010 and July 2015. Clinical materials included patients' gender, age, pathological type, highest albumin-corrected calcium level, serum alkaline phosphatase level, creatinine clearance rate, organ (bone, liver, brain, and adrenal gland) metastasis, number of distal metastatic sites, and survival time after diagnosis of hypercalcemia. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to screen the risk factors affecting patients' survival. RESULTS Albumin-corrected calcium levels of the 64 patients ranged from 2.56 to 4.57 mmol/L, and the median value was 2.76 mmol/L. Survival time after diagnosis of hypercalcemia varied from 1 to 1340 days, and the median survival time was 104 days. Univariate analysis showed that gender, age (>60-year-old), albumin-corrected calcium levels, elevation of alkaline phosphatases, brain metastasis, and number of distal metastatic sites were predictors for poor survival (P = 0.026, P = 0.022, P < 0.001, P = 0.043, P = 0.041, P = 0.003). In Cox proportional hazard model analysis, corrected hypercalcemia levels and alkaline phosphatase levels were determined to be risk factors affecting patients' survival time (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.828, P = 0.000; HR = 1.957, P = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS Patients with Stage IV lung-cancer-associated moderate and severe hypercalcemia exhibited shorter survival time and poor prognosis. After correction, moderate and severe elevations of hypercalcemia and abnormal elevation of alkaline phosphatase levels were shown to be significant factors shortening patients' survival time.
Bandpass Filters Using Parallel Coupled Strip-Line Stepped Impedance Resonators

Design formulae for bandpass filters using parallel coupled strip-line stepped impedance resonators (S.I.R.) are derived. The formulae take into account the arbitary coupling length as well as quarter-wavelength coupling. One of the important advantages of this filter is its ability to control spurious response by changing the structure of the resonator. Using the design formulae an experimental bandpass filter was designed and fabricated and its performance closely matched design data.
How College Works

Constrained by shrinking budgets, can colleges do more to improve the quality of education? And can students get more out of college without paying higher tuition? Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs conclude that the limited resources of colleges and students need not diminish the undergraduate experience. "How College Works" reveals the surprisingly decisive role that personal relationships play in determining a student's collegiate success, and puts forward a set of small, inexpensive interventions that yield substantial improvements in educational outcomes.At a liberal arts college in New York, the authors followed a cluster of nearly one hundred students over a span of eight years. The curricular and technological innovations beloved by administrators mattered much less than the professors and peers whom students met, especially early on. At every turning point in students' undergraduate lives, it was the people, not the programs, that proved critical. Great teachers were more important than the topics studied, and even a small number of good friendships--two or three--made a significant difference academically as well as socially.For most students, college works best when it provides the daily motivation to learn, not just access to information. Improving higher education means focusing on the quality of a student's relationships with mentors and classmates, for when students form the right bonds, they make the most of their education.
Guided care and the cost of complex healthcare: a preliminary report.

OBJECTIVE Guided Care (GC) is a model of proactive, evidence-based comprehensive healthcare provided by physician-nurse teams for people with several chronic health conditions. Our objective was to evaluate the preliminary effects of GC on health service utilization and costs. STUDY DESIGN Cluster-randomized controlled trial of GC involving 14 primary care teams (49 physicians) and 904 of their chronically ill patients age 65 years or older. METHODS Using insurance claims, we compared the health services used by patients who received GC with the health services used by patients who received usual care during the first 8 months of the study. RESULTS After adjustment for baseline characteristics, GC patients experienced, on average, 24% fewer hospital days (95% confidence interval [CI]: 49% fewer, 13% more), 37% fewer skilled nursing facility days (95% CI: 65% fewer, 5% more), 15% fewer emergency department visits (95% CI: 38% fewer, 18% more), and 29% fewer home healthcare episodes (95% CI: 53% fewer, 8% more), as well as 9% more specialist visits (95% CI: 8% fewer, 29% more). Based on current Medicare payment rates and GC costs, these differences in utilization represent an annual net savings of $75,000 (95% CI: -$244,000, $150,900) per nurse, or $1364 per patient. CONCLUSIONS Initial introduction of GC into primary care practices may be associated with less use of expensive health services and a net savings in healthcare costs among older patients with several chronic health conditions. Final results from the remaining 2 years of this ongoing study will be published in 2011.
Intellectual ability and executive function in pediatric moyamoya vasculopathy

Aim Moyamoya vasculopathy is characterized by progressive stenosis of the major arteries of the Circle of Willis, resulting in compromised cerebral blood flow and increased risk of stroke. The objectives of the current study were to examine intellectual and executive functioning of children with moyamoya and to evaluate the impact of moyamoya type, stroke (clinical or silent), vasculopathy laterality, and disease duration on neurocognitive abilities.