Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Getting It Right or Getting It Cursed: Auction Prices in a Residential Real Estate Bubble

This is the first study to test for a winner’s curse in a bubble market. Our hand-collected sample comprises the entire sequence of bids and the experience of the winning bidder at Irish residential real estate auctions, prior to the collapse of the bubble. Portfolios of practitioner-selected self-similar properties and a hedonic pricing model facilitate benchmark property price estimation. We show neither real estate investors nor owner occupiers shade auction bids to avoid the winner’s curse. Winning real estate investors, however, pay more for properties. Thus, real estate investors ride the wave of a property bubble and potentially exacerbate it.
Age differences in managing response to sadness elicitors using attentional deployment, positive reappraisal and suppression

The current study investigated age differences in the use of attentional deployment, positive reappraisal and suppression while regulating responses to sadness-eliciting content. We also tested to what extent these emotion regulation strategies were useful for each age group in managing response to age-relevant sad information. Forty-two young participants (Mage = 18.5, SE = .15) and 48 older participants (Mage = 71.42, SE = 1.15) watched four sadness-eliciting videos (about death/illness, four to five minutes long) under four conditions—no-regulation (no regulation instructions), attentional deployment (divert attention away), positive reappraisal (focus on positive outcomes) and suppression (conceal emotional expressions). We assessed negative emotional experience, expression, skin conductance level (SCL) and visual fixation duration while participants watched the emotional clips and followed the instructions for each condition. Results suggest that older adults were more successful than younger adults at implementing both attentional deployment and positive reappraisal. Ability to suppress emotions appears to remain stable with age. Within age-group comparisons suggested that for the older adults, positive reappraisal was a more useful emotion regulation strategy than the others, while the pattern among younger adults was less conclusive. Age-relevant differences in motivation and successful emotion regulatory efforts based on theoretical and empirical literatures are discussed.
Muscle fiber types and function

A major recent advance in the field of muscle fiber types has been the discovery that myogenic factors regulate fiber phenotypic properties. Myogenic influences occur in limb and trunk (somitic) muscle, but are particularly strong in jaw-closing muscles and extraocular muscles that express some unique myofibrillar proteins. In somitic muscles, a variant of fast fiber has been discovered, making four types of fibers: I, IIA, IIX, and IIB. These fibers express different isoforms of myofibrillar and other proteins. The speed and power of the four types of fibers are distinct and are controlled principally by their myosin heavy chains, which modulate the two regulatory steps in the crossbridge cycle, one controlling the rate of development of force, the other controlling the maximal velocity of shortening. Fast fibers have a higher threshold for Ca2+-activated force and a steeper force-pCa relation than do slow fibers. This difference is largely attributable to the cooperativity in the attachment of crossbridges and to the difference in Ca2+ binding capacity of their troponin C. Ca2+ initiates force development in muscle by increasing the rate of attachment of crossbridges. The phosphorylation of myosin light chain enhances this action. This effect of phosphorylation underlies the phenomenon of posttetanic potentiation of the isometric twitch in fast fibers.
Benn Index at Birth is Associated with Postnatal Linear Growth

While previous research has suggested that body thinness is related to subsequent linear growth in children, it is unclear whether thinness at birth is related to linear growth in newborns and catch-up growth in small-forgestational age newborns. Drawing on data from a longitudinal growth study of 3,650 full-term Swedish babies, this study examines linear growth from birth to 6 months of age in three groups of newborns with short (< -2 SDS), appropriate (-2 to 2 SDS) and long (> 2 SDS) body length for gestational age. Among infants short at birth, the Benn Index (kg/m2.69) at birth was not related to the odds of short stature (< -2 SDS) at age 6 months (odds ratio = 1.03; p > 0.10). Nonetheless, the Benn Index was positively related to growth velocity in the first 6 months of life in the short (p = 0.060), appropriate (p < 0.05), and tall (p < 0.05) for gestational age newborns. Use of the Ponderal Index (kg/m3) would give similar results. The findings suggest that nutritional status at birth is related to linear growth velocity in newborns.
A Study Regarding Spanish-Speaking Parents’ Preference of Physician Attire in the Pediatric Emergency Room

Objective. A study to determine Spanish-speaking parents’ acceptance of the physician’s attire in the pediatric emergency department. Hypothesis. The attire of the physicians does not matter for the parents. Methods and materials. The sample size was 450. An anonymous patient survey with no identifiers was used. The sample questionnaire was enclosed, and the parents were asked to answer the questionnaire. The results were interesting; patients preferred physicians who wear hospital scrubs (410/450 or 91%) and short hair (430/450 = 96%). They preferred physicians wearing sneakers (430/450 = 96%) compared with dress shoes, and male physicians with moustaches/beards and wearing glasses (450/450 = 100%). Parents did not like women physicians wearing makeup and high heels. Conclusions. Parents prefer physicians wearing hospital scrubs and sneakers and having short hair. This could indicate that parents do not prefer formal attire in the pediatric emergency room (ER). Also, a gender difference was noticed. Parents do not prefer women physicians with high heels and make up. But, they tolerate male physicians with moustaches/beards. This could be related to the fact that most of the parent questionnaires were answered by Spanish women. Results are interesting and useful in addressing the question of physicians’ attire in the pediatric ER in the context of a predominantly Spanish speaking population.
Screening for germline BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53 and CHEK2 mutations in families at-risk for hereditary breast cancer identified in a population-based study from Southern Brazil

Abstract In Brazil, breast cancer is a public health care problem due to its high incidence and mortality rates. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of hereditary breast cancer syndromes (HBCS) in a population-based cohort in Brazils southernmost capital, Porto Alegre. All participants answered a questionnaire about family history (FH) of breast, ovarian and colorectal cancer and those with a positive FH were invited for genetic cancer risk assessment (GCRA). If pedigree analysis was suggestive of HBCS, genetic testing of the BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53, and CHEK2 genes was offered. Of 902 women submitted to GCRA, 214 had pedigrees suggestive of HBCS. Fifty of them underwent genetic testing: 18 and 40 for BRCA1/BRCA2 and TP53 mutation screening, respectively, and 7 for CHEK2 1100delC testing. A deleterious BRCA2 mutation was identified in one of the HBOC probands and the CHEK2 1100delC mutation occurred in one of the HBCC families. No deleterious germline alterations were identified in BRCA1 or TP53. Although strict inclusion criteria and a comprehensive testing approach were used, the suspected genetic risk in these families remains unexplained. Further studies in a larger cohort are necessary to better understand the genetic component of hereditary breast cancer in Southern Brazil.
Immortalization and characterization of osteoblast cell lines generated from wild‐type and Nmp4‐null mouse bone marrow stromal cells using murine telomerase reverse transcriptase (mTERT)

Intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) adds new bone to the osteoporotic skeleton; the transcription factor Nmp4/CIZ represses PTH‐induced bone formation in mice and as a consequence is a potential drug target for improving hormone clinical efficacy. To explore the impact of Nmp4/CIZ on osteoblast phenotype, we immortalized bone marrow stromal cells from wildtype (WT) and Nmp4‐knockout (KO) mice using murine telomerase reverse transcriptase. Clonal lines were initially chosen based on their positive staining for alkaline phosphatase and capacity for mineralization. Disabling Nmp4/CIZ had no gross impact on osteoblast phenotype development. WT and KO clones exhibited identical sustained growth, reduced population doubling times, extended maintenance of the mature osteoblast phenotype, and competency for differentiating toward the osteoblast and adipocyte lineages. Additional screening of the immortalized cells for PTH‐responsiveness permitted further studies with single WT and KO clones. We recently demonstrated that PTH‐induced c‐fos femoral mRNA expression is enhanced in Nmp4‐KO mice and in the present study we observed that hormone stimulated either an equivalent or modestly enhanced increase in c‐fos mRNA expression in both primary null and KO clone cells depending on PTH concentration. The null primary osteoblasts and KO clone cells exhibited a transiently enhanced response to bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2). The clones exhibited lower and higher expressions of the PTH receptor (Pthr1) and the BMP2 receptor (Bmpr1a, Alk3), respectively, as compared to primary cells. These immortalized cell lines will provide a valuable tool for disentangling the complex functional roles underlying Nmp4/CIZ regulation of bone anabolism. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 1873–1882, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Brain glycogen supercompensation in the mouse after recovery from insulin‐induced hypoglycemia

Brain glycogen is proposed to function under both physiological and pathological conditions. Pharmacological elevation of this glucose polymer in brain is hypothesized to protect neurons against hypoglycemia‐induced cell death. Elevation of brain glycogen levels due to prior hypoglycemia is postulated to contribute to the development of hypoglycemia‐associated autonomic failure (HAAF) in insulin‐treated diabetic patients. This latter mode of elevating glycogen levels is termed “supercompensation. ” We tested whether brain glycogen supercompensation occurs in healthy, conscious mice after recovery from insulin‐induced acute or recurrent hypoglycemia. Blood glucose levels were lowered to less than 2.2 mmol/liter for 90 min by administration of insulin. Brain glucose levels decreased at least 80% and brain glycogen levels decreased approximately 50% after episodes of either acute or recurrent hypoglycemia. After these hypoglycemic episodes, mice were allowed access to food for 6 or 27 hr. After 6 hr, blood and brain glucose levels were restored but brain glycogen levels were elevated by 25% in mice that had been subjected to either acute or recurrent hypoglycemia compared with saline‐treated controls. After a 27‐hr recovery period, the concentration of brain glycogen had returned to baseline levels in mice previously subjected to either acute or recurrent hypoglycemia. We conclude that brain glycogen supercompensation occurs in healthy mice, but its functional significance remains to be established. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Alteration of heat production in young calves in relation to posture.

The effects of feeding level and ambient temperature on time-related alterations of heat production in relation to physical activity (posture) were studied in young calves after transportation. Twenty-four 6-d-old Holstein-Friesian male calves were assigned in a 2 x 2 factorial design to one of two feeding levels (high or low) and one of two ambient temperatures (7.5 degrees C or 19 degrees C). Heat production was measured per calf continuously every 9 min by indirect calorimetry for a 2-wk period. Calf's posture during these 9-min periods was measured with a photoelectric cell. After arrival, heat production of calves decreased with time (days). The amount of decline in heat production depended on feeding level and ambient temperature. This decline with time was largest at the low feeding level at 19 degrees C. Six to 12 d after arrival, heat production reached steady-state levels. A steady-state level of heat production was reached first at the high feeding level at 19 degrees C. Averaged over treatments, heat production during standing was 132 kJ.kg-. 75.d-1 higher than during lying. Time spent standing by calves increased over time. This indicated that alteration in time spent standing did not account for the time-related changes in heat production. On the contrary, physical activity (posture) partly masked the alterations in metabolic rate of calves after arrival. However, differences in physical activity (posture) accounted for differences in both time to reach steady-state levels and linear decline in heat production over time between treatments. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A survey on detection and mitigation of zombie attacks in cloud environment

Cloud security is the most evolving sub domain of recent research and development in the field of network security. Initially attackers explore the vulnerabilities in cloud system, then it compromise the virtual machines of cloud environment to deploy large scale Distributed Denial of Service(DDoS). DDoS attacks usually include multistep exploitation, low frequency vulnerability scanning and compromising vulnerable virtual machines as zombies, finally attackers deploy DDoS attacks through this zombies. Especially in the Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS) clouds, the detection of zombie attacks are extremely difficult due to the installation of vulnerable applications to their managed virtual machines from cloud user. There are many techniques which are able to manage the zombie attacks efficiently. Here, in this paper we are surveying the techniques which can detect and mitigate the zombie attacks in cloud environment.
Role of the intestinal cytokine microenvironment in shaping the intraepithelial lymphocyte repertoire

Local resident IELs are composed of distinct subsets of T cells with potent cytolytic and immunoregulatory capacities. As IELs are located within this unique interface between the core of the body and the outside environment, the specific development and function of intestinal IELs must be tightly regulated. To accomplish this, the cytokine microenvironment of the intestine has evolved sophisticated mechanisms that modulate the phenotype, ontogeny, and function of these cells. In this review, we summarize the evidence demonstrating the origin of certain intestinal cytokines, including IL‐7, IL‐15, IL‐2, TGF‐β, and SCF and discuss what influence such cytokines may have on IELs. Moreover, we review data suggesting that the abnormal expression of cytokines that leads to the heightened activation of IELs may also contribute to immunopathological responses or exacerbate inflammatory diseases, such as IBD and celiac disease, or promote cancer development and progression.
A not so perfect match: the growing male/female divide 1986-1996

This study examines partnering and ever-married levels for women and men over the decade from 1986 to 1996 in Australia. It then explores the factors shaping the significant declines in these rates that the research revealed. The report proceeds to an analysis of linkages between declining parenting and marriage rates and the parallel rise in the numbers of ex-nuptial births, sole-parent families and males isolated from family setting, and some of the attendant economic and social consequences of these trends. The data employed for the research included previously unpublished 1986 and 1996 census tabulations, department of social security family payment and maintenance records and child support agency payer income information.
Economic implications of evidence-based prescribing for hypertension: can better care cost less?

CONTEXT Deviation from evidence-based guidelines in hypertension treatment is common, but its economic impact has not been rigorously studied. Suboptimal prescribing patterns contribute to the high cost of medications for elderly patients as well as the difficulty in providing affordable prescription drug benefits for older Americans. OBJECTIVE To calculate the potential savings from the perspective of health care payers that would result from increased adherence to evidence-based recommendations for managing hypertension in patients older than 65 years. DESIGN Comparative analysis of medications prescribed vs potential regimens suggested by evidence-based guidelines tailored to each patient's medical history, with calculation of the costs of both the actual and the evidence-based regimens. SETTING AND PATIENTS A total of 133,624 patients being treated for hypertension during 2001 who were enrolled in a large state pharmaceutical assistance program that provides prescription drug insurance for elderly persons. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Cost difference between medications actually prescribed and regimens suggested by evidence-based guidelines. RESULTS The patients studied filled more than 2.05 million prescriptions for antihypertensive medications in 2001, at an annual program cost of 48.5 million dollars (363 dollars per patient). We identified 815,316 prescriptions (40%) for which an alternative regimen appeared more appropriate according to evidence-based recommendations. Such changes would have reduced the costs to payers in 2001 by 11.6 million dollars (nearly a quarter of program spending on antihypertensive medications), as well as being more clinically appropriate overall. Replacement of calcium channel blockers resulted in the largest potential savings. Use of pricing limits similar to those in the Medicaid program would have resulted in even larger potential savings of 20.5 million dollars (42% of program costs). CONCLUSIONS Adherence to evidence-based prescribing guidelines for hypertension could result in substantial savings in prescription costs for elderly patients with hypertension that would amount to savings of about 1.2 billion dollars nationally. Identification of similar areas in which prescribing can be improved will be critical for the affordability of prescription drug benefit programs.
Macroeconomic Tail Events with Non-Linear Bayesian VARs

Motivated by the desire to probe macroeconomic tail events and to capture non-linear economic dynamics, we estimate two types of regime switching models: threshold VAR and Markov switching VAR. For each of the models, we estimate regimes which carry the interpretation of recessionary/normal and financially stressful/stable periods. Using the recursiveness assumption and conditional on shocks of one standard deviation, we show that (i) financial shocks hitting during times of recessions create disproportionately more severe contractions in output; (ii) output growth shocks hitting in financially stressful times result in disproportionately further financial stress; (iii) monetary policy shocks hitting in recessionary times create more severe contractions in output. We also demonstrate the power of a feedback loop between real and financial sectors when extremely large shocks hit the economy in normal/financially stable periods. Afterwards, we perform out-of-sample forecasting exercises, and find that the threshold VAR model has the potential to predict tail events in conditional forecasting. Overall, our findings provide strong evidence of nonlinearities and shock amplification mechanisms in the UK data, as well as empirical support to the theoretical findings of Brunnermeier and Sannikov (2014).
Facial nerve paralysis secondary to acute otitis media in infants and children

Abstract: Nowadays, facial paralysis is an uncommon complication of acute inflammation of the middle ear, with an estimated incidence of 0.005%; it was not so rare in the pre‐antibiotic era, occurring in 0.5−0.7% of middle ear inflammatory processes. We would like to highlight this complication of acute otitis media, a common paediatric complaint. We present three new cases of facial palsy in children with acute otitis media and discuss the etiological mechanisms and different approaches to the treatment; a flow chart for facial paralysis in acute otitis media is also presented. Our three patients recovered completely after mastoidectomy (first two cases) and myringotomy with antibiotic therapy (third case). Facial paralysis is an uncommon complication of otitis media which requires appropriate care. Following our experience and revision of literature on the subject, antibiotic therapy and myringotomy are the first‐line procedures. Surgery should be employed in case of acute or coalescent mastoiditis, suppurative complications and lack of clinical regression.
Aspartame Use By Persons with Diabetes

Sixty-two subjects having either insulin-dependent or non-insulin-dependent diabetes completed a randomized, double-blind study comparing effects of aspartame or a placebo on blood glucose control. Twenty-nine subjects consumed 2.7 g aspartame per day for 18 wk, given as aspartame-containing capsules with meals, while 33 subjects took identical appearing placebo capsules. After 18 wk, no changes were seen in fasting or 2-h postprandial blood glucose levels or glycohemoglobin levels in either the aspartame- or placebo-treated groups. Adverse reactions were no more common in the group taking aspartame. We conclude that use of aspartame as a low-calorie sweetener does not adversely affect glycemic control of persons with diabetes.
Identifying deaths from AIDS in South Africa

Objective:To quantify the HIV/AIDS deaths misclassified to AIDS-related conditions in South Africa. Design:Retrospective analysis of vital registration data. Methods:Cause-specific death rates for 1996 and 2000–2001 were calculated using vital registration cause-of-death profiles applied to a model (ASSA2000) estimate of total mortality rates by age and sex. The difference in the age-specific death rates for these two periods was examined to identify conditions where there was a noticeable increase in mortality following the same age pattern as the HIV deaths, thus likely to be misclassified AIDS deaths. Results:The increase in the age-specific death rates for HIV-related deaths showed a distinct age pattern, which has been observed elsewhere. Out of the 22 potential causes of death investigated, there were nine that increased in the same distinct age pattern (tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhoea, meningitis, other respiratory disease, non-infective gastroenteritis, other infectious and parasitic diseases, deficiency anaemias and protein energy malnutrition) and could be considered AIDS-related conditions. The increase in these conditions accounted for 61% of the total deaths related to HIV/AIDS. When added to the deaths classified as HIV-related on the death certificate, the total accounts for 93% of the ASSA2000 model estimates of the number of AIDS deaths in 2000. Conclusion:As a large proportion of AIDS deaths appear to be classified to AIDS-related conditions, without reference to HIV, interpretation of death statistics in South Africa cannot be made on face value as a large proportion of deaths caused by HIV infection are misclassified.