Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Divergent effects of Tlr9 deletion in experimental late venous thrombosis resolution and vein wall injury

Summary Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) resolves via a sterile inflammatory response. Defining the inflammatory response of DVT may allow for new therapies that do not involve anticoagulation. Previously, we have shown that Toll-like receptor 9 (Tlr9) gene deleted mice had impaired venous thrombosis (VT) resolution. Here, we further characterise the role of Tlr9 signalling and sterile inflammation in chronic VT and vein wall responses. First, we found a human precedent exists with Tlr9 + cells present in chronic post thrombotic intraluminal tissue. Second, in a stasis VT mouse model, endogenous danger signal mediators of uric acid, HMGB-1, and neutrophil extracellular traps marker of citrullinated histone-3 (and extracellular DNA) were greater in Tlr9-/- thrombi as compared with wild-type (WT), corresponding with larger VT at 8 and 21 days. Fewer M1 type (CCR2+) monocyte/macrophages (MØ) were present in Tlr9-/- thrombi than WT controls at 8 days, suggesting an impaired inflammatory cell influx. Using bone marrow-derived monocyte (BMMØ) cell culture, we found decreased fibrinolytic gene expression with exposure to several endogenous danger signals. Next, adoptive transfer of cultured Tlr9+/+ BMMØ to Tlr9-/- mice normalised VT resolution at 8 days. Lastly, although the VT size was larger at 21 days in Tlr9-/- mice and correlated with decreased endothelial antigen markers, no difference in fibrosis was found. These data suggest that Tlr9 signalling in MØ is critical for later VT resolution, is associated with necrosis clearance, but does not affect later vein wall fibrosis. These findings provide insight into the Tlr9 MØ mechanisms of sterile inflammation in this disease process.
Improved Survival After Live Donor Adult Liver Transplantation (LDALT) Using Right Lobe Grafts: Program Experience and Lessons Learned

We present our program experience with 85 live donor adult liver transplantation (LDALT) procedures using right lobe grafts with five simultaneous live donor kidney transplants using different donors performed over a 6‐year period. After an ‘early’ 2‐year experience of 25 LDALT procedures, program improvements in donor and recipient selection, preoperative imaging, donor and recipient surgical technique and immunosuppressive management significantly reduced operative mortality (16% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.038) and improved patient and graft 1‐year survival in recipients during our ‘later’ experience with the next 60 cases (January 2001 and March 2005; patient survival: early 70.8% vs. later 92.7%, p = 0.028; graft survival: Early 64% vs. later 91.1%, p = 0.019, respectively). Overall patient and graft survival were 82% and 80%. There was a trend for less postoperative complications (major and minor) with program experience (early 88% vs. later 66.7%; p = 0.054) but overall morbidity remained at 73.8%. Biliary complications (cholangitis, disruption, leak or stricture) were not influenced by program experience (early 32% vs. later 38%). Liver volume adjusted to 100% of standard liver volume (SLV) within 1 month post‐transplant. Despite a high rate of morbidity after LDALT, excellent patient and graft survival can be achieved with program experience.
Early predictors of mechanical ventilation in Guillain-Barré syndrome

ObjectiveAlthough mechanical ventilation is required in 30% of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, early predictors of this treatment remain unknown. DesignAnalysis of two cohorts of patients enrolled in two multicenter randomized clinical trials. SettingFrench intensive care and neurologic units. MeasurementsDemographic, neurologic, and biologic data; vital capacity; and time of onset, admission, and endotracheal mechanical ventilation were collected. ResultsAmid 722 consecutive adults not ventilated at admission, endotracheal mechanical ventilation was required in 313 (43%) patients. Multivariate analyses identified six predictors of endotracheal mechanical ventilation: time from onset to admission of <7 days (odds ratio, 2.51), inability to cough (odds ratio, 9.09), inability to stand (odds ratio, 2.53), inability to lift the elbows (odds ratio, 2.99) or head (odds ratio, 4.34), and liver enzyme increases (odds ratio, 2.09). In the 196 (27%) patients whose vital capacity was measured, time from onset to admission of <7 days (odds ratio, 5.00), inability to lift the head (odds ratio, 5.00), and vital capacity <60% (odds ratio, 2.86) predicted endotracheal mechanical ventilation. ConclusionsPatients with at least one of these predictors should be monitored in an intensive care unit. Mechanical ventilation was required in >85% of patients with at least four predictors from the first multivariate model and in 85% of patients with all three predictors from the second multivariate model. In these patients at high risk of respiratory failure, the value of early mechanical ventilation may deserve investigation.
Gram-negative bacilli causing infections in an intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital in Istanbul, Turkey.

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to demonstrate the changing epidemiology of infecting microorganisms and their long-term resistance profiles and to describe the microbiological point of view in anti-infective management of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODOLOGY A total of 5,690 isolates of Gram-negative bacilli were included in this study. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested using the disk diffusion method and Vitek 2 system. Chi-square tests were used for hypothesis testing. RESULTS The most frequently isolated organisms were A. baumannii (37.3%), P. aeruginosa (30.3%), Enterobacter spp. (10.4%), E. coli (10.4%), and Klebsiella spp. (8.9%). A. baumannii was the most frequently isolated organism from the respiratory tract (43.4%); the susceptibility rates for imipenem and meropenem decreased to 7% and 6% (p < 0.0001), respectively. The percentage of multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii isolates continuously increased from 18.7% in 2004 to 69% in 2011 (p < 0.0001), whereas MDR P. aeruginosa isolates increased from 1.5% to 22% (p < 0.0001). Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella isolates emerged in 2010 and increased to 20% in the next year. The rates of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in the ICU was very high in 2011 - 50% for E. coli and 80% for Klebsiella strains. CONCLUSION The most common isolated Gram-negative bacillus in our study was A. baumannii and that the prevalence of MDR isolates has increased markedly over. Accordingly, the comparison of antibiotic resistance of other pathogens in 2004 and 2011 displayed an increasing trend. These data imply the urgent need for new and effective strategies in our hospital and in the region.
Dental unit waterline contamination and its possible implications during periodontal surgery.

BACKGROUND Dental unit waterline contamination has become a concern to clinical dentistry. This concern arises from the fact that bacteria sloughed from established biofilms in dental unit waterlines increase heterotrophic bacteria counts in water exiting these units. METHODS Scanning microscopy and bacterial viability staining were used to examine the sessile and planktonic biofilm present in dental unit waterlines and water samples, respectively. In addition, the limulus amebocyte assay was used to measure the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in water samples. RESULTS All dental unit waterlines were coated with a well-established biofilm made up of filamentous and bacillus-like microorganisms. Water samples collected from these dental units contained high numbers of individual bacteria and bacterial aggregates. A viability staining technique identified significantly more bacteria in water than could be cultured, and 64% of the total bacterial population stained as nonvital. Since the bacterial load (viable and nonviable) was high, we examined the LPS in dental unit water samples. The mean LPS levels in water collected from high-speed and air/water lines in use were 480 and 1,008 endotoxin units (EU)/ml. This was significantly higher than the mean level of 66 EU/ml found in water samples collected from adjacent clinic sinks. The LPS level at the start of the day (2,560 EU/ml) was reduced by 70% with 1 minute of flushing (800 EU/ml). Flushing times of 5 and 10 minutes were not able to reduce LPS levels to zero. CONCLUSION The presence of high heterotrophic bacterial counts, sloughing biofilm, and high LPS levels are discussed in relation to patient risk and periodontal wound healing biology.
Velocity of Money and Economic Development in Medieval China: The Case of Northern Song

A Fisher's Identity model is established to study Northern Song China's (960–1126) level of velocity of money using money supply and gross domestic product (GDP) data. Results of the exercise help rationalize what is called the “bronze coin” puzzle, which is the massive amount of minted coins seemingly incommensurate with price levels. It is shown that the velocity of money was increasing and comparable to pre-industrial England levels. This paper argues that the driving forces of the short supply of money are greater than usual hoarding by the state treasury and coin outflows to Song's trading partners via smuggling. Since velocity of money is an indicator of economic development in ancient societies, this paper provides a realistic validation of the premise of the Needham puzzle.
Variation in the uptake of Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Zinc by different species of willows Salix spp. grown in contaminated soils

The experiment assessed the variability of in seven clones of willow plants of high biomass production (Salix smithiana S-218, Salix smithiana S-150, Salix viminalis S-519, Salix alba S-464, Salix ’Pyramidalis’ S-141, Salix dasyclados S-406, Salix rubens S-391). They were planted in a pots for three vegetation periods in three soils differing in the total content of risk elements. Comparing the calculated relative decrease of total metal contents in soils, the phytoextraction potential of willows was obtained for cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn), moderately contaminated Cambisol and uncontaminated Chernozem, where aboveground biomass removed about 30% Cd and 5% Zn of the total element content, respectively. The clones showed variability in removing Cd and Zn, depending on soil type and contamination level: S. smithiana (S-150) and S. rubens (S-391) demonstrated the highest phytoextraction effect for Cd and Zn. For lead (Pb) and arsenic (As), the ability to accumulate the aboveground biomass of willows was found to be negligible in both soils. The results confirmed that willow plants show promising results for several elements, mainly for mobile ones like cadmium and zinc in moderate levels of contamination. The differences in accumulation among the clones seemed to be affected more by the properties of clones, not by the soil element concentrations or soil properties. However, confirmation and verification of the results in field conditions as well as more detailed investigation of the mechanisms of cadmium uptake in rhizosphere of willow plants will be determined by further research.
Randomized Exposure to Food Advertisements and Eating in the Absence of Hunger Among Preschoolers

BACKGROUND: Preschoolers in the United States are heavily exposed to unhealthy food advertisements. Whether such exposure promotes cued eating has not been documented in this age group. METHODS: Randomized experiment among 60 children, aged 2 to 5 years, recruited in 2015–2016 from New Hampshire and Vermont. Children completed the experiment at a behavioral laboratory. Children were provided with a healthy snack to consume upon arrival then randomized to view a 14-minute TV program embedded with advertisements for either a food or a department store. Children were provided 2 snack foods to consume ad libitum while viewing the TV program; 1 of those snacks was the food advertised. Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) was operationalized as the kilocalories of snack foods consumed. t tests were used to compare EAH by advertisement condition; linear regression models assessed effect modification by the child’s age, sex, BMI percentile, and parental feeding restriction. RESULTS: Mean age was 4.1 (SD 0.9) years, 55% of children were male, 80% were non-Hispanic white, and 20% were overweight or obese. There were no differences in child or socioeconomic characteristics by advertisement condition. Child BMI was not related to EAH. Mean kilocalories consumed during the EAH phase was greater among children exposed to the food advertisements (126.8, SD: 58.5) versus those exposed to the nonfood advertisements (97.3, SD: 52.3; P = .04), an effect driven by greater consumption of the advertised food (P < .01). There was no evidence of effect modification. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that food advertisement exposure may encourage obesogenic-eating behaviors among the very young.
Intangible Assets and the Book‐To‐Market Effect

The book‐to‐market effect is well known but prior research does not analyze the impact of goodwill and related transformations in accounting rules that may bring significant changes to the effect. This paper analyzes the impact of SFAS 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, issued in 2001. I find that the book‐to‐market effect is weaker in the post‐SFAS 142 period, especially in firms that have goodwill, impairment loss, or risk. The book‐to‐market effect is stronger for subsamples of firms that do not have goodwill. These findings are robust to size groups, different factor models, and test methods.
71–95 GHz (23–40% PAE) and 96–120 GHz (19–22% PAE) high efficiency 100–130 mW power amplifiers in InP HBT

Two solid-state power amplifiers with record high power added efficiency (PAE) and 100-130 mW output power in 250 nm InP HBT are reported. The 71-95 GHz PA demonstrates 20.7 dB S21 and 25 GHz 3-dB bandwidth at 432.5 mW PDC. Pout is 105-138 mW (21-36% PAE) and RF power density is 1.64-2.15 W/mm. At 81 GHz, 135.6 mW Pout is achieved with 36.0% PAE and 14.1 dB gain. At 81 GHz with reduced input-stage bias, 129.6 mW Pout is achieved with 40.0% PAE and 13.0 dB gain. The 96- 120 GHz PA demonstrates 17.8 dB S21 and 26 GHz 3-dB bandwidth at 442.4 mW PDC. Pout is 84.9-107 mW and RF power density is 1.33-1.64 W/mm. At 102.5 GHz, 98.1 mW Pout is achieved with 21.2% PAE and 12.1 dB gain. The results were obtained class-A DC biasing the PA's. The amplifiers utilizes a novel, compact, and stackable power cell topology for multi-finger HBTs operating at mm-wave and THz frequencies, where 8-way PA cell combining can be realized for future 0.6-0.8 W Pout designs - these designs are currently under development. This work represents record PAE for 100 mW PA's at these frequencies. 40% PAE at E-band (81 GHz) is demonstrated for the first time under class-A bias, as well as PAE greater than 23% across the 71-76, 81-86, and 92-95 GHz bands. The 18.9-22.5% PAE at 100 mW power for the 96-120 GHz PA is a 1.5-3× improvement to state-of-the-art PAE at these frequencies.
Micro-data in Macroeconomics

Micro-data in Macroeconomics Tuo Chen This dissertation contains three essays onMacroeconomics. Detailedmicro-level data is used in all three essays. The first chapter studies wealth inequality problems. More specifically, it focuses on capital return inequality among university endowments. It combines university-level data on endowment size, capital returns, and portfolio allocations into a unified dataset. Using panel data regression, I show a strong impact of size on investment return. Everything else the same, the biggest endowment has a capital return 8 percent higher than the smallest endowment. However, after adjusting for risk using Sharpe ratios, the strong positive correlation turns negligible or even negative. This result suggests that the higher return of bigger endowments can be attributed to risk compensation rather than to an informational premium. The second and the third chapters employ firm-level data to study macroeconomic productivity. The second chapter documents the sectoral growth paths of measured total factor productivity (TFP) in southern Europe during the boom that proceeded the great contraction (1996 to 2007). Using both aggregate and firm-level panel data, I show that TFP in sectors that displayed fast expansion, such as construction, dropped significantly, while in nonexpanding sectors, such as manufacturing, it stayed stable. I evaluate the relevance of two alternative explanations of this phenomenon: capital misallocation (the increase in capital was directed to less productive firms) and labor quality mismeasurement (lower quality of incoming labor was not fully captured in the TFP calculation). I find that the misallocation channel is almost negligible. Moreover, worker-firm matched data shows that labor quality did deteriorate in the expanding sectors but not in the others, giving credence to the labor-quality mismeasurement hypothesis. A model featuring both the misallocation and the mismeasurement channels and calibrated to match the micro-level productivity distribution and labor quality distribution predicts that the drop in true TFP was small if labor quality is measured properly. The third chapter documents the total factor productivity growth path in China from 1998 to 2015 using both the aggregate and the firm-level data. We find that measured TFP growth is positive from 1998 to 2011, before turning flat and even negative. A careful comparison between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private firms reveals that the slowing down of TFP growth of SOEs is the major contributor to the TFP growth reversal of the whole manufacturing sector. The reversal is not due to changes in the composition of production in different sub-sectors, but mostly due to changes within existing firms.
Frequencies, Timing, and Spatial Patterns of Co-Suppression of Nitrate Reductase and Nitrite Reductase in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

Frequencies, timing, and spatial patterns of co-suppression of the nitrate (Nia) and nitrite (Nii) genes were analyzed in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants carrying either Nia or Nii cDNAs under the control of the 35S promoter, or a Nii gene with its own regulatory signals (promoter, introns, and terminator) cloned downstream of two copies of the enhancer of the 35S promoter. We show that (a) the frequencies of transgenic lines affected by co- suppression are similar for the three constructs, ranging from 19 to 25%; (b) Nia and Nii co-suppression are triggered stochastically during a phenocritical period of 2 weeks between germination and flowering; (c) the timing of co-suppression (i.e. the percentage of isogenic plants affected by co-suppression reported as a function of the number of days of culture) differs from one transgenic line to another; (d) the percentage of isogenic plants affected by co-suppression is increased by growing the plants in vitro prior to their transfer to the greenhouse and to the field; and (e) at the end of the culture period, plants are either unaffected, completely co-suppressed, or variegated. Suppressed and nonsuppressed parts of these variegated plants are separated by a vertical plane through the stem in Nia co-suppression, and separated by a horizontal plane in Nii co-suppression.
Business Cycle Narratives

Research about narratives’ role in economics is scarce, while real word experience and research in other sciences suggest they matter a lot. This article proposes a view and methodology for quantifying the epidemiology of media narratives relevant to business cycles in the US, Japan, and Europe. We do so by first constructing quantitative measures of narratives based on the news topics the media writes about. We then estimate daily business cycle indexes using this type of data, derive virality indexes capturing the extent to which narratives relevant for business cycles go viral, and finally use so called “Graphical Granger causality” modeling to cast light on cross-country spillovers and whether or not narratives carry news or noise. Our results highlight the informativeness of narratives for describing economic fluctuations, have a clear practical relevance for high-frequency business cycle monitoring, and suggest that narratives capture more than the market’s animal spirits.
Characteristics of the rat supraspinatus tendon during tendon‐to‐bone healing after acute injury

Rotator cuff repair is known to have a high failure rate. Little is known about the natural healing process of the rotator cuff repair site, hence little can be done to improve the tendon's ability to heal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the collagen formation at the early repair site and to localize TGFβ‐1 and 3 during early healing and compare their levels to cell proliferation and histological changes. Bilateral supraspinatus tendons were transected and repaired in 60 rats. Specimens were harvested and evaluated at 0, 1, 3, 7, 10, 28, and 56 days. Histological sections were evaluated for cell morphology. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization was performed to localize protein and mRNA for collagen types I and III and TGFβ‐1 and 3. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) assay was performed to measure cell proliferation, and cells were counted to determine cell density. Biomechanical properties were evaluated. Repair tissue demonstrated an initial inflammatory response with multinucleated cells present at 1 and 3 days, and lymphocytes and plasma cells presents at 7 and 10 days. Capillary proliferation began at 3 days and peaked at 10 days. Ultimate force increased significantly over the time period studied. Collagen I protein and mRNA significantly increased at 10 days, and reached a plateau by 28 and 56 days. Collagen III showed a similar trend, with an early increase, and remained high until 56 days. TGFβ‐1 was localized to the forming scar tissue and showed a distinct peak at 10 days. TGFβ‐3 was not seen at the healing insertion site. Cell proliferation and density followed the same trend as TGFβ‐1. A wound healing response does occur at the healing rotator cuff insertion site, however, the characteristics of the tendon after healing differ significantly from the uninjured tendon insertion site at the longest time‐point studied. A distinctive collagen remodeling process occurred with an initial increase in the formation of collagen types I and III followed by a decrease toward baseline levels seen at time 0. Growth factor TGFβ‐1 was localized to repair tissue and coincided with a peak in cell proliferation and cellularity. Repair sites remained unorganized histologically and biomechanically inferior in comparison to previously described uninjured insertion sites. © 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 24:541–550, 2006
Automated 3D MRI volumetry reveals regional atrophy differences in Rasmussen encephalitis

Purpose: Rasmussen encephalitis is a chronic immune‐mediated disease leading to unilateral atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and progressive neurologic deficits. Until now, quantitative parameters describing the course of the disease on MRI require manual intervention and are, therefore, time‐consuming and observer‐dependent. Furthermore, regional atrophy differences cannot be evaluated with the previously published methods. In this study we present a fully automated volumetric approach applied to serial MRI scans of 12 patients with Rasmussen encephalitis.