Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Case series of patients with severe sickle cell disease treated with voxelotor (GBT440) by compassionate access

intake was reported by a relatively large portion of the participants ( 37%). Our data show that the average BMI of individuals with SCD is approaching that of the general African American population (25.2 vs. 27.9), however, we also report differences in BMI based on the genotype, with HbSS having a significantly lower average BMI than milder genotypes such as HbSC and HbSβ. The effect of an increasing BMI in patients with SCD needs to be evaluated in larger studies, as it is likely to have a negative influence on disease severity and incidence of co-morbidities. While our data cannot use nutritional supplementation to account for differences in incidence of leg ulcers, it shows that overall very few of our participants are taking any nutritional supplementation aside from folic acid. Since proper nutrition is important in wound healing and in overall health, the development of targeted dietary recommendations for patients with ulcers could contribute to improved healing rates in this patient population, as has been demonstrated in other types of wounds.
Behavioral and Wealth Considerations for Seeking Professional Financial Planning Help

This study uses a Canadian survey to examine the decisions to seek professional financial planning help. We find that people who use a financial planner have more wealth, lower subjective financial stress, and higher financial self-efficacy than people who do not use a financial planner. Using the longitudinal design of the survey we find that people with higher self-efficacy in period t-1 are more likely to seek help in period t, leading to the conclusion that high self-efficacy drives one to seek financial planning help. We do not find that subjective financial stress leads one to seek financial planning help. Implications for practitioners, consumers, and policy makers are discussed.
Efficacy and safety of voriconazole in the treatment of acute invasive aspergillosis.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of voriconazole in acute invasive aspergillosis (IA), an open, noncomparative multicenter study was conducted. Immunocompromised patients with IA were treated with intravenously administered voriconazole 6 mg/kg twice a day (b.i.d.) twice and then 3 mg/kg b.i. d. for 6-27 days, followed by 200 mg b.i. d. administered orally for up to 24 weeks. Response was assessed by clinical and radiographic change. A total of 116 patients were assessable. IA was proven in 48 (41%) and probable in 68 patients. Voriconazole was given as primary therapy in 60 (52%). Good responses were seen in 56 (48%); 16 (14%) showed complete response and 40 (34%) partial response. A stable response was seen in 24 patients (21%), and 36 (31%) of the infections failed to respond to therapy. Good responses were seen in 60% of those with pulmonary or tracheobronchial IA (n=84), 16% with cerebral IA (n=19), 58% with hematologic disorders (n=67), and 26% of allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients (n=23). Voriconazole is efficacious in treating acute IA.
Determinantes del desempeño universitario: efectos heterogéneos en un modelo censurado

The present work analyses how personal characteristics, familiar background, high school and the inicial stage in university life influence the academic performance in different student types. In order to avoid inconsistencies, we estimate a censored model using quantile regression (Powell 1986). The results indicate that the personal characteristics and background do affect university performance but not homogeneously. Besides, the performance in the high school as well as at the initial stage of the career was significant and with similar effects in majority of the students. JEL Classification: I2.
Design Construct and Evaluation of Six- Spectral LEDs-Based Solar Simulator Based on IEC 60904-9

This article presents the optical design of a six-spectral LED-based solar simulator. The study focuses on the measurement methods of spectral match, the nonuniformity and the temporal instability on the test plane. The proposed six-spectral LED solar simulator has an illuminated area of 900 cm and can characterize medium size photovoltaic devices under variable irradiance. The spectral range covered is between 400 nm and 1100 nm which offer the capability of characterizing silicon PV technologies. The evaluation method is in accordance with IEC 60904-9. The Solar Power meter was used to measure the irradiance and a Compact Array Spectrometer and Fiber optic spectrometer were applied for the spectral match test. The irradiance is controlled via LabVIEW which can adjust the power to drive all LEDs in the constant current mode. The irradiance of 1000 W/m was applied during testing. The results found that the spectral match classification is of class B. The non-uniformity of irradiance is of A-class across the illuminated area. The temporal instability of irradiance is capable of reaching class A. This idea is perfectly appropriate for the application of the testing of I-V characteristic of the silicon solar cell. For future work, the author has to improve the spectral match to reach an A Class.
Archaeal diversity revealed in Antarctic sea ice

Abstract Archaea, once thought to be only extremophiles, are now known to be abundant in most environments. They can predominate in microbial communities and be significantly involved in many global biogeochemical cycles. However, Archaea have not been reported in Antarctic sea ice. Our understanding of the ecology of Antarctic sea ice prokaryotes is still in its infancy but this information is important if we are to understand their diversity, adaptations and biogeochemical roles in Antarctic systems. We detected Archaea in sea ice at two sampling sites taken from three subsequent years using conserved 16S rRNA gene archaeal primers and PCR. Archaeal abundance was measured using quantitative PCR and community diversity was investigated by sequencing cloned 16S rRNA gene PCR products. Archaea in Antarctic sea ice were found to be in low abundance consisting of ≤ 6.6% of the prokaryotic community. The majority, 90.8% of the sequences, clustered with the recently described phylum Thaumarchaeota, one group closely clustered with the ammonia-oxidizing Candidatus Nitrosopumilus maritimus. The remainder of the clones grouped with the Euryarchaeota.
Children At-Risk for Anxiety: Their Self-Esteem, Somatic Symptoms, and Perceptions of Parental Support

The present study examined children at risk for anxiety, analyzing their symptoms, selfesteem, and their perception of parental behavior. Data were collected as part of a large anxiety prevention study conducted at the University of Rhode Island. Elementary and middle school children who were identified as at risk for anxiety through an initial assessment were administered a battery of questionnaires, which included measures for anxiety, self-esteem, somatic symptoms, and perceptions of parental behavior. The primary hypothesis was that children at risk for anxiety would demonstrate low levels of self-esteem, especially if they concurrently displayed somatic symptoms and perceived their parental support as low. Moderating effects were not found in the current study, but there was a significant relationship between anxiety and self-esteem, across a broad range of anxiety symptoms and self-esteem domains. Perceived parental behavior was also related to anxiety. Specifically, higher parental control was related to higher anxiety. Perceived parental behavior was also related to self-esteem. Many differences in parent and child perspectives were noted. These findings may have implications in the future development of prevention and intervention techniques for children at risk for anxiety.
Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Afrotropical Lithocolletinae are known from 26 described species, mainly from southern Africa. In the present study we describe 41 new species, bring to 66 the number of species from this geographical region. The new species include: Hyloconis luki De Prins, n. sp. , Neolithocolletis mayumbe De Prins, n. sp. , N. nsengai De Prins, n. sp. , Cameraria fara De Prins, n. sp. , C. landryi De Prins, n. sp. , C. perodeaui De Prins, n. sp. , C. sokoke De Prins, n. sp. , C. torridella De Prins, n. sp. , C. varii De Prins, n. sp. , C. zaira De Prins, n. sp. , Phyllonorycter aarviki De Prins, n. sp. , P. achilleus De Prins, n. sp. , P. acutulus De Prins, n. sp. , P. adderis De Prins, n. sp. , P. agassizi De Prins, n. sp. , P. albertinus De Prins, n. sp. , P. dombeyae De Prins n. sp. , P. fletcheri De Prins, n. sp. , P. gato De Prins, n. sp. , P. grewiaephilos De Prins, n. sp. , P. hibiscola De Prins, n. sp. , P. ipomoellus De Prins, n. sp. , P. jabalshamsi De Prins, n. sp. , P. kazuri De Prins, n. sp. , P. maererei De Prins, n. sp. , P. mida De Prins, n. sp. , P. mwatawalai De Prins, n. sp. , P. ocimellus De Prins, n. sp. , P. ololua De Prins, n. sp. , P. rongai De Prins, n. sp. , P. ruizivorus De Prins, n. sp. , P. ruwenzori De Prins, n. sp. , P. silvicola De Prins, n. sp. , P. trochetellus De Prins, n. sp. , P. tsavensis De Prins, n. sp. , P. turensis De Prins, n. sp. , P. umukarus De Prins, n. sp. , Cremastobombycia morogorene De Prins, n. sp. , C. kipepeo De Prins, n. sp. , Porphyrosela desmodivora De Prins, n. sp. , P. gautengi De Prins, n. sp. Furthermore, Cameraria hexalobina (Vari, 1961), n. comb. is transferred from Phyllonorycter to Cameraria, and a neotype for Porphyrosela homotropha Vari, 1963 is designated. Lithocolletis aurifascia Walker, 1875, previously placed in Phyllonorycter, is excluded from Lithocolletinae. We designate lectotypes where necessary and provide morphological descriptions of males and females, information on host plants, and detailed distribution data. We also include dichotomous keys to species groups and species, accompanied by DNA barcode sequences of 19 species. We also discuss generic relationships within Lithocolletinae based on both morphology and molecules with a special emphasis on Afrotropical taxa.
The significance of the adenosinergic system in morphine dependence

Abstract Addiction is a chronic and recurrent disease. In its pathology, neuroadaptive changes within the dopaminergic pathways inside the mesolimbic system play a predominant role. Of note, the manner in which various neurotransmitters act on their receptors, may modulate the addictive process. Adenosine, an important neuromodulator in the central nervous system, is able to modify the opioid dependence, doing so mainly by its activity on the adenosine A1 and A2A receptors. In the present manuscript, the actual state of knowledge on the relationships between adenosinergic receptors and opioid dependence has been described. Various literature data on the involvement of adenosine ligands, mainly in the signs of morphine withdrawal, as well as morphine-induced sensitization, were also collected. Additionally, in this paper, some important interactions between adenosine and other neurotransmitters (e.g. dopamine, glutamate) are described. It is put forward that these connections are the major mechanism of involvement of the adenosinergic system in morphine addiction. The repeatedly confirmed effectiveness of adenosine ligands in morphine dependence, as seen in various experimental protocols, suggests that adenosine ligands may be useful tools for developing new strategies for attenuating morphine dependence.
Microglial Lectins in Health and Neurological Diseases

Microglia are the innate sentinels of the central nervous system (CNS) and are responsible for the homeostasis and immune defense of the CNS. Under the influence of the local environment and cell-cell interaction, microglia exhibit a multidimensional and context-dependent phenotypes that can be cytotoxic and neuroprotective. Recent studies suggest that microglia express multitudinous types of lectins, including galectins, Siglecs, mannose-binding lectins (MBLs) and other glycan binding proteins. Because most studies that examine lectins focus on the peripheral system, the functions of lectins have not been critically investigated in the CNS. In addition, the types of brain cells that contribute to the altered levels of lectins present in diseases are often unclear. In this review, we will discuss how galectins, Siglecs, selectins and MBLs contribute to the dynamic functions of microglia. The interacting ligands of these lectins are complex glycoconjugates, which consist of glycoproteins and glycolipids that are expressed on microglia or surrounding cells. The current understanding of the heterogeneity and functions of glycans in the brain is limited. Galectins are a group of pleotropic proteins that recognize both β-galactoside-containing glycans and non- β-galactoside-containing proteins. The function and regulation of galectins have been implicated in immunomodulation, neuroinflammation, apoptosis, phagocytosis and oxidative bursts. Most Siglecs are expressed at a low level on the plasma membrane and bind to sialic acid residues for immunosurveillance and cell-cell communication. Siglecs are classified based on their inhibitory and activatory downstream signaling properties. Inhibitory Siglecs negatively regulate microglia activation upon recognizing the intact sialic acid patterns and vice versa. MBLs are expressed upon infection in cytoplasm and can be secreted in order to recognize molecules containing terminal mannose as an innate immune defense machinery. Most importantly, multiple studies have reported dysregulation of lectins in neurological disorders. Here, we reviewed recent studies on microglial lectins and their functions in CNS health and disease, and suggest that these lectin families are novel, potent therapeutic targets for neurological diseases.
Relationship of anthropometric variables with lipid profile in moderate and sedentary workers

Introduction: Sedentary lifestyle is associated with increased body mass index, increased waist circumference and type-2 diabetes, leading to metabolic syndrome. Various anthropometric variables are strong and consistent predictors for non communicable diseases. There is positive relationship between anthropometric measures and adiposity. Dyslipidemia is a marker for development of cardiovascular disease. Objective: To assess relationship of anthropometric variables with lipid profile in moderate and sedentary workers in Jammu region. Materials and Methods: The present one year cross-sectional study was carried out on healthy moderate workers (Group-I) and healthy sedentary workers (Group-II) in the age group of 20 to 60 years. Baseline data of anthropometric variables, including body mass index, waist-hip ratio, waist-height ratio, abdominal volume index was recorded as per WHO standards. Lipid profile values were assessed according to the National Cholesterol Education Programme of USA. Mean and standard deviation reported for quantitative variables were calculated and noted. Mean values were compared with the help of unpaired ‘t’ test and statistical result was obtained. For unilateral comparison, linear regression was used. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. All p-values reported were two-tailed. Results: The mean values of age and anthropometric variables in moderate workers (Group-I) were significantly less as compared to those of sedentary workers (Group-II). Serum HDL-C and serum VLDL-C of the moderate workers showed significant relationship with waist circumference. Mean total cholesterol and serum LDL-C showed significant relationship with waist circumference in sedentary workers. Serum total cholesterol showed significant relationship with WHR in moderate workers. Conclusion: Anthropometric variables, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol had significant effect in sedentary workers. High de
Expanded View Figures

A Expression of indicated surface markers on CD8WT F5 and CD8.4 F5 LN T cell was analyzed by flow cytometry. A representative experiment out of four in total. B CD8WT F5 and CD8.4 F5 T cells primed by Lm-NP68 (Fig 1D) were examined by flow cytometry. Absolute numbers of KLRG1 IL-7R short-lived effector cells and KLRG1 IL-7R memory precursors were determined. Mean SEM. n = 4 mice per group from two independent experiments. Statistical significance was determined by two-tailed t-test. The data do not seem to be strongly deviated from the normal distribution and seem to have equal variance. However, because of the low n, we could not test the normality/equal variance rigorously. C Expression of indicated markers on CD8WT OT-I and CD8.4 OT-I LN T cell and their size estimated by FSC signal was analyzed by flow cytometry. A representative experiment out of 10 in total. D Expression of CD5 on CD44 (naïve) and CD44 (memory subsets) of CD8WT OT-I and CD8.4 OT-I LN T cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. A representative experiment out of three in total. E Expression of CD5 on T cells isolated from LN of indicated mouse strains by flow cytometry. A representative experiment out of two in total. The EMBO Journal Generation and function of virtual memory T cells Ales Drobek et al
Brain Gain or Brain Waste? The Performance of Return Labor Migrants in the Ukrainian Labor Market

Return migration is an important channel through which international labor migration can have a direct positive effect on development of the sending country. Using the unique individual-level data set, this study identifies the main characteristics of return labor migration to Ukraine and analyzes the economic activities chosen by migrants after their return. Return migration to Ukraine is of limited scale, and it often occurs due to the temporary nature of employment abroad, family reasons or failed migration experience. Applying a multinomial probit model, we find that return migrants are more likely to find employment in the non-farm informal sector than in the formal sector compared to nonmigrants but this effect becomes insignificant when we correct for the sample selection into return migration. At the same time, return migrants are found to have higher probability of being nonemployed and this effect is stronger among returnees with re-migration intention. Overall, there is no strong evidence of “brain gain” from return labor migration in Ukraine.
Automatic Semantic Segmentation of Brain Gliomas from MRI Images Using a Deep Cascaded Neural Network

Brain tumors can appear anywhere in the brain and have vastly different sizes and morphology. Additionally, these tumors are often diffused and poorly contrasted. Consequently, the segmentation of brain tumor and intratumor subregions using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data with minimal human interventions remains a challenging task. In this paper, we present a novel fully automatic segmentation method from MRI data containing in vivo brain gliomas. This approach can not only localize the entire tumor region but can also accurately segment the intratumor structure. The proposed work was based on a cascaded deep learning convolutional neural network consisting of two subnetworks: (1) a tumor localization network (TLN) and (2) an intratumor classification network (ITCN). The TLN, a fully convolutional network (FCN) in conjunction with the transfer learning technology, was used to first process MRI data. The goal of the first subnetwork was to define the tumor region from an MRI slice. Then, the ITCN was used to label the defined tumor region into multiple subregions. Particularly, ITCN exploited a convolutional neural network (CNN) with deeper architecture and smaller kernel. The proposed approach was validated on multimodal brain tumor segmentation (BRATS 2015) datasets, which contain 220 high-grade glioma (HGG) and 54 low-grade glioma (LGG) cases. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), positive predictive value (PPV), and sensitivity were used as evaluation metrics. Our experimental results indicated that our method could obtain the promising segmentation results and had a faster segmentation speed. More specifically, the proposed method obtained comparable and overall better DSC values (0.89, 0.77, and 0.80) on the combined (HGG + LGG) testing set, as compared to other methods reported in the literature. Additionally, the proposed approach was able to complete a segmentation task at a rate of 1.54 seconds per slice.
Biguanide-Atovaquone Synergy against Plasmodium falciparum In Vitro

ABSTRACT The synergistic potential of a range of biguanides, their triazine metabolites, tetracyclines, and pyrimethamine in combination with atovaquone has been assessed. All five biguanides tested interacted synergistically with atovaquone against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro. All of the other compounds tested were either additive or antagonistic.
Significance of Insulin-Like Growth Factor II Mrna-Binding Protein 3 (IMP3) Expression in Selected Thyroid Lesions

Background: Differentiation of benign from malignant follicular thyroid lesions remains difficult and the ability of molecular markers to differentiate between them still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of IMP3 expression to distinguish benign from malignant thyroid lesions. Methods: This is a retrospective study upon selected 57 thyroid lesions designated as; 7 cases of Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT), 10 cases of hyperplastic nodules (HN), 15 cases of follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA), 13 cases of conventional papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), 6 cases of follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FV-PTC), and 6 cases of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). Immunohistochemistry was applied on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embeded tissue blocks using IMP3. clinicopathological data were reviewed from patients' pathological reports and correlated with IMP3 expression. Results: IMP3 positivity was seen in1/7 cases (14.3%) of HT, 2/10 cases (20%) of HN, 4/15 cases (26.7%) of FTA, 12/13 cases of PTC, and in all (100%) FV-PTC & FTC cases. IMP3 staining was significantly increased from normal thyroid tissue up to malignant tumors (P<0.01). IMP3 showed 96% sensitivity and 78.1% specificity for malignant tumors. IMP3 expression was positively correlated with grade and tumor size in malignant cases (P<0.05). No significant correlation was found in IMP3 expression with patient age, sex, capsular invasion, lymphatic/vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and TNM stage. Conclusions: IMP3 is a potential diagnostic marker for thyroid cancer and can be a promising marker for distinguishing benign from malignant follicular patterned thyroid lesions.
Fatores Determinantes do Pagamento de Dividendos no Brasil

Este estudo busca identificar os fatores que determinam a politica de distribuicao de proventos das empresas brasileiras de capital aberto listadas na BM&FBOVESPA, no periodo de 1995 a 2011. Para tanto, investigou-se a relacao entre Dividendos/Ativo Total e possiveis determinantes apontados pela literatura como: tamanho da firma, governanca corporativa, rentabilidade, alavancagem, market to book, liquidez, investimentos, risco, crescimento dos lucros, assimetria informacional e conflitos de agency. Adotaram-se os metodos econometricos: (1) Tobit, pela natureza dos dados de dividendos, e (2) Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), para controlar por regressores endogenos. Como principais resultados, constatou-se que as variaveis significantes e positivas foram: Tamanho, ROA, Market to Book, Liquidez e Crescimento dos Lucros. Isto e, pode-se inferir que, quanto maior o tamanho da empresa, sua rentabilidade, seu valor de mercado, sua liquidez e o crescimento dos seus lucros, maior sera a propensao desta firma em distribuir dinheiro aos acionistas, o que se alinha com a teoria de financas corporativas. Por outro lado, constatou-se que as variaveis significantes e negativas foram: Leverage, Liquidez elevada ao quadrado, Capex, Beta e Tag Along 100%. Infere-se que empresas mais alavancadas, que investem mais em ativo imobilizado, possuem liquidez muito elevada, maior risco e menor conflito entre controladores e minoritarios, terao uma menor propensao a pagar dividendos aos acionistas.