Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three-Cornered Hat Method via GPS Common-View Comparisons

This paper evaluates the stability of three industrial cesium clocks located in different sites, comparing them via the common-view technique and using the three-cornered hat (TCH) method. Validation of the implementation is obtained by comparing results with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and Rapid UTC values reported for the three cesium clocks involved. An enhanced TCH method is presented and implemented, yielding corrections up to 30% in the Allan deviation estimates. The main feature of the developed method is the possibility of computing the absolute stability of remote clocks at averaging times of about 2 h.
Neonatal cerebral oxygen regulation after hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and circulatory arrest

Objective: Despite technical advances, neurologic sequelae continue to occur in neonates after heart surgery using deep hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (dhCPB) and circulatory arrest (DHCA). This study sought to determine the cerebral microcirculatory responses to hypoxia, hypotension, hypocapnia, and hypercapnia after dhCPB and DHCA. Design: Prospective laboratory animal trial. Setting: Research laboratory. Subjects: Twenty‐eight newborn pigs. Interventions: Piglets were divided into control, dhCPB, and DHCA groups. The control group received surgery. The dhCPB group received surgery and deep hypothermic CPB for 40 mins. The DHCA group received surgery, deep hypothermic CPB for 40 mins, and circulatory arrest for 60 mins. Two hours after the intervention, cerebral microcirculatory responses were examined. Measurements and Main Results: Cerebral microcirculatory responses consisted of changes in cerebral oxygen saturation (SCO2) and pial arteriolar diameter measured by near‐ infrared spectroscopy and intravital microscopy, respectively. All groups experienced similar decreases in SCO2 and increases in pial arteriolar diameter in response to moderate and severe hypoxia (PaO2, 35 and 25 torr, respectively) and moderate and severe hypotension (mean pressure, 30 and 20 mm Hg, respectively). SCO2 and pial arteriolar diameter decreased to hypocapnia (PaCO2, 25 torr) similarly in all groups. To hypercapnia (PaCO2, 70 torr), SCO2 increased in the control group, did not change in the dhCPB group, and decreased in the DHCA group. Pial arteriolar diameter to hypercapnia increased in the control and the dhCPB groups but did not change in the DHCA group. Conclusions: Cerebral vascular and oxygenation responses to hypoxia, hypocapnia, and hypotension were preserved after dhCPB and 1 hr of DHCA. By comparison, cerebral vascular and oxygenation responses to hypercapnia were not; both vascular and oxygenation responses were altered after DHCA, but only the oxygenation response was altered after dhCPB. These data suggest a selective disturbance in the microcirculation and/or parenchymal oxygen metabolism after DHCA and dhCPB.
Oxidative stress and kidney dysfunction due to ischemia/reperfusion in rat: attenuation by dehydroepiandrosterone.

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) involves generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This in vivo study investigates the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a physiologic steroid with antioxidant properties, on oxidative balance and renal dysfunctions induced by monolateral I/R. METHODS Normal and DHEA-treated rats (4 mg/day x 21 days, orally) were subjected to monolateral renal I/R (30 minutes/6 hours). The oxidative state was determined by measuring hydrogen peroxide level and activities of glutathione-peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and nitric oxide production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) levels were also measured. Hydroxynonenal content was used to probe lipid peroxidation. Functional parameters determined were creatinine levels and Na/K-ATPase activity. Immunohistochemical and morphologic studies were also performed. RESULTS A markedly pro-oxidant state was evident in the kidney of rats subjected to I/R. Both hydrogen peroxide and reactive nitrogen species (nitric oxide and iNOS) increased, whereas antioxidants decreased. Oxidant species induce TNF-alpha increase, which, in turn, produces lipoperoxidative processes, as documented by the increased hydroxynonenal (HNE) level. As final result, impaired renal functionality, hydropic degeneration, and vacuolization of proximal convolute tubules were observed in kidneys of I/R rats. DHEA pretreatment improved the parameters considered. CONCLUSION I/R induces oxidative stress and consequently damages the proximal convolute renal tubules. Rats supplemented with DHEA and subjected to I/R had reduced pro-oxidant state, oxidative damage, and improved renal functionality, indicating an attenuation of oxidative injury and dysfunctions mediated by I/R.
Epidemiology of reproductive and hormonal factors in thyroid cancer: Evidence from a case‐control study in the Middle East

Thyroid cancer is the second most common neoplasm among women in Kuwait and several other countries in the Middle East. Most of these countries also have relatively high birth and total fertility rates. To examine potential relationships between reproductive and hormonal factors and thyroid cancer, we conducted a population‐based case‐control interview study among 238 women diagnosed with thyroid cancer and a similar number of individually matched controls in Kuwait. Among the demographic variables, women with 12+ years of education had a significantly reduced risk of thyroid cancer (OR = 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2–0.8; p‐trend <0.05). The average age at diagnosis (±SD) of thyroid cancer was 34.7 ± 11 years. Events such as age at menarche, pregnancy, menopausal status and age at menopause were not associated with thyroid cancer. There was an association with age at last pregnancy and parity. Women who had their last pregnancy at ages ≥30 years were at a significantly increased risk (OR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2–3.8); there was also a significant trend in risk with increasing age at last pregnancy. There was a modest increase in risk among women who had borne ≥5 children (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 0.9–2.5). A joint analysis of these factors showed that childbearing during the latter half of reproductive life had a substantial effect on the incidence of thyroid cancer; for any given level of parity, there was about a 2‐fold increased risk if the age at last pregnancy was ≥30 years. A substantial recent‐birth effect, in relation to subsequent diagnosis of thyroid cancer, was observed during the second and third year after a birth (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.0–4.1). In contrast, spontaneous abortion seemed to have a protective effect. There was a significant decrease in risk among women who had a miscarriage as outcome of first pregnancy (OR = 0.1; 95% CI: 0.03–0.4) and those who had experienced ≥3 miscarriages (OR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1–0.8; p‐trend <0.05). Overall, any female hormone use was not associated with thyroid cancer risk. New association is suggested for a history of post‐partum thyroiditis (OR = 10.2; 95% CI: 2.3–44.8). These data support the hypothesis that reproductive factors and patterns may influence, or contribute to, the risk of thyroid cancer among women. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Standards of Proof and Civil Litigation: A Game-Theoretic Analysis

Abstract In litigation models, the parties’ probability to succeed in a lawsuit hinge upon the merits of the parties’ claims and their litigation efforts. In this paper we extend this framework to consider an important procedural aspect of the legal system: the standard of proof. We recast the conventional litigation model to consider how alternative standards of proof affect litigation choices. We analyze the interrelation between different standards of proof, the effectiveness of the parties’ efforts, and the merits of the case. We study how these factors jointly affect the parties’ litigation expenditures, the selection of cases brought to the courts, pretrial bargain solutions and preemptive strategies. Our results show that standards of proof are not only instrumental to balancing the competing goals of access to justice and judicial truth-finding, but they also play a critical role in affecting parties’ litigation investments and settlement choices, and in sorting the mix of cases that will actually be filed and defended in courts. The understanding of the sorting effect of standards of proof sheds light on their role as a policy instrument in civil litigation.
A novel variant in CDKN1C is associated with intrauterine growth restriction, short stature, and early-adulthood-onset diabetes.

CONTEXT CDKN1C, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor and negative regulator of cellular proliferation, is paternally imprinted and has been shown to regulate β-cell proliferation. CDKN1C mutations are associated with growth disorders, including Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and IMAGe syndrome. OBJECTIVE To investigate the genetic basis for a familial disorder characterized by intrauterine growth restriction, short stature, and early-adulthood-onset diabetes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Genomic DNA samples (15 affected and 26 unaffected from a six-generation pedigree) were analyzed by genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism arrays, whole exome and Sanger sequencing, and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Subjects were assessed for height, weight, adrenal gland size, ACTH, diabetes status, and testis volume. Linkage and sequence analyses were performed, and the identified genetic variant was functionally evaluated in reconstitution studies. RESULTS The pedigree followed a paternally imprinted pattern of inheritance, and genetic linkage analysis identified a single significant 2.6-megabase locus on chromosome 11p15, within the imprinting center region 2. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification did not detect copy number variants or methylation abnormalities. Whole exome sequencing revealed a single novel variant in the proliferating cell nuclear antigen-binding region of CDKN1C (c.842G>T, p.R281I) that co-segregated with affected status and, unlike variants found in IMAGe, did not entirely abrogate proliferating cell nuclear antigen binding. Clinical assessments revealed that affected individuals had low testicular volume but normal adrenal function. CONCLUSIONS We report a novel CDKN1C mutation associated with features of IMAGe syndrome, but without adrenal insufficiency or metaphyseal dysplasia, and characterized by early-adulthood-onset diabetes. Our data expand the range of phenotypes observed with CDKN1C defects and suggest that CDKN1C mutations may represent a novel monogenic form of diabetes.
Study of Work-Function Variation in High- $\kappa $ /Metal-Gate Gate-All-Around Nanowire MOSFET

In this paper, threshold-voltage (V<sub>TH</sub>) variation caused by work-function variation (WFV) in a high-κ/metalgate gate-all-around (GAA) nanowire MOSFET is quantitatively estimated through 3-D technology computer-aided design simulations. It is determined that the ratio of average grain size to gate area (RGG) [i.e., RGG = G<sub>size,eff</sub>/(gate area)<sup>0.5</sup>] for the GAA nanowire MOSFET should use the effective grain size (G<sub>size,eff</sub>), instead of using the nominal grain size (G<sub>size</sub>). G<sub>size,eff</sub> is regarded as the effective grain size around the channel region, and it is smaller than the original grain size. In order to compare the WFV-induced VTii variation in GAA nanowire MOSFET against FinFET, the amount of WFV-induced V<sub>TH</sub> variation is plotted using the RGG concept with G<sub>size,eff</sub>. As a result, it was concluded that the cylinder-shaped GAA nanowire MOSFET has better immunity to the WFV-induced V<sub>TH</sub> variation by 12.5%, compared with FinFET.
Impact of epidermal growth factor receptor sensitizing mutations on outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with definitive thoracic radiation therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background To determine if the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) sensitizing mutations improves tumor control and survival outcomes in patients with non-metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received definitive thoracic radiation therapy (TRT) with or without chemotherapy. Materials and Methods We searched MEDLINE for eligible comparative studies which compared the outcomes of patients treated with definitive TRT according to EGFR mutation status. Meta-analysis was performed using random effects model. Outcomes of interest were tumor overall response rate (ORR), loco-regional (LRR), distant recurrence rates (DRR), relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS) and adverse events (AE). Results We found seven studies including 537 patients with stage III NSCLC. Up to 45% of patients in the studies had mutations in exon 19 and 21. Patients harbouring EGFR sensitizing mutations had a trend towards improvement in ORR (risk ratio 1.17, 95% confidence interval 0.99–1.37, P = 0.06) compared to EGFR wild type status. There were no significant differences in LRR, DRR, RFS, OS and AE outcomes between the EGFR mutant and EGFR wild type groups. Conclusions The presence of EGFR sensitizing mutations may improve tumour response rate but not survival in patients with localized NSCLC treated with definitive thoracic radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
Patient Personality and Relational Patterns in Psychotherapy: Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity of the Psychotherapy Relationship Questionnaire

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure and the psychometric properties of the Psychotherapy Relationship Questionnaire (PRQ; Bradley, Heim, & Westen, 2005), a clinician report instrument that measures a wide spectrum of thoughts, feelings, motives, conflicts, and behaviors expressed by patients toward their therapists in psychotherapy. A national sample of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists (N = 314) of different theoretical orientations completed the PRQ, as well as the Shedler–Westen Assessment Procedure–200 (SWAP–200; Westen & Shedler, 1999a, 1999b) to assess the personality of a patient in their care. Factor-analytic procedures identified 6 transference dimensions that showed excellent internal consistencies: (a) hostile, (b) positive/working alliance, (c) special/entitled, (d) anxious/preoccupied, (e) avoidant/dismissing attachment, and (f) sexualized. Factor scores were significantly related to patients’ personality characteristics and psychological functioning, regardless of the clinicians’ orientations. The findings support that the PRQ is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating the patients’ relational patterns emerging in clinical practice in a clinically coherent and psychometrically robust way. Clinicians’ careful understanding of these patterns can be very useful for making accurate diagnostic formulations, as well as for providing a roadmap for effective therapeutic intervention.
Diabetes in Asia: epidemiology, risk factors, and pathophysiology.

CONTEXT With increasing globalization and East-West exchanges, the increasing epidemic of type 2 diabetes in Asia has far-reaching public health and socioeconomic implications. OBJECTIVE To review recent data in epidemiologic trends, risk factors, and complications of type 2 diabetes in Asia. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION Search of MEDLINE using the term diabetes and other relevant keywords to identify meta-analyses, systematic reviews, large surveys, and cohort studies. Separate searches were performed for specific Asian countries. The review was limited to English-language articles published between January 1980 and March 2009; publications on type 1 diabetes were excluded. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS The prevalence of diabetes in Asian populations has increased rapidly in recent decades. In 2007, more than 110 million individuals in Asia were living with diabetes, with a disproportionate burden among the young and middle aged. Similarly, rates of overweight and obesity are increasing sharply, driven by economic development, nutrition transition, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles. The "metabolically obese" phenotype (ie, normal body weight with increased abdominal adiposity) is common in Asian populations. The increased risk of gestational diabetes, combined with exposure to poor nutrition in utero and overnutrition in later life in some populations, may contribute to the increasing diabetes epidemic through "diabetes begetting diabetes" in Asia. While young age of onset and long disease duration place Asian patients with diabetes at high risk for cardiorenal complications, cancer is emerging as an important cause of morbidity and mortality. CONCLUSIONS Type 2 diabetes is an increasing epidemic in Asia, characterized by rapid rates of increase over short periods and onset at a relatively young age and low body mass index. Prevention and control of diabetes should be a top public health priority in Asian populations.
Long-term depression in Purkinje neurons is persistently impaired following cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in mice

Cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CA/CPR) produce brain ischemia that results in cognitive and motor coordination impairments subsequent to injury of vulnerable populations of neurons, including cerebellar Purkinje neurons. To determine the effects of CA/CPR on plasticity in the cerebellum, we used whole cell recordings from Purkinje neurons to examine long-term depression (LTD) at parallel fiber (PF) synapses. Acute slices were prepared from adult male mice subjected to 8 min cardiac arrest at 1, 7, and 30 days after resuscitation. Concurrent stimulation of PF and climbing fibers (CFs) resulted in robust LTD of PF-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in controls. LTD was absent in recordings obtained from mice subjected to CA/CPR, with no change in EPSC amplitude from baseline at any time point tested. AMPA and mGluR-mediated responses at the PF were not altered by CA/CPR. In contrast, CF-evoked NMDA currents were reduced following CA/CPR, which could account for the loss of LTD observed. A loss of GluN1 protein was observed following CA/CPR that was surprisingly not associated with changes in mRNA expression. These data demonstrate sustained impairments in synaptic plasticity in Purkinje neurons that survive the initial injury and which likely contribute to motor coordination impairments observed after CA/CPR.
Is There Harvesting in the Association of Airborne Particles with Daily Deaths and Hospital Admissions?

Although many studies have shown that airborne particles are associated with increased daily death and hospitalization rates, some have questioned whether these events are occurring in persons who would die or enter the hospital within a few days in any case. This hypothesis is usually called the harvesting effect. Harvesting is postulated to occur because the size of the pool of susceptibles decreases as a result of air pollution. I have developed a framework for examining this hypothesis. I used a smoothing technique that allowed me to examine the association between daily deaths and daily hospital admissions net of any such rebound that occurred within a fixed time scale. By varying that time scale I could look at effects net of rebounds on successively larger time scales, ranging from 15 to 60 days. I examined daily deaths and hospital admissions in Chicago for the years 1988–1993. In baseline analyses, particulate matter less than 10 &mgr;m in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) was associated with increased daily deaths and hospital admissions for heart disease, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A 10 &mgr;g/m3 increase in PM10 was associated with a 0.89% increase in daily deaths (95% confidence interval = 0.61–1.16%), for example. Using smoothing to look at effects net of short-term rebounds, the effect-size estimates for daily deaths and for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admissions more than doubled. They did not change for pneumonia and heart disease admissions. The increased effect size for daily deaths occurred only for deaths outside of the hospital. These results are consistent with air pollution increasing the size of the risk pool and for most of the deaths being advanced by months to years.
Looking through the Shades

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a labor market penalty exists for members of immigrant groups as a result of being phenotypically different from white Americans. Specifically, the authors examine the link between skin shade, perhaps the most noticeable phenotypical characteristic, and wages for immigrants from five regions: (1) Europe and Central Asia; (2) China, East Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific; (3) Latin America and the Caribbean; (4) Sub-Saharan Africa; and (5) the Middle East and North Africa. Using data from the New Immigrant Survey, a nationally representative multi-cohort longitudinal study of new legal immigrants to the United States, the authors find a skin shade penalty in wages for darker immigrants. However, disaggregating by region of origin shows that this finding is driven exclusively by the experience of immigrants from Latin America; the wage penalty for skin tone is substantial for self-reported nonblack Latin American immigrants. The effects of colorism are much less pronounced or nonexistent among other national-origin populations. Furthermore, although a skin shade penalty is not discernible among African immigrants, findings show that African immigrants experience a racial wage penalty.
Do Deep Trade Agreements Boost Vertical FDI

An increasing number of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) and the rise of offshore production are distinctive features of the modern world economy. Exploiting the World Trade Organization (WTO) database on the content of deep trade agreements, the authors build on the existing literature to investigate whether deep trade agreements between countries are related to vertical foreign direct investment (FDI). Specifically, the authors show that deeper trade agreements increase vertical FDI measured with a proxy constructed in Osnago, Rocha, and Ruta with data on foreign firm ownership and subsidiaries’ revenues available in the ORBIS database.
Sugarcane bagasse improves the activity of ligninolytic enzymes and decolourization of dyes by the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus

Stationary cultures of Pleurotus ostreatus, MTCC-1804 supplemented with bagasse powder or its ethanolic extract, showed a concentration-dependent enhancement in the laccase activity both in liquid and semi-solid (glass bead) cultures. Bagasse extract also imparted greater stability to the enzyme. Mn-peroxidase (MnP) activity was detected only in cultures supplemented with bagasse or its extract. Supplementation of liquid culture with bagasse extract resulted in greater decolouization of three industrial dyes. Biotechnological applications of bagasse and its extract in industrial pollution management have been discussed.