Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statistically tested comparisons of the accuracy of forecasting methods for age-specific and sex-specific mortality and life expectancy

Although there are continuing developments in the methods for forecasting mortality, there are few comparisons of the accuracy of the forecasts. The subject of the statistical validity of these comparisons, which is essential to demographic forecasting, has all but been ignored. We introduce Friedman's test statistics to examine whether the differences in point and interval forecast accuracies are statistically significant between methods. We introduce the Nemenyi test statistic to identify which methods give results that are statistically significantly different from others. Using sex-specific and age-specific data from 20 countries, we apply these two test statistics to examine the forecast accuracy obtained from several principal component methods, which can be categorized into coherent and non-coherent forecasting methods.
BIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF THE MARSUPIAL‐PLACENTAL DICHOTOMY

My recent review (1974) was restricted to biogeographical considerations of the marsupial-placental dichotomy in mamma lian evolution. The present work is a continuation with emphasis upon reproductive aspects of the problem. The major question to be asked here revolves around the condition of the newborn in the immediate common ancestor to marsupials and placentals. Was the neonate a hatchling from an egg laid externally as suggested by Sharman (1970) and Tyndale-Biscoe (1973) or were the young born free of egg membranes in an immature "marsupial-like" state as suggested by me (1969)? In the former case, the evolution of viviparity among therian mammals would had to have occurred independently in marsupials and placentals. A series of excellent papers by Dr. Fabiola Muller (1967-1973), concerned with the comparative ontogenesis of living marsupials and placentals, is pertinent to this question. Her lengthy studies include a wealth of summarized comparative data and literature citations. Her articles, written in German, are not well known by many English-speaking authors. Thus I believe it worthwhile to summarize some of the points, essential to the question that I am asking, contained within the more than 500 pages of her text. Many of Dr. Muller's conclusions are reviewed from one paper to the next, so I will refrain from giving the specific citation for each point. Any misinterpretations are quite unintentional and result from faulty translation.
[Introduction to neuropsychopharmacology].

Introducing a new hobby for other people may inspire them to join with you. Reading, as one of mutual hobby, is considered as the very easy hobby to do. But, many people are not interested in this hobby. Why? Boring is the reason of why. However, this feel actually can deal with the book and time of you reading. Yeah, one that we will refer to break the boredom in reading is choosing introduction to neuropsychopharmacology as the reading material.
Reduced in vivo binding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users

Background The use of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) is common among young people in Western countries. Animal models of MDMA toxicity suggest a loss of serotonergic neurons, and potentially implicate it in the development of significant psychiatric morbidity in humans. Aims To test whether long-term use of MDMA can produce abnormalities in cerebral serotonin, but not dopamine, transporter binding measured by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) Method Ten male regular ecstasy users and 10 well-matched controls recruited from the same community sources participated in SPECT with the serotonin transporter (SEPT) ligand [123I]-CIT. Dopamine transporter binding was determined from scans acquired 23 hours after injection of the tracer. Results Ecstasy users showed a cortical reduction of SERT binding, particularly prominent in primary sensory-motor cortex, with normal dopamine transporter binding in lenticular nuclei. Conclusions This cross-sectional association study provides suggestive evidence for specific, at least temporary, serotonergic neurotoxicity of MDMA in humans.
Evaluation of Diagnostic Tests for Antinuclear Antibodies in Rheumatological Practice

To investigate and compare the accuracy and usefulness of diagnostic tests for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) a cross‐sectional study of sera derived from patients admitted to the Department of Rheumatology was tested for the presence of ANA using either indirect immunofluorescence on HEp‐2 cells, indirect immunoperoxidase techniques on HEp‐2 cells and mouse kidney, or two commercial enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The diagnostic sensitivity and predictive values of the tests were calculated and compared. The accuracy of tests was compared using receiver‐operating characteristics (ROC) methodology. All ANA‐positive sera were further analysed for the presence of antibodies against extractable nuclear antigens (anti‐ENA) and anti‐DNA. A moderate to good agreement was found between tests, with κ ranging from 0.469 to 0.659. Highest sensitivity for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; 93.3%) and primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS; 70%) was found using immunofluorescence on HEp‐2 cells. Immunofluorescence on HEp‐2 cells performed statistically better than the other tests in predicting SLE but not SS. All tests except mouse kidney showed good and comparable performance in detecting sera with anti‐ENA and anti‐DNA. At the given cut‐off values indirect immunofluorescence on HEp‐2 cells performed best. All assays except mouse kidney showed performance characteristics sufficient for use in routine analysis of ANA.
Differential expression of Trypanosoma cruzi neuraminidase in intra- and extracellular trypomastigotes

The developmentally regulated expression of Trypanosoma cruzi neuraminidase in culture cells was monitored by immunofluorescence with a monoclonal antibody (TCN-2) against the enzyme. The results showed that TCN-2 reacted with all intracellular trypomastigote forms (NA+) but not with amastigotes. Immunoprecipitation of radiolabeled neuraminidase confirmed TCN-2 reactivity with trypomastigotes and the specificity of the antibody binding. During exiting from the host cells, all trypomastigotes were still NA+. However, when free in the extracellular environment, the relative proportion of NA+ parasites declined from 100% to about 20%, thereby establishing a subpopulation of trypomastigotes which did not express enzyme (NA-). The expression of neuraminidase in all intracellular trypomastigotes and in only a subpopulation of the extracellular counterpart suggests that the enzyme may play a role in parasite exiting from infected cells.
Clinical corr elates in drug-herbal interactions mediated via nuclear receptor PXR activation and cytochrome P 450 induction

Pregnane and Xenobiotic Receptor (PXR), a vital xenosensor , acts as master regulator of phase-I (cytochrome P450) and phase-II enzymes (glutathione S-transferases, sulfotransferases, and uridine 5’-diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases) as well as several drug transporters (multi-drug resistance protein, and multidrug resistance-associated protein). PXR can bind to a variety of chemically distinct endobiotics (steroids, bile acids and their derivatives, vitamins, etc.) and xenobiotics (prescription drugs, herbal medicines, endocrine disruptors, etc.). Activation of PXR by various compounds leads to trans-activation of PXRtarget genes involved in detoxification system (phase-I and phase-II enzymes, and ef flux proteins). Herbal medicines are readily used without prescription under the belief that anything natural is safe. These medicines contain active chemical constituents which execute distinctly dif ferent or similar pharmacological response(s). But, like prescription drugs, herbal drugs also have both therapeutic and, sometimes, adverse ef fects. Some of the herbal drugs induce drug metabolizing enzymes (especially CYP3A4) and drug ef flux proteins via activation of PXR. Phase-I enzyme CYP3A4 is involved in the metabolism of 50-60% of clinical drugs as well as the chemical ingredients in herbal medicines. In addition to this, 25-30% of these compounds are metabolized by the CYP2B isoenzymes. The combined metabolic ef fects of phase-I and phase-II enzymes and drug transporters, following induction by therapeutic molecules, constitute the molecular basis for many drug-herbal interactions. For example, if one drug activates PXR, it can encourage the elimination of a co-administered drug that is also metabolized and eliminated by PXR-tar get gene products, thereby affecting the therapeutic ef ficacy of the drug in the context of combination therapy . The present review highlights some of the recent clinical correlates in drug-herbal interactions mediated primarily via PXR and cytochrome P450.
Examination of risk and resiliency in a pediatric sickle cell disease population using the psychosocial assessment tool 2.0.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the Psychosocial Assessment Tool 2.0 (PAT) as an appropriate screening measure of risk for patient and family psychological distress in pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD). METHODS 219 caregivers completed the PAT during regular hematology clinic visits. Confirmatory factor analysis and tests of reliability were conducted. Multilevel modeling examined change and predictors of risk scores across four assessments. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis factor loadings ranged from . 03 to . 81, and reliability coefficients ranged from . 43 to . 83. Risk for patient and sibling emotional problems, family problems, and parent stress reaction decreased over time. Increased patient age, chronic blood transfusion, lower caregiver education, caregivers being divorced, fewer adults and more children in the home, and greater financial difficulties were independent predictors of psychosocial risk. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that the PAT has utility in a pediatric sickle cell disease sample. Most caregivers reported low distress and high resiliency factors in this population.
The Functional Role of Rho and Rho-Associated Coiled-Coil Forming Protein Kinase in Eotaxin Signaling of Eosinophils1

The CC chemokine eotaxin plays a pivotal role in local accumulation of eosinophils. Very little is known about the eotaxin signaling in eosinophils except the activation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family. The p21 G protein Rho and its substrate Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase (ROCK) regulate the formation of stress fibers and focal adhesions. In the present study, we studied the functional relevance of Rho and ROCK in eosinophils using the ROCK inhibitor (Y-27632) and exoenzyme C3, a specific Rho inhibitor. Eotaxin stimulates activation of Rho A and ROCK II in eosinophils. Exoenzyme C3 almost completely inhibited the ROCK activity, indicating that ROCK is downstream of Rho. We then examined the role of Rho and ROCK in eosinophil chemotaxis. The eotaxin-induced eosinophil chemotaxis was significantly inhibited by exoenzyme C3 or Y-27632. Because extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and p38 MAP kinases are activated by eotaxin and are critical for eosinophil chemotaxis, we investigated whether Rho and ROCK are upstream of these MAP kinases. C3 partially inhibited eotaxin-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 but not p38. In contrast, neither ERK1/2 nor p38 phosphorylation was abrogated by Y-27632. Both C3 and Y-27632 reduced reactive oxygen species production from eosinophils. We conclude that both Rho and ROCK are important for eosinophil chemotaxis and reactive oxygen species production. There is a dichotomy of downstream signaling pathways of Rho, namely, Rho-ROCK and Rho-ERK pathways. Taken together, eosinophil chemotaxis is regulated by multiple signaling pathways that involve at least ROCK, ERK, and p38 MAP kinase.
Influence of high ambient temperatures on performance of multiparous lactating sows.

Multiparous Large White sows (n = 63) were used to investigate the effects of five ambient temperatures (18, 22, 25, 27, and 29 degrees C) and two dietary protein contents on their lactation performance. At each temperature treatment, ambient temperature was maintained constant over the 21-d lactation period. Dietary protein content was either 14 or 17% with essential amino acids levels calculated not to be limiting. The animals had ad libitum access to feed between the seventh and the 19th day of lactation. Diet composition did not influence lactation performance. Over the 21-d lactation, feed intake decreased from 5.67 to 3.08 kg/d between 18 and 29 degrees C. Between d 7 and 19, the corresponding values were 7.16 and 3.48 kg/d, respectively. This decrease was curvilinear; an equation to predict voluntary feed intake (VFI) from temperature (T, degrees C) and body weight (BW, kg) is proposed: VFI = -49,052 + 1,213 T - 31.5 T2 + 330 BW - . 61 BW2 (residual standard deviation: 1,018). Skin temperature increased regularly with increased ambient temperature (34.6 to 37.4 degrees C between 18 and 29 degrees C), whereas udder temperature reached a plateau at 25 degrees C (38.3 degrees C). The gradient of temperature between skin and rectum was minimal (2 degrees C ) at 27 degrees C and remained constant at 29 degrees C. This constancy coincides with the marked reduction of feed intake. The respiratory rate increased from 26 to 124 breaths/min between 18 and 29 degrees C, and this indicates that the evaporative critical temperature was below 22 degrees C. The BW loss increased from 23 to 35 kg between 18 and 29 degrees C, but its estimated chemical composition remained constant. Pig growth rate was almost constant between 18 and 25 degrees C (241 g/d) and was reduced above 25 degrees C (212 and 189 g/d at 27 and 29 degrees C, respectively). In conclusion, temperatures above 25 degrees C seem to be critical for lactating sows in order to maintain their performance.
A new architecture for a multi polarized, perpendicularly-fed, radiating element

Planar printed antennas are often required to be fed by parallel feed-networks, which, when printed on the same substrate as the radiating elements, create mutual coupling, spurious radiation and excite surface waves. This considerably affects the array efficiency. Numerous architectures were proposed in the past; some of them use the multilayer structure (which by itself exhibits low efficiency), or perpendicularly fed structures. The latter consist of a substrate for the radiating element and another substrate which for the feed-network. The paper reviews some of the basic configurations proposed until now, and shows the specific improvements introduced by the proposed architecture.
New cause for false-positive results with the Pastorex Aspergillus antigen latex agglutination test

The Pastorex Aspergillus antigen test for detection of Aspergillus galactomannan antigen in the sera of patients with invasive aspergillosis is used in many clinical laboratories. A serum sample contaminated with Penicillium chrysogenum gave a strongly positive reaction (1:128) which was heat stable, was not eliminated by pronase treatment, and was not detected by a normal rabbit globulin control. This observation was shown to be due to cross-reactions of the monoclonal antibody EB-A2 used by the kit with several airborne fungi likely to contaminate serum samples, including Penicillium chrysogenum, Cladosporium herbarum, Acremonium species, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, Wangiella dermatitidis, and Rhodotorula rubra.
Bupropion Sustained Release Treatment Reduces Fatigue in Cancer Patients

Objective: To demonstrate that bupropion sustained release (SR) can reduce the symptoms of fatigue experienced by cancer patients. Method: We studied an open-label case series of outpatients with fatigue referred for psychiatric assessment from a tertiary care cancer centre. Inclusion criteria were the presence of fatigue or depression with marked fatigue. Clinical status was assessed using the Global Clinical Improvement scale. Results: Fifteen subjects with various cancer sites and psychiatric diagnoses were treated with bupropion SR (modal dose 150 mg) for up to 2 years. Most (13 of 15) saw improvement. Thirteen patients had minor, expectable side effects, and 10 patients were able to continue with bupropion for an extended time. All subjects who improved showed improvement within 2 to 4 weeks. Conclusions: This is the first report that shows bupropion SR can reduce fatigue in cancer patients. Controlled studies with more homogeneous samples would be necessary to establish the efficacy of this intervention. Further studies should address whether this effect of bupropion is separate from its action as an antidepressant.
Major epidemics of dengue in Taiwan in 1981-2000: related to intensive virus activities in Asia.

Major epidemics of dengue fever/dengue haemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DF/DHF/DSS) in Taiwan in the last 20 years were strongly associated with imported cases. The data analysis showed that three major epidemics including the first outbreak of DF in Hsiao-Liu-Chiu in 1981 since 1950s, the largest epidemic of DF in Pingtung and Kaohsiung in l987-l988, and the most important epidemic of DHF in Tainan in 1998, had statistically significant association with the increasing numbers of dengue cases in several Asian countries before or during the epidemic (p=0.028, p=0.043, p=0.08, respectively). Imported dengue cases in Taiwan were primarily travellers who had come from Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Malaysia. The earlier indigenous dengue cases in Taiwan always used to appear later than the peaks of monthly-distributed dengue cases in those countries. On the other hand, active surveillance, epidemiological investigation, mosquito control activities and effective public health administration at various levels indeed reduced the number of confirmed indigenous dengue cases in l996 and l997. Taiwan's experience in surveillance further proves the feasibility of avoiding a large-scale epidemic of DHF/DSS as well as hyper-endemicity of dengue viruses. International collaboration in surveillance, epidemic information exchange, and statistical analysis can play an important role in the prevention and control of DF/DSS in the future.
Sodium-calcium exchange in excitable cells: fuzzy space.

Etude de la pompe Na + -Ca ++ dans les cellules excitables, notamment les cellules du muscle cardiaque, et de son influence sur les concentrations de calcium intracellulaire et la contraction. Suite aux publications recentes d'autres auteurs, discussion sur la possible existence d'un espace intracellulaire proche de la membrane ou la diffusion des ions Na + et Ca ++ serait freinee
A Quantitative Approach to Endangered Species Act Classification of Long‐Lived Vertebrates: Application to the North Pacif ic Humpback Whale

Abstract: The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) mandates that recovery plans include specific criteria to determine when a species should be removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. To meet this mandate, we developed a new approach to determining classification criteria for long‐lived vertebrates. The key idea is that endangerment depends on two critical aspects of a population: population size and trends in population size due to intrinsic variability in population growth rates. The way to combine these features is to identify a population size and range of population growth rates (where λ denotes the annual multiplicative rate of change of a population) above which there is a negligible probability of extinction. To do so, (1) information on the current population size and its variance is specified; (2) available information on vital rates or changes in abundance over time is used to generate a probability distribution for the population's λ; (3) the lower fifth percentile value for λ (denoted as λ(0.05) ) is obtained from the frequency distribution of λs; and (4) if λ(0.05) is <1.0, a backwards population trajectory starting at 500 individuals for a period of 10 years is performed and the resulting population size is designated as the threshold for listing a species as endangered, or if λ(0.05) is ≥1.0, the threshold for endangerment is set at 500 animals. A similar approach can be used to determine the threshold for listing a species as threatened under the ESA. We applied this approach to North Pacific humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae) and used Monte Carlo simulations to produce a frequency distribution of λs for the whales under three different scenarios. Using λ(0.05), it was determined that the best estimates of current abundance for the central population of North Pacific humpback whales were larger than the estimated threshold for endangered status but less than the estimated threshold for threatened status. If accepted by the responsible management agency, this analysis would be consistent with a recommendation to downlist the central stock of humpback whales to a status of threatened, whereas the status of eastern and western stocks would remain endangered.
Transport of UDP-Galactose into the Golgi Lumen Regulates the Biosynthesis of Proteoglycans (*)

The lumen of the Golgi apparatus is the subcellular site where galactose is transferred, from UDP-galactose, to the oligosaccharide chains of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans. The nucleotide sugar, which is synthesized in the cytosol, must first be transported into the Golgi lumen by a specific UDP-galactose transporter. Previously, a mutant polarized epithelial cell (MDCKII-RCA) with a 2% residual rate of transport of UDP-galactose into the lumen of Golgi vesicles was described (Brandli, A. W., Hansson, G. C., RodriguezBoulan, E., and Simons, K.(1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 16283-16290). The mutant has an enrichment in glucosyl ceramide and cell surface glycoconjugates bearing terminal N-acetylglucosamine, as well as a 75% reduction in sialylation of cell surface glycoproteins and glycosphingolipids. We have now studied the biosynthesis of galactose containing proteoglycans in this mutant and the corresponding parental cell line. Wild-type Madin-Darby canine kidney cells synthesize significant amounts of chondroitin sulfate, heparan sulfate, and keratan sulfate, while the above mutant synthesizes chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate but not keratan sulfate, the only proteoglycan containing galactose in its glycosaminoglycan polymer. The mutant also synthesizes chondroitin 6-sulfate rather than only chondroitin 4-sulfate as wild-type cells. Together, the above results demonstrate that the Golgi membrane UDP-galactose transporter is rate-limiting in the supply of UDP-galactose into the Golgi lumen; this in turn results in selective galactosylation of macromolecules. Apparently, the K for galactosyltransferases involved in the synthesis of linkage regions of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate are significantly lower than those participating in the synthesis of keratan sulfate polymer, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. The results also suggest that the 6-O-sulfotransferases, in the absence of their natural substrates (keratan sulfate) may catalyze the sulfation of chondroitin 4-sulfate as alternative substrate.