Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does High Inflation Affect Growth in the Long and Short Run?

This paper investigates the relationship between inflation and output in the context of an economy facing persistent high inflation. By analyzing the case of Brazil, we find that inflation does not impact real output in the long run, but that in the short run there exists a negative effect from inflation on output. These results support Sidrauski's (1967) superneutrality of money in the long run, but cast doubt on the short run implications of the model for separable utility functions in consumption and real money balances, as exposed by Fischer (1979). The results are more likely to support a class of utility functions in which real money balances and consumption are perfect complements.
Two Closely Related Env Antigens from the Same Patient Elicited Different Spectra of Neutralizing Antibodies against Heterologous HIV-1 Isolates

ABSTRACT Identification of immunogens capable of eliciting broadly neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses against HIV-1 is a major goal toward the development of an AIDS vaccine. Despite significant progress in understanding the structural features of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) and the discovery of multiple broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies with defined antigenic structures, the design of optimal Env immunogens to elicit broad NAbs remains a major challenge. As the structural determinants of Env immunogenicity remain unclear, we assessed two closely related Env antigens isolated from the same HIV-1-infected patient with different phenotypic features to identify what may result in a favorable immunogenic profile. One Env, B33, isolated from brain, was highly macrophage tropic with a high CD4 affinity, while the other, LN40, isolated from the lymph nodes, was poorly macrophage tropic with a low CD4 affinity. Using a DNA prime-protein boost approach, rabbits primed with LN40 Env antigen had a NAb response against heterologous primary isolates, while B33 Env antigens were capable of eliciting NAbs against only homologous and sensitive viral isolates. Further analysis revealed that the specificity of NAbs elicited by the LN40 antigen mapped to limited residues within or flanking the CD4 binding site. Certain key structural determinants were identified that could differentiate primary Env immunogens based on their potential to elicit broader NAbs. This progress will facilitate the rational design of effective HIV-1 vaccine formulations with optimal Env antigens.
Swedish rehabilitation professionals' perspectives on work ability assessments in a changing sickness insurance system

Purpose. Changes in the Swedish sickness insurance system shifts focus from return-to-work to labour market reintegration. This article analyses Swedish rehabilitation professionals' perspectives on how the changed regulations affect practice, with a special focus on work ability assessments. Methods. Two groups of representatives ((n == 15)) from organizations involved in rehabilitation and return-to-work met at seven occations. The groups worked with a tutor with a problem-based approach to discuss how their practice is influenced by the changed regulations. The material was analysed inductively using qualitative content analysis. Results. The new regulations require developed cooperation among insurance, health care, employers and occupational health care; however, these demands are not met in practice. In work ability assessments, several flaws regarding competence and cooperation are identified. An increasing number of people previously assessed as work disabled are required to participate in labour market reintegration, which puts demands on professionals to engage in motivational activities, although this is perceived as hopeless due to the group's lack of employability. Conclusions. The possibility for employers to sidestep their responsibility has increased with changed regulations. The overall lack of cooperation between relevant actors and the lack of relevant competence undermine the ambitions of activation and reintegration in the reform.
Impact of exacerbations on emphysema progression in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

RATIONALE Low-attenuation areas assessed by computed tomography reflect the extent of pathological emphysema and correlate with airflow limitation and mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The cumulative size distribution of low-attenuation area clusters follows a power law characterized by an exponent, D. The values of D reflect the complexity of the terminal airspace geometry and sensitively detect alveolar structural changes. Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a negative impact on lung function and prognosis. However, the impact on emphysema progression remains unclear. OBJECTIVES We investigated the relationship between exacerbation and emphysema progression assessed by computed tomography in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS Exacerbations were prospectively recorded for 2 years. Annual changes in computed tomography parameters of emphysema were compared between patients with and without a history of exacerbations. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS In patients with exacerbations, increases in the percentage of low-attenuation areas and decreases in D were greater than in patients without exacerbations. To interpret these results, we established a novel simulation model and found that not only enlargement of preexisting low-attenuation areas but also coalescence of adjoining low-attenuation areas due to alveolar wall destruction caused emphysema progression in patients with exacerbations. CONCLUSIONS This is the first longitudinal study to demonstrate that exacerbations are involved in emphysema progression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Emphysema progression should be evaluated as part of the outcomes of exacerbations in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Comments on "Output feedback stabilization for uncertain systems: constrained Riccati approach"

For original paper, by Cheng, see ibid., vol.43, p.81-4 (1998). In that paper, a sufficient condition for the static output feedback stabilization of uncertain systems with mismatched uncertainties has been derived under the assumption that rank(B)/spl les/rank(C) where B and C are the input matrix and the output matrix respectively. In this note, we show that the sufficient condition of the original paper is not solvable if rank(B)<rank(C), and thus the result of the above paper is valid only for the case of rank (B)=rank (C).
Mutual antagonism between hypoxia-inducible factors 1α and 2α regulates oxygen sensing and cardio-respiratory homeostasis

Significance The carotid body (CB) chemosensory reflex and catecholamine secretion by the adrenal medulla (AM) are principal regulators of cardio-respiratory function during hypoxia, but the molecular mechanisms by which the CB and AM respond to hypoxia with changes in breathing and blood pressure are unknown. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and HIF-2 mediate adaptive transcriptional responses to hypoxia. Herein, we demonstrate that a mutual functional antagonism between HIF-1 and HIF-2 plays a critical role in O2 sensing by establishing a dynamic balance that determines the proper redox set point in the CB and AM, which is essential for maintenance of cardio-respiratory homeostasis. Breathing and blood pressure are under constant homeostatic regulation to maintain optimal oxygen delivery to the tissues. Chemosensory reflexes initiated by the carotid body and catecholamine secretion from the adrenal medulla are the principal mechanisms for maintaining respiratory and cardiovascular homeostasis; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not known. Here, we report that balanced activity of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and HIF-2 is critical for oxygen sensing by the carotid body and adrenal medulla, and for their control of cardio-respiratory function. In Hif2α+/− mice, partial HIF-2α deficiency increased levels of HIF-1α and NADPH oxidase 2, leading to an oxidized intracellular redox state, exaggerated hypoxic sensitivity, and cardio-respiratory abnormalities, which were reversed by treatment with a HIF-1α inhibitor or a superoxide anion scavenger. Conversely, in Hif1α+/− mice, partial HIF-1α deficiency increased levels of HIF-2α and superoxide dismutase 2, leading to a reduced intracellular redox state, blunted oxygen sensing, and impaired carotid body and ventilatory responses to chronic hypoxia, which were corrected by treatment with a HIF-2α inhibitor. None of the abnormalities observed in Hif1α+/− mice or Hif2α+/− mice were observed in Hif1α+/−;Hif2α+/− mice. These observations demonstrate that redox balance, which is determined by mutual antagonism between HIF-α isoforms, establishes the set point for hypoxic sensing by the carotid body and adrenal medulla, and is required for maintenance of cardio-respiratory homeostasis.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Infection in a Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a veterinary pathogen that has seldom been described as an agent of human disease. Features of this probably underreported coagulase-positive Staphylococcus species are depicted here through the description of a graft-versus-host disease-related wound infection caused by a multidrug-resistant strain.
Uremic toxins: some thoughts on acrolein and spermine

Abstract Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by the progressive reduction of glomerular filtration rate and subsequent retention of organic waste compounds called uremic toxins. While patients with CKD are at a higher risk of premature death due to cardiovascular complications, this increased risk cannot be completely explained by classical cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. Instead, recent research suggests that uremic toxins may play a key role in explaining this marked increase in cardiovascular mortality in patients with CKD. While spermine, a tetra-amine, has previously been hypothesized to act as an uremic toxin, the following review presents a summary of recent literature that casts doubt on this assertion. Instead, acrolein, an oxidative product of spermine and the triamine spermidine, is likely responsible for the toxic effects previously attributed to spermine.
A Survey of Rate-Adaptation Schemes for IEEE 802.11 Compliant WLANs

The IEEE 802.11 compliant stations can transmit at multiple transmission rates. Selection of an appropriate transmission rate plays a significant role in determining the overall efficiency of a communication system. The technique which determines the channel state information and accordingly selects an appropriate transmission rate is called rate-adaptation protocol. The IEEE 802.11 standard does not provide standard specification for implementing a rate-adaptation protocol for its multi-rate capable wireless stations. Due to the lack of standard specification, there is a myriad of rate-adaptation protocols, proposed by industry and various research institutes. This paper surveys the existing rate-adaptation schemes, discusses various features which contribute significantly in the process of rate-adaptation, the timing constraints on such schemes, and the performance gains in terms of throughput, delay and energy efficiency; which can be gained by the use of rate-adaptation. The paper also discusses the implication of rate-adaptation schemes on the performance of overall communication and identifies existing research challenges in the design of rate-adaptation schemes.
Membrane-proximal α/β Stalk Interactions Differentially Regulate Integrin Activation*

The affinity of integrin-ligand interaction is regulated extracellularly by divalent cations and intracellularly by inside-out signaling. We report here that the extracellular, membrane-proximal α/β stalk interactions not only regulate cation-induced integrin activation but also play critical roles in propagating inside-out signaling. Two closely related integrins, αIIbβ3 and αVβ3, share high structural homology and bind to similar ligands in an RGD-dependent manner. Despite these structural and functional similarities, they exhibit distinct responses to Mn2+. Although αVβ3 showed robust ligand binding in the presence of Mn2+, αIIbβ3 showed a limited increase but failed to achieve full activation. Swapping α stalk regions between αIIb and αV revealed that the α stalk, but not the ligand-binding head region, was responsible for the difference. A series of αIIb/αV domain-swapping chimeras were constructed to identify the responsible domain. Surprisingly, the minimum component required to render αIIbβ3 susceptible to Mn2+ activation was the αV calf-2 domain, which does not contain any divalent cation-binding sites. The calf-2 domain makes interface with β epidermal growth factor 4 and β tail domain in three-dimensional structure. The effect of calf-2 domain swapping was partially reproduced by mutating the specific amino acid residues in the calf-2/epidermal growth factor 4-β tail domain interface. When this interface was constrained by an artificially introduced disulfide bridge, the Mn2+-induced αVβ3-fibrinogen interaction was significantly impaired. Notably, a similar disulfide bridge completely abrogated fibrinogen binding to αIIbβ3 when αIIbβ3 was activated by cytoplasmic tail truncation to mimic inside-out signaling. Thus, disruption/formation of the membrane-proximal α/β stalk interface may act as an on/off switch that triggers integrin-mediated bidirectional signaling.
Burst suppression-MAC and burst suppression-CP₅₀ as measures of cerebral effects of anaesthetics.

BACKGROUND MAC (minimum alveolar concentration of an inhaled anaesthetic) and CP₅₀i (minimum plasma concentration of i.v. anaesthetics) are well-established measures to compare potencies of anaesthetics. The underlying clinical endpoint immobility reflects mainly effects of anaesthetics on the spinal cord, which limits the use of this measure for comparison of effects on the main target organ of general anaesthesia--the brain. The present study determines the median concentration of sevoflurane, isoflurane, and propofol that induce the onset of electroencephalogram (EEG) suppression ('silent second'): MACBS and CP₅₀BS. METHODS Fifty-five unpremedicated patients (ASA physical status of I or II) undergoing elective surgery were randomly assigned to receive general anaesthesia with sevoflurane, isoflurane, or propofol. A two-channel EEG was continuously recorded to identify 'silent second'. Independent cross-over pairs were analysed using the 'Dixon's up-and-down' method, and MACBS/CP₅₀BS values were calculated by logistic regression. RESULTS CP₅₀BS was 4.9 µg ml(-1) for propofol. MACBS was 2.9 vol% for sevoflurane and 1.5 vol% for isoflurane. CP₅₀BS of propofol was less than one-third of CP₅₀i, whereas MACBS of sevoflurane was >1.4-fold of MAC; MACBS of isoflurane was 1.3-fold of MAC. CONCLUSIONS Immobility and cerebral effects reflect different entities of anaesthetic action. The median concentration of anaesthetic drug (volatile or i.v. agent) required to induce 'silent second' might be a more useful metric than the median concentration required to prevent movement in response to a surgical stimulus in order to compare relative potencies of anaesthetic agents on the brain. Advantage of the 'silent second' is an easy identification of this endpoint, while such a deep level is not required for clinical anaesthesia.
Specifying and verifying safety-critical software systems

With respect to safety-critical systems, specific techniques do exist for statically analyzing such systems. However, with respect to dynamic analyses (i.e., testing techniques), no specific techniques exist; instead, developers must use general-purpose testing techniques such as branch testing, path testing, and boundary-value testing. While certain other areas, such as real-time systems, have specific testing techniques (e.g., thread testing), safety-critical systems still lack such techniques. This paper, therefore, presents some initial research that addresses this problem. The techniques focus on using fault trees and event trees as oracles for testing safety-critical software systems. The goal is to allow the developer to focus the usually limited amount of testing time on the detection of critical faults. These techniques also have applications to other subsets of high-integrity systems (both software- and hardware-based systems). The effect of these techniques is to develop test cases that will reveal only critical faults (i.e., they ignore non-critical faults). <<ETX>>
Transition between encoding and consolidation/replay dynamics via cholinergic modulation of CAN current: A modeling study

Hippocampal place cells that are activated sequentially during active waking get reactivated in a temporally compressed (5–20 times) manner during slow‐wave‐sleep and quiet waking. The two‐stage model of the hippocampus suggests that neural activity during awaking supports encoding function while temporally compressed reactivation (replay) supports consolidation. However, the mechanisms supporting different neural activity with different temporal scales during encoding and consolidation remain unclear. Based on the idea that acetylcholine modulates functional transition between encoding and consolidation, we tested whether the cholinergic modulation may adjust intrinsic network dynamics to support different temporal scales for these two modes of operation. Simulations demonstrate that cholinergic modulation of the calcium activated non‐specific cationic (CAN) current and the synaptic transmission may be sufficient to switch the network dynamics between encoding and consolidation modes. When the CAN current is active and the synaptic transmission is suppressed, mimicking the high acetylcholine condition during active waking, a slow propagation of multiple spikes is evident. This activity resembles the firing pattern of place cells and time cells during active waking. On the other hand, when CAN current is suppressed and the synaptic transmission is intact, mimicking the low acetylcholine condition during slow‐wave‐sleep, a time compressed fast (∼10 times) activity propagation of the same set of cells is evident. This activity resembles the time compressed firing pattern of place cells during replay and pre‐play, achieving a temporal compression factor in the range observed in vivo (5–20 times). These observations suggest that cholinergic system could adjust intrinsic network dynamics suitable for encoding and consolidation through the modulation of the CAN current and synaptic conductance in the hippocampus. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Power Delivery Aware Floorplanning for Voltage Island Designs

Voltage island has become a very effective design style for power saving by assigning different supply voltages to different modules. However, the new design style also brings forward new challenges, especially to the designer of P/G networks. In this paper, we study the power delivery problem in voltage island designs, and propose to consider voltage drop during the floorplanning process to reduce design iterations. We have implemented a floorplanner supporting voltage islands with special considerations on power delivery integrity. Our analysis shows that it is unnecessary to consider the pitch of the P/G network in the floorplan stage. Using this strategy to guide our new floorplaner, we can get more robust low power design under almost the same run time. Experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach
Occupational irritant contact dermatitis from synthetic mineral fibres according to Finnish statistics

Synthetic mineral fibres (i.e. man‐made vitreous fibres, MMVF) are classified into glass filament, mineral wool (glass wool, rock wool and slag wool), refractory ceramic fibres, and fibres for special purposes. This paper analyses the data on occupational irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) caused by MMVF during 1990–99 in Finland according to the Finnish Register of Occupational Diseases (FROD). A total of 63 cases from MMVF were reported. 56 were diagnosed as ICD, and 2 as allergic contact dermatitis, both from rock wool. 53 out of 63 cases were due to mineral wool or glass filaments; half of the cases, according to a rough estimate, were due to mineral wool and a half due to glass filaments used in lamination work. Carpenters, building workers and insulation workers have the highest risk of ICD from mineral wool. 4 cases in carpenters, 4 in building workers and 2 in insulation workers were reported from MMVF. For every 100 000 employed workers, only 1.6 cases of ICD in carpenters, 2.7 in building workers and 9.1 in insulation workers were annually due to MMVF, respectively. Mineral wool used in construction work, insulation, etc., cannot be considered to be a common cause of occupationally induced ICD. However, information on harmful skin effects of MMVF is useful to exposed persons in the prevention of the effects.
One Step Shoulder Soft Tissues Reconstruction and Surgery Treatment of Triangle Tilt of Glenoid Due to Sequlae of Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy

Objective: Brachial Plexus Birth palsy usually result in Shoulder deformities lead to poor function, loss of quality of life and pain. The purpose of our study is to examine the results of combined in one step shoulder soft tissues reconstruction and triangle tilt procedure on improvement of shoulder function and development. Method: A major treatment goal in children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) is to obtain optimal range of shoulder motion through improved glenohumeral alignment. In our study (34 cases of shoulder sequelae in brachial plexus birth palsy) medial rotation contracture with shoulder subluxation or dislocation and SHEAR deformity, mean age (5.4 year), mean follow up (31.2 months). We combine in one step anterior shoulder release (subscapularis release , coracohumeral and coracoacromial ligament release , pectoralis major lengthening , latissimusdorsi and teres major transfer to teres minor and the triangle tilt procedure , establishing glenohumeral congruency is the target , repositioning of the glenohumeral joint to maximize alignment does not only improve function and growth, but has been provided encourage joint remodeling Results: 34 cases of ( OBPP ) with medial rotation contracture with shoulder subluxation or dislocation and SHEAR deformity , mean age ( 5.4 year ) , mean follow up ( 31.2 months ) combined in one step shoulder soft tissues reconstruction and triangle tilt resulted in significant increase in overall modified Mallet score ( 11.2 ) to ( 19.7 ) , p value ( < 0.0001 ) and significant increase in mean glenoid version ( 17.2 ) to ( 4 ) , p value ( < 0.0001 ) , mean percentage of humeral head anterior ( 8 ) to ( 47.8 ) , p value ( < 0.0001 ) and mean scapular elevation ( 20.7 ) to ( 7. 4 ) , p value ( < 0.0001 ) , difference in abduction and scapular elevation were significantly correlated with age , for the difference in abduction ( r = -0.4 , p = 0.0029 ) and for the difference in scapular elevation ( r = -0.4 , p = 0.0045 ) . Conclusion: statistically significant improvement in shoulder function and radiological outcomes after our study (combined in one step shoulder soft tissues reconstruction and Triangle tilt) is good method for patients who have developed a medial rotation contracture with shoulder subluxation or dislocation and SHEAR deformity. Anterior shoulder release addresses the contracted Anterior structure of shoulder joint so relocate the humeral head in anterior glenoid fossa, the triangle tilt procedure addresses medial rotation and glenohumeral deformity, so in our study we can manage late sequlae of shoulder in OBBP.