Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical and neuropathologic assessment of severity in Huntington's disease

Clinical records were evaluated for 163 Huntington's disease patients in whom postmortem brain specimens had been graded for degree of neuropathologic involvement in the striatum. Juvenile/adolescent onset (4 to 19 years of age) was associated with very severe neuropathologic involvement produced by an apparent rapid degenerative process. Cases of early (20 to 34 years) and midlife (35 to 49 years) onset had respectively less severe striatal involvement, suggesting a slower degenerative progression. High correlations among the grade of neuropathologic involvement, cell counts of neurons, and a rating of physical disability suggest that each represents a common underlying degenerative process of the disease. The relationship between the age at onset and the extent of neuropathologic involvement suggests that a single mechanism may determine both onset and rate of degenerative disease progression.
Maxillary Sinus Septa Prevalence and Morphology: Computed Tomography Based Analysis

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la prevalencia, ubicacion y morfologia del septo del seno maxilar, y en particular de las formas orientadas sagitalmente, que no pueden ser visualizadas con el uso de equipos convencionales de Rayos X en dos dimensiones. De esta manera, se busca ofrecer informacion sobre el grupo potencial de pacientes, que seran sometidos a estudios de tomografia computarizada antes de la elevacion del seno maxilar. El analisis se baso en 216 imagenes de archivo de tomografia computarizada. El criterio de exclusion fue la presencia de cualquier sospecha de patologia en la region maxilar. La prevalencia de septos hallados en tomografia computarizada fue alta (49%) con una altura media de 5,44 mm. La incidencia de septos orientados sagitalmente, encontrados en estudios de Rayos X 2D fue del 10%, siendo la localizacion mas frecuente la region del segundo molar. De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos y respetando los principios de seguridad radiologica, los autores sugieren que la ortopantomografia de rayos X puede ser un examen radiologico suficiente antes de comenzar el procedimiento quirurgico de implante en el area del seno maxilar.
Novel agents for the treatment of resistant Gram-positive infections

Bacteria have proved themselves able to develop resistance to every antibiotic used clinically. Traditional agents used for treatment of serious infections caused by Gram-positive species have recently been supplemented with the introduction of linezolid, quinupristin-dalfopristin, several new quinolones and telithromycin. However, resistance to many of these agents has already been reported and, although each currently retains activity against the vast majority of clinical isolates of its target species, their long-term efficacy is uncertain. We must look to develop other compounds to replace and hopefully improve upon existing anti-Gram-positive agents. Daptomycin (a lipopeptide), oritavancin and dalbavancin (both second-generation glycopeptides) and ramoplanin (a glycolipodepsipeptide) are among the agents in advanced stages of development and, at present, many seem likely to proceed to licensing. In addition, it is encouraging that many agents active against novel bacterial targets have been discovered and are in earlier stages of development. In the next two decades, we should be optimistic that a regular flow of new anti-Gram-positive agents will enable us to offset the constant spectre of bacterial resistance.
Modification of turbulent transport by magnetic shear in cylindrical gyrokinetic simulations

gyrokinetic simulations E. Sánchez1, X. Sáez2, A. Soba2, I. Calvo1, R. Kleiber3, R. Hatzky4, F. Castejón1, J. M. Cela2 1 Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión, Asociación EURATOM-CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain. 2 Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain. 3 Max-Planck Institut für Plasmaphysik, EURATOM-Association, Greifswald, Germany. 3 Max-Planck Institut für Plasmaphysik, EURATOM-Association, Garching, Germany.
The Impact of Job-Specific Training on Short-Term Worker Performance: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Remote and short-term work arrangements are increasingly common despite the limited incentives they provide for acquiring firm-specific knowledge. This paper examines the importance and cost-effectiveness of firm-specific training for remote contract workers using evidence from a field experiment conducted in an East African insurance firm that offers two-month employment contracts for its salespeople. Findings show that firm-specific training significantly increases firm revenue, but that this effect is concentrated among higher ability workers. Training has no impact on worker retention, and offering workers financial or competitive input-based incentives has no impact on these findings, or on observed worker investment in firm-specific training. These results demonstrate that high ability temporary workers may be willing to invest in firm-specific human capital without additional incentives, and that firm performance is significantly improved as a result. Implications for temporary work contracts are discussed.
Cercarial dimensions and surface structures as a tool for species determination of Trichobilharzia spp.

Cercariae of bird schistosomes are traditionally considered to be very similar in their morphological characteristics. In order to solve the problem, we tested some methods which might be suitable for cercarial differentiation. Fourteen isolates of three Trichobilharzia species (T. szidati, T. franki, T. regenti) occurring sympatrically in Central Europe were used. Dimensions of individual cercariae do not represent a useful criterion for identification, because the intraspecific variability exceeds the interspecific one. On the other hand, chaetotaxy appears a promising way for discrimination, although some sensory papillae do not stain sufficiently with silver nitrate. The papillary pattern (i.e. number and relative position of papillae) is specific for all Trichobilharzia species studied by us. Therefore, we compiled an identification key for the three Trichobilharzia species. In addition, we tried to find species-specific surface saccharide epitopes; none of the labeled lectin probes can be used as a speciesspecific marker.
Do investors underreact to stock swap merger announcements that are made on Fridays and high-distraction days? Evidence of transactions made between U.S. firms from 1994 to 2014

The topic of limited investor attention and its effects on capital markets, has increasingly captured the focus of researchers in recent literature. According to the studies, observed market underreactions to various corporate announcements may be attributable to reduced levels of investor attention. In these models, investor attention is regarded as a cognitive limited resource, whereby the presence of external stimuli and conditions can lead to a situation where investors do not pay the optimal amount – or what standard models assume attention to relevant information. In this thesis, I test for the effects of limited investor attention in the context of stock swap merger announcements, using the same measure of investor distraction as Hirshleifer, Lim, and Teoh (2009). More specifically, I test whether acquirers exhibit a muted short-term price and volume response to stock swap merger announcements of public and private targets, when there are larger amounts of same-day quarterly earnings announcement releases. Additionally, I test for the investor inattention hypothesis presented by Louis and Sun (2010), whether there is a muted short-term market reaction to stock swap mergers that are announced on Fridays. I find partial evidence for a muted price and volume response in regard to announcements of stock swap mergers that are made on both high-distraction days and Fridays. However, the results are not very robust and consistent across the whole sample and different categories of targets, to warrant strong support for the investor distraction and inattention effects, in the context of stock swap merger announcements.
Just Unlucky? – A Bootstrapping Simulation to Measure Skill in Individual Investors’ Investment Performance

Few studies have focused on the measurement of individual investors’ investment performance and more extensive research has been conducted on biases and investment mistakes – such as the disposition effect, security selection bias and lacking ability of market timing. No study so far has focused on measuring whether the realized performance was driven by skill or mere luck. This paper disentangles skill and luck in individual investors’ investment performance using a four-factor model and apply bootstrapping simulations pioneered in the mutual fund literature to distinguish skill from luck. We use a comprehensive dataset of 8,621 individual investor portfolios from a German online broker, spanning a timeframe from September 2005 to April 2010. We find that 89% of individual investors exhibit negative skill (α ≤ 0) when measured on a gross basis and 91% when considering returns net of costs and expenses. An individual investor with an average level of risk-taking depicts an investment performance of approximately -7.5% per year for gross returns and of -8.5% per year for net returns.
Influence of acute glycaemic level on measures of myocardial infarction in non-diabetic pigs

Abstract> Objective. Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of experiencing myocardial infarction. The influence of the prevailing plasma glucose level on infarction and mortality after acute ischaemia is however unknown. The aim was to study the effect of the acute plasma glucose level on the myocardial infarction size in a closed-chest pig model. Design. 38 non-diabetic pigs were randomised to hypoglycaemic (1.8–2.2 mmol/l; n = 15), normoglycaemic (5–7 mmol/l; n = 12) or hyperglycaemic glucose clamping (22–23 mmol/l; n = 11). After 30 min within glucose target myocardial infarction was induced for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 120 min. Hereafter the heart was double-stained to delineate infarction from viable tissue within the area at risk. Results. Mean infarction size was 201 ± 35 mm2 (mean ± SEM) in the hypoglycaemic group, 154 ± 40 mm2 in the normoglycaemic group and 134 ± 40 mm2 in the hyperglycaemic group, with no differences in infarction size, infarct/area at risk ratio or troponin T levels between the groups. There was no difference in incidence of ventricular fibrillation or mortality between the groups. Conclusion. No statistically significant associations were observed between the acute glycaemic level and measures of myocardial infarction, rates of ventricular fibrillation and subsequent premature death in the setting of acute ischaemia and reperfusion.
Involvement of c-Src and Protein Kinase Cδ in the Inhibition of Cl-/OH- Exchange Activity in Caco-2 Cells by Serotonin*

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)) is an important neurotransmitter and intercellular messenger regulating various gastrointestinal functions, including electrolyte transport. To date, however, no information is available with respect to its effects on the human intestinal apical anion exchanger Cl-/OH- (\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{HC}\mathrm{O}_{3}^{-}\) \end{document}). The present studies were therefore undertaken to examine the direct effects of serotonin on OH- gradient-driven 4,4′-diisothiocyanato-stilbene-2, 2′-disulfonic acid-sensitive 36Cl- uptake utilizing the post-confluent transformed human intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2. Our results demonstrate that serotonin inhibits Cl-/OH- exchange activity in Caco-2 cells via both tyrosine kinase and Ca2+-independent protein kinase Cδ-mediated pathways involving either 5-HT3 or 5-HT4 receptor subtype. The data consistent with our inference are as follows. (i) The short term treatment of cells with 5-HT (0.1 μm) for 15-60 min significantly decreased Cl-/OH- exchange (50-70%, p < 0.05). (ii) The specific agonists for 5-HT3, m-chlorophenylbiguanide, and 5-HT4, 3-(4-allylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-quinoxaline chloronitrile, mimicked the effects of serotonin. (iii) Tropisetron dual inhibitor for both the 5-HT3/4 receptor subtypes significantly blocked the inhibition, whereas specific 5-HT3 (Y-25130) or 5-HT4 receptor (RS39604) antagonist failed to block the inhibitory effects of 5-HT. (iv) The Ca2+ chelator 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid tetra(acetoxymethyl ester) had no effect on the serotonin-induced inhibition. (v) The specific protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors chelerythrine chloride or calphostin C completely blocked the inhibition by 5-HT. (vi) The specific inhibitor for PKCδ, rottlerin, significantly blocked the inhibition by 5-HT. (vii) The specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor, herbimycin, or Src family kinase inhibitor, PP1, abolished the 5-HT-mediated inhibition of Cl-/OH- exchange activity. (viii) 5-HT stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of c-Src kinase and PKCδ.
Issues and Challenges of Implementation of Early Childhood Education in Nigeria

Since the commencement of the implementation of the National Policy on Education in Nigeria which seeks to ensure an optimal and qualitative Early Childhood Education (ECE), stream of concerns have been raised by stakeholders in respect of the quality of education in ECE and its actual implementation. Despite all measures put in place by the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria, there are still some lapses in the implementation and non-implementation of this programme. There is no doubt that the implementation of ECE requires the collaborative effort/input of all stakeholders, including the government, parents/guardians, and school authorities. However, the trust of this paper is on issues and challenges of implementation of ECE in Nigeria. The paper gives input on the benefits derivable from ECE, the paper equally points out the recommendations that will lead to effective implementation ECE. This includes employment of more ECE specialist teachers, training/retraining of caregivers/teachers, effective quality monitoring by Ministries of Education, provision of logistic support to ensure that minimum standards are maintained in both public and private preprimary institutions in Nigeria among others.
Investigation of Short-term Variations in Casein and Whey Proteins in Breast Milk of Term Mothers

Objectives: We investigated changes in breast milk whey and casein proteins, between fore and hind milk during breast expression, between breasts and within 24-hour period during breast-feeding. This has implications for developing an appropriate sampling protocol for investigating the influence of milk composition on gastric emptying and infants’ feeding behaviour. Methods: Breast milk samples were collected from mothers (n = 25) of healthy term infants ages 1 to 8 months. A total of 17 mothers provided fore and hind milk samples, which were collected during simultaneous expression of both breasts. Fifteen mothers provided samples from each breast-feed during 24-hour period, of which samples were selected from 4 time points (morning, day, evening, night). Whey and casein were isolated from skim milk, and protein concentration of the skim, whey, and casein fractions were determined. Results: Mean protein concentrations were found to be 13.5 ± 2.1 (skim milk), 7.6 ± 1.5 (whey), and 3.4 ± 0.97 g/L (casein). Protein concentrations were not significantly different between fore and hind milk. During a 24-hour period, no significant differences were found in protein concentration of any fraction at the 4 time points or between left and right breasts. Large variations were seen between mothers with coefficient of variances of 15.5%, 19.8%, and 28.4% for skim milk, whey, and casein, respectively. Conclusions: Although there was wide variation between mothers, the small variations within mothers indicate that for sampling purposes, a single breast milk sample (fore or hind from each breast at any time point of the day) will be representative of that mother's protein concentration of skim, whey, and casein fractions for that day.
Vaccination of rabbits against Entamoeba histolytica with aqueous suspensions of trehalose-dimycolate as the adjuvant

Rabbits were immunized with soluble Entamoeba histolytica antigen with an aqueous suspension of trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate used as the adjuvant. Induction of protective immunity in the immunized animals was demonstrated by enhanced humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and 100% survival after challenge. Administration of soluble antigen only failed to induce a similar degree of protective immunity. Trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate alone produced only a slight increase in nonspecific resistance.
Elasticity measurements on minerals: a review

The elasticity of minerals is central to our understanding of the structure and properties of the Earth, and other planets. In the last half-century, and in particular within the last 15 years, there have been many new developments in the experimental methods used to determine the elastic properties of minerals. Not only have new techniques become available, but the pressure and temperature ranges over which they can be applied have been greatly extended and the precision and accuracy of the results have been significantly improved. Given these rapid advances in measurement techniques we provide a brief guide to the theory of the elasticity of minerals, and we review and compare the physical principles and the capabilities of the experimental techniques now available.
Detection of small pancreatic tumors with multiphasic helical CT.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of helical CT in the detection of adenocarcinomas of the pancreas measuring 2 cm or smaller at pathologic examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thin-section triple phase (20, 40, and 70 sec after the start of injection) contrast-enhanced helical CT scans of the abdomen in 18 patients with a pancreatic carcinoma that was 2 cm or smaller and 18 patients with a normal pancreas were retrospectively reviewed by two senior radiologists who specialized in oncologic abdominal imaging. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. The observers were unaware of the clinical information. CT scans were evaluated for the presence of a pancreatic mass, bile, and pancreatic duct stricture. The location and size of tumors as determined on CT were compared with pathologic findings. The CT results were also compared with the prospective CT interpretations derived from the radiology reports and with the endoscopic sonographic reports when available. RESULTS The sensitivity of thin-section triple-phase helical CT in the detection of small pancreatic masses was 77%, and the specificity was 100% for the two experienced observers. The sensitivity and specificity were 72% and 100%, respectively, for the prospective interpretations done by 10 observers. There was no correlation between the tumor size at pathology and the CT measurements. CONCLUSION Thin-section contrast-enhanced helical CT is sensitive and highly specific for the detection of pancreatic tumors measuring 2 cm or smaller. Improvement in the detection rate of this technique compared with previous techniques lies in the optimization of parenchymal enhancement during the pancreatic phase and the decrease in slice thickness.
Bidirectional reaction steps in metabolic networks: IV. Optimal design of isotopomer labeling experiments.

This article generalizes the statistical tools for the evaluation of carbon-labeling experiments that have been developed for the case of positional enrichment systems in part II of this series to the general case of isotopomer systems. For this purpose, a new generalized measurement equation is introduced that can describe all kinds of measured data, like positional enrichments, relative (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance ((13)C NMR) multiplet intensities, or mass isotopomer fractions produced with mass spectroscopy (MS) instruments. Then, to facilitate the specification of the various measurement procedures available, a new flexible textual notation is introduced from which the complicated generalized measurement equations are generated automatically. Based on these measurement equations, a statistically optimal flux estimator is established and parameter covariance matrices for the flux estimation are computed. Having implemented these tools, different kinds of labeling experiments can be compared by using statistical quality measures. A general framework for the optimal design of carbon-labeling experiments is established on the basis of this method. As an example it is applied to the Corynebacterium network from part II extended by various NMR and MS measurements. In particular, the positional enrichment, multiplet, or mass isotopomer measurements with the greatest information content for flux estimation are computed (measurement design) and various differently labeled input substrates are compared with respect to flux estimation (input design). It is examined in detail how the measurement procedure influences the estimation quality of specific fluxes like the pentose phosphate pathway influx.
Incidence and risk factors of perioperative stroke in Siriraj Hospital.

BACKGROUND Data concerning perioperative stroke incidence and risk factors are lacking in Thailand. OBJECTIVE To study incidence and risk factors of perioperative stroke in Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD The authors conducted a nested case-control study between July 2007 and June 2010. Consecutive perioperative stroke cases were compared with age-matched controls that had undergone surgery without having a stroke at a 1:4 ratio. Patients' characteristics, co-morbidities, clinical manifestation, stroke subtypes, duration, and types of surgery were collected. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with a stroke during perioperative period. RESULTS Sixty-six patients with perioperative stroke from 99,283 that underwent surgery were included. This resulted in an incidence of 66.5/100,000. Men comprised 65.2%. Mean age of stroke patients was 66.6-years-old. Age-match controls included 264 consecutive patients who underwent surgery without having a stroke. A multivariate analysis showed that male sex (adjusted OR 3.1, p = 0.003), surgical types: open heart surgery (adjusted OR 54.3, p < 0.0001), vascular surgery (adjusted OR 20.6, p < 0.0001) and endovascular procedure (adjusted OR 15.4, p < 0.0001), emergency surgery (adjusted OR 8.3, p < 0.0001), the presence of diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR 2.6, p = 0.018), chronic kidney disease (adjusted OR 2.6, p = 0.027), and coronary artery disease (adjusted OR 0.4, p = 0.039) were associated with perioperative stroke. CONCLUSION Incidence of perioperative stroke was higher than a previous report. Male, type of surgery, emergency operation, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease were risk factors of perioperative stroke.