Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and relaxometry of high‐generation (G = 5, 7, 9, and 10) PAMAM dendrimer‐DOTA‐gadolinium chelates

A series of high‐generation (G) ethylenediamine‐core polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers corresponding to G = 5, 7, 9, and 10 were conjugated with the bifunctional chelate 2‐(4‐isothiocyanatobenzyl)‐1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐N,N′,N”,N”'‐tetraacetate (p‐SCN‐Bz‐DOTA). Gadolinium (III) ion was added to the macromolecules, and the 1/T1 and 1/T2 NMRD profiles were measured at 3°, 23°, and 37°C. The synthesis resulted in preparations that ranged from an average of 127 chelates and 96 Gd3+ ions per G = 5 dendrimer to an average of 3727 chelates and1860 Gd3+ ions per G = 10 dendrimer. At 20 MHz and 23°C, the 1/T1 ion relaxivity increased from 30 mM‐1s ‐1 for the G = 5 to 35 mM‐1 s‐1 for the G = 7 PAMAM dendrimer‐DOTA‐Gd, reaching a plateau at 36 mM‐1 s‐1 for the G = 9 and G = 10 dendrimers. A similar plateau was observed for 1/T2 with values of 36 mM‐1 s‐1 for G = 5, 42 mM‐1 s‐1 for G = 7, and 45 mM‐1 s‐1 for the G = 9 and G = 10 dendrimers. This “saturation” of ion relaxivity for high‐generation dendrimers occurred over the entire frequency range studied. The 1/T1 and 1/T2 relaxivities decreased as the temperature decreased for each generation of dendrimer studied, implying that slow water exchange of bound water molecules with the bulk solvent limits the relaxivity. In such circumstances, increases in the rotational correlation time of the macromolecules associated with higher generations of dendrimer does not result in significant increases in the ion relaxivity. Although the ion relaxivity does not increase, the total molecular relaxivities increased from 2880 mM‐1 s‐1 to 66960 mM‐1 s‐1 for the G = 5 to the G = 10 dendrimer. The current findings are relevant for the design of high‐generation dendrimer‐based receptor agents. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999; 9:348–352. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biomodulation of cancer chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer: a randomized study of weekly low-dose irinotecan alone versus irinotecan plus the oncostatic pineal hormone melatonin in metastatic colorectal cancer patients progressing on 5-fluorouracil-containing combinations.

Recent advances in immunobiological knowledge have suggested the possibility of enhancing the therapeutic activity of various chemotherapeutic agents by a concomitant administration of anti-oxidant drugs and/or immunomodulating neurohormones. In particular, the pineal neurohormone melatonin (MLT), which is able to exert both antioxidant and immunomodulating effects, has been proven to enhance the efficacy of various chemotherapeutic drugs, namely cisplatin, anthracyclines and 5-fluorouracil, whereas at present there are no data about its possible influence on cytotoxic drugs effective in the treatment of colon cancer other than 5-fluorouracil, such as irinotecan (CPT-11). The present study was performed to evaluate the influence of a concomitant administration of MLT on CPT-11 therapeutic activity in metastatic colorectal cancer. The study included 30 metastatic colorectal cancer patients progressing after at least one previous chemotherapeutic line containing 5-fluorouracil, who were randomized to be treated with CPT-11 alone or CPT-11 plus MLT. According to a weekly low-dose schedule, CPT-11 was given i.v. at 125 mg/m2/week for 9 consecutive weeks. MLT was administered orally at 20 mg/day during the dark period of the day. No complete response was observed. A partial response (PR) was achieved in 2 out of 16 patients treated with CPT-11 alone and in 5 out of 14 patients concomitantly treated with MLT. Moreover, a stable disease (SD) was obtained in 5 out of 16 patients treated with CPT-11 alone and in 7 out of 14 patients treated with CPT-11 plus MLT. Therefore, the percent of disease-control achieved in patients concomitantly treated with MLT was significantly higher than that observed in those treated with chemotherapy alone (12 out of 14 vs 7 out of 16, p < 0.05). The only important toxicity was diarrhoea grade 3-4, which occurred in 6 out of 16 patients treated with CPT-11 alone and in 4 out of 14 patients treated with CPT-11 plus MLT, which required a 50% dose reduction. However, taken together, patients treated with CPT-11 at 50% of the planned dose showed a percent of disease control comparable to that achieved in patients who had no dose reduction (6 out of 10 vs 13 out of 20). This preliminary study shows that the efficacy of weekly low-dose CPT-11 in pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer patients may be enhanced by a concomitant daily administration of the pineal hormone MLT, according to the results previously reported for other chemotherapeutic agents. Moreover, since the dose reduction of CPT-11 does not influence its efficacy, the dose of CPT-11 for successive studies might be not greater than 70 mg/m2.
LED Based Wavelength Division Multiplexed 10 Gb/s Visible Light Communications

LED-based visible light communications can provide high data rates to users. This can be further increased by the use of wavelength division multiplexing using the different colours required to generate white light to transmit different data streams. In this paper, a trichromatic approach is described and the influence of colour combination on achievable data rate is analysed. A demonstration of LED-based communications which achieves a data rate of >10 Gb/s by using a rate adaptive orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing scheme is also reported.
Ectopic expression of target genes may represent an inherent limitation of RT‐PCR assays used for micrometastasis detection: studies on the epithelial glycoprotein gene EGP‐2

Our objective was to develop and study the feasibility of a quantitative, nested reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) assay for detection of micrometastatic, epithelial tumor cells using the epithelial glycoprotein EGP‐2 gene as a target. Several carcinoma cell lines and peripheral blood samples of 10 healthy volunteers were screened for levels of EGP‐2 mRNA. The assay included EGP‐2 competitor molecules, carrying an internal deletion, that had been titrated by limiting dilution. Seven carcinoma cell lines showed a wide spectrum of EGP‐2 mRNA expression levels, with the highest values (20–100 molecules/cell) seen in 3 breast‐cancer cell lines. Unexpectedly, a consistent low level of EGP‐2 mRNA expression (0.0004 molecules/cell) was observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, probably representing ectopic non‐functional expression. Because of this background level, spiking experiments with T47D breast‐carcinoma cells added to blood mononuclear cells exhibited a detection limit that was not better than approximately one tumor cell in 2 × 104 normal cells. Together with the considerable variation of EGP‐2 transcript levels that is observed in different carcinoma cell lines, the extent of expression in normal blood cells would prevent a reliable estimation of low numbers of carcinoma cells in clinical samples. A similar situation might well apply for other target genes. This emphasizes the need for a critical evaluation of the different steps involved in the methods used for RT‐PCR detection of micrometastatic tumor cells. Int. J. Cancer 72:191–196, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss Inc.
Comparison of Two Commercially Available Single Radial Immunodiffusion Kits for Quantitation of Llama Immunoglobulin G

Immunoglobin G (IgG) quantitation was performed by a commercially available single radial immunodiffusion kit on 528 plasma samples obtained from llamas. Fifty samples encompassing the range of values obtained were selected for further evaluation. The IgG concentration of these samples was measured by a second commercially available single radial immunodiffusion kit and a sodium sulfite precipitation kit. γ-Globulins also were measured. IgG values predicted by the single radial immunodiffusion kits were not in agreement. Failure to appreciate this lack of agreement could result in misinterpretation of a llama's IgG level derived from one kit when clinical guidelines established using the other kit are followed.
The Effects of International Trade on Resource Misallocation: Trade Partner Matters

This paper suggests that contingent on the productivity level of the trade partner; international trade may create resource misallocation in less productive countries. It theoretically shows how productivity spillovers induced by trade with more productive countries and heterogeneity in productivity distributions across sectors lead to asymmetric pro-competitive effects, which in turn result in misallocation. It also presents robust empirical evidence supporting the model predictions by showing that trade with more productive regions as a share of purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP increases economy wide markup variation, raises mean sectoral productivity, and decreases productivity dispersion within 4-digit sectors, only in less productive countries.
Investor Sentiment, Financial Report Quality and Stock Price Crash Risk: Role of Short-Sales Constraints

Abstract We use firm-year observations of Chinese firms between 2003 and 2013 and empirically investigate the association between investor sentiment and stock crash risk with respect to short-sales constraint conditions. In addition, we also evaluate the incremental effect of financial reporting quality on this association and the existence of such an association under market conditions. We find that investor sentiment is positively associated with future stock price crash risk and poorer financial report quality and short-sale constraint will strengthen this association. In consideration of the firm-level fundamental information in stock prices and different market states, we find that lower fundamental information in stock price and bull market state will strengthen the positive association between investor sentiment and future stock price crash risk. Our findings are robust with several robustness checks.
Thymic Carcinoma With Glandular Differentiation Arising in a Congenital Thymic Cyst

A case of thymic carcinoma with glandular differentiation arising in congenital thymic cyst in a 50‐year‐old male is reported. Neoplasia in congenital thymic cyst is a rare phenomenon and is seldom associated with glandular differentiation. It is important to differentiate these neoplasms from carcinomas of die lower respiratory tract and from thymic carcinomas with secondary cystic degeneration, in view of their relatively good prognosis and die therapeutic implications. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, inc.
Altered structure of cortical sulci in gilles de la Tourette syndrome: Further support for abnormal brain development

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the presence of motor and vocal tics. We hypothesized that patients with this syndrome would present an aberrant pattern of cortical formation, which could potentially reflect global alterations of brain development. Using 3 Tesla structural neuroimaging, we compared sulcal depth, opening, and length and thickness of sulcal gray matter in 52 adult patients and 52 matched controls. Cortical sulci were automatically reconstructed and identified over the whole brain, using BrainVisa software. We focused on frontal, parietal, and temporal cortical regions, in which abnormal structure and functional activity were identified in previous neuroimaging studies. Partial correlation analysis with age, sex, and treatment as covariables of noninterest was performed amongst relevant clinical and neuroimaging variables in patients. Patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome showed lower depth and reduced thickness of gray matter in the pre‐ and post‐central as well as superior, inferior, and internal frontal sulci. In patients with associated obsessive‐compulsive disorder, additional structural changes were found in temporal, insular, and olfactory sulci. Crucially, severity of tics and of obsessive‐compulsive disorder measured by Yale Global Tic severity scale and Yale‐Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive scale, respectively, correlated with structural sulcal changes in sensorimotor, temporal, dorsolateral prefrontal, and middle cingulate cortical areas. Patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome displayed an abnormal structural pattern of cortical sulci, which correlated with severity of clinical symptoms. Our results provide further evidence of abnormal brain development in GTS. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Age-Related Hearing Impairment and B Vitamin Status

The aim of this study was to examine, in elderly subjects, a possible association between age-related hearing impairment and vitamin B12 or folic acid status. Ninety-one consecutive subjects with pure age-related hearing impairment, 35 males and 56 females, with a median age of 78 years, range 67-88 years, were included in the investigation. All subjects underwent a thorough evaluation, including pure-tone, speech and impedance audiometry. Blood samples were drawn for determination of B12, folic acid and homocysteine and analysed by routine laboratory measurements. No significant differences in the blood parameters as a function of gender could be demonstrated and no correlations were found between B12 or folic acid and hearing levels averaged across the range 0.5-4 kHz. A weak correlation between hearing levels and homocysteine (r=0.03; correlation coefficient 0.004) was found; however, a comparison of the hearing levels between those with increased and normal homocysteine failed to show any significant differences. In addition, no association between B12 and the speech recognition score could be found. This investigation therefore fails to demonstrate any association between hearing level and vitamin B12 or folic acid in elderly subjects.
A Tail of Two Cities: On the Downside Risk and Loss Profile of Asian and North American Hedge Funds

This article analyzes the downside risk and loss profiles of hedge funds in North America and Asia to identify any significant differences between the geographic markets and to determine how these differences have converged or diverged over time. An attempt is made to understand the performance drivers that differentiate Asian from North American hedge funds. In the downside-risk analysis of 2,631 North American and 994 Asian hedge funds from January 1995 to February 2013, event-driven investment strategies for both geographic regions perform better than the other hedge fund investment strategies in relation to both risk and return and downside risk. More diversified funds, such as multistrategy hedge funds, do not necessarily perform better than single-manager strategies in relation to downside risk, while relative value strategies exhibit the most similar characteristics across the two geographies. Following their lackluster performance during the Asian financial crisis, Asian hedge funds improved their risk-adjusted performance, particularly during the recent global financial crisis when their loss profile reached a level similar to that of their North American peers. Lastly, nearby funds (i.e., funds whose managers are located in the same investment geography) have slightly worse loss profiles than distant funds in both geographic markets, a result that is slightly contrary to extant empirical evidence.
Les pays d’Asie du Sud-Est ont-ils intérêt à stabiliser le taux de change face à des chocs externes ?

Cet article compare les performances economiques et en termes de bien-etre de quatre regimes monetaires (flottement pur, flottement dirige, zone cible et change fixe) pour chacun des cinq pays fondateurs de l’ASEAN, a l’aide d’un modele DSGE de petite economie ouverte. Le modele integre l’accelerateur financier et le phenomene dit de peche originel. Il est estime partiellement par la methode bayesienne et calibre en utilisant les donnees de ces pays. Nous trouvons, a travers l’analyse du bien-etre, que face aux chocs exterieurs, le regime de change flexible est le meilleur pour chacun des pays etudies, suivi des regimes intermediaires et des changes fixes. Nous montrons que ces resultats sont dependants du degre d’ouverture des economies, soulignant ainsi le role des effets de la depreciation sur le produit.
The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders among emergency department patients aged 14-20 years.

OBJECTIVE This study describes the rates of eating disorders in patients who present to the emergency department (ED) for any reason and examines the relationship between eating disorders, depression, and substance use in these patients. METHOD ED patients aged 14-20 years (n = 942) completed a computerized questionnaire. Analyses were conducted comparing individuals who screened positive for an eating disorder with those who did not based on demographics (gender, age, race, and public assistance), body mass index, substance use, and depression. RESULTS Sixteen percent of patients screened positive for an eating disorder. These patients were more likely to also screen positive for depression and substance use. Males accounted for 26.6% of all eating disorders, and no difference was seen in rates across ethnic or income groups. DISCUSSION Eating disorders are common amongst all patients aged 14-20 years presenting to the ED and are associated with high rates of psychiatric comorbidity.
Structural and Enzymatic Analysis of MshA from Corynebacterium glutamicum

The glycosyltransferase termed MshA catalyzes the transfer of N-acetylglucosamine from UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate in the first committed step of mycothiol biosynthesis. The structure of MshA from Corynebacterium glutamicum was determined both in the absence of substrates and in a complex with UDP and 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. MshA belongs to the GT-B structural family whose members have a two-domain structure with both domains exhibiting a Rossman-type fold. Binding of the donor sugar to the C-terminal domain produces a 97° rotational reorientation of the N-terminal domain relative to the C-terminal domain, clamping down on UDP and generating the binding site for 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. The structure highlights the residues important in binding of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. Molecular models of the ternary complex suggest a mechanism in which the β-phosphate of the substrate, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, promotes the nucleophilic attack of the 3-hydroxyl group of 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate while at the same time promoting the cleavage of the sugar nucleotide bond.
The Response Regulator CroR Modulates Expression of the Secreted Stress-Induced SalB Protein in Enterococcus faecalis

ABSTRACT The Enterococcus faecalis two-component signal transduction system CroRS, also referred as the RR-HK05 pair, is required for intrinsic β-lactam resistance (Y. R. Comenge, R. Quintiliani, Jr., L. Li, L. Dubost, J. P. Brouard, J. E. Hugonnet, and M. Arthur, J. Bacteriol. 185:7184-7192, 2003) and is also suspected to be involved in the expression of salB (previously referred to as sagA), a gene important for resistance to environmental stress and cell morphology (Y. Le Breton, G. Boël, A. Benachour, H. Prévost, Y. Auffray, and A. Rincé, Environ. Microbiol. 5:329-337, 2003). In this report, we provide genetic and biochemical evidence that salB encodes a secreted protein that is expressed from a monocistronic stress-inducible operon. Consistent with CroR being a direct transcriptional activator of the salB expression, CroR was found to bind to the salB promoter region in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Interestingly, we provide evidence that SalB does not play a role in the intrinsic β-lactam resistance associated with CroRS. We also show that the CroRS system is able to regulate its own expression. The sequence of the CroRS binding site in the salB and croR promoter regions was determined using DNase I footprinting assays.
Non-linear Logit Models For High FrequencyCurrency Exchange Data

High frequency market data has become available with recent developments in computer technology. These data have some unique characteristics that do not appear in low frequency data. They are important in understanding financial markets. We present evidence of a unique property of high frequency data by proposing a new model. In this paper, we analyze tick-by-tick data, the most high frequency data available, of yen-dollar currency exchange rates. Focusing on the direction of up or down price movement, we show that a non-trivial structure exists in conditional probabilities of binarized data, which is apparently invisible from the price change itself. The probabilistic structure has a strong bias not only in the first order conditional probabilities but also in the higher order ones. Logit models are often applied to the analysis of the direction of price change. However, we found that a conventional logit model was not sufficient for our data due to its non-linear behavior. This motivated us to develop a new extended non-linear logit model to reproduce the binary probabilistic structure. This new model has overcome some of the shortcomings of the conventional analysis such as AR models and logit models. It can successfully show that the structure is such that it refers up to the previous few minutes by a model selection based on Akaike Information Criterion. The empirical result is consistent with dealers' perceptions that their strategies change slowly in the time scale of a few minutes. Our analysis here opens a possibility that this new non-linear logit model can be applied to a wide range of binary time series to extract their non-trivial probabilistic structures. Finally, in order to investigate the generality of our model, we are now analyzing the tick-by-tick GE data on NYSE, which is also one of the most active stocks.
Bilateral use of the vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib attached to the pelvis: a novel treatment for scoliosis in the growing spine.

OBJECT Few options exist for the treatment of severe, early onset scoliosis. Goals of treatment include stabilizing curve progression while allowing for normal spine, chest, and lung growth. The vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) is a novel device designed to control the spine deformity while permitting lung and spine growth. In this paper the authors report their experience with using bilateral VEPTRs from the ribs to the pelvis for children with severe, early onset scoliosis. METHODS Eleven children were identified who had been treated with bilateral VEPTRs from the ribs to the pelvis. The authors conducted a retrospective review and collected the following data: clinical diagnosis, age at surgery, number of lengthening procedures, and complications. In addition, pre- and postoperative radiographs were reviewed to measure maximum Cobb angle (both thoracic and lumbar), thoracic height, total spine height as measured from T-1 to S-1, thoracic kyphosis (T2-12), and lumbar lordosis (L1-S1). RESULTS The average patient age at surgery was 71 months; the mean preoperative thoracic Cobb angle was 81.7 degrees . This angle was corrected to 50.6 degrees immediately postoperatively, and this correction was maintained; at the most recent follow-up the curves averaged 58 degrees . Similarly, the preoperative kyphosis (T2-12) angle measured 43 degrees preoperatively, 23 degrees immediately postoperatively, and 37 degrees at the most recent follow-up evaluation. The patients underwent a total of 41 lengthening procedures (average 3.7 lengthening procedures per patient), and overall spine length increased from 23.1 cm preoperatively, to 27.3 cm immediately postoperatively, to 29.4 cm at the final follow-up (an average of 25 months). Four (36.4%) of the 11 patients experienced complications. CONCLUSIONS The VEPTR offers a viable treatment option for children with severe, early onset scoliosis. It achieves and maintains spinal deformity correction, while allowing for continued spine and chest-wall growth. Complication rates are similar to those reported for other growing systems.