Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous Lysis of Epidural Adhesions—Evidence for Safety and Efficacy

Background: Percutaneous lysis of epidural adhesions is done worldwide. Over 1.7 million of these procedures were done in the U.S.A. by 2006. This interventional pain management technique is used to treat chronic low back pain (LBP) and/or radiculopathy. The primary object of the approach is to target drug delivery to areas of pathology in the spinal epidural space. The procedure involves removing barriers, such as epidural fibrosis, that prevent drug from reaching target sites.
Gender differences in the factors influencing consistent condom use among young people in Tanzania

AIDS has become a major cause of death in Tanzania and young people represent the most vulnerable group. Recent HIV prevalence data showed that young women are more likely than young men to become infected. This paper examined commonalties and differences in the sociodemographic and ideational predictors of condom use among young men and women in Tanzania. The data derive from a 2004 sample survey among young people aged 15-24 years in five regions of Tanzania. The sample on which the analyses were based included 1,523 single women and 1,200 single men. An ideation framework guided the analyses of the predictors of consistent condom use. Logistic regression was the main analytic method used and separate models were estimated for men and women. The most significant correlates of consistent condom use for men included perceived self-efficacy for correct condom use, discussing condom use with friends, and perceived self-efficacy for using condoms with a long-term partner. Discussing condom use with a sex partner and the perceived self-efficacy to refuse sex if the sex partner refused to use a condom were the most significant predictors for women. One implication of the findings is that for men, effective interventions should emphasize correct condom use know-how and address the issue of negative peer pressure and group norms around condom use. For women, interventions should focus on sexual empowerment.
A Study on Altruistic and Electoral Income Redistribution : Theory and Data ∗

We analyze a political competition model of (tax and transfer) redistributive policies. We show that the net transfers to the income groups consist of two parts, called altruistic and electoral redistribution, which depend on the initial income inequality, social fairness, ideology, and the distribution of policymaking power among the parties. In accordance with the theory, the empirical evidence from a sample of developed and developing democracies strongly supports a positive and significant association between: (i) the net group transfers and the initial income gaps, and (ii) the net transfers to the non-poor (and respectively, the after-tax Gini coefficient) and power sharing disproportionality. JEL Classification Codes: C72, D72, D78.
Regulation of H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 during early porcine embryonic development

The epigenetic marks H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 are important repressive and permissive histone modifications, respectively, which are involved in gene regulation such as Hox gene expression during embryonic development. In this study, we investigated the global levels of these two histone modifications. We also investigated the expression of H3K27me3's methyltransferase (EZH2), EZH2 co‐factors (EED and SUZ12) and demethylases (JMJD3 and UTX), as well as H3K4me3's methylases (ASH1L and MLL1) and demethylase (RBP2) in porcine pre‐implantation embryos. In addition, the expression of Hox genes, HOXA2, HOXA3, HOXA7, HOXA10, HOXB4, HOXB7, HOXC8, HOXD8, and HOXD10 was investigated. We found that global levels of H3K27me3 decreased from the 1‐ to the 4‐cell stage, corresponding to the time of major embryonic genome activation. Subsequently, the levels increased in hatched blastocysts, particularly in the trophectoderm. The expression levels of EZH2, EED, SUZ12, JMJD3, and UTX correlated well with these findings. The global levels of H3K4me3 decreased from the 1‐cell to the morula stage and increased in hatched blastocysts, especially in trophectoderm. A peak in expression of ASH1L was seen at the 4‐cell stage, but overall, expression of ASH1L, MLL1, and RBP2 correlated poorly with H3K4me3. HOXA3, A7, and B4 were expressed in 4‐cell embryos, and HOXA7, A10, B4, and D8 were expressed in hatched blastocysts, and did not correlate well to global methylation of H3K27me3 or H3K4me3. Thus, H3K4me3 may play a role in early porcine embryonic genome activation, whereas, H3K27me3 may be involved in initial cell lineage segregation in the blastocyst. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 77: 540–549, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The long and the short of policy pantomime in Afghanistan

What roles do policies and policymaking play in the governance of the Afghan state? And what determines policy approval by cabinet? Based on the analysis of two subnational governance policies, this article concludes, first, that policy approval depends on the strength of political sponsorship, particularly personal relations with the president, and presidential political control, rather than the intrinsic merits of policy; and second, that policies and policymaking constitute pantomime-like behaviour designed to create an impression of developmental governance that conceals the realization of demand- and supply-side vested interests. Nevertheless, establishing the necessary (technical) conditions for good policy that can be utilized when sufficient (political) conditions are present is deemed worthwhile. And, although time is running out for constructive change in Afghanistan, to the extent that exposure of the incompetence, opportunism, hubris and mendacity of power makes policy pantomime and its tragic consequences less likely, so too are critiques like this.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus: Selection by Homogenized Calf Kidney Adsorption and Cell Culture Passage

Foot-and-mouth disease virus was passaged 20 times by alternately adsorbing the virus with homogenized calf kidney and propagating the adsorption-resistant fraction of virus in cell cultures. Passage of the virus was accompanied by a marked decrease in pathogenicity for 35-day-old mice and a reduction in its ability to adsorb to homogenized kidney from such mice. Adsorption by homogenized calf kidney and infant mouse kidney also decreased with passage, but pathogenicity for cattle and infant mice remained high. The passaged virus did not seem to change antigenically. When the 20th-passage virus was serially passaged 10 times in cell cultures, no reversion in pathogenicity for 35-day-old mice was observed.
Post IPO dynamics of capital structure on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange

This paper examines the dynamics of capital structure for firms engaging in initial public offerings (IPOs) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Censored Tobit regressions are used to model capital structure targeting behaviour. The findings suggest evidence of targeting behaviour consistent with the static trade off theory of capital structure. On average, IPO firms adjust towards the capital structure target at a faster pace than seasoned firms; IPO firms take, on average, 0.77 years to cover half the financing gap, whereas seasoned firms take an average of 2.65 years. In the first year following the IPO, hot market IPOs significantly reduce their total debt, while cold market IPOs increase the total debt significantly. In terms of the total debt ratio, hot market IPOs adjust at a marginally faster pace than cold market IPOs. However, the opposite is true when the long term debt ratio is considered. In addition, hot market IPOs adjust faster than cold market IPOs in the first year following the IPO. The average first year adjustment speed of hot market IPO firms is 45.61 percent higher than the speed of adjustment for the average cold market IPO firm.
Essays on labour markets and pensions

In this dissertation we study labour markets, pension systems, and the interaction between the two. In the second chapter after the introduction we study the effects of fiscal changes in an overlapping-generations model. A labour tax increase reduces welfare more than a consumption tax increase and a tax swap makes all new-born generations better off. However, during transition it opens up a welfare gap between the retired (worse off) and the working (better off). In the third chapter we study the intergenerational effects of unemployment caused by wage rigidity on the accumulation of pension entitlements. We build an overlapping-generations model in which unions set the wages and firms pick employment. The pension system has an effect on steady state outcomes of labour market variables, but pension systems matter less for the transitional dynamics. The fourth chapter analyses euro area Beveridge curves over the past 25 years. We find an outward shift of the aggregate euro area, Spanish and French Beveridge curves since the onset of the crisis, but an inward shift for Germany. Examining the factors underlying the observed developments we find (tentative) evidence for skill, sectoral and geographical mismatch. In the fifth chapter we estimate wage equations to test for changes in the responsiveness of wages to unemployment using euro area panel estimates. Wages are less responsive at high levels of unemployment. Additionally, differences in bargaining position — in particularly differences between unionised vs. non-unionised labour and permanent vs. temporary jobs — explain a large part of the downward wage rigidity.
Coalescent under the evolution of coadaptation

Adaptation to novel environments arises either from new beneficial mutations or by utilizing pre‐existing genetic variation. When standing variation is used as the source of new adaptation, fitness effects of alleles may be altered through an environmental change. Alternatively, changes in epistatic genetic backgrounds may convert formerly neutral mutations into beneficial alleles in the new genetic background. By extending the coalescent theory to describe the genealogical histories of two interacting loci, I here investigated the hitchhiking effect of epistatic selection on the amount and pattern of sequence diversity at the linked neutral regions. Assuming a specific form of epistasis between two new mutations that are independently neutral, but together form a coadapted haplotype, I demonstrate that the footprints of epistatic selection differ markedly between the interacting loci depending on the order and relative timing of the two mutational events, even though both mutations are equally essential for the formation of an adaptive gene combination. Our results imply that even when neutrality tests could detect just a single instance of adaptive substitution, there may, in fact, be numerous other hidden mutations that are left undetected, but still play indispensable roles in the evolution of a new adaptation. We expect that the integration of the coalescent framework into the general theory of polygenic inheritance would clarify the connection between factors driving phenotypic evolution and their consequences on underlying DNA sequence changes, which should further illuminate the evolutionary foundation of coadapted systems.
Tax Incentives and Charitable Giving: Evidence from New Survey Data

A new survey data set is used to obtain estimates of the tax price elasticity of personal giving to tax-deductible charitable causes. Like other surveys, the data here yield a large elasticity estimate, roughly two and a half for a representative household when Tobit estimation is used. One hypothesis for the discrepancy between such large estimates and values close to unity found in tax data is that there is an “itemization effect” reflecting nonrandom selection in tax data; the Florida data do not support this hypothesis. Another explanation for the discrepancy between tax-file-based and survey-based estimates is that the standard use of OLS rather than Tobit biases the elasticity more in survey data, where many people report zero gifts. For the Florida data, using OLS increases the estimated elasticity by about 30%; while this effect cannot explain why the Florida data produce such large elasticities, it suggests that OLS estimates in earlier studies should be used with caution.
Non-invasive on-line detection of winding faults in induction motors—A review

This paper is a review and evaluation of different on-line methods for diagnosing winding fault in induction motors presented in literature. Many methods can be found in literature; in some references, frequency analysis of motor signals such as current, speed, instantaneous power, Parkpsilas vector modulus and so on are introduced. Evaluation of negative sequence of current is also among the proposed methods. Supply voltage unbalance and some other phenomena may be confused with the winding fault. Therefore, the monitoring and fault detection of electrical machines have moved in recent years from traditional techniques to artificial intelligence based techniques. There are many other techniques that will be introduced and investigated in the detailed paper. A comparison of different methods introduced in literature is the main objective of this paper.
Labeling fibroblasts with biotin‐BSA‐GdDTPA‐FAM for tracking of tumor‐associated stroma by fluorescence and MR imaging

Fibroblasts at the tumor–host interface can differentiate into myofibroblasts and pericytes, and contribute to the guidance and stabilization of endothelial sprouts. After intravenous administration of biotin‐BSA‐GdDTPA‐FAM in mice with subcutaneous MLS human ovarian carcinoma tumors, the distribution of the macromolecular MRI/optical contrast material was confined to blood vessels in normal tissues, while it co‐registered with αSMA‐positive stroma tracks within the tumor. These αSMA‐positive tumor‐associated myofibroblasts and pericytes showed uptake of the contrast material into intracellular granules. We evaluated the use of this contrast material for in vitro labeling of tumor fibroblasts as an approach for tracking their involvement in angiogenesis. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated internalization of the contrast material, and MRI revealed a significant increase in the R1 relaxation rate of labeled fibroblasts. R1 not only remained elevated for 2 weeks in culture, it also increased with cell proliferation, indicating prolonged retention of the contrast material and subsequent intracellular processing and redistribution of the material, and thereby enhancing MR contrast. Moreover, cells that were labeled ex vivo with MR contrast material and co‐inoculated with tumor cells in mice were detected in vivo by MRI. Uptake of the contrast material was suppressed by nystatin, suggesting internalization by caveolae‐mediated endocytosis. This study shows that labeling of fibroblasts with biotin‐BSA‐GdDTPA‐FAM is feasible and would allow noninvasive in vivo tracking of fibroblasts during tumor angiogenesis and vessel maturation. Magn Reson Med, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Donations and Differentiation: Three Essays on Non-Profit Strategy

Given increased competition with for-profit firms, the issue of the comparative advantage of nonprofit organizations is renewed. While non-profits may want to differentiate themselves when faced with additional non-profit competition, it is unclear whether they would want to differentiate themselves or converge towards for-profit competitors. This paper addresses this issue by considering the different financing models, human resource systems, and objectives of non-profit organizations, as compared to for-profits, in the mixed industry of microfinance. In my first essay, I utilize an analytical model, where firms can choose profit status, sources of financing, and the borrowers they target with a given interest rate and loan size. I find that nonprofit and for-profit organizations will segment the market, partly due to differences in profit status and partly due to differences in the sources of financing. I find support for the hypotheses using a large-scale panel dataset of microfinance organizations in Latin America. The second essay focuses on a particular element of the business model considered in the first essay: deposit-taking. I show that non-profits that begin taking deposits only benefit financially if they also begin making larger loans. This suggests that changes in non-profits' activities may require a change
The Impact of Hypertension and Hypertension‐Related Left Ventricle Hypertrophy on Right Ventricle Function

Aim: The aim of our study is to determine the effect of hypertension and hypertension‐related left ventricle hypertrophy on right ventricle (RV) morphology and function by using RV standard Doppler echocardiographic indices, myocardial Doppler imaging, and strain/strain rate imaging indices. Methods: We studied 35 patients with arterial hypertension and 30 age‐ and sex‐adjusted control subjects who had no other pathological conditions. Standard transthoracic Doppler echocardiographical measurements, pulsed‐wave tissue Doppler from tricuspid anulus (Peak systolic‐st, peak early diastolic‐et, peak late diastolic velocity‐at), reconstructed spectral pulsed‐wave tissue Doppler velocities (peak systolic‐S, peak early‐E, peak late diastolic velocity‐A), and strain/strain rate imaging of RV free wall mid region (peak systolic strain‐∈, peak systolic strain rate‐SR) were obtained. Results: Age, body surface area, blood pressure, and heart rate were comparable between two groups. Hypertensive subjects had significantly increased LV end‐diastolic septal and posterior wall thickness, left atrial diameter, LV mass, LV mass index, and relative wall thickness during diastole. At the level of right ventricular lateral tricuspid annulus without systolic changes, the majority of diastolic measurements were altered in hypertensives (early diastolic velocity et; 13 ± 2 vs. 18 ± 4 m/sec, P < 0.0001, late diastolic velocity at; 20 ± 4 vs. 14 ± 3 m/sec, P < 0.0001, early to late diastolic velocity ratio; 0.69 ± 0.14 vs. 1.32 ± 0.38, P < 0.0001). The velocity data from two‐dimensional color myocardial imaging at the level of RV free wall mid region again showed altered diastolic measurements in hypertensives (E; 8.01 ± 2.6 vs. 10.4 ± 3.14 m/sec, P < 0.001, A; 11.5 ± 2.6 vs. 9.12 ± 3.7 m/sec, P < 0.0001, E/A ratio; 0.75 ± 0.41 vs. 1.87 ± 0.48, P < 0.00). The peak systolic strain of RV free wall mid region was significantly lower in hypertensive individuals than controls (25.666 ± 5.64 vs. 30.03 ± 6.78%, P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in other parameters of RV function between hypertensive and control subjects. Conclusions: The present study demontrates that besides the manifest morphologic LV adaptations, significant RV functional alterations can be determined by TDI and strain/strain rate imaging in patients arterial hypertension. Both tissue velocities by TDI and strain imaging may be new tools to define and quantitate subtle change in systolic and diastolic function of right ventricular function in arterial hypertension that cannot be determined in standard echocardiographic parameters.
Biochemical Characterization of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Plant-Associated Bacteria with Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

Raman spectra of Gram-positive and Gram-negative plant bacteria have been measured with micro-Raman spectrometers equipped with 785 and 514.5 nm lasers. The Gram-positive bacteria Microbacterium testaceum, Paenibacillus validus, and Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis have strong carotenoid bands in the regions 1155–1157 cm−1 and 1516–1522 cm−1 that differentiate them from other tested Gram-negative bacteria. In the Raman spectrum of Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus megaterium excited with 785 nm laser, the Raman bands at 1157 and 1521 cm−1 are weak in intensity compared to other Gram-positive bacteria, and these bands did not show significant resonance Raman enhancement in the spectrum recorded with 514.5 nm laser excitation. The Gram-positive bacteria could be separated from each other based on the bands associated with the in-phase C=C (ν1) vibrations of the polyene chain of carotenoids. None of the Gram-negative bacteria tested had carotenoid bands. The bacteria in the genus Xanthomonas have a carotenoid-like pigment, xanthomonadin, identified in Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiae, and it is a unique Raman marker for the bacteria. The representative bands for xanthomonadin were the C–C stretching (ν2) vibrations of the polyene chain at 1135–1136 cm−1 and the in-phase C=C (ν1) vibrations of the polyene chain at 1529–1531 cm−1, which were distinct from the carotenoid bands of other tested bacteria. The tyrosine peak in the region 1170–1175 cm−1 was the only other marker present in Gram-negative bacteria that was absent in all tested Gram-positives. A strong-intensity exopolysaccharide-associated marker at 1551 cm−1 is a distinguishable feature of Enterobacter cloacae. The Gram-negative Agrobacterium rhizogenes and Ralstonia solanacearum were differentiated from each other and other tested bacteria on the basis of presence or absence and relative intensities of peaks. The principal components analysis (PCA) of the spectra excited with 785 nm laser differentiated the various strains of bacteria based on the unique pigments these bacteria do or do not possess. Raman spectroscopy of diverse plant bacteria that are pathogenic and non-pathogenic to plants, and isolated from plants and soil, indicates the possibilities of using the method in understanding plant–bacterial interactions at the cellular level.
Deterioration in carotid baroreflex during carotid endarterectomy.

OBJECTIVE Blood pressure instability after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been associated with a disturbance of the baroreflex control mechanism caused by the surgery in the carotid sinus region. The purpose of this study was to determine if a deterioration in carotid baroreceptors occurs during the surgery. METHOD Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were recorded continuously in 60 patients undergoing CEA as well as preoperatively and postoperatively at 2 days and 6 weeks. The baroreflex sensitivity was determined by cross-spectral analysis of HR and systolic blood pressure (SBP). During the surgery, three tests were used to assess the baroreflex response. The first test simulated a sudden fall in systemic blood pressure by clamping the common carotid artery. The second test simulated a rise in systemic blood pressure by applying pressure by using a rubbing action on the luminal surface of the carotid sinus region. The rub test was performed twice, once with the atheromatous plaque in situ and once when the plaque had been removed. The third test is clamp removal and restoration of blood flow through the carotid sinus. RESULTS Carotid cross-clamping increased mean +/- standard error of the mean SBP from 117 +/- 3 mm Hg before clamping to 125 +/- 3 mm Hg (P <.05) at 30 beats after clamping. The first rub test with the plaque in situ decreased SBP from 121 +/- 3 mm Hg to 117 +/- 3 mm Hg (P <.01) at 10 beats after the rub test, indicating a functioning baroreceptor reflex. The second rub test increased SBP from 126 +/- 3 mm Hg to 128 +/- 3 mm Hg (P <.05). SBP dropped (P <.01) when unclamping suggesting a selective alteration of the baroreflex sensitivity. The baroreflex sensitivity was significantly reduced 2 days postoperatively when compared to preoperative values (P <.05). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the act of plaque removal could be associated with a partial disruption of baroreceptor mechanism in the carotid artery. This could affect type I baroreceptors.
Differential Mucoid Exopolysaccharide Production by Members of the Burkholderia cepacia Complex

ABSTRACT We demonstrate that all nine species of the Burkholderia cepacia complex can express the mucoid phenotype. A survey of clinical isolates showed that strains of B. cenocepacia, the most virulent species of the complex, are most frequently nonmucoid. Additionally, isolates from patients with chronic infections can convert from mucoid to nonmucoid.