Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hit Where It Hurts: Cartel Policing Using Targeted Sales and Supply Embargoes

In this paper, we examine an asymmetric-punishment strategy that a large and newly identified cartel of retailers uses to police its upstream suppliers and members. The cartel punishes suppliers who violate vertical restraints and members who defect in the key regional or product market where it hurts them the most. The cartel organizes sales embargoes to punish its suppliers and supply embargoes to punish its members. Cartels can leverage the targeted punishment strategy to induce good behavior across multiple product, regional, and vertical markets. We examine several episodes in which the association of retail pharmaceutical traders in India, acting as a cartel, imposes sales embargoes on select pharmaceutical firms and supply embargoes on its members, and we find evidence consistent with targeted punishment. Our results support the theoretical view that growing buyer power in conjunction with vertical restraints facilitates collusion.
Effects of hyperoxia on T  2* and resonance frequency weighted magnetic resonance images of rodent tumours

Experiments were performed to determine whether T 2* and resonance frequency weighted MR images are sensitive to effects of hyperoxia on model tumors. Hyperoxia can increase tumor oxygen tension and thus affect T 2* and/or the average resonance frequency within each image voxel due to the paramagnetism of oxygen itself or through modulation of the oxidation state of hemoglobin. Alternatively, changes in T 2* during hyperoxia may reflect changes in tumor water content due to changes in systemic blood pressure. Mammary adenocarcinomas implanted in the flanks of rats were studied. Imaging sequences were preceded by two 90° pulses separated by an evolution period of 50 or 75 ms and followed by a crusher gradient to eliminate transverse magnetization. This pulse sequence produced images which were sensitized to both T 2* and the average resonance frequency of each voxel. Images were produced at 2 T using a gradient echo imaging method with a TR of 3 s. Images obtained during inhalation of air and 100% O2 were compared. Significant increases in image intensity were observed in most tumors during hyperoxia, particularly at the tumor center. The increase was accentuated when the evolution period was increased and greatly reduced when a 180° refocusing pulse was placed at the center of the evolution period. These results suggest that hyperoxia reduces local magnetic susceptibility gradients leading to an increase in T 2* or causes a shift in resonance frequency. The magnitude of this change may be a function of the rate at which oxygen is delivered to and metabolized by tumors and may also reflect tumor oxygen tension under normoxic conditions. Therefore, response to hyperoxia may provide useful contrast in MR images which could aid identification and characterization of tumors and provide an indirect measure of tumor blood flow and oxygenation.
Problems reported by patients before and after prosthodontic treatment.

PURPOSE This study sought to investigate problems reported by patients before and after prosthodontic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patient-reported problems were studied using the item list contained in the German version of the Oral Health Impact Profile in a convenience sample of 107 prosthodontic patients before (T0), 1 month after (T1), and 6 to 12 months after treatment (T2). "Frequently reported" problems were defined as impacts experienced fairly often or very often. The prevalence of frequently reported problems was compared among treatment groups and across appointments. RESULTS At baseline, the most prevalent frequently reported problems were "difficulty chewing" (31%), "take longer to complete a meal" (28%), "food catching" (26%), "uncomfortable to eat" (24%), and "unable to eat (because of dentures)" (23%). At T2, the most prevalent frequently reported problems were "sore spots" (5%), "painful gums" (4%), "discomfort (because of dentures)" (3%), and "sore jaw" (2%). The number of reported problems decreased from 18.0 (T0) to 7.5 (T1), and further to 4.5 (T2). The decrease was the fastest in fixed partial denture wearers and the slowest in removable partial denture wearers. Some problems emerged during or after prosthodontic treatment. The kind of pre- and posttreatment problems differed substantially. CONCLUSION The number of problems decreased substantially after prosthodontic treatment. Fixed partial dentures more effectively influenced the problems reported before treatment than did removable partial or complete dentures.
Clarifications on the Construction and Use of the ManyBugs Benchmark

High-quality research requires timely dissemination and the incorporation of feedback. Since the publication of the ManyBugs benchmark and its release on http://repairbenchmarks.cs. umass.edu/, researchers have provided feedback on the benchmark's construction and use. Here, we describe that feedback and our subsequent improvements to the ManyBugs benchmark.
Scaled ratings of DSM-III personality disorders.

The authors describe the use of a 4-point rating scale for DSM-III axis II categories in a hospital-based outpatient clinic. Fifty-one percent of the sample met the criteria for one or more DSM-III personality disorders. This increased to 88% when the sample also included patients rated as having "some traits" or "almost meets DSM-III criteria. " Frequency distributions were obtained for each of the 11 personality disorders, and a factor analysis was derived that was similar to the groupings described in DSM-III.
Functional protein microarrays for parallel characterisation of p53 mutants

Understanding the way in which single nucleotide polymorphisms and mutations in the human genome result in individual susceptibility to disease is a major goal in the postgenomic era. Such knowledge should accelerate the development of personalised medicine in which drug treatment can specifically match an individual's genotype. High‐throughput DNA sequencing is generating the initial information required, but new technologies are required that can rapidly characterise the phenotypic effects of the identified polymorphisms. For example, many thousands of allelic variants of the p53 gene have been described and are responsible for more than 50% of cancers, however few of the protein products have been functionally characterised. Here we have quantified in parallel the effects of mutations and polymorphisms on the DNA‐binding function of the p53 oncoprotein using a protein microarray, allowing their subclassification according to functional effect. Protein‐protein interactions between p53 variants and (i) a regulatory oncoprotein, (ii) a regulatory kinase resulting in on‐chip phosphorylation, are also described, suggesting the more general utility of this high‐throughput assay format.
Behavior of multi-band RF-DC converters in presence of modulated signals for space based wireless sensors

In this paper the design and evaluation of a multi-band RF-DC converter is presented. The RF-DC converter is optimized to operate in two bands. It is shown that the behavior of the two-bands combined can be of interest for the harvesting of extra power. The device is then subject to many different signals and its overall performance is evaluated.
Non-viral Expression of Mouse Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 Transcription Factors Efficiently Reprograms Tadpole Muscle Fibers in Vivo*

Background: Non-viral generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in vitro is generally of low efficiency. Results: In vivo expression of non-integrated transgenes Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 efficiently reprograms muscle cells. Conclusion: Reprogrammed, undifferentiated cells can be reliably and rapidly produced using naked DNA, exploiting synergy between muscle repair and reprogramming. Significance: In vivo approach throws light on the molecular networks underlying reprogramming, suggesting alternate iPSC generation strategies. Adult mammalian cells can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by a limited combination of transcription factors. To date, most current iPSC generation protocols rely on viral vector usage in vitro, using cells removed from their physiological context. Such protocols are hindered by low derivation efficiency and risks associated with genome modifications of reprogrammed cells. Here, we reprogrammed cells in an in vivo context using non-viral somatic transgenesis in Xenopus tadpole tail muscle, a setting that provides long term expression of non-integrated transgenes in vivo. Expression of mouse mOct4, mSox2, and mKlf4 (OSK) led rapidly and reliably to formation of proliferating cell clusters. These clusters displayed the principal hallmarks of pluripotency: alkaline phosphatase activity, up-regulation of key epigenetic and chromatin remodeling markers, and reexpression of endogenous pluripotent markers. Furthermore, these clusters were capable of differentiating into derivatives of the three germ layers in vitro and into neurons and muscle fibers in vivo. As in situ reprogramming occurs along with muscle tissue repair, the data provide a link between these two processes and suggest that they act synergistically. Notably, every OSK injection resulted in cluster formation. We conclude that reprogramming is achievable in an anamniote model and propose that in vivo approaches could provide rapid and efficient alternative for non-viral iPSC production. The work opens new perspectives in basic stem cell research and in the longer term prospect of regenerative medicine protocols development.
One-Year Conservative Care Using Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation Is Associated with a Decrease in Electronegative LDL in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Pilot Study

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients develop metabolic acidosis when approaching stages 3 and 4, a period in which accelerated atherogenesis may ensue. Studies in vitro show that low pH may increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, suggesting a role for chronic metabolic acidosis in atherosclerosis. The present study attempted to evaluate the effects of conservative care using oral sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation on the electronegative LDL [LDL(-)], a minimally oxidized LDL, plasma levels in CKD patients. Methods: Thirty-one CKD patients were followed by a multidisciplinary team during 15 months of care in which 1.0 mmol/kg/day oral NaHCO3 supplementation was first given in the third month. Blood samples were collected 3 months before the initiation of oral NaHCO3 supplementation (T1), at the time of the beginning of supplementation (T2), and thereafter, each 4 months (T3, T4 and T5) until month 15 of care. Blood parameters and LDL(-) were measured from these collections. Results: After 12 months of conservative care, creatinine clearance (MDRD) was kept stable, and serum bicarbonate (HCO3-) increased from 20.5 ± 2.9 to 22.6 ± 1.1 mM (p < 0.003). LDL(-) plasma levels declined from 4.5 ± 3.3 to 2.1 ± 0.9 U/L (p < 0.007) after reaching mean serum HCO3- levels of 22.6 ± 1.1 mM. Conclusions: Conservative care using oral NaHCO3 supplementation was able to stabilize renal function and decrease serum levels of LDL(-), a modified proatherogenic lipoprotein, only when mean serum HCO3- levels approached 22 mM. This study constitutes evidence that alkali therapy, in addition to its beneficial effect on renal disease progression, might serve as a preventive strategy to attenuate atherogenesis in CKD patients.
The Re-analysis of the Relationship between Government’s Income and Expenditure in an Oil-based Economy with TVPFAVAR Approach (Iran as the Case of Study)

Oil incomes play important roles in the budget structure and government expenditures of oil-dependent economies. The existence of such an economic structure has made the causal relationship between government's incomes and expenditures a debatable issue for economic decision-makers. In the previous studies, the relationship between the two variables of Iran's incomes and expenditures was considered linearly, while the nature of these two variables is non-linear. Due to the limitations of econometric techniques, the non-linear investigation of these variables has not been carried out thus far. Models with changeable parameters over time have solved this problem. So in the present study by applying TVP FAVAR method in MATLAB software and employing seasonal data from 1989 to 2015, attempt has been made to accurately explore the relationship between government's incomes and expenditures. The results of the study demonstrated that the coefficients of income - expenditure over time have a non-linear fluctuation mode. Therefore, simultaneous fiscal policy hypothesis is confirmed for Iran.
A study on lesion pattern of bilateral cerebellar infarct.

OBJECTIVE To explore the lesion patterns and stroke mechanism of the acute bilateral cerebellar infarct. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients admitted to Xiangyang Hospital with acute cerebellar infarcts, confirmed by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), were investigated. Patients were divided into two groups by lesions: unilateral cerebellar infarct (UCI) and bilateral cerebellar infarct (BCI). The demographic features, involved territories and concomitant lesions outside the cerebellum (CLOC). The causes were analyzed. RESULTS Amongst the 115 patients hospitalized with posterior circulation cerebral infarct due to acute stroke, 56 patients had cerebellar infarct. There were 36 (64.3%) cases of unilateral cerebellar infarct and 20 (35.7%) cases of the BCI. The baseline information shows that stroke history (p = 0.002), fibrinogen (p = 0.036) and admission NIHSS score (M) (p = 0.001) for the BCI group are higher than the unilateral cerebellar infarct group. The incidence rate of cerebellar infarct in a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) blood supplying territory is the highest by divisions of vascular distribution. Unilateral cerebellar infarct occurs more often (p = 0.006); BCI is more common in PICA+SCA blood supplying territory (p = 0.004). The incidence rate of BCI merged with CLOC is much higher than the unilateral cerebellar infarct (p = 0.002). Merged infratentorial lesions are more common (p = 0.022) than BCI with atherosclerosis (p = 0.041). Offending artery diseases are mainly in the V4 segment of the vertebral artery, and in the severe stenosis or occlusion of V4 and BA junction. CONCLUSIONS BCI was frequently involved in the PICA + SCA territory. Our results support the fact that embolism resulted from large artery atherosclerosis is the important stroke mechanism in the BCI.
Improved diagnostic accuracy of blood tests for severe fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C

Objective Blood tests are usually designed to identify significant fibrosis. We evaluated their diagnostic accuracy, and how to increase it, for the clinically important targets of severe fibrosis and cirrhosis. Methods The accuracy for severe fibrosis or cirrhosis of four blood tests was evaluated based on Metavir staging in 1056 patients with chronic hepatitis C recruited in five independent hospitals. Results Using original scores, an original diagnostic target (significant fibrosis) and best diagnostic cutoff, the correct classification rates in severe fibrosis and cirrhosis stages were, respectively: FibroMeter: 90.1, 100%, Fibrotest: 78.2, 95.1%, Hepascore: 73.8, 94.9%, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI): 71.4, 88.0% (P<0.003, P=0.004, respectively, between tests). The corresponding area under the receiver operating characteristics were FibroMeter: 0.885, 0.907, Fibrotest: 0.837, 0.882, Hepascore: 0.834, 0.896, APRI: 0.822, 0.841 (P<0.003, respectively). Observed 100% negative predictive values for severe fibrosis and cirrhosis were, respectively, FibroMeter: 15.4, 47.5%, Fibrotest: 3.6, 31.9%, Hepascore: 0.3, 24.6%, APRI: 1.4, 5.3% of patients (P<0.003, respectively, between tests). By calculating a specific test for cirrhosis, including the FibroMeter markers, the correct classification (93.0%) was significantly higher for the cirrhosis diagnosis compared with the original FibroMeter (90.9%, P=0.005). This specific test provided a 100% positive predictive value for cirrhosis diagnosis versus 88% for original FibroMeter. Conclusion Using the most accurate original test, cirrhosis can be excluded in 47.5% of patients and is correctly diagnosed, as significant fibrosis, in 100% of patients. A specific test for cirrhosis provides a significant gain in diagnostic accuracy to 93% and in positive predictive value to 100% compared with the original test.
The diagnosis and treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis.

BACKGROUND Endometriosis and adenomyosis uteri are the most common benign disorders affecting girls and women after uterine myomas (fibroids), with a prevalence of roughly 5% to 15%. There have been many advances in diagnostic assessment and in our understanding of the disease over the past decade. Steady improvements in treatment have been accompanied by heightened consciousness of the diagnosis among the affected women and the doctors who care for them. METHODS A selective literature search was carried out in the Cochrane and PubMed databases using the key words "endometriosis," "deep infiltrating endometriosis," "endometriosis AND diagnostics," "endometriosis AND surgical therapy," "endometriosis AND endocrine treatment," and others. The AWMF and ESHRE guidelines were also taken in account. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION The main manifestations are primary or secondary dysmenorrhea, bleeding disturbances, infertility, dysuria, pain on defecation (dyschezia), cycle-dependent or (later) cycle-independent pelvic pain, nonspecific cycle-associated gastrointestinal or urogenital symptoms. Cycle-associated problems of urination and/or defecation that are due to endometriosis are most common in young, premenopausal women. Whenever such manifestations are present, endometriosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis, and evidence for it should be sought in the clinical history, physical examination, and ultrasound findings. If endometriosis is histologically confirmed and is of the deeply infiltrating kind, the recommended management today is to refer the patient to an endometriosis center.
Ionic conductance of nanopores in microscale analysis systems: where microfluidics meets nanofluidics.

In this tutorial review we illustrate the origin and dependence on various system parameters of the ionic conductance that exists in discrete nanochannels as well as in nanoporous separation and preconcentration units contained as hybrid configurations, membranes, packed beds, or monoliths in microscale liquid phase analysis systems. A particular complexity arises as external electrical fields are superimposed on internal chemical and electrical potential gradients for tailoring molecular transport. It is demonstrated that the variety of geometries in which the microfluidic/nanofluidic interfaces are realized share common, fundamental features of coupled mass and charge transport, but that phenomena behind the key steps in a particular application can be significantly tuned, depending on the morphology of a material. Thus, the understanding of morphology-related transport in internal and external electrical potential gradients is critical to the performance of a device. This addresses a variety of geometries (slits, channels, filters, membranes, random or regular networks of pores, etc.) and applications, e. g. , the gating, sensing, preconcentration, and separation in multifunctional miniaturized devices. Inherently coupled mass and charge transport through ion-permselective (charge-selective) microfluidic/nanofluidic interfaces is analyzed with a stepwise-added complexity and discussed with respect to the morphology of the charge-selective spatial domains. Within this scenario, the electrostatics and electrokinetics in microfluidic and nanofluidic channels, as well as the electrohydrodynamics evolving at microfluidic/nanofluidic interfaces, where microfluidics meets nanofluidics, define the platform of central phenomena.
ENDOGENOUS IMITATION AND GROWTH: TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION REVISITED

We endogenize imitation in the South. We do this by explicitly modeling the process of technology transfer, via trade, where the South “reverse engineers” newly innovated intermediate goods that it imports from the North. We bring our analytical model to numerical estimation. One key finding is this: We find that while a Southern country that is poor in human capital can only imitate, Southern countries that possess sufficiently large human capital endowments, beyond a certain threshold, signal the onset of innovation. We also find that the North enjoys a higher rate of innovation and growth with trade than without. North’s gains are the highest when it trades with a human-capital “poor” South, because imitation increases South’s demand for Northern intermediates. But trade with the Southern countries that are human capital rich (and therefore involved in innovation), dampens their demand for Northern imports, adversely affecting North’s growth. The model predicts growth convergence between the North and a South that is well passed the threshold for innovation.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF GRADING PRACTICES AND SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENT MOTIVATION

Teacher grading practices and student motivation continue to be important topics in education and research. Although studies have documented teacher grading practices and strategies to increase student motivation, few studies have analyzed teacher perceptions of grading practices and teacher perceptions of student motivation and the relationship between these two perceptions. This quantitative study examined the relationship between secondary teacher perceptions of grading practices and secondary teacher perceptions of student motivation. By using data from two instruments, the Teachers’ Perceptions of Grading Practices (TPGP) questionnaire and the Perceptions of Student Motivation (PSM) questionnaire, this study examined the relationship between teacher perceptions of grading practices and student motivation. Results include descriptive statistics regarding demographic differences in perceptions, and a multivariate (MANOVA) analysis to analyze any differences in perceptions amongst different groups based on demographic data. This study focused on 307 secondary school teachers in four Midwest counties because of these teachers’ impact on the decision students make to drop out or stay in school. Results indicate overall correlations between teacher perceptions of grading practices and student motivation, as well as correlations between individual factors of grading and individual factors of student motivation. Results also indicate statistically significant differences in mean scores of perceptions between genders, experience levels, and subject area taught for both grading practice and student motivation.