Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tail Conditional Expectations for Elliptical Distributions

Abstract Significant changes in the insurance and financial markets are giving increasing attention to the need for developing a standard framework for risk measurement. Recently, there has been growing interest among insurance and investment experts to focus on the use of a tail conditional expectation because it shares properties that are considered desirable and applicable in a variety of situations. In particular, it satisfies requirements of a “coherent” risk measure in the spirit developed by Artzner et al. (1999). This paper derives explicit formulas for computing tail conditional expectations for elliptical distributions, a family of symmetric distributions that includes the more familiar normal and student-t distributions. The authors extend this investigation to multivariate elliptical distributions allowing them to model combinations of correlated risks. They are able to exploit properties of these distributions, naturally permitting them to decompose the conditional expectation, and allocate the contribution of individual risks to the aggregated risks. This is meaningful in practice, particularly in the case of computing capital requirements for an institution that may have several lines of correlated business and is concerned about fairly allocating the total capital to these constituents.
Glucocorticoid receptors in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE Increasing evidence suggests that there is a close interrelationship between the immune system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. One way these systems are linked is through specific receptor proteins for glucocorticoid hormones in lymphocytes. We sought to determine whether the levels of these receptors differ in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared with levels in healthy subjects. METHODS We determined the density and affinity of lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptors, as well as basal cortisol levels, in 90 patients with active RA and in 200 healthy controls, using a whole cell binding assay. RESULTS The number of glucocorticoid receptors in RA patients was significantly lower than in controls (mean +/- SD 2,144 +/- 500 per cell versus 5,619 +/- 1,373 per cell; P less than 0.001), whereas there were no differences in binding affinity or cortisol levels. Glucocorticoid receptor density did not correlate with inflammatory disease activity. CONCLUSION Since glucocorticoids are potent immunosuppressive agents, the decrease in their receptors suggests an impairment of the immune-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in patients with RA.
Middle Ear Function in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected South African Children

Children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are more likely to have hearing loss and are more susceptible to middle ear infections. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively measure middle ear function, using tympanometry, in perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV) and HIV-uninfected children living in Cape Town, South Africa.Hearing-related health questionnaire data were obtained before testing. Bilateral otoscopy and tympanometry were completed in 37 PHIV and 24 HIV-uninfected children. Otoscopy was performed to evaluate debris in ear canals and to observe the tympanic membrane. Ear canal volume (Vec), peak acoustic admittance (peak Ytm), and tympanogram peak pressure (TPP) were obtained. Presence of outer and middle ear pathologies was determined. Data were compared between PHIV and HIV-uninfected children. Parent/ caregiver report of past middle ear infection was higher in PHIV children (34.2%) compared with HIV-uninfected children (25.0%). Risk for reported history of middle ear infection was higher in PHIV children classified as World Health Organization (WHO) stage IV compared to other WHO stages. Outer ear otorrhea was present in two PHIV children and no HIVuninfected children. There were no significant differences for Vec, Ytm, and TPP between PHIV and HIV-uninfected children. Tympanometry data for PHIV and HIV-uninfected children were similar, although PHIV children had a higher rate of outer ear otorrhea.
Linkage disequilibrium between IRF6 variants and nonsyndromic cleft lip/palate in the Chilean population

The genetics of nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) is complex. Several candidate genes have been associated with this phenotype, but replication studies showed conflicting results [Carinci et al., 2000; Murray, 2002]. Candidate gene analyses indicate that variants in a handful of genes taken together may account for approximately 15–20% of the genetic contribution to NSCLP [Zucchero et al., 2004; Vieira et al., 2005; Riley et al., 2007]. Association of NSCLP and IRF6 SNPs has been reported [Zucchero et al., 2004]. Strong evidence of over transmission of the ancestral allele of the p.V274I polymorphism to patients with NSCLP was observed in Asians but not in groups of European descent. However, analysis of additional SNPs showed that linkage disequilibrium with NSCLP was also detectable in Iowa and Danish populations. Subsequently, several recent studies have reported genetic variants associated with NSCLP in numerous groups [Blanton et al., 2005; Scapoli et al., 2005; Srichomthong et al., 2005; Morküniené et al., 2006; Park et al., 2007; Vieira et al., 2007]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of IRF6 in NSCLP in the Chilean population, which represents an admixture of Amerindians and Spaniards [Rothhammer et al., 1968]. To accomplish this we performed an association study of IRF6 SNPs and NSCLP using a case-parents trio design. The study group comprised 150 unrelated caseparent trios ascertained through unrelated probands affected with NSCLP. Among the cases, 94 were sporadic (17 CL and 77 CL/P) and 56 had a positive family history (9 CL and 47 CL/P). No isolated cleft palate cases were included. Families were recruited from the School of Dentistry, University of Chile, the Dr. Alfredo Gantz Foundation, the Cleft Lip/Palate Center, Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital and the Cleft Lip/Palate Center, Exequiel Gonzalez Cortes Hospital, located in the Santiago, Chile. Interviews of at least three family members were conducted to provide detailed information for pedigree construction. Each proband and their relatives were evaluated to exclude syndromic CLP. All the families enrolled were of admixed Chilean ancestry and included subjects presenting NSCLP as the unique familial disease. To exclude potential teratogenic influences, a history was taken to evaluate the presence of any neurological disorder in the family or the use of teratogens, such as phenytoin, warfarian, and ethanol. The Chilean population shows a gradient of ethnicity, Amerindian admixture, genetic markers, socioeconomic strata, and prevalence of NSCLP [Valenzuela, 1988; Palomino et al., 1997]. The families included in this study belong to low to middle-low socioeconomic strata which present the
Sensitivity analysis of SCHADEX extreme flood estimations to observed hydrometeorological variability

Stochastic flood simulation methods are typically based on a rainfall probabilistic model (used for simulating continuous rainfall series or for estimating probabilities of random rainfall events) and on a rainfall‐runoff model. Usually, both of these models are calibrated over observed hydrometeorological series, which may be subject to significant variability and/or nonstationarity over time. The general aim of this study is thus to propose and test a methodology for performing a sensitivity analysis of extreme flood estimations to observed hydrometeorological variability. The methodology consists of performing a set of block‐bootstrap experiments: for each experiment, the data used for calibration of a particular model (e.g., the rainfall probabilistic model) is bootstrapped while the model structure and the calibration process are held constant. The SCHADEX extreme flood estimation method has been applied over six catchments located in different regions of the world. The results show first that the variability of observed rainfall hazard has the most significant impact on the extreme flood estimates. Then, consideration of different rainfall‐runoff calibration periods generates a significant spread of extreme flood estimated values. Finally, the variability of the catchment saturation hazard has a nonsignificant impact on the extreme flood estimates. An important point raised by this study is the dominating role played by outliers within the observed records for extreme flood estimation.
Use of wetlands by spring-migrant shorebirds in agricultural landscapes of North Dakota’s Drift Prairie

Small, isolated wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America may be of critical importance to migrating shorebirds but are at high risk of drainage for agricultural production. We evaluated shorebird use of 1,181 temporary and seasonal wetlands within agricultural fields in the Drift Prairie physiographic region of North Dakota, USA over a 10-week period in spring of 2001. A total of 4,050 shorebirds of 25 species was observed on sampled wetlands. Shorebirds selected temporary wetlands that had water present during multiple visits, little emergent vegetation, large perimeters, and other wetlands in the surrounding landscape. Shorebirds were less likely to use wetlands showing evidence of drainage. Observed use of wetland basins suggests that small wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region host millions of migrant shorebirds each spring. Continued existence of many of these wetlands may be threatened by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that removed federal protection from certain isolated wetlands. Our results show the importance of current wetland protection provisions such as “Swampbuster” and other conservation practices of the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Program.
Geographical isolation in hot spring cyanobacteria.

It has been proposed that free-living microorganisms exhibit ubiquitous dispersal, do not form geographically isolated populations and rarely (if ever) speciate via allopatry. We studied island-like hot spring cyanobacterial communities in which geographical isolation should be prominent and detectable if it influences the evolution of bacteria. The genetic diversity of cyanobacteria indigenous to North American, Japanese, New Zealand and Italian springs was surveyed by (i) amplification and cloning of 16S rRNA and 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer regions; (ii) lineage-specific oligonucleotide probing (used to verify the predominance of cloned sequences); and (iii) lineage-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (used to search for possible rare genotypes). Phylogenetic and distribution patterns were found to be consistent with the occurrence of geographical isolation at both global and local spatial scales, although different cyanobacterial lineages were found to vary in their distribution. A lack of correspondence between biological patterning and the chemical character of springs sampled suggested that the geographical distribution of thermophilic cyanobacteria cannot be explained by the 20 potential niche-determining chemical parameters that we assayed. Thus, geographical isolation (i.e. genetic drift) must in part be responsible for driving the observed evolutionary divergences. Geographical isolation may be an important underestimated aspect of microbial evolution.
FGF-2-loaded collagen scaffolds attract cells and blood vessels in rat oral mucosa.

BACKGROUND Wound contraction and scar formation after cleft palate repair impair the growth of the maxilla. The implantation of a growth factor-loaded scaffold might solve these problems. METHODS The tissue response to fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 loaded collagen scaffolds was evaluated after implantation in the palate of rats. Scaffolds, with and without FGF-2, were implanted submucoperiosteally in the palate of 25 rats and evaluated after up to 16 weeks. On hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections, the cell density and the number of giant cells within the scaffolds were quantified. Infiltration of inflammatory cells, myofibroblasts, and the number of blood vessels were quantified after immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The cell density was significantly higher in the FGF-2 group up to 4 weeks after implantation (102% at 2 weeks, P < 0.001). The number of blood vessels was also significantly higher in the FGF-2 group at 1 and 2 weeks (316% at 1 week, P = 0.003), but the myofibroblast score was lower (100% at 2 weeks, P = 0.008). A comparable mild and rapidly subsiding inflammatory response and foreign body reaction were found in both groups. CONCLUSION FGF-2-loaded scaffolds displayed a faster influx of host cells, an increased rate of vascularization, and a reduced differentiation of myofibroblasts. These scaffolds might therefore be highly suitable for intra-oral reconstructions, such as cleft palate repair.
Mechanism and clinical evidence of lipocalin‐2 and adipocyte fatty acid‐binding protein linking obesity and atherosclerosis

Obesity is considered to be a chronic inflammatory state in which the dysfunction of adipose tissue plays a central role. The adipokines, which are cytokines secreted by adipose tissue, are key links between obesity and related diseases such as metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. LCN2 and A‐FABP, both of which are major adipokines predominantly produced in adipose tissue, have recently been shown to be pivotal modulators of vascular function. However, different adipokines modulate the development of atherosclerosis in distinctive manners, which are partly attributable to their unique regulatory mechanisms and functions. This review highlights recent advances in the understanding of the role of two adipokines in mediating chronic inflammation and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A generalized Natural Preserving Transform watermarking technique

This paper discusses how digital image watermarking can be achieved using Natural Preserving Transforms NPT. The paper also proposes a general watermarking embedding technique, and describes a fast least squares technique for watermark extraction. Simulation results show that the quality of the watermarked image is very high. Besides, these results demonstrate the robustness of the proposed watermarking technique against cropping, compression and noise attacks.
Trust and co-operation in system development: applying responsibility modelling to the problem of changing requirements

Although some progress has been made in recent years towards developing more effective methods for eliciting and representing requirements for software systems, little progress has been made towards developing tools and techniques that address the impact of changing requirements or of proposing changes to the a priori processes and structures for requirements analysis that dominate current systems development practice. The paper presents some of the interim results from PROTEUS, a DTI Project looking at requirements change practice in British industry, with a particular emphasis on safety-related system developments. Two sets of case study results, one drawn from collaboration with an industrial partner and the other looking at requirements handling experiences in a range of companies, present a disturbing picture of the state of requirements change practice. The results point to predominantly social, rather than technical, problems primarily in the professional relationships between client and developer on software development projects. The paper concludes by arguing that contractual relationships on fixed cost projects, the lack of trust between partners, and the overwhelming level of software control required to handle change all marginalise the opportunity to create efficient software systems.
A 2.1 Mb deletion adjacent but distal to a 14q21q23 paracentric inversion in a family with spherocytosis and severe learning difficulties

A familial q21.1q23. 2‐inversion on chromosome 14 that co‐segregated with spherocytosis and learning difficulties or mild mental retardation was extensively investigated by bacterial artificial chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridization and array‐comparative genomic hybridization. As expected, a deletion of the beta‐spectrin gene SPTB, a known cause of spherocytosis, was found. More unexpectedly, this deletion was ∼1.6 Mb distal to the 14q23.2‐inversion breakpoint. The deletion spanned ∼2.1 Mb and contained 15 annotated genes in addition to SPTB, among them PLEKHG3, a guanide nucleotide exchange factor for Rho GTPases. This gene is highly expressed in the brain and our best candidate for causing the mild mental retardation. The case illustrates that inversions can be associated with microdeletions close to but not including one of the inversion breakpoints.
Is the polymerase chain reaction or cure of Helicobacter pylori infection of help in the differential diagnosis of early gastric mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue lymphoma?

PURPOSE The differential diagnosis of early gastric mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue (MALT) lymphoma based on Helicobacter pylori gastritis may be difficult when lymphoepithelial lesions are not detected. The aim of the present study was to investigate the question whether the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or cure of H pylori infection may be of help in this respect. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty patients with suspected low-grade gastric MALT lymphomas were treated in a double-blinded, randomized, crossover trial with 2,250 mg of either amoxicillin or placebo, both in combination with omeprazole, for 14 days with the aim to cure H pylori infection. PCR was performed using primers specific for the CDR3 region to detect monoclonal B cells. RESULTS In five of 20 patients, MALT lymphomas were finally diagnosed. Three of these five patients went into complete remission, while two were referred to surgery. In the 15 patients with gastritis, complete regression was observed in all cases. With respect to PCR, monoclonal bands were detected in all four of the analyzed lymphoma patients before histology showed lymphoma. In addition, monoclonal bands were found in three patients with gastritis. In the patients with gastritis and monoclonal PCR, complete regression took longer as compared with the remaining 12 patients with polyclonal PCR and gastritis (P = .0209). Successful H pylori eradication was associated with earlier diagnosis of the MALT lymphoma (P = .0237). CONCLUSION CDR3-PCR may be of help in the differential diagnosis of early gastric MALT lymphoma. Furthermore, H pylori eradication may lead to earlier diagnosis.
“If I speak English, what am I? I am full man, me”: Emotional impact and barriers for refugees and asylum seekers learning English

Lack of proficiency in the language of the host country predicts distress among refugees, but many refugees and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom have less than functional English. This study examined how learning English affected refugees’ and asylum seekers’ lives, particularly their emotional wellbeing, to explore what factors, particularly psychological ones, facilitated or impeded their learning English. We recruited 16 refugees and asylum seekers from an inner-city National Health Service trauma service and from a charity providing one-to-one English classes. All participants were interviewed in English. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis from a critical realist perspective. Interviewees provided consistent accounts of their efforts to learn English, integrated into often unsettled and difficult lives. The analysis generated six themes in two domains. The impact of learning English was mainly positive, associated with autonomy, sense of achievement, and aspirations. Barriers to learning English consisted of other problems affecting refugees’ capacity to learn, limited opportunities to speak English, and a sense of shame associated with perceived lack of English language competence. Findings highlight the need to provide adequate psychological support for refugees and asylum seekers learning English, recognising its importance in promoting both their integration in the UK and their individual psychological well-being.
Suicide in the Mentally Ill

Background Information on risk factors associated with high rates of suicide is necessary, if suicide rates among the mentally ill are to be reduced. Method We used ICD-9 E-codes to define deaths on which suicide or open (undetermined death) verdicts were returned, among residents of a catchment area defined by OPCS area codes. Relative risks of suicide and undetermined deaths for recent patients (those in contact with a psychiatric service in the year preceding death) were calculated. Results Of the 286 persons, 108 were recent patients. Eighty-four per cent suffered from schizophrenia or depression. Risks of suicide and undetermined death for these patients were 31 and 20 times, respectively, those of other residents. Social risk factors varied with diagnosis. Conclusion Over 90% of recent patients were receiving medical care at time of death; not all were treated appropriately. Recognising medical and social risk factors in recent patients, and effective monitoring of treatment, is important.
Evaluation of the Rapid BioStar Optical Immunoassay for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in Adolescent Women

ABSTRACT We evaluated the performance of the BioStar Chlamydia OIA (optical immunoassay) in adolescent females (n = 261) from an inner city population. With a reference standard of two different nucleic acid amplification tests, the sensitivity and specificity of the BioStar Chlamydia OIA were 59.4 and 98.4%, respectively. Due to its relatively low sensitivity, the BioStar Chlamydia OIA should only be used in conjunction with more sensitive laboratory tests unless laboratory tests are unavailable or timely return for treatment is unlikely.
Trends in the Use of Biologic Agents Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Enrolled in the US Medicare Program

Self‐injectable biologic agents have been covered by Medicare Part D since 2006. We hypothesized that this coverage benefit and related financial considerations would lead to increased use of self‐injectable biologic agents over time and would be influential in determining which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients received infusion versus self‐injected biologic agents.