Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is Magnetic Resonance Imaging Necessary in the Staging of Prostate Cancer?

Objective: To evaluate the necessity of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the staging of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. Methods: Sixty-one patients with prostate cancer were evaluated with MRI for preoperative staging with a conventional body-coil (Siemens Magnetom, 1.0 Tesla superconducting system). Twenty-nine patients underwent radical prostatectomy for presumed clinically localized disease. Of those, 17 were staged both with MRI and computerized tomography (CT). The remaining patients were staged with CT alone. MRI and CT findings, and the final pathologic staging of patients are reviewed. Results: On pathological examination of the surgical specimens, the tumor was found to extend beyond the prostate in 7 patients (41%). Among the 17 patients who were operated, extraprostatic extension (EPE) was detected accurately in 3 patients with MRI (sensitivity 20%, specificity 92%, accuracy 70.5%). No metastatic lymph nodes were detected on the basis of MRI (sensitivity 0%, specificity 93%, accuracy 88.2%). In 1 patient EPE was correctly identified by CT (sensitivity 14%, specificity 100%, accuracy 64.7%). Conclusion: Neither MRI with conventional body-coild nor CT are sufficient to indicate local extension of disease in clinically localized prostate cancer.
Molecular Studies of the Asymmetric Pore Structure of the Human Cardiac Voltage- dependent Ca2+ Channel

Proton transfer to calcium channels results in rapid fluctuations between two non-zero conductance levels when the current is carried by monovalent cations. A combination of site-directed mutagenesis and single-channel recording techniques were used to identify the unique proton acceptor site as Glu-1086, a conserved glutamate residue located in the S5-S6 linker of motif III of calcium channels. Glu-1086 is part of an array of four glutamate residues in the pore-lining region of the channel conferring the high selectivity of calcium channels. Titration of Glu-1086 yielded a pKa value of 7.91 which is different from that expected for a free glutamic acid side-chain carboxyl. Proposed electrostatic interactions between charged nearby residues can account only in part for this phenomenon since individual elimination of the other three glutamate residues only slightly decreased the pKa of Glu-1086. These data, in addition to identifying the proton acceptor site, provide evidence for the influence of the microenvironment in forming the asymmetry of the conducting pathway of calcium channels.
The Cleveland Clinic experience with papillary (chromophil) renal cell carcinoma: clinical outcome with histopathological correlation.

OBJECTIVES A review of the Cleveland Clinic experience with papillary (chromophil) renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is performed with emphasis on correlation of histopathologic features with prognosis. METHODS Retrospective chart review was performed on 99 patients (85 male, 14 female) identified as having papillary renal cell carcinoma. All patients underwent renal surgery (partial or radical nephrectomy) at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Review of archival pathologic material was performed on all patients, and the reviewing pathologist was blinded to previous pathology reports. The reviewing pathologist evaluated tumor size, nuclear grade, TNM stage, tumor vascularity, multifocality, degree of papillary histology, macrophage infiltration, and presence of adenomata. Disease free survival data were generated via Kaplan-Meier estimates. Statistical significance was evaluated by the log rank test. RESULTS Ninety-four (81 male, 13 female) of the original 99 patients were included in the study. Mean follow-up was 28.25 months. Most tumors were organ-confined (T1=24, T2=53, T3a=7, T3b=3, T3c=6). Histologically, most of the tumors were pure papillary histology (54.3%). Multifocality was present in 30 patients (31.9%). Overall cancer-specific survival (CSS) was 93.7% at 1 year, 89.9% at 2 years, and 78.6% at 5 years. Age (P=0.48), sex (P=0.41), tumor size (P=0.15), presence of adenomata (P=0.53), degree of pure papillary histology (P=0.73) and multifocality (P=0.93) did not significantly affect survival. Grade did not significantly affect survival (P=0.67). Low grade (Gr 1 or 2) lesions had a 5 year CSS of 75.7%, and high grade lesions had a 5 year CSS of 83.8%. Stage significantly impacted survival (P=0.017). T1-2 lesions had a 5 year CSS of 82.3%, T3a lesions 100%, T3b/T3c 66.7%. Patients with N1-2 disease (N=5) had 1 year CSS of 33.3%, and 2 year CSS of 0%. Extranodal metastases were associated with poor prognosis; 5 year CSS was 12.5% in M1 patients. CONCLUSIONS Papillary renal cell carcinoma has a propensity to be both low grade and low stage with a less aggressive clinical course. The strongest predictor for cancer-specific survival is tumor stage. Due to the high incidence of multifocality, nephron-sparing surgery is often necessary. It is suggested that genetic differences between PRCC and other RCC variants may be exploited in the future for surgical decision making.
Some unpleasant currency-devaluation arithmetic in a post Keynesian macromodel

ABSTRACT The conventional view argues that devaluation increases the price competitiveness of domestic goods, thus allowing the economy to achieve a higher level of economic activity. However, these theoretical treatments largely neglect two important effects following devaluation: (1) the inflationary impact on the price of imported intermediate inputs, which raises the prime costs of firms and deteriorates partially or totally their price competitiveness; and (2) the redistribution of income from wages to profits, which ambiguously affects the aggregate demand as workers and capitalists have different propensities to save. New structuralist economists have explored these stylized facts neglected by the orthodox literature and, by and large, conclude that devaluation has contractionary effects on growth and positive effects on the external balance. Given that empirical evidence on the correlation between devaluation and growth is quite mixed, we develop a more general Keynesian–Kaleckian model that takes into account both opposing views in order to analyze the net impact of currency depreciation on the short-run growth rate and the current account. We demonstrate that this impact can go either way, depending on several conditions such as the type of growth regime, that is, wage-led or profit-led, and the degree of international price competitiveness of domestic goods.
What Matters in the Finance-Growth Nexus of Advanced Economies? Evidence from OECD Countries

Over the last decades, a large strand of finance and growth literature has provided ample evidence on the importance of financial deepening for economic development. Yet, recently, the focus of public debate has shifted towards the role of the financial system structure, an area in which empirical research remains relatively sparse and exploratory in nature. With this article, we aim to contribute to that debate by analysing the role the financial system structure plays in economic growth and risk. Focusing on stock markets and studying OECD economies over 1994–2013, we find that, ceteris paribus, financial systems with relatively larger stock markets facilitate economic growth and dampen economic risk. Our findings remain robust under application of instrumental variable and system generalized method of moments estimators, as well as when we use an alternative definition of stock market development, estimate median regressions, examine relatively high-frequency annual data, control for systemic banking crises or apply quadratic specifications. We find no such effect for private bond markets or private credit volume. Overall, our results suggest that financial system structure matters for the economic development of advanced economies and highlight the importance of a debate about the optimal structure of an economy’s financial system.
Potential output and inflation dynamics after the Great Recession

Ever since the end of the Great Recession, the US economy has experienced a period of mild inflation, which contradicts with the output–inflation relationship depicted by a traditional Phillips curve. This paper examines how the permanent output loss during the Great Recession has affected the ability of the Phillips curve to explain US inflation dynamics. We find great similarity among several established trend–cycle decomposition methods: potential output declined substantially after the Great Recession. Due to the fact that a lower level of potential output implies a lesser deflationary pressure, we then show that the Phillips curve does predict a period of mild inflation. This finding is largely consistent with the observed data.
IO for Export(s)

Economists and other social scientists are increasingly using big data analytics to address longstanding economic questions and complement existing information sources. Big data produced by online platforms can yield a wealth of diverse, highly granular, multidimensional information with a variety of potential applications. This paper examines how online job-portal data can be used as a basis for policy-relevant research in the fields of labor economics and workforce skills development, through an empirical analysis of information generated by Babajob, an online Indian job portal. The analysis highlights five key areas where online job-portal data can contribute to the development of labor market policies and analytical knowledge: (i) labor market monitoring and analysis; (ii) assessing demand for workforce skills; (iii) observing job-search behavior and improving skills matching; (iv) predictive analysis of skills demand; and (v) experimental studies. The unique nature of the data produced by online job-search portals allows for the application of diverse analytical methodologies, including descriptive data analysis, time-series analysis, text analysis, predictive analysis, and transactional data analysis. This paper is intended to contribute to the academic literature and the development of public policies. It contributes to the literature on labor economics through application of big data analytics to real-world data. The analysis also provides a unique case study on labor market data analytics in a developing-country context in South Asia. Finally, the report examines the potential for using big data to improve the design and implementation of labor market policies and promote demand-driven skills development.
A graduated food addiction classification approach significantly differentiates obesity among people with type 2 diabetes

This study examined a graduated severity level approach to food addiction classification against associations with World Health Organization obesity classifications (body mass index, kg/m2) among 408 people with type 2 diabetes. A survey including the Yale Food Addiction Scale and several demographic questions demonstrated four distinct Yale Food Addiction Scale symptom severity groups (in line with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) severity indicators): non-food addiction, mild food addiction, moderate food addiction and severe food addiction. Analysis of variance with post hoc tests demonstrated each severity classification group was significantly different in body mass index, with each grouping being associated with increased World Health Organization obesity classifications. These findings have implications for diagnosing food addiction and implementing treatment and prevention methodologies of obesity among people with type 2 diabetes.
Disclosure of research results in genetic studies of Parkinson's disease caused by LRRK2 mutations

With the advent of large genetic studies examining both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, whether and how to disclose genetic research results have become pressing questions. The need is particularly acute in the case of LRRK2 research: Movement centers worldwide are recruiting cohorts of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their family members, including asymptomatic carriers. Clinical features and treatment are complex and evolving, and disclosure policies vary at different sites and have been modified during the course of some studies. We present the major ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and honesty that should guide disclosure policies in studies of families with LRRK2 mutations. We make recommendations regarding genetic counseling, policies of either active or passive disclosure, responsibilities of funders to budget for genetic counseling, clinical genetic testing where locally required for disclosure, and aspects of study design to avoid mandatory disclosure whenever feasible. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Recent Advances in Comprehending the Signaling Pathways Involved in the Progression of Breast Cancer

This review describes recent advances in the comprehension of signaling pathways involved in breast cancer progression. Calcium sensing receptor (CaSR), caveolae signaling, signaling referred to hypoxia-inducing factors and disturbances in the apoptotic machinery are related to more general biological mechanisms and are considered first. The others refer to signaling pathways of more specific biological mechanisms, namely the heparin/heparin-sulfate interactome, over-expression of miRNA-378a-5p, restriction of luminal and basal epithelial cells, fatty-acid synthesis, molecular pathways related to epithelial to mesenchimal transition (EMT), HER-2/neu gene amplification and protein expression, and the expression of other members of the epithelial growth factor receptor family. This progress in basic research is fundamental to foster the ongoing efforts that use the new genotyping technologies, and aim at defining new prognostic and predictive biomarkers for a better personalized management of breast cancer disease.
DNA methylation profiling at imprinted loci after periconceptional micronutrient supplementation in humans: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial

Intrauterine exposures mediated by maternal diet may affect risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Recent evidence, primarily from animal studies and observational data in humans, suggests that the epigenome can be altered by maternal diet during the periconceptional period and that these programming events may underlie later disease risk. A randomized controlled trial of periconceptional micronutrient supplementation in The Gambia, where seasonal nutritional variations affect fetal growth and postnatal outcomes, provided a unique opportunity to test this hypothesis. Specifically, we targeted imprinted genes, which play important roles in allocation of maternal resources while being epigenetically regulated. DNA methylation at 12 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) was analyzed in cord blood samples from 58 offspring of women participating in a doubleblind randomized‐controlled trial of pre‐ and periconceptional micronutrient supplementation (including folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B, C, and D). We observed sex‐specific effects of micronutrient supplementation, reducing methylation levels at two of the DMRs analyzed, IGF2R in girls and GTL2‐2 in boys. This pilot study is the first to analyze DNA methylation in the context of a randomized controlled trial, and it provides suggestive evidence that periconceptional maternal nutrition alters offspring methylation at imprinted loci. —Cooper, W. N. , Khulan, B. , Owens, S. , Elks, C. E. , Seidel, V. , Prentice, A. M. , Belteki, G. , Ong, K. K. , Affara, N. A. , Constância, M. , Dunger, D. B. DNA methylation profiling at imprinted loci after periconceptional micronutrient supplementation in humans: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial. FASEB J. 26, 1782‐1790 (2012). www.fasebj. org
Resurrecting the Ghost of Competition Past with Dormant Zooplankton Eggs

A common prediction of evolutionary theory is that the strength of interspecific competition should decline over time among sympatric populations of competing species. Here we provide experimental evidence of historical declines in competition effects among competing zooplankton populations. Using diapausing eggs, we resurrected clones of three species of zooplankton obtained from different periods of community assembly in a single lake. We show that clones of Daphnia ambigua obtained from early in assembly when D. ambigua was dominant became extinct in competition with clones of Daphnia pulicaria and Daphnia dentifera (the current lake dominants). In contrast, D. ambigua clones obtained from later in the lake’s history experienced weaker competition effects and persisted with D. dentifera. While we cannot rule out the role of intraspecific competition within D. ambigua, our results are in line with the view that natural selection favors reduced interaction strength among co‐occurring species, facilitating coexistence and population persistence.
Uracil-DNA Glycosylase in the Extreme Thermophile Archaeoglobus fulgidus *

Uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) is an essential enzyme for maintaining genomic integrity. Here we describe a UDG from the extreme thermophile Archaeoglobus fulgidus. The enzyme is a member of a new class of enzymes found in prokaryotes that is distinct from the UDG enzyme found in Escherichia coli, eukaryotes, and DNA-containing viruses. The A. fulgidus UDG is extremely thermostable, maintaining full activity after heating for 1.5 h at 95 °C. The protein is capable of removing uracil from double-stranded DNA containing either a U/A or U/G base pair as well as from single-stranded DNA. This enzyme is product-inhibited by both uracil and apurinic/apyrimidinic sites. The A. fulgidus UDG has a high degree of similarity at the primary amino acid sequence level to the enzyme found in Thermotoga maritima, a thermophilic eubacteria, and suggests a conserved mechanism of UDG-initiated base excision repair in archaea and thermophilic eubacteria.
Sunk costs in the exporting activity: Implications for international trade and specialisation

International trade costs may be sunk and not proportional to sales. The paper explores this theoretically, by allowing firms to invest in sales channels or marketing in order to increase demand in each market. The returns to such investments will, ceteris paribus, be higher in markets with lower variable trade costs (e.g. transport costs). Firms will therefore invest and sell more at home than in foreign markets, and more in foreign markets with low variable trade costs. Sunk export costs will therefore amplify the trade-reducing impact of other trade barriers, and dampen the “home market effect” whereby large countries tend to be net exporters of differentiated goods.
Functional Outcome of Open Reduction and Internal Fixation for Completely Unstable Pelvic Ring Fractures (Type C): A Report of 40 Cases

Objectives To evaluate functional outcomes, morbidity and mortality rates, and psychological and psychosomatic status in patients treated for completely unstable pelvic injuries (Tile class C). Design Prospective clinical study. Setting University hospital. Patients/Participants Forty patients treated with anterior and posterior internal fixation for unstable pelvic ring fractures between January 1992 and August 1999. Intervention Open reduction and anterior and posterior internal fixation of the pelvic ring. Main Outcome Measurements The data were analyzed as follows: pelvic fracture classification, Tile classification; severity of trauma, Injury Severity Score (ISS); functional outcomes, the Majeed Outcome Scale; psychological and psychosomatic status, Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Score (HDARS). Results Preoperatively the average ISS was 29.4 (range 12–66). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between anxiety and ISS (r = 0.536, P < 0.01). Two patients died during the early postoperative period. Two additional patients were lost to follow-up, leaving 36 patients followed for an average of 45 months (range 21–116 months). Deep infections developed in three patients with a posterior pelvic ring injury who had been treated with percutaneous fixation techniques. These were treated successfully with débridement. Nine patients complained of pain of pelvic origin. Nerve deficits recovered completely in four of the seven patients with preoperative neurologic deficiency. Moderate or major depression was diagnosed in sexually dysfunctional patients in the 12th postoperative month according to HDARS (r = −0.559, P < 0.001). At the last visit, there was an inverse correlation between ability to work and depression and anxiety (r = −0.551, r = −0.391). An inverse correlation was found between pain and ability to work (r = 0.597, P < 0.001). Of the 36 patients, 26 returned to their original jobs at the last follow-up visit. Conclusions Morbidity and mortality rates are higher in patients with a completely unstable pelvic ring injury. Emergency department stabilization and reconstruction of the pelvic ring with optimal operative techniques in these patients can reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Anterior and posterior internal fixation results in satisfactory clinical and radiologic outcomes. The affective status of patients is an important aspect that should be considered during the entire care of the patient.
Social enterprise and wellbeing in community life

Purpose This paper aims to explore the well-being impacts of social enterprise, beyond a social enterprise per se, in everyday community life. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory case study was used. The study’s underpinning theory is from relational geography, including Spaces of Wellbeing Theory and therapeutic assemblage. These theories underpin data collection methods. Nine social enterprise participants were engaged in mental mapping and walking interviews. Four other informants with “boundary-spanning” roles involving knowledge of the social enterprise and the community were interviewed. Data were managed using NVivo, and analysed thematically. Findings Well-being realised from “being inside” a social enterprise organisation was further developed for participants, in the community, through positive interactions with people, material objects, stories and performances of well-being that occurred in everyday community life. Boundary spanning community members had roles in referring participants to social enterprise, mediating between participants and structures of community life and normalising social enterprise in the community. They also gained benefit from social enterprise involvement. Originality/value This paper uses relational geography and aligned methods to reveal the intricate connections between social enterprise and well-being realisation in community life. There is potential to pursue this research on a larger scale to provide needed evidence about how well-being is realised in social enterprises and then extends into communities.
Association of point mutation in c‐Ki‐ras oncogene in lung adenocarcinoma with particular reference to cytologic subtypes

The correlation between clinicopathologic findings and point mutation in codon 12 of c‐Ki‐ras gene was examined in primary lung adenocarcinomas using polymerase chain reaction and oligonucleotide hybridization techniques. The mutation was detected in ten of 67 cases (15%). Microscopically, mutation‐positive cases revealed a tendency to be well differentiated (P < 0.01). Especially, the incidence of the mutation‐positive cases was significantly higher in goblet cell type (three of four) than in other types (five of 56) (P < 0.001). None of 21 cases of pure Clara cell type showed the mutation (P < 0.05). The mutation was detected frequently in tumors with no lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), with larger tumor size (P = 0.01), and T2 cases (P < 0.01). Cigarette smoking was not always a contributing factor for mutation. This study revealed that the point mutation of c‐Ki‐ras codon 12 in lung adenocarcinoma has been associated with the cytologic subtype.