Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A simple nomogram for sample size for estimating sensitivity and specificity of medical tests

Sensitivity and specificity measure inherent validity of a diagnostic test against a gold standard. Researchers develop new diagnostic methods to reduce the cost, risk, invasiveness, and time. Adequate sample size is a must to precisely estimate the validity of a diagnostic test. In practice, researchers generally decide about the sample size arbitrarily either at their convenience, or from the previous literature. We have devised a simple nomogram that yields statistically valid sample size for anticipated sensitivity or anticipated specificity. MS Excel version 2007 was used to derive the values required to plot the nomogram using varying absolute precision, known prevalence of disease, and 95% confidence level using the formula already available in the literature. The nomogram plot was obtained by suitably arranging the lines and distances to conform to this formula. This nomogram could be easily used to determine the sample size for estimating the sensitivity or specificity of a diagnostic test with required precision and 95% confidence level. Sample size at 90% and 99% confidence level, respectively, can also be obtained by just multiplying 0.70 and 1.75 with the number obtained for the 95% confidence level. A nomogram instantly provides the required number of subjects by just moving the ruler and can be repeatedly used without redoing the calculations. This can also be applied for reverse calculations. This nomogram is not applicable for testing of the hypothesis set-up and is applicable only when both diagnostic test and gold standard results have a dichotomous category.
Glutamate-Based Drug Discovery for Novel Antidepressants

ABSTRACT Introduction: Classic antidepressants that modulate monoaminergic systems are not sufficiently effective and require long systematic application. Recent studies suggest that substances that modulate glutamatergic system may produce an antidepressant effect which is not only faster but also more sustained. Areas covered: In this paper, the authors summarize the results of studies on antidepressant action of ketamine in patients with severe refractory depression, which have demonstrated high efficacy in a very short time after a single dose. Due to the adverse effects of ketamine that substantially exclude it from the daily use by patients, efforts have been made to find other NMDA receptor antagonists, which could mimic the therapeutic effect of ketamine but without the side effects. Intensive studies to elucidate ketamine’s mechanism of antidepressant action have also been conducted. Herein, the results of research showing that metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors could be the target of novel antidepressants are also presented. Expert opinion: The intensive preclinical and clinical research on NMDA and mGlu receptor ligands, which is currently going on, could contribute to the awaited breakthrough in the field of novel antidepressant drug discovery. This line of research may also lead to a new understanding of the biological basis of depression.
Measuring Progress: An Evaluative Study of Aimhigher South West 2003-2006.

The persistence of the social class gap in higher education (HE) participation presents one of the biggest challenges for the English HE sector at the start of the 21st century. This paper considers the evidence collected by the Aimhigher partnerships in the South West of England to assess the progress towards closing the social class gap in HE participation within their region. Since Aimhigher is a complex, long-term initiative, these partnerships have adopted a multi-strand approach to evaluation through a combination of secondary data, activity and quality indicators, and a longitudinal tracking study. Encouragingly, the social class gap is beginning to narrow as the number of applicants from upper social groups has fallen slightly while those from other social groups increased by 25 per cent between 2000 and 2004. HE awareness, aspirations, attainment and educational progression are also increasing. The paper raises three policy issues concerning targeting, sustainability and vocational progression. Engaging the ‘right’ beneficiaries remains a key concern. The tracking study indicates that, although over 80 per cent of Aimhigher beneficiaries have the ability to progress to HE and would be first-generation entrants, only one in three comes from a manual background. The findings, however, indicate that compared with their peers whose parents have HE experience, these first-generation entrants were less well informed about HE, less likely to aspire to HE by year 11, to progress to level 3 or to study A-levels. These findings suggest that the focus on first-generation entrants remains appropriate. Second, although wider participation in HE is beginning to happen, there is still a long way to go. Sustaining the Aimhigher programme into at least the medium term is essential if it is to complete the work it has begun and maintain the trust of the communities within which it works. Finally, the paper finds that the Aimhigher cohort includes learners who want to take a vocational route into and through HE and who are at present less well served by current provision. © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles for transdermal delivery of melatonin

In this study, the potential of lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) as colloidal nanosystem for transdermal melatonin delivery was investigated. Mean diameter and zeta-potential of NPs differing in lecithin type (Lipoid S45 and S100) and chitosan content ranged between 113.7 and 331.5 nm and 4.6 and 31.2 mV, respectively. Melatonin loadings were up to 7.2%. The potential of lecithin/chitosan NPs to enhance transdermal melatonin delivery was investigated by determining the drug flux across dermatomed porcine skin and its skin deposition. Lecithin/chitosan NPs provided 1.3–2.3-fold higher flux compared to melatonin solution. The highest flux, 9.0 ± 0.21 µg/cm2/h, was observed for S45 lecithin/chitosan NPs with lecithin/chitosan weight ratio of 20:1. NP possible cytotoxicity in vitro was evaluated using human skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts. It was demonstrated that lecithin/chitosan NPs can be applied to skin cells at concentrations up to 200 µg/mL without inducing plasma membrane damage or cell viability decrease.
A Compact Multi-Frequency, High Power Radiating System Combining Dual-Band, Electrically Small Magnetic EZ Antennas and Multi-Frequency Standing Wave Oscillator Sources

High power microwave (HPM) sources are typically bulky and massive in order to be able to radiate the extremely high source powers with a good impedance match and low losses. For this reason, it is sometimes difficult to incorporate an HPM antenna onto a desired platform when the available space is small. In previous work, we have adapted an electrically small EZ antenna to operate with a mesoband, quarter-wave oscillator source. The EZ antenna operates over a ground plane, but is conformal and low profile in that the electrical size is on the order of λ/12, making it attractive for applications where there is sufficient internal space to place a full source, but only limited space outside the platform for the radiating subsystem. Here we extend the capabilities of the oscillator/EZ antenna combination by introducing a dual band design for the antenna and altering the oscillator to produce multiple resonant frequencies. Designs are shown here that operate in the UHF (500-800 MHz) and L-band (1.5-1.8 GHz), but the operation frequencies are essentially arbitrary. This paper shows modeling results that predict high antenna efficiency with electrical sizes of at Ka <; f = 500 MHz.
Resilience of the Turkish Economy During the Global Financial Crisis of 2008

The authors explore the sources of the resilience of the Turkish economy to the global financial crisis of 2008. They first show that financial factors and fundamentals were very strong in Turkey before the crisis, and monetary and fiscal policies responded strongly to the crisis in a countercyclical way. They find that these strong fundamentals and prudent economic policies are reflected in the risk premium movements. Emerging market bond index (EMBI) spreads for Turkey increased slightly during the 2008 crisis and decreased back to the normal levels quickly. This was in large contrast to the crisis in 2001, when spreads increased significantly due to the weak fundamentals and decreased very slowly. Second, the authors quantitatively analyze the effects of risk premium movements during the crisis in a small open economy framework. They find that the risk premium observed in 2008 could not generate large movements in output, validating the point that the Turkish economy was resistant to the financial factors of the crisis.
Simple cystatin C-based prediction equations for glomerular filtration rate compared with the modification of diet in renal disease prediction equation for adults and the Schwartz and the Counahan-Barratt prediction equations for children.

BACKGROUND Serum creatinine is the most commonly used marker for estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). To compensate for its drawbacks as a GFR marker, several prediction equations including several parameters are being used, with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Schwartz, and Counahan-Barratt equations being the ones most widely accepted for estimation of relative GFR in mL x min(-1) x (1.73 m(2))(-1). The present study analyzes whether these GFR prediction equations for adults and children might be replaced by simple prediction equations based on plasma concentrations of cystatin C. METHODS Data from 536 patients (0.3-93 years), consecutively referred for determination of GFR by an invasive gold standard procedure, were used for the analysis. Calculations of bias (median percentage of error), correlation (adjusted R(2)), and percentage of estimates within 30% and 50% of measured GFR were used in the comparisons. RESULTS A cystatin C-based prediction equation using only concentration in mg/L and a prepubertal factor: GFR [mL x min(-1) x (1.73 m(2))(-1)] = 84.69 x cystatin C (mg/L)(-1.680) x 1.384 (if a child <14 years) assessed GFR equally well or better than the simplified MDRD, the Schwartz, and the Counahan-Barratt prediction equations for the adult (> or =18 years) and juvenile groups of the investigated cohort. Age did not influence the cystatin C-based prediction equation for adults, whereas gender did, but with a factor close to unity (0.948 for females). CONCLUSION A GFR prediction equation based solely on cystatin C (in mg/L) and a prepubertal factor might replace the simplified MDRD prediction equation for adults and the Schwartz and Counahan-Barratt prediction equations for children.
Empirical relationship between the dividend and investment decision: do emerging market firms behave differently?

This study provides an emerging economy perspective towards the Miller and Modigliani (1961) separation principle. Applying a panel Granger causality test proposed by Hurlin and Venet (2004) to the dividend and investment data of 265 Indian manufacturing firms for 1992–2004, the M–M hypothesis is rejected and evidence found in favour of the joint determination of financing and investment decisions.
Flavonoid, Phenol and Polysaccharide Contents of Echinacea Purpurea L. and Its Immunostimulant Capacity In Vitro

Echinacea purpurea L. (EP) is a plant originally used by native Americans to treat respiratory infections and have long been used to aid in wound healing and to enhance the immune system. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the ability of EP extracts to stimulate the production of nitric oxide (NO) and TNF-α as well as to evaluate the cell viability by the use of chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and RAW 264.7 macrophages in vitro. The polysaccharides content of EP was 162.2±8.4 mg/g dry weight (DW)The EP extracted with a 55% ethanol at 55℃ contained 22.3 ±1.0 mg gallic acid equivalent/g DW of total phenolic compounds and 86.0 ± 4.6 mg quercetin equivalent/g of flavonoid content. The result of cell viability assay showed that 89% and 81% of chicken PBMCs and RAW 264.7 macrophages, respectively, were survived under the treatment of 3.2 mg/ml of EP extracts by microculture tetrazolium assays (MTAs). Moreover, the cell inhibitory activity did not show the 50% cyto-toxicity effect (IC50). In addition, NO production by stimulated chicken PBMCs and RAW 264.7 macrophages exhibited individually the linear relations with the concentration of EP extracts, and they were approximately 70 and 60 μM in 800 μg/ml, respectively. The tendency with the release of TNF-α by RAW 264.7 macrophages also corresponded with EP extracts concentration. It is concluded, EP extracts act as an immunostimulant for both tested cells but have no serious effect on inhibiting chicken PBMCs viability.
Real National Income

What do we mean by a country's real income? There are in fact two different approaches here. One, which we address here, is the question of interpreting the existing definition of income. The other is the widespread view that income ought to measure ‘sustainable consumption’. The origin of the idea that income should be a measure of sustainable consumption can be traced back to Hicks (1939).
Alternative Monetary Policy Rules for Small Open Economies

This paper examines the relative merits of alternative monetary policy rules for a small open economy. Rules considered target: the exchange rate, price level, nominal income, or a monetary aggregate. The standard framework employed in previous comparisons of these rules fails to take account of important features of small open economies. In particular, the standard framework fails to consider the effects on aggregate supply of exchange rate adjustments resulting from adherence to policy rules. Incorporating these effects is shown to weaken the case for targeting nominal income and, more generally, to complicate the ranking of policy rules.
Caregivers' perspectives on barriers to transcranial doppler screening in children with sickle‐cell disease

Current guidelines recommend that children with HbSS or HbSβ°thal undergo yearly transcranial Doppler screenings (TCD) to identify those at high risk for stroke. Compliance is low with yearly TCD screenings. Our objective was to describe caregiver experiences and knowledge of TCD screenings as well as barriers that may prevent screening.
Making Invisible Work Visible: Using Social Network Analysis to Support Strategic Collaboration

With efforts to de-layer organizations and reduce functional boundaries, coordination increasingly occurs through networks of informal relations rather than channels tightly prescribed by formal reporting structures or detailed work processes. However, while organizations are moving to network forms through joint ventures, alliances, and other collaborative relationships, executives generally pay little attention to assessing and supporting informal networks within their own organizations. Social network analysis is a valuable means of facilitating collaboration in strategically important groups such as top leadership networks, strategic business units, new product development teams, communities of practice, joint ventures, and mergers. By making informal networks visible, social network analysis helps managers systematically assess and support strategically important collaboration.
The Dynamics of Organizational Proximity

The proximity among people in an organization is known to exert considerable influence on a variety of organizational outcomes such as performance, stress, and job satisfaction. Early research on proximity in organizations studied pairs of people in job locations that were at fixed distances (e.g., keypunch operators at their work stations). This research procedure ignores three critical features of organizational life. First, people are simultaneously proximate to everyone else in their organization. Second, this proximity changes throughout the day as people move about the organization. Finally, the opportunity and obligation for communication that people perceive by being physically close to others is often more important than the actual physical distance. The present paper develops a definition of organizational proximity that accounts for these previous limitations. Specifically, organizational proximity is defined as two or more people being in the same location where there is both the opportunity and psychological obligation for face-to-face communication. This measure, when aggregated across all people in an organization, provides a single value of how concentrated people are in the various locations of the firm. Further, given the proper data collection techniques, it reveals the degree to which organizational proximity changes throughout the workday and workweek. On the basis of this definition, research was conducted which examined the organizational proximity among employees in a research and development firm for each 15-minute interval of a typical workweek. Two major findings were obtained. First, the level of organizational proximity changed considerably during the course of a typical day, with peaks during the late morning and early afternoon and valleys during the early morning, lunch, and late afternoon hours. Second, the pattern was highly consistent from day-to-day. This consistency permitted the development of a model which enables accurate prediction of the level of organizational density for any time period during any day of the workweek. There are several rather interesting managerial implications in these results. First, they support Peters and Waterman's (Peters, T. J., R. H. Waterman. 1982. Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies. Harper & Row, New York, 3--26, 119--155, 200--234.) recent recommendation of "management by wandering around," since that technique maximizes a manager's proximity to employees. Second, the results suggest managerial and electronic alternatives to traditional forms of communication such as face-to-face meetings and phonecalls. Third, they imply alternative strategies for managing the daily fluctuations in availability of people and communication that result from differences and changes in organizational proximity.
The Usefulness of the Supervisory Board Report in China

Chinese listed companies adopt a two-tier board structure, a Board of Directors (BoD) and a Supervisory Board. They are also required to provide in their annual reports a supervisory board report (SBR). However, Congquin, a listed company, failed to issue a SBR in its 1998 annual report. This study specifically investigates the usefulness of the SBR by examining the stock market reaction to Congquin's SBR omission. The study also examines the Supervisory Board's reporting process and users' perceived usefulness of the SBR through interviews with directors, supervisory board members and senior executives of 16 listed companies. Discussions were also held with financial analysts, regulatory officials and academics. Our event study suggests that the absence of the SBR in Congquin's 1998 annual report caused a negative market reaction suggesting that investors had considered the SBR and the Supervisory Board important and were discouraged by the problems manifested by the absence of the SBR. Our interviews reveal that the usefulness of the SBR depends on the role that the Supervisory Board plays in corporate governance. If the Supervisory Board is an honoured guest, a friendly advisor, or a censored watchdog, it is unlikely that the SBR will convey much useful information. By contrast, if the Supervisory Board acts as an independent watchdog, then the SBR would be useful. Given the fact that the Supervisory Board in most of the companies that participated in the interviews fell into the first three categories, there remains a strong need to improve the usefulness of the SBR and strengthen the functioning of the Supervisory Board. Copyright 2003 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
U.S. Total Factor Productivity Slowdown; Evidence from the U.S. States

Total factor productivity (TFP) growth began slowing in the United States in the mid-2000s, before the Great Recession. To many, the main culprit is the fading positive impact of the information technology (IT) revolution that took place in the 1990s. But our estimates of TFP growth across the U.S. states reveal that the slowdown in TFP was quite widespread and not particularly stronger in IT-producing states or in those with a relatively more intensive usage of IT. An alternative explanation offered in this paper is that the slowdown in U.S. TFP growth reflects a loss of efficiency or market dynamism over the last two decades. Indeed, there are large differences in production efficiency across U.S. states, with the states having better educational attainment and greater investment in R&D being closer to the production “frontier. ”
The Promise of Targeting Macrophages in Cancer Therapy

Cancer therapy has developed around the concept of killing, or stopping the growth of, the cancer cells. Molecularly targeted therapy is the modern expression of this paradigm. Increasingly, however, the realization that the cancer has co-opted the normal cells of the stroma for its own survival has led to the concept that the tumor microenvironment (TME) could be targeted for effective therapy. In this review, we outline the importance of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), a major component of the TME, in the response of tumors to cancer therapy. We discuss the normal role of macrophages in wound healing, the major phenotypes of TAMs, and their role in blunting the efficacy of cancer treatment by radiation and anticancer drugs, both by promoting tumor angiogenesis and by suppressing antitumor immunity. Finally, we review the many preclinical studies that have shown that the response of tumors to irradiation and anticancer drugs can be improved, sometimes markedly so, by depleting TAMs from tumors or by suppressing their polarization from an M1 to an M2 phenotype. The data clearly support the validity of clinical testing of combining targeting TAMs with conventional therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 23(13); 3241–50. ©2017 AACR.
Muscarinic Receptor Profiles of Mouse Brain Astrocytes in Culture Vary With Their Tissue Of Origin but Differ From Those of Neurons

The two main cell populations in brain tissues are neurons and astrocytes. Cultures of both bear muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs). Available data indicate that astrocyte mAChRs are heterogeneous, but the particular subtypes on these cells are not known, nor is there any information as to whether there is a regional variation in the mAChR profile of astrocytes. This paper describes the mAChR profiles of cultured astrocytes derived from the cerebral hemispheres, mesencephalon and medulla‐pons, and is a continuation of our study on cultures of neurons from these same tissues. Pharmacological studies showed that the astrocytes accumulated small amounts of mAChRs with distinct pharmacological profiles which, for a given area, differed from those of neurons in culture. Northern blot analyses showed transcripts for ml and m3 mAChRs only. Their concentrations differed from one cell population to another. Astrocyte cultures from the mesencephalon contained ml mRNA amounts close to those in the tissue. Thus, at least part of the mAChR profile in vitro might be a true reflection of the cell's properties in vivo. Functional studies showed that mAChRs mediate the stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover in all three astrocyte cultures, that the amplitude of this response varies greatly with the origin of the cell, and that two pharmacological subclasses, M1 and M1–2‐, are involved in these responses, but to different extents. Thus the CNS contains discrete astrocyte populations which in culture differ in their mAChR profiles at the molecular, the pharmacological and the functional levels.