Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for breast cancer at young ages in twins: an international population-based study.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer etiology in women may relate to exposures early in life as well as in adulthood, but it has been difficult to gain information on childhood variables, and evidence on their effects is very limited. Comparison of risk factor levels between affected probands and unaffected twins in twin pairs can provide a unique method to investigate risk factors that act in early life. METHODS We conducted four population-based case-control studies of breast cancer risk in twins in Denmark, England and Wales, Finland, and Sweden and pooled the data from these studies. The case patients were 400 women with incident breast cancer before the age of 50 years, and the control subjects were their twin sisters who had not had breast cancer by that time. Data on risk factors (e.g., demographic and anthropomorphic variables, reproductive history, and family history) were collected by interview and by a mailed questionnaire and were analyzed by calculating matched odds ratios [ORs]. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS The risk of breast cancer was increased for women who were less obese (OR = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08 to 1.91) or taller (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 0.95 to 1.70) than their co-twin at age 10 years, for women who developed breasts earlier than their co-twin (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.14 to 2.06), and for women who had a smaller waist-to-hip ratio at age 20 years than their co-twin (OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.00 to 3.21). Analysis according to family history of breast cancer showed that the associations of childhood height and weight with risk of breast cancer were only apparent in women without a family history of breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS Childhood growth before puberty may affect the risk of premenopausal breast cancer, at least in women without a family history of breast cancer. The distribution of body fat in young adulthood may also be related to breast cancer risk.
Heterogeneity between populations for multifactorial inheritance of plasma lipids.

A general linear model was described for multifactorial inheritance of the two plasma lipids, total cholesterol (CH), and triglyceride (TG). Analyses of two separate studies, the Honolulu Heart Study (HHS) and the Cincinnati Lipid Research Clinic (LRC), indicated some heterogeneity. Whereas the sibling environmental effect (b) was the only source of heterogeneity between the two studies for TG, the correlation between marital environments (u) may also be considered as a source of heterogeneity for CH. Under parsimonious hypothesis, intergenerational differences in heritabilities were not found to be significant for either trait (y1 = y2 = z1 = z2 = 1). Maternal effects were significant for CH but not for TG. Correlations between marital environments (u1 and u2) were not significant for TG, and may be considered nonsignificant for CH also under parsimonious hypotheses. In any case, the genetic (h2) and cultural (c2) heritabilities cannot be considered to be heterogeneous between the two studies. Based on pooled data, parsimonious hypothesis yields: h2 = . 594 +/- . 041 and c2 = . 035 +/- . 008 for CH, and h2 = . 259 +/- . 034 and c2 = . 108 +/- . 014 for TG.
Stock Market Overreaction to Bad News in Good Times: A Rational Expectations Equilibrium Model

This article presents a dynamic, rational expectations equilibrium model of asset prices where the drift of fundamentals (dividends) shifts between two unobservable states at random times. I show that in equilibrium, investors' willingness to hedge against changes in their own "uncertainty" on the true state makes stock prices overreact to bad news in good times and underreact to good news in bad times. I then show that this model is better able than conventional models with no regime shifts to explain features of stock returns, including volatility clustering, "leverage effects," excess volatility, and time-varying expected returns. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Profilin II Regulates the Exocytosis of Kainate Glutamate Receptors*

The trafficking of ionotropic glutamate receptors to and from synaptic sites is regulated by proteins that interact with their cytoplasmic C-terminal domain. Profilin IIa (PfnIIa), an actin-binding protein expressed in the brain and recruited to synapses in an activity-dependent manner, was shown previously to interact with the C-terminal domain of the GluK2b subunit splice variant of kainate receptors (KARs). Here, we characterize this interaction and examine the role of PfnIIa in the regulation of KAR trafficking. PfnIIa directly and specifically binds to the C-terminal domain of GluK2b through a diproline motif. Expression of PfnIIa in transfected COS-7 cells and in cultured hippocampal neurons from PfnII-deficient mice decreases the level of extracellular of homomeric GluK2b as well as heteromeric GluK2a/GluK2b KARs. Our data suggest a novel mechanism by which PfnIIa exerts a dual role on the trafficking of KARs, by a generic inhibition of clathrin-mediated endocytosis through its interaction with dynamin-1, and by controlling KARs exocytosis through a direct and specific interaction with GluK2b.
Superiority of long-acting to short-acting loop diuretics in the treatment of congestive heart failure.

BACKGROUND Diuretics are the most prescribed drug in heart failure (HF) patients. However, clinical evidence about their long-term effects is lacking. The purpose of this study was to compare the therapeutic effects of furosemide and azosemide, a short- and long-acting loop diuretic, respectively, in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS In this multicenter, prospective, randomized, open, blinded endpoint trial, we compared the effects of azosemide and furosemide in patients with CHF and New York Heart Association class II or III symptoms. 320 patients (160 patients in each group, mean age 71 years) were followed up for a minimum of 2 years. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death or unplanned admission to hospital for congestive HF. During a median follow-up of 35.2 months, the primary endpoint occurred in 23 patients in the azosemide group and in 34 patients in the furosemide group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32-0.95: P=0.03). Among the secondary endpoints, unplanned admission to hospital for congestive HF or a need for modification of the treatment for HF were also reduced in the azosemide group compared with the furosemide group (HR, 0.60, 95%CI 0.36-0.99: P=0.048). CONCLUSIONS Azosemide, compared with furosemide, reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or unplanned admission to hospital for congestive HF.
Regulation of Cellular Cholesterol Efflux by Lecithin:Cholesterol Acyltransferase Reaction through Nonspecific Lipid Exchange (*)

Erythrocyte was found lacking in reactivity to lipid-free apolipoproteins to generate pre-β-high density lipoprotein (HDL) with the cellular lipid and, therefore, was used to study cellular cholesterol efflux to plasma lipoproteins exclusively by a nonspecific exchange mechanism. Over the range of hematocrit from 1-20% (cellular cholesterol pool of 2.5 μg to 50 μg per 250 μl), the fractional rate of cellular cholesterol efflux to lipoprotein was constant, and, therefore, absolute efflux rate was a linear function of the hematocrit of this range. In the absence of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), the cholesterol influx rate from lipoproteins was equal to the efflux rate from erythrocyte resulting in no net transfer of cholesterol, with either HDL or low density lipoprotein. In the presence of LCAT in the mixture of HDL and erythrocyte, cholesterol was esterified exclusively in HDL regardless of the origin. When the hematocrit was low and efflux of cellular cholesterol was slower than cholesterol esterification, the esterification of cell-originating cholesterol did not directly enhance the efflux. With high hematocrit that gives faster cholesterol efflux, the efflux was increased directly by the cholesterol esterification. On the other hand, the LCAT reaction significantly reduced HDL-cholesterol influx. The LCAT reaction thus induces substantial net cholesterol efflux from erythrocytes through a nonspecific cholesterol exchange mechanism.
Formation of Disulfide Bridges Drives Oligomerization, Membrane Pore Formation, and Translocation of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 to Cell Surfaces*

Background: FGF2 translocation across plasma membranes depends on phosphoinositide-dependent oligomerization and membrane pore formation. Results: Two unique surface cysteines are critical for efficient FGF2 oligomerization, membrane pore formation, and FGF2 secretion from cells. Conclusion: Formation of intermolecular disulfide bridges drives phosphoinositide-dependent FGF2 oligomerization at plasma membranes. Significance: A new cis element critical for unconventional secretion of FGF2 was identified and validated. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is a key signaling molecule in tumor-induced angiogenesis. FGF2 is secreted by an unconventional secretory mechanism that involves phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-dependent insertion of FGF2 oligomers into the plasma membrane. This process is regulated by Tec kinase-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of FGF2. Molecular interactions driving FGF2 monomers into membrane-inserted FGF2 oligomers are unknown. Here we identify two surface cysteines that are critical for efficient unconventional secretion of FGF2. They represent unique features of FGF2 as they are absent from all signal-peptide-containing members of the FGF protein family. We show that phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-dependent FGF2 oligomerization concomitant with the generation of membrane pores depends on FGF2 surface cysteines as either chemical alkylation or substitution with alanines impairs these processes. We further demonstrate that the FGF2 variant forms lacking the two surface cysteines are not secreted from cells. These findings were corroborated by experiments redirecting a signal-peptide-containing FGF family member from the endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi-dependent secretory pathway into the unconventional secretory pathway of FGF2. Cis elements known to be required for unconventional secretion of FGF2, including the two surface cysteines, were transplanted into a variant form of FGF4 without signal peptide. The resulting FGF4/2 hybrid protein was secreted by unconventional means. We propose that the formation of disulfide bridges drives membrane insertion of FGF2 oligomers as intermediates in unconventional secretion of FGF2.
Symmetric Wing Sections for the Switchback Motion of the Very Large Mobile Offshore Structure

We propose a new concept of VLMOS, which is composed of slender beams, demi-hulls and struts. The struts are wing-shaped, so that the wing induces a lateral force to counter the lateral wind drag force. The shapes of strut wings are symmetrical in the direction of the cord and their both ends have sharp edge. The main topic of this paper is to analyze the characteristic of the strut wings. We have carried out the model experiment and the calculation to estimate the performance of the strut wings.
Photoluminescence and bowing parameters of InAsSb∕InAs multiple quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Detailed studies are reported on the photoluminescence of InAsSb∕InAs multiple quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy on InAs substrates with the Sb mole fraction ranging from 0.06 to 0.13. From 4K photoluminescence the band alignment was determined to be staggered type II. By comparing the emission peak energies with a transition energy calculation it was found that both the conduction and valence bands of InAsSb alloy exhibit some bowing. The bowing parameters were determined to be in the ratio of 4:6. For a sample with Sb composition ∼0.12 in the quantum well the photoluminescence emission band covers the CO2 absorption peak making it suitable for use in sources for CO2 detection.
Design of high performance and wide-band VCO with transformer feedback

This paper presents a very low supply voltage, low phase noise and wide tuning range CMOS LC voltage-controlled oscillator with a transformer feedback for a wide-band front-end receiver by a standard 0.18-mum CMOS process. The VCO take an optimum differential transformer to achieve maximize quality factor and minimize the chip area and switching capacitor module are used to maintain a large tuning range. The VCO core power consumption is 6.9 mW from 0.6 V supply and operates with a wide-band from 4.16-5.47 GHz. The measured phase noise is -111.5 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset from the carrier frequency at 5.45 GHz.
Intermittency events in bio-compatible electrical contacts

This paper presents a study of the electrical contact performance of bio-compatible electrical connectors. In particular, the focus is on the performance of these devices under low frequency fretting conditions aimed to replicate the types of motion that may be experienced in-vivo. In the study, the contact materials selected include titanium, stainless-steel and cobalt-chromium alloys in various combinations. These materials are investigated under a unique methodology developed to include the high-frequency sampling of contact resistance values under dry-circuit conditions (20mV) and under low voltage levels of 5V. The experimental methodology is discussed in determining the best standard for continuing studies that compare relative performance. In all tests, the materials exhibit measurable intermittency events, after a low number of fretting cycles. These events are discussed and related to the surface form exhibited and measured using 3D surface scanning methods. The results are then related to theoretical studies of intermittency.
Energy expenditure in wild birds

Allometric scaling of energy metabolism is one of the most familiar and robust models in biology (Brody, 1945; Kleiber, 1975; Calder, 1984), although its cause remains contentious (West et al. 1997). Energy requirements of animals are often calculated assuming metabolism scales as a 0.67 or 0.75 power of body mass (Peters, 1983; Brown & Maurer, 1986). Yet, the practices and assumptions of this approach will often be inadequate if the goal is precise prediction of energy expenditure or requirements at the species level. This is because organismal and environmental influences on avian metabolism are ubiquitous, both regarding their effect on basal energy requirements (Aschoff & Pohl, 1970; Bennett & Harvey, 1987) and, more pertinently in the present context, on expenditure of energy by free-living individuals (Walsberg, 1983; Nagy, 1987; Bryant & Tatner, 1991). It is important, therefore, to identify factors, additional to those simply allied with body mass, which account for this variation. Identification of significant categorical factors affecting energy expenditure has been a main concern to date. A study of interspecies variation in mammalian energetics, for example, showed that desert dwellers had generally low field (free-living) metabolic rates but identified no other significant factors (Nagy, 1994). Amongst birds, desert dwellers and sea-birds stand apart from others, with respectively low and high field metabolic rates (Nagy, 1987). Also, some studies have indicated that aerial-feeding birds, including hummingbirds, have a relatively high field metabolism (Walsberg, 1983). Nevertheless, very few reliable predictor variables of wide applicability are available to explain interspecies variation in energy expenditure, either for wild birds or mammals. The present study has the general aim of accounting for interspecies variation in energy expenditure of birds. More specifically, it confirms that metabolic scaling with body mass (W) remains pre-eminent in explaining energy expenditure amongst wild birds, even when W only varies across about an order of magnitude. The main aim, however, is to identify and evaluate other factors which predict variation in energy expenditure amongst free-living birds.
STUDY OF PRESCRIBING PATTERN IN ELDERLY PATIENTS VISITING MEDICINE OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Elderly have pathophysiological changes, higher incidence of chronic diseases, are at risk of polypharmacy and medication errors. Drug utilisation studies enable us to detect such problems and prioritize efforts to correct them. The current study was carried out with the objectives of delineating prescription pattern in elderly outpatients, determining the prescribing frequency of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) according to Beers criteria and evaluating prescriptions according to WHO indicators. Prescriptions of elderly patients visiting Medicine OPD were collected over a year. Hypertension was the commonest diagnosis, Ranitidine the most frequently prescribed medication. PIMs were minimal (1.26%). On average, 3.7 drugs were prescribed per patient. 95.79% were prescribed by generic name, 94.53% from Essential drug list. Percentage of encounters with antibiotic prescribed was 13.9%. Prescription pattern was rational with respect to WHO indicators. Lacunae like overuse of multivitamins, prescription of PIMs came forth. More studies in other specialties are necessary to sensitize practitioners towards rational prescribing.
Neurokinetics of lidocaine in the infraorbital nerve of the rat in vivo: Relation to sensory block.

The kinetics of neural uptake and efflux of lidocaine hydrochloride were studies by means of a standardized technique for blocking the intraorbital nerve of the rat, using a palatal jig. Following injection of 14-C-labeled local anesthetic, groups of ten animals were saccraficed at incipient recovery from sensory block or at othertimes. The nerves were weighed and assayed for radioactivity. The lengths of nerve containing high levels of lidocaine varied inversely with the times elapsed since onset of block. In experiments where a fixed quantity (2 mg) drug was injected, the incidence of block 2 hours later was concentrated-dependent, occuring in 80 per cent of animals after 2 per cent, in 40 per cent after 1 per cent, and in none after 0.5 per cent lidocaine. Epinephrine, 1:200,000, prolonged by 80 per cent the block effected with 0.2 ml of 1 per cent lidocaine. At the onset of recovery the neural contents of lidocaine at the sites of injection were 484 plus or minus 404 ng/mg of nerve in epinephrine-treated nerves, and 274 plus or minus 218 ng/mg in nonepinephrine-treated nerved (N.S., P greater than 0.05). Quantitative comparisons of in-vivo effectiveness of local anesthetic solutions can be made with this technique.
Energy efficient capacity management in virtualized data centers

This work contributes experimental results on the energy efficiency of virtual machine allocation strategies in virtualized data centers. For persistent scenarios with long-running VMs, we could show that static allocations often outperform their dynamic counterparts without the additional cost entailed by VM migrations. In presence of a non-persistent VM demand, dynamic control strategies achieve higher efficiency, in particular if incoming VMs are allocated to the available servers such that their utilization is high.
Association of total tooth loss with smoking, drinking alcohol and nutrition in elderly Japanese: analysis of national database.

OBJECTIVE Various factors may be associated with edentulism in elderly people. Association of total tooth loss with smoking, alcohol intake and nutrition in non-institutionalised elderly Japanese was assessed utilising national database. MATERIALS AND METHODS Records of independent surveys, the Survey of Dental Diseases (SDD) and the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) in 1999 were electronically linked using the household identification number. RESULTS Among the records of 6903 subjects in the SDD and 12 763 subjects in the NNS, 6805 records were successfully linked. Overall, prevalence of total tooth loss in adults was very similar in males and females at approximately 7.0%, and the smoking rate was 47.6% and 9.9% respectively. Total tooth loss was a rare phenomenon (<2%) in age groups of <60 years. According to the multiple logistic regression analysis involving 2200 subjects aged 60 years or older, significant variables were age, current smokers and vitamin C intake in males, and age and current smokers in females. The variable for current drinkers was significant in females but the odds ratio was <1.0. No significant relationship was detected with respect to former smokers and drinkers, body mass index, vitamin E intake and blood glucose level. CONCLUSIONS Current smoking was associated with total tooth loss, although smoking rate was low in females. Gender difference in the association was suggestive with respect to drinking alcohol and vitamin C intake.
Understanding noise introduced by operating systems and its effects on high performance computing

Jitter caused by Operating System (OS) is a well studied factor known to influence the performance of High Performance Computing (HPC) applications. In this study we give a short overview of previous work regarding OS noise. We implement benchmarking suite to quantify noise and present experimental results from four different real life architectures. We also attempt to reduce noise on fresh installation of general purpose OS with the intention to verify the implemented tool and to demonstrate the potentiality of tailoring general purpose OS’s to HPC domain. Keywords—Jitter, Operating system noise, High performance computing, Linux.
Trigger point--acupuncture point correlations revisited.

UNLABELLED In 1977, Melzack and colleagues examined the possible correspondence of acupuncture points and trigger points for the treatment of pain. They claimed a 71% correspondence between these two classes of points. Their findings have influenced many researchers and practitioners but have not been examined since 1977. The current study explores the claim of a 71% correspondence between these two classes of points through a more extensive examination of the acupuncture literature. OBJECTIVES To investigate the claim of a 71% correspondence of acupuncture points and trigger points for the treatment of pain. METHODS The study involved a review of acupuncture texts published since 1977, focusing on five textbooks for the in-depth analyses and a broader range of texts for the more general analyses. RESULTS If trigger points correspond to any class of acupuncture points it would have to be to the a shi points rather than the "channel" or "extra" points with which the 1977 study attempted to find correlation. Approximately 35% of recommended acupuncture points in the treatment of pain are distant from the site of the pain, making assumptions about the infrequency of use of distant acupuncture points for pain suspect. Sixty-one percent (61%) of the acupuncture points that the 1977 study examined for the treatment of pain are not recommended at all for the treatment of pain, and 44% are not recommended in the treatment of any problem, while only 19% of the acupuncture points are frequently recommended for pain and 20% for all conditions. For the acupuncture points that corresponded in the 1977 study, the equivalent numbers are: 60% not recommended at all for pain, 47% not recommended for anything, 18% commonly recommended for pain, and 16% commonly recommended for anything. CONCLUSION The claimed 71% correspondence of trigger points to acupuncture points is conceptually not possible. Furthermore, even putting this conceptual problem aside, no more than 40% of the acupuncture points that the 1977 study examined could correlate for the treatment of pain, and more likely, only approximately 18%-19% correlate rather than the 71% that was claimed. However, this study found a probable correspondence of trigger points to a different class of acupuncture points, the a shi points, which appears to be an important finding. Researchers and clinicians who have assumed the conclusions of the 1977 study to be correct will need to reexamine the impact of the current findings on any claims that are dependent on the conclusions of that study.