Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transaction Costs, Liquidity and Expected Returns at the Berlin Stock Exchange, 1892-1913

We estimate effective spreads and round-trip transaction costs at the Berlin Stock Exchange for the period 1892-1913 using daily stock market returns for a sample of 27 stocks. Our results show that transaction costs at the main stock exchange in a bank-based financial system at the turn of the 20th century were quite low and about comparable to transaction costs in modern markets. Nonetheless, transaction costs varied substantially over time and across securities, whereby the cross-sectional variation could be substantially explained by firm size and time variation by crises. Furthermore, we find surprising evidence that transaction costs decrease the expected excess returns. Thereby size and momentum premia are of expected signs while market beta has no significant influence on the cross-sectional return variation.
Modification of progesterone and testosterone by a food-borne thermophile Geobacillus kaustophilus

Abstract The present work was carried out to study structural modification of steroids by Geobacillus kaustophilus, a bacterial thermophile present in milk and the environment. Incubation of progesterone and testosterone with G. kaustophilus at 65°C resulted in oxygenated steroid nuclei. The oxygenation of the steroid molecule was stereo specific. Seven metabolites of progesterone─6β/6α-hydroxytestosterone, 20-hydroxyprogesterone, 6β-/6α-20-dihydroxyprogesterone, 5α-pregnane-3,6,20-trione, and 3β-hydroxy-5α-pregnane-6,20-dione─were identified. Four compounds─namely, 66-/6--hydroxytestosterone and 6β/6α-hydroxyandrostenedione─and androst-4-en-3,17-dione were identified as testosterone metabolites. This shows that G. kaustophilus is capable of modifying steroid nuclei at elevated temperatures. G. kaustophilus is a stable thermophile first isolated from milk. Our results show that endogenous steroids present in milk can be modified by G. kaustophilus, causing detrimental effect on human health.
Does One Bayesian Make a Difference?

This paper develops a model of repeated interaction in social networks among agents with differing degrees of sophistication. The focus of the model is observational learning; that is, each agent receives initial private information and makes inferences regarding the private information of others through the repeated interaction with his neighbors in the network. The main question is how well agents aggregate private information through their local interactions. I show that in finite networks consisting exclusively of non-Bayesian (boundedly rational) agents, who revise their choices by averaging over the previous period's observed choices, all agents fail to perfectly aggregate the privately held information. However, the presence of at least one Bayesian agent in a strongly connected network is shown to be generically sufficient for every agent, whether Bayesian or non-Bayesian, to perfectly aggregate the private information of all agents.
Mortality during initial and during later lithium treatment

We have previously shown that the mortality of patients with recurrent affective disorders in long‐term lithium treatment is not higher than that of the general population. In the present study on 471 patients from Denmark and Germany, we examined mortality during the initial year of lithium treatment and during later lithium treatment. During initial lithium treatment, the total mortality was twice as high as in the general population (difference not significant) and the mortality due to suicide 16 times higher. During later lithium treatment, the mortality rates did not differ from those in the general population. Our results indicate that patients with frequent, often severe recurrences, those chosen for prophylactic lithium treatment, are at risk of high mortality, which then diminishes as the prophylactic action of the treatment takes effect.
Cost-effectiveness of a healthcare professional-led self-management support program for type 2 diabetic patients in Bangkok public health centers, Thailand

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effecti veness of a healthcare professional-led type 2 diabetes mellitus self-management support program (DM-SMS ) for a period of 6 months in public health centers in Bangkok, Thailand. Cost and cost-util ity analyses were performed in the context o f clinical trials that aimed to examine the ef fectiveness of the healthcare professional-led DM-SMS program compared with usual type 2 diabetes c are. One hundred and seventy-six type 2 diabe tic patients within a set criteria (i.e., aged > 20 years old, glycated hemoglobin or HbA1c > 7%, and seeking healthcare at a Bangkok public health center) participated in this study. Eighty-six patients received the DM-SMS program and 88 patients received the usual care. Data regarding costs focusing on the intervention and treatment for the physician-appointed visit were collected alongside the clinical trial. Outcomes such as qu ality of life were estimated. These economic analys es were done from both the healthcare provider’s and s ocietal perspectives. The findings revealed that the cost of the program was 1,960 baht per perso n. The total cost with respect to diabetes pa tients from the two different perspectives were 8,550 (health provider’s perspective) and 12,098 (soci etal perspective) baht per person . The quality of life of patients in the intervention group as compared with those in the usual care group increased (0.02). The cost-utility results were 34,400 and 96,350 baht p er QALY gain from the healthcare provider’s and societ al perspectives, respectively. According to the sensitivity analysis, the cost affected the incremental cost utility ratio (ICUR) to a high deg ree. In summary, the healthcare professional-led DM-SMS program requires only a small investment at startup and moderate implementation costs asso ciated with patients. These investment costs with a small return in the improvement of quality of life would be perhaps mitigated by investment in a long term and sustainable DM-SMS program.
Use of propranolol in heart failure patients: safety, tolerability, and effects on left ventricular function.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Beta-blockers have been shown to improve prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF). Propranolol, which is a low-cost drug, has not been fully studied in this setting. We sought to determine the safety, tolerability and effects on left ventricular function observed with the use of propranolol in HF patients, in functional class II-IV of the New York Heart Association. POPULATION AND METHODS Prospective study in which 20 outpatients (10 male, mean age 56 +/- 12 years, ranging from 20 to 70) were included. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) was 28%. Safety, tolerability and effects on electrocardiographic and echocardiographic variables were analyzed. Patients were evaluated in three steps: a) Step I--optimization on conventional drugs and assessment of baseline parameters; b) Step II--start of propranolol (10-20 mg/day), increasing the dose weekly to achieve a heart rate of 60 bpm, or a maximum daily dose of 120 mg; c) Step III--reappraisal of the parameters analyzed in step I, after 3 months of propranolol treatment. RESULTS On average, after treatment with propranolol, EF increased by 52% (p = 0.0003), E wave deceleration time was prolonged by 62% (p = 0.001) and effective ventricular filling time increased by 38.5% (p = 0.0005). Two patients developed mild congestion which was controlled by increasing diuretic doses, with no need to interrupt the protocol. Four patients had bradycardia-related symptoms, controlled by reducing digoxin doses. Nine subjects developed hyperkalemia, reversed by interrupting or reducing spironolactone. CONCLUSION Propranolol was safe and well tolerated, and had beneficial effects on ventricular function in HF patients. Its impact on mortality requires further study.
GABAergic projection from the intercalated cell masses of the amygdala to the basal forebrain in cats

The intercalated cell masses (ICMs) are dense clusters of small GABAergic cells interposed between the basolateral and centromedial nucles groups of the amygdala. Until now, the ICMs have been largely ignored in anatomical studies of the amygdaloid complex. Thus, this study was undertaken to ientify some of their targets by means of tract‐tracing methods combined with immunohistochemical teniques.
In vivo MRS measurement of deoxymyoglobin in human forearms

In vivo MRS measurement of deoxymyoglobin (deoxy‐Mb) in human forearms was performed by observing the N‐δ proton of F8 proximal histidine. The concentration of deoxy‐Mb reflects the oxygen level in the muscle. In resting muscles, the deoxy‐Mb level was below the detection sensitivity. When ischemia was introduced by arterial occlusion, the time‐resolved NMR spectra (with 1 min resolution) was recorded to follow the change in the deoxy‐Mb signal. The result shows that deoxy‐Mb signal builds up and levels off within 6 min. This technique may be used to study bioenergetics of muscle during exercise and under pathological conditions. © 1990 Academic Press, Inc.
Electronic structure, chemical bonding, and optical properties of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric NaNO2

The electronic-energy band structure, site and angular momentum decomposed density of states (DOS), and charge-density contours for ferroelectric sodium nitrite have been calculated using an accurate full-potential linear muffin-tin orbital method. The calculated total DOS is found to be in good agreement with experimental x-ray-photoemission spectra. From the DOS analysis, as well as charge-density studies, we conclude that the bonding between Na and NO{sub 2} is ionic and that the NO{sub 2} entities bond covalently. The polarized reflectivity spectra, calculated in a large energy range up to 30 eV, are directly compared with recent experimental spectra. The optical anisotropy in this material is analyzed through the optical functions such as refractive indices and static dielectric constants along the principal axes. Our calculated band structure and optical spectra are also compared with results obtained from the orthogonalized linear combination of atomic orbital method. The role of antiferroelectric distortion on the optical property and structural stability is discussed. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Transforming Mutations of Jak3 (A573V and M511I) Show Differential Sensitivity to Selective Jak3 Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND A medical need exists for successfully treating patients afflicted with leukemia and especially those that relapse and ultimately become refractory to front line chemotherapies. Leukemia cases are particularly high within Hispanic populations where this disease is among the most frequently occurring cancer. A possible cause is somatic mutations in Janus tyrosine kinase (Jak3). Fourteen somatic mutations have been reported in Jak3, including M511I and A573V, from patients with various forms of leukemia. While several of these Jak3 mutations have been shown to possess transforming ability in cell lines, whether these mutations are susceptible to Jak3 selective inhibitors remains less clear. METHODS The IL-3 dependent pro-B cell line Ba/F3 was virally transduced with plasmids encoding GFP and different mutant forms of Jak3, some of which conferred IL-3 independence. Sensitivity to pre-clinical and clinical Jak3 selective inhibitors was assessed for cellular viability and growth. RESULTS Two Jak3 mutations conferred IL-3 independent growth in Ba/F3 cells. However, the level of drug sensitivity varied with respect to Jak3 inhibitors NC1153, CP-690,550, and EP-009. CONCLUSION Jak3 inhibitors CP-690,550 and NC1153 showed efficacy in reducing viability of Ba/F3 cells transformed with mutant forms of Jak3, thus providing new therapeutic strategies to treat these types of cancer.
APC from mice harbouring the filarial nematode, Brugia malayi, prevent cellular proliferation but not cytokine production.

Specific T cell hyporesponsiveness and depressed antibody production is a key feature of human infection with the filarial nematodes, Brugia malayi and Wuchereria bancrofti. Despite this immune suppression, responses indicative of Th2 subset activation are present, including unusually high levels of specific IgG4. We tested the possibility that infection with filarial nematodes causes a reduction in the co-stimulatory or antigen-presenting capacity of macrophages resulting in a failure to activate specific T cells. Adherent peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) from mice implanted with adult B. Malayi were used to present antigen to the conalbumin-specific T cell clone, D10.G4. Proliferation of the D10 cells at even background levels was completely blocked by the presence of implant-derived adherent PEC. However, cytokine production by these cells in response to antigen was intact, and thus PEC from implanted mice are capable of functionally processing and presenting antigen. The elicitation of a suppressive cell population was specific for live adults as cells from mice implanted with dead adult parasites effectively stimulated D10 proliferation. The block in cellular proliferation is not due to the production of factors typically associated with macrophage suppression such as nitric oxide, prostaglandins or catalase. These observations are consistent with the T cell hyporesponsiveness seen in human cases of patent Brugia infection and may provide a murine model for the immune suppression seen in lymphatic filariasis.
Self-reported breast implants and connective-tissue diseases in female health professionals. A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of breast implants with connective-tissue diseases. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective cohort study of 395,543 female health professionals who completed mailed questionnaires for potential participation in the Women's Health Study. A total of 10,830 women reported breast implants and 11,805 reported connective-tissue diseases between 1962 and 1991. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used in analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Self-reported connective-tissue diseases. RESULTS Compared with women who did not report breast implants, the relative risk (RR) of the combined end point of any connective-tissue disease among those who reported breast implants was 1.24 (95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 1.41, P = .0015). With respect to the individual diseases, the finding for other connective-tissue diseases (including mixed) was statistically significant (P = .017), the findings for rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, dermatomyositis or polymyositis, or scleroderma were of borderline statistical significance (.05 < P < .10), and the finding for systemic lupus erythematosus was not statistically significant (P = .44). There were no clear trends in RR with increasing duration of breast implants. CONCLUSION These self-reported data from female health professionals are compatible with prior reports from other cohort studies that exclude a large hazard, but do suggest small increased risks of connective-tissue diseases among women with breast implants. The very large sample size makes chance an unlikely explanation for the results, but bias due to differential overreporting of connective-tissue diseases or selective participation by affected women with breast implants remains a plausible alternative explanation. The major contribution of this and other observational analytic studies has been to exclude large risks of connective-tissue diseases following breast implants.
Plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitor in portal blood from patients with and without gastric malignancy.

BACKGROUND Plasminogen activators (PA) may be released by the gut and eliminated by the liver. Patients with liver disorders or malignancy often have abnormal plasma levels of PAs. Some tumours may produce PAs. METHODS In patients undergoing gastric surgery for malignant (n = 18) or benign (n = 21) disorders. , blood drawn from the portal vein and a peripheral vein was analysed for tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen and activity (tPA: Ag, tPA: Act), single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator activity (scuPA: Act), and plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen and activity (PAI: Ag, PAI: Act). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS In both groups tPA: Act and scuPA: Act levels were significantly higher in portal blood than in peripheral blood, but tPA: Ag and PAI: Act levels did not differ. PAI: Act levels were significantly lower in patients with malignant disease, but levels of the other markers did not differ in the two groups.
Insight towards the identification of cytosolic Ca2+‐binding sites in ryanodine receptors from skeletal and cardiac muscle

Ca2+ plays a critical role in several processes involved in skeletal and cardiac muscle contraction. One key step in cardiac excitation–contraction (E–C) coupling is the activation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RYR2) by cytosolic Ca2+ elevations. Although this process is not critical for skeletal E–C coupling, the activation and inhibition of the skeletal ryanodine receptor (RYR1) seem to be important for overall muscle function. The RYR1 and RYR2 channels fall within the large category of Ca2+‐binding proteins that harbour highly selective Ca2+ ‐binding sites to receive and translate the various Ca2+ signals into specific functional responses. However, little is known about the precise localization of these sites within the cytosolic assembly of both RYR isoforms, although several experimental lines of evidence have highlighted their EF‐hand nature. EF‐hand proteins share a common helix‐loop‐helix structural motif with highly conserved residues involved in Ca2+ coordination. The first step in predicting EF‐hand positive regions is to compare the primary protein structure with the EF‐hand motif by employing available bioinformatics tools. Although this simple method narrows down search regions, it does not provide solid evidence regarding which regions bind Ca2+ in both RYR isoforms. In this review, we seek to highlight the key findings and experimental approaches that should strengthen our future efforts to identify the cytosolic Ca2+‐binding sites responsible for activation and inhibition in the RYR1 channel, as much less work has been conducted on the RYR2 channel.
L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria and brain malignant tumors

L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria is a rare metabolic encephalopathy displaying a subcortical leukoencephalopathy on MRI. Diagnosis rests on detection of an abnormal accumulation of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in body fluids. The authors report on four patients who developed a malignant brain tumor during the course of the disease. This association points to a possible role of L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria in predisposing to brain tumorigenesis.
Expanding the clinical phenotype of the mitochondrial m.13513G>A mutation with the first report of a fatal neonatal presentation

Diagnosis of mitochondrial disease is often a challenge because of the extreme heterogeneity of the clinical phenotype and the variety of underlying gene defects. Insight into the range of clinical phenotypes associated with a particular mitochondrial DNA mutation will facilitate better recognition of patients at risk by focused gene testing. We present a family affected by the mitochondrial m.13513G>A (p.D393N, ND5) mutation, illustrating a previously unreported degree of clinical heterogeneity, varying from mitochondrial encephalopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke‐like episodes (MELAS) in a 10‐year‐old female, to a fatal neonatal course with metabolic acidosis and hypotonia in a younger sister, to absence of medical problems in the mother. The mutation loads ranging from 66% in the deceased neonate to 30% in the female with MELAS and 7% in the asymptomatic mother, correlated with severity of the clinical phenotype. The importance of proactive collection and storage of appropriate samples during the diagnostic work‐up of an acutely ill or deceased neonate, allowing subsequent mitochondrial investigations, is hereby illustrated.
Endoscopic Reconstruction of Large Anterior Skull Base Defects using Acellular Dermal Allograft

Background Endoscopic repair of small- to medium-sized anterior skull base (ASB) defects using bone, cartilage, fascia, fibrin glue, lipolized dura, and, more recently, acellular dermal allograft have all been described with equal efficacy. The purpose of this study was to review our experience with the use of acellular dermis as the sole graft material in endoscopic reconstruction of large ASB defects. Methods A retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent endoscopic repair of ASB defects at the University of Miami between the years of 2001 and 2006 was conducted. Fifty-six patients were identified who met these criteria. All repairs were performed by a transnasal, endoscopic approach. Outcome measures included success of graft take and incidence of major and minor complications. Dural defect size was defined as small (<0.4 cm), intermediate (0.4–2.0 cm), and large (>2.0 cm). Results AlloDerm (AlloDerm. LifeCell Corp. Woodlands, TX) was used as the primary graft material in 30/55 (55%) cases; 16/55 (29%) of the repaired defects were classified as large. Graft success was 97% in the AlloDerm group and 92% in the non-AlloDerm group. The incidence of major and minor complications in the AlloDerm group was 0 and 3.3%, respectively. In the non-AlloDerm group, the incidence of major and minor complications was 4 and 12%, respectively. There were no statistical differences in the complication rates based on the type of repair or defect size. Conclusion Alloderm can be used successfully to repair ASB defects, including large defects that are >2 cm in size with little or no morbidity.
\(640\times 512\)  Extended Short Wavelength Infrared In0.83Ga0.17As Focal Plane Array

We present the detailed characteristics of solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown large format (640 × 512) extended short wavelength infrared In0.83Ga0. 17As sensor with desirable performance at both pixel and focal plane array (FPA) levels. The FPA pixels in the mesa structure grown on a graded AlInAs buffer layer with 2.65-μm, 300-K cutoff wavelength exhibited 300and 200-K peak detectivities as high as ~2.5×1010 and ~1×1012 cmHz1/2/W, which are both equivalent to the theoretical limits set by the Johnson noise of the detector. Dark current analysis of the pixels displayed no considerable tunneling component with the dark current being dominated by generation-recombination and shunt leakage mechanisms >200 K up to a reverse bias voltage of 3 V. Moreover, the noise measurements displayed no 1/f noise in the FPA pixels. In spite of the large lattice mismatch, the FPA yielded very good response linearity, as well as impressively good responsivity nonuniformity and pixel operability of 5.5% and 99.8%, respectively. The results showing the feasibility of both solid source MBE and graded AlInAs buffer for the growth of extended InGaAs photodetectors are very encouraging for the large format FPA implementation of these detectors with desirable imaging performance and an extended cutoff wavelength as high as ~2.7 μm.
Rapidly reversible dementia in cerebral amyloid inflammatory vasculopathy

This report discusses a biopsy proven case of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, with additional prominent vascular inflammatory features, characterized by a rapidly progressive dementia and leukoencephalopathy, where the clinical and radiological abnormalities resolved rapidly with minimal therapeutic intervention. We propose the term cerebral amyloid inflammatory vasculopathy (CAIV) to describe this condition.