Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photonic parton distributions.

The quark and gluon distributions of the photon are determined in leading and higher order by imposing a vector-meson dominance (VMD) valencelike structure at a low resolution scale adopted from the pion. This leaves only one free parameter, not sufficiently constrained by VMD, to be fixed by experiment. Our predictions are in agreement with presently available data for {ital F}{sub 2}{sup {gamma}}({ital x},{ital Q}{sup 2}). Simple parametri- zations of the resulting parton distributions are presented in the range 10{sup {minus}5}{approx lt}{ital x}{lt}1, 0.3{approx lt}{ital Q}{sup 2}{approx lt}10{sup 6} GeV{sup 2} as obtained from the leading- and higher-order evolution equations.
High performance flexible fabric electronics for megahertz frequency communications

This paper investigates the concept of using conductive threads for fabricating electronics including antennas at microwave frequencies. A number of commercial conductive threads have been considered. Digital embroidery has been used to create samples with different stitch types. This paper will provide a wide range of practical advice about fabricating samples using such materials. The threads have been examined by assessing their DC resistances at rest and while under physical strain and also the RF performance of transmission lines. The results show there is a wide range in performance between different conductive threads.
Anti-proliferative, Cytotoxicity and Anti-oxidant Activity of Juglans regia Extract

Objective: Juglans regia (walnuts), the royal species from Junglandaceae family, well-known for its valuable medicinal uses, their regular consumption may have beneficial effects against oxidative stress mediated diseases including cancer. The present study was aimed to explore the total phenolic content, anti-proliferative and anti-oxidant activity of Juglans regia leaves. Methods: The leaf powder was extracted using different solvents and subjected for phytochemical investigation. The total phenolic contents were determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The extracts comprising a good amount of secondary metabolites especially polyphenols were used to evaluate their antioxidant activity using Fenton’s reagent reaction and DPPH scavenging assay, while cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activity against B16F10 mice melanoma and A375 human melanoma cell were screened using MTT Assay. Observation: Methanolic extract presented the highest total phenolic content (94.39 ± 5.63 mg of GAE/g of extract) as compared to aqueous extract (27.92 ± 1.40 mg of GAE/g of extract). Similarly, methanolic extract presented the highest antioxidant activity (EC50 of 0.250mg/ml) followed by water extract (EC50 of 0.325mg/ml) in Fenton’s reaction and 0.199 ± 0.023 and 2.991 ± 0.740, respectively in DPPH assay. The extracts showed concentration dependent growth inhibition activity (IC50 0.234 and 0.304mg/ml) against B16F10 mice melanoma and A375 human melanoma cell line (IC50 0.298 and 0.350mg/ml) respectively. The extracts proved least toxic when treated with normal lymphocytes. The results indicate that walnut leaves are an excellent source of antioxidant and anti-cancerous agents and may prove fruitful herbal remedy in near future. However, the extracts proved effective against mice melanoma and human melanoma cells. Despite, more study is required before coming to any conclusion.
Repair of aortic coarctation in infancy: A 10-year clinical experience

Background Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital narrowing of the upper descending aorta. The approximate incidence is 4% in live-born children with congenital heart disease. This study aimed to describe the surgical outcome and survival of patients undergoing congenital aortic coarctation repair via subclavian flap aortoplasty (group 1) or resection with end-to-end anastomosis (group 2). Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes of 105 infants who underwent repair of aortic coarctation between 2000 and December 2012. Fifty patients (group 1) underwent subclavian flap aortoplasty and 55 (group 2) underwent resection with end-to-end anastomosis. Procedure details and early results were collected by retrospective review of hospital and clinic data. Results The mean age of patients in group 1 was 6.73 ± 1.1 vs. 6.76 ± 1.2 months in group 2, and the mean weight was 6.01 ± 1.3 vs. 5.9 ± 1.0 kg, respectively. There were no significant differences among the intra- and postoperative variables in the 2 groups. Six patients in group 1 had a peak systolic gradient >20 mm Hg. The recurrence rate in group 1 was 12% vs. 1.8% in group 2 (p < 0.05). Overall mortality was 2.8%. Survival in group 1 was 96% vs. 98.2% in group 2. Conclusion Repair of aortic coarctation in infancy by resection with end-to-end anastomosis can be performed with a low mortality rate and a low incidence of recoarctation, and it provides the optimal prognosis for coarctation in infancy.
Nischarin Inhibits LIM Kinase To Regulate Cofilin Phosphorylation and Cell Invasion

ABSTRACT Nischarin is a novel protein that regulates cell migration by inhibiting p21-activated kinase (PAK). LIM kinase (LIMK) is a downstream effector of PAK, and it is known to play an important role in cell invasion. Here we show that nischarin also associates with LIMK to inhibit LIMK activation, cofilin phosphorylation, and LIMK-mediated invasion of breast cancer cells, suggesting that nischarin regulates cell invasion by negative modulation of the LIMK/cofilin pathway. The amino terminus of nischarin binds to the PDZ and kinase domains of LIMK. Although LIMK activation enhances the interaction with nischarin, only phosphorylation of threonine 508 of LIMK is crucial for the interaction. Inhibition of endogenous nischarin expression by RNA interference stimulates breast cancer cell invasion. Also, nischarin small interfering RNA (siRNA) enhances cofilin phosphorylation. In addition, knock-down of nischarin showed branched projection actin structures. Collectively these data indicate that nischarin siRNA may enhance random migration, resulting in stimulation of invasion.
1 Mandatory IFRS Adoption and Financial Statement Comparability

This study examines the effect of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on financial statement comparability. To isolate the effects of changes in comparability, we examine changes to information asymmetry for firms domiciled in the UK. UK domestic standards that preceded IFRS adoption are considered very similar to IFRS (Bae et al. 2008); accordingly, we use the UK as a setting to isolate changes to the information environment relating to IFRS adoption that more likely to reflect changes in comparability versus information quality. If IFRS adoption improves financial statement comparability across firms, we predict this should reduce private information benefits. Empirical results confirm these predictions. Specifically, abnormal returns to two proxies for private information (insider purchases and analyst recommendation upgrades) are reduced following IFRS adoption. Similar results are obtained for subsamples that further isolate the reduction in private information as attributable to increases in comparability: firms having low amounts of reconciling items between UK GAAP and IFRS, and firms having ex ante high quality information environments. Together, the results are consistent with mandatory IFRS adoption leading to enhanced comparability. Key Terms: IFRS, comparability, private information Acknowledgements: We appreciate useful comments from Paul Healy, Victoria Ivashina, George Serafeim, Jordan Siegel, Eugene Soltes, Gwen Yu and workshop participants at the Havard Business School International Seminar Series. We also thank Joanne Horton and George Serafeim for data regarding UK firm reconciliations to IFRS. Christine Rivera and Chris Allen provided excellent research assistance. * Contact Author: Morgan Hall 369 Boston, MA 02163 617.495. 9329 fbrochet@hbs.edu
Risk of hypertension with multicystic kidney disease: a systematic review

Background: Children with multicystic kidney disease (MCKD) are increasingly managed conservatively, and are followed up throughout childhood because of the risk of hypertension highlighted in some reports. With this risk still poorly defined, the strategy and the duration of follow up do not seem to be based on evidence. Methods: Systematic review of the literature for all published cohort studies (prospective and retrospective) of children diagnosed to have unilateral MCKD and managed conservatively. Exclusion criteria were bilateral MCKD, and nephrectomy (not for hypertension) during the follow up period. For children with MCKD, the probability of developing hypertension during the follow up period was estimated. Results: From 29 reviewed studies, six cases of hypertension developed in 1115 eligible children. The mean probability of a child with unilateral MCKD developing hypertension was therefore 5.4 per 1000 (95% CI estimated at 1.9 to 11.7 per 1000). Conclusion: Although the risk of hypertension in MCKD is low, the results of this study do not allow firm recommendations on the frequency and duration of blood pressure measurement follow up for these children. Large prospective cohort studies with a very long duration of follow up are needed.
Doublecortin expression levels in adult brain reflect neurogenesis

Progress in the field of neurogenesis is currently limited by the lack of tools enabling fast and quantitative analysis of neurogenesis in the adult brain. Doublecortin (DCX) has recently been used as a marker for neurogenesis. However, it was not clear whether DCX could be used to assess modulations occurring in the rate of neurogenesis in the adult mammalian central nervous system following lesioning or stimulatory factors. Using two paradigms increasing neurogenesis levels (physical activity and epileptic seizures), we demonstrate that quantification of DCX‐expressing cells allows for an accurate measurement of modulations in the rate of adult neurogenesis. Importantly, we excluded induction of DCX expression during physiological or reactive gliogenesis and excluded also DCX re‐expression during regenerative axonal growth. Our data validate DCX as a reliable and specific marker that reflects levels of adult neurogenesis and its modulation. We demonstrate that DCX is a valuable alternative to techniques currently used to measure the levels of neurogenesis. Importantly, in contrast to conventional techniques, analysis of neurogenesis through the detection of DCX does not require in vivo labelling of proliferating cells, thereby opening new avenues for the study of human neurogenesis under normal and pathological conditions.
The log of gravity revisited

This article evaluates the performance of alternative estimation methods for gravity models with heteroscedasticity and zero trade values. Both problematic issues, recently addressed by Santos Silva and Tenreyro in an influential paper, are re-examined here. We use Monte Carlo simulations to compare the Pseudo Poisson Maximum Likelihood (PPML) estimator recommended by Santos Silva and Tenreyro, a Gamma Pseudo-Maximum-Likelihood (GPML), a Nonlinear Least Squares (NLS) estimator and a Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) estimator with more traditional techniques. Additionally, estimates of the gravity equation are obtained for three different data sets with the abovementioned methods. The results of the simulation study indicate that, although the PPML estimator is less affected by heteroscedasticity than others are, its performance is similar, in terms of bias and SEs, to the FGLS estimator performance, in particular for small samples. GPML presents however the lowest bias and SEs in the simulations without zero values. The results of the empirical estimations, using three different samples containing real data, indicate that the choice of estimator has to be made for each specific dataset. It is highly recommended to follow a model selection approach using a number of tests to select the more appropriate estimator for any application.
PAROXYSMAL TACHYCARDIA IN INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD I. Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia

A 1 to 30 year follow‐up study of 54 infants and children with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia is presented. In 28 cases the first attack occurred in infancy, and in 18 of these already in the first months of life. Nine patients had organic heart disease. The WPW syndrome was diagnosed in 30 cases. When first seen, most of the infants presented signs of incipient or manifest congestive heart failure, which was very unusual in the children, most of whom had only minor symptoms. Four children had experienced brief syncopes during attacks. Digitalis was effective against congestive heart failure and, when continued, may have prevented failure during subsequent attacks. Whether digitalis and other anti‐arrhythmic agents facilitated conversion to sinus rhythm could not be established in this study. Vagal stimulation was only rarely effective. Preventive treatment with digitalis or other antiarrhythmic drugs seemed to have little if any effect on the frequency of recurrent attacks. Out of 23 infants who were followed for at least 5 years, 17 had been free from attacks during the last 3 years and 13 of these had had their last attack before the age of 6 months. Out of 23 children followed for 5 years or more, only 3 had been free from recurrences during the last 3 years. Patients with the WPW‐syndrome had a somewhat higher incidence of recurrent attacks.
Left Ventricular Function in Sickle Cell Anemia: A Noninvasive Evaluation

There is controversy in the medical literature regarding the significance of “sickle cell cardiomyopathy. ” In an attempt to clarify this, we studied 14 patients with sickle cell anemia (age range 16 to 36 years) using simultaneous echocardiography and phonocardiography. The values of systolic time intervals and echocardiographic indices of left ventricular performance were similar to those reported for normal subjects and those with comparable degrees of anemia. We confirm a previous report of normal left ventricular function at rest in patients with sickle cell anemia and concur with the suggestion that a concomitant heart disease be considered in these patients when cardiac failure supervenes.
Sea-Level Lowering During the Illinoian Glaciation: Evidence from a Bahama "Blue Hole"

Stalagmites have been recovered from 45 meters below sea level in an underwater karstic cave ("blue hole") near Andros Island in the Bahamas. Uranium series ages, corrected for contamination of the sample by young marine carbonate replacements, show that the speleothem was deposited between 160,000 and 139,000 years before the present. This period corresponds to the Illinoian glacial event and demonstrates that sea level must have been lowered by at least 42 meters (allowing for subsidence) from its present position during this time.
The Effects of Augmented Feedback on Students' Perceptions and Performance

Abstract The effects of augmented feedback on perceptions of ability (SPA), practice behaviors, and performance during motor skill instruction of a novel task were investigated. Fourth-grade students (N = 103) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (a) no feedback; (b) motivational feedback; (c) task feedback; or (d) motivation and task feedback. They then practiced simple and complex cupstacking skills. On a relatively simple task, the type of feedback did not have a significant effect on children's SPA, practice behaviors, or performance; but on a more complex task, differential effects of feedback were evident. Results indicate that informational feedback is an important factor in facilitating student engagement, fostering positive perceptions of ability, and ultimately improving performance on a challenging task.
HPV prevalence in pregnant women at term with normal pap-smears: risk factors - preliminary report

We set out to estimate Human Papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and some risk factors in pregnant women at term. The latent infection may take part in HPV transmission during pregnancy. There is not much data about varied factors which could probably influence the HPV infection. It was important to determine the role of such factors as age, parity, use of contraception, the number of sexual partners in prevalence of HPV in pregnant women with normal cervical cytology. The prevalence of HPV was investigated by polymerase chain reaction method. Final analyze included 74 pregnants with normal cytology without clinical signs of HPV infection. Human Papillomavirus was found in 26 (35.14%) of 74 patients. Slightly higher values of the HPV prevalence were determined only in the samples of women younger than 26 years old, with more than one partner and use of contraception. Significant differences were not found. Conclusion: sexual manners as risk factors may take part in HPV prevalence in young pregnant women at term.
Cadmium Exposure and Osteoporosis: A Population‐Based Study and Benchmark Dose Estimation in Southern China

This study aimed to assess the association between osteoporosis and long‐term environmental Cd exposure through diet in southern China. A total of 1116 subjects from a Cd‐polluted area and a non‐Cd‐polluted area were investigated. All subjects met the criteria of having been living in the investigated area for more than 15 years and lived on a subsistence diet of rice and vegetables grown in that area. Besides bone mineral density, the levels of urinary markers of early renal impairment, such as urinary N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase (NAG), α1‐microglobulin, β2‐microglobulin, and urinary albumin, were also determined. Urinary Cd concentrations of all studied subjects ranged from 0.21 to 87.31 µg/g creatinine, with a median of 3.97 µg/g creatinine. Multivariate linear regression models indicated a significant negative association of urinary Cd concentrations with bone mineral density. In logistic regression models, both categorical and continuous urinary Cd concentrations were positively associated with osteoporosis. Subjects in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of urinary Cd concentration had greater odds of osteoporosis compared with subjects in the first quartile (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.77 to 5.33; OR = 4.63, 95% CI, 2.68 to 7.98; OR = 9.15, 95% CI, 5.26 to 15.94, respectively). Additional adjustment for levels of urinary markers did not attenuate the associations. No evidence existed of an interaction between urinary Cd concentration and renal function using levels of urinary markers, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In all subjects, the benchmark dose and benchmark dose lower bound were 1.14 (0.61) and 2.73 (1.83) µg/g creatinine, with benchmark response set at 5% and 10%, respectively. The benchmark dose of urinary Cd was lower in women than in men. This study demonstrated an inverse association between the body burden of Cd and osteoporosis. The toxic effect of Cd on bone may occur in parallel to nephrotoxicity. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Cytotoxic effect of dibutyryl cAMP, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and lipopolysaccharide, but not interferon-γ, on promonocytic cell lines in vitro

We studied whether inducers of cell differentiation alone could have cytotoxic effect on the promonocytic U937 and Mono Mac 6 cells in vitro. The cells were incubated with standard differentiating doses of interferon (IFN)-γ, dibutyryl cAMP (Bt2cAMP) or the phorbol ester phorbol-12- myristate-13-acetate (PMA), with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and both protein synthesis and viability were examined. In both U937 and Mono Mac 6 cells the incorporation of [3H]leucine was significantly reduced after PMA plus LPS stimulation, but not after IFN-γ stimulation, when compared with controls. For U937 cells there was also reduced incorporation after Bt2cAMP stimulation. Trypan blue exclusion experiments and the number of cells remaining in the cultures indicated that Bt2cAMP-, PMAand/ or LPS-stimulated, but not IFN-γ-stimulated, cells were less viable than unstimulated U937 or Mono Mac 6 cells. The results suggest that Bt2cAMP, PMA and LPS, but not IFN-γ, are cytotoxic towards promonocytic cancer cell lines in vitro.
Nonlocal Means and Optimal Weights for Noise Removal

In this paper, a new denoising algorithm to deal with the additive white Gaussian noise model is described. Following the nonlocal (NL) means approach, we propose an adaptive estimator based on the weighted average of observations taken in a neighborhood with weights depending on the similarity of local patches. The idea is to compute adaptive weights that best minimize an upper bound of the pointwise $L_2$ risk. In the framework of adaptive estimation, we show that the “oracle” weights are optimal if we consider triangular kernels instead of the commonly used Gaussian kernel. Furthermore, we propose a way to automatically choose the spatially varying smoothing parameter for adaptive denoising. Under conventional minimal regularity conditions, the obtained estimator converges at the usual optimal rate. The implementation of the proposed algorithm is also straightforward and the simulations show that our algorithm significantly improves the classical NL means and is competitive when compared to the more so.
Lung Abscess in Infants and Children

We retrospectively reviewed 18 cases of primary lung abscess and 10 cases of secondary lung abscess in infants and children during a 6-year period. Among 18 patients with primary abscesses, nine were boys and nine girls, from 9 months to 20 years old, but only two of 18 were less than 5 years old. Each had a solitary abscess. Location of abscesses included the right lower lobe (8), the right upper lobe (3), the left upper lobe (1), and the left lower lobe (6). One patient had Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia. Other bacterial isolates were from the upper respiratory tract and of uncertain significance. All patients recovered, although lobectomy was considered necessary in five patients because of failure to respond to intravenous antibiotic therapy. Secondary lung abscesses occurred in six boys and four girls who were from 2½ months to 13 years old. All 10 had solitary, right-sided lesions, seven in the right lower lobe and three in the right upper lobe. Bacteria of unclear significance were recovered from three of 10 patients, while two had documented gram-negative bacteremia. Three secondary abscess patients underwent lobectomy because of perceived inadequate response to medical therapy, including intravenous antibiotics. Based upon the literature and our experience, therapy for pulmonary abscess should include a parenteral antibiotic with gram-positive activity against both penicillinase-producing Staphylococcus aureus and anaerobes for a minimum of 3 weels. Lobectomy should be reserved for those patients with very severe abscesses and those who fail to manifest clinical and radiologic evidence of improvement after at least 3 weeks of appropriate intravenous antibiotic therapy.
Clinical and Laboratory Evaluation of Hemocarboadsorption in Autoimmune Bullous Dermatoses

Hemocarboadsorption (HCA) with the following immunosuppressive therapy was used to treat 48 patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and 31 patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) in the acute phase. The levels of autoantibodies, eicosanoids, endoproteases and their inhibitors as well as interleukin (IL) 1 and IL 2 production and absorption of exogenous IL 2 were examined in the treatment dynamics. The therapeutic effect of HCA was displayed in prompt disease remission in 43 PV and 29 BP patients. Clinical improvement was accompanied by antibody elimination and interleukin cascade reaction normalization. HCA resulted in growth of patients’ serum immunosuppressive activity. It was concluded that HCA has some immunoregulatory effect.