Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Network of Hematopoietic Cytokines

Abstract Cell viability, multiplication, and differentiation to the various hematopoietic cell lineages are induced by a multigene cytokine family, and hematopoiesis is controlled by a network of interactions between these cytokines. This network includes positive regulators such as colony-stimulating factors and interleukins, and negative regulators such as transforming growth factor-β and tumor necrosis factor. The functioning of the network requires an appropriate balance between positive and negative regulators, and the selective regulation of programed cell death (apoptosis) by interaction of cytokines with their receptors. The cytokine network, which has arisen during evolution, allows considerable flexibility, depending on which part of the network is activated, and the ready amplification of response to a particular stimulus. This amplification occurs by autoregulation and transregulation of genes for the hematopoietic cytokines. There is also a transregulation by these cytokines of cytokine receptors. In addition to the flexibility of this network, both for response to present day infections and to infections that may develop in the future, a network may also be necessary to stabilize the whole system. The existence of a network and the cytokine-receptor regulation of apoptosis has to be taken into account in the clinical use of cytokines for therapy. Cytokines that regulate hematopoiesis induce the expression of genes for transcription factors. Cytokine signaling through transcription factors can thus ensure the autoregulation and transregulation of cytokine and receptor genes that occur in the network. Interactions between the cytokine network and transcription factors can also ensure production of specific cell types and stability of the differentiated State.
Interrelation between Changes in the EEG and Psychopathology under Pharmacotherapy for Endogenous Depression

With the predictor problem in mind, we studied in-patients with endogenous depression whether relationships exist among the EEG, the therapeutic response, and the severity of psychopathology. We found that clinically defined responders and non-responders differ in respect of their average power spectra calculated for the two occipital regions. In addition, it was shown that there is a statistically significant correlation between the EEG before treatment and the severity of AMP-documented psychopathology after a 4-week treatment period. This correlation was stronger for the left occipital region than for the right.
Real number models for op amp filters implemented in VHDL

This paper presents simulation models of filters with operational amplifiers that can be used in digital simulators. It describes the real number modeling used for analog functionally, presents a practical implementation of the most important analog “component” - the operational amplifier used in a 1st order low-pass filter, and compares the proposed filter models with the classical SPICE models of similar circuits.
Mapping the Far Right: Geomedia in an Educational Response to Right-Wing Extremism

Across Europe, and probably the world, messages of the extreme right surface with increasing and alarming regularity in both public and virtual space. Within the virtual space, geomedia are increasingly used in nationalist propaganda, a trend which is embedded in a wider development in public discourse, election results, and policies. In Austria and Germany, particular sensibilities due to the responsibility for the Holocaust have developed, leading to various specific education initiatives that address this part of history. This paper presents an activist learning environment using geomedia to deconstruct right-wing extremist discourses, and has been tested used in university settings in Salzburg and Vienna. Using a combination of Instagram and geospatial technologies not visible to learners, results of reflection and learning processes are analyzed qualitatively across two slightly different enactments of the learning environment. Experiences suggest an encouraging potential of geomedia use in critical learning processes, as long as the technology is hidden from learners, forming an incentive, support, and contextualization of the learning process.
DC link voltage control of back-to-back converter robust to grid conditions

Active rectifier topologies are used for different purposes, especially widespread in renewable generation and distributed energy sources. The most common configuration for active rectifiers is the back-to-back converter. In this article, a back-to-back structure for connecting a variable frequency source to the utility grid is observed and a control algorithm, robust to grid impedance values, is developed for the grid-side converter part. In order to reduce current harmonics, an LC filter is used. Three control loops were developed in a cascaded structure for controlling the grid active and reactive power, and DC-link. Controller parameters were chosen by using the magnitude optimum approach and the root locus method while Truxal-Guillemin approach is used for the DC voltage control due to the complexity of the corresponding DC link model. The obtained control algorithm is validated through simulations in PLECS software for several inductive and capacitive grid impedance conditions.
Quality Improvement in an Outpatient Department for Subacute Low Back Pain Patients: Prospective Surveillance by Outcome and Performance Measures in a Health Technology Assessment Perspective

Study Design. Prospective cohort study. Objectives. To develop clinical indicators and standards in an outpatients’ department for sub acute low back pain patients. Summary of Background Data. A systematic quantitative surveillance to assess quality of care was implemented using outcome and performance measures. These measures were developed within the framework of Health Technology Assessment, which comprises the areas of healthcare technology, patient, organization, and economy. Methods. A multidisciplinary project group defined 1) clinical indicators in terms of outcome and performance measures and 2) the corresponding standards using the available evidence from literature. Observed outcomes were compared with the standards. Associations between process and outcome measures were investigated. Results. A total of 300 patients were included consecutively. In relation to technology, the standards for the field of application were fulfilled (e.g., not too many patients were x-rayed). With respect to effectiveness, the observed rate of patients reaching a 50% cutoff point of improvement of pain and function did not fulfill the standards. In relation to patient aspects, the standards of, for example, proper understanding of patient education and satisfaction, were fulfilled. In relation to organization, nearly one third of the patients were referred later to the department than the recommended 24 weeks. This refer variable showed an association to a reduced chance of scoring “better” or “much better” in “patients global assessment. ” The chance was reduced by 50% if patients were referred later than 12 weeks after onset of pain. In relation to economy, the cost of gaining a quality adjusted life-year by a course in the department was considerably lower than by comparison with total hip arthroplasty. Conclusions. Surveillance by clinical indicators in relation to the four areas of health technology assessment provides quantitative information that is meaningful for various stakeholders on important aspects of the quality of care (including consumers), provides a basis for quality improvement, and provides data for analysis of possible important relationships between structure, process, and outcome.
Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities in healthy male subjects in Republic of Macedonia.

OBJECTIVES The study was aimed to establish the reference values for erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT) in healthy male subjects, as well as to detect their relation to age, cigarette smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, antiinflammatory drugs and supplements use and the possible correlation between individual parameters. BACKGROUND Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase are the three main enzymes that control the biological effects of the reactive oxygen species (free radicals). METHODS The authors have examined 111 healthy male blood donors aged 18-59 years. All studied enzymes were assayed in erythrocytes by manual techniques. The results were statistically evaluated by means of the ANOVA programme. RESULTS The group of healthy individuals had a large dispersion of interindividual activities of antioxidant enzymes. Age, cigarette smoking, antiinflammatory drugs and dietary supplements use had no significant effect on the antioxidant enzymes activity. The activity of the enzymes showed normal Gaussian distribution. We established mean reference values for SOD, GPX and CAT activity. SOD negatively correlated with CAT (r=-0.199). CONCLUSIONS We established the reference values for erythrocyte SOD, GPX and CAT activity in male subjects. The large dispersion of activities of the investigated enzymes in healthy individuals does not allow to make a standard use of these parameters in clinical practise without establishing "own reference values" for each laboratory. (Tab. 2, Fig. 4, Ref. 31)
Markovian Credit Risk Transition Probabilities Under Non-Negativity Constraints for the Us Portfolio 1984-2004

Credit risk transition probabilities between aggregate portfolio classes constitute a very useful tool when individual transition data are not available. Jones (2005) estimates Markovian Credit Transition Matrices using an adjusted least squares method. Given the arguments of Judge and Takayama (1966) a least squares estimator under inequality constraints is consistent but has unknown distribution, thus parameter testing is essentially not immediately available. In this paper we view transition probabilities as parameters from a Bayesian perspective, which allows us to impose the non-negativity constraints to transition probabilities using prior densities and then estimate the model via Monte Carlo Integration. This approach reveals the empirical distribution of transition probabilities and makes statistical inference readily available. Our empirical results on the US portfolio of non-performing loan proportions, are in some cases close to the estimates of Jones (2005), but also exhibit some statistically significant differences regarding the estimated transition probabilities. Furthermore, in-sample forecast evaluation statistics indicate that our estimator tends to slightly over-predict (under-predict) non-performing (performing) loan proportions consistent with asymmetric preferences and is substantially more accurate in all cases.
Sustained complete remissions in multiple myeloma linked to bortezomib in total therapy 3: comparison with total therapy 2

Total therapy 3 (TT3), incorporating bortezomib up‐front into a tandem transplant regimen for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), effected 2‐year complete response (CR) estimates >90%, which appeared superior to results reported for total therapy 2 (TT2). With median follow‐up times of 2 years with TT3 and 5 years with TT2, the clinical outcomes of 303 patients in the former and 668 in the latter trial were compared, including the subset of 607 patients with gene expression profiling (GEP) data. With similar baseline prognostic factors, event‐free survival (EFS) (P = 0·0002) and CR duration (P = 0·003) were superior with TT3 vs. TT2 with a strong trend noted also for improved overall survival (OS) (P = 0·16). In the GEP‐defined FGFR3 subgroup, TT3 imparted significantly superior OS, EFS and CR duration vis‐à‐vis TT2. Matching 300 patients each by standard prognostic factors, TT3 yielded superior EFS and CR duration and borderline superior OS. The advantage of TT3 still pertained when the comparison was limited to patients who completed TT2 consolidation rapidly within 24 months. Our data strongly suggest that the addition of bortezomib in TT3 was accountable for its superior performance rather than greater compliance with protocol completion as a result of greater dose‐density in TT3 vs. TT2.
Development of a strain of the sugarbeet nematode as a potential pest of tomato.

Tomato has been utilized for many years in the rotation with sugarbeet to control the sugarbee t nematode, Heterodera schachtii. Although tomato was assumed to be a nonhost for H. schachtii, Raski (5) reported a few f e m a l e s and cys t s on roo t s o f two yellow-fruited cultivars, and Golden and Shafer (2) reported white females and cysts on the r e d f r u i t e d cu l t iva r , Pearson XL. Since resistance-breaking biotypes of Heterodera rostochiensis were reported after cropping continuously to resistant potato varieties (1,3, 4), similar investigations appeared desirable for the sugarbeet nematode. Our studies were undertaken to determine whether a strain or biotype of H. schachtii would develop on tomato to such an extent as to cause damage or at least maintain the nematode populations making tomato an unsuitable crop to rotate with sugarbeet.
A Brief DSM-IV-Referenced Teacher Rating Scale for Monitoring Behavioral Improvement in ADHD and Co-Occurring Symptoms

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the 30-item teacher’s version of the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory Progress Monitor (CASI-PM-T), a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for monitoring change in ADHD and co-occurring symptoms in youths receiving behavioral or pharmacological interventions. Method: Three separate studies were conducted to determine (a) which items from longer diagnostic instruments were most representative of ADHD and commonly occurring psychiatric syndromes in clinic-referred samples ( N = 406) aged between 3 and 18 years, (b) the reliability and validity of the CASI-PM-T in students enrolled in full-time special education programs at the elementary and middle school levels (N = 169), and (c) the clinical utility of measuring behavioral change in a sample of outpatient ADHD children beginning treatment with stimulant medication. Results: Internal consistency reliabilities (.71-.94), 2-week test-retest reliabilities (r = .70-.90), and interrater agreement (r = .44-.78) for the CASI-PM-T symptom categories were comparable to the full-length CASI-4. Convergence was also found between corresponding CASI-PM-T categories and consultant diagnoses of ADHD and ODD as well as school functioning measures of grade-point average and suspensions. The CASI-PM-T also demonstrated sensitivity to stimulant medication treatment effects. Conclusion: Findings provide preliminary support for the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the CASI-PM-T. (J. of Att. Dis. 2011; 15(3) 235-245)
School-Based Outcomes Among Youth With Incarcerated Parents: Differences by School Setting.

BACKGROUND Parental incarceration impacts millions of children in the United States and has important consequences for youths' adjustment and school-based outcomes. METHODS Using data from a survey of youth behavior in one large Midwestern state, we examined the effect of both present and past parental incarceration on school-based outcomes, across 3 school settings (public schools, alternative learning centers, and juvenile correctional facilities). RESULTS Parental incarceration was significantly associated with students' poor school-based outcomes; however, these effects varied markedly by school setting. Among youth in public schools, parental incarceration was consistently associated with poor school outcomes. There were mixed effects among youth in alternative learning centers and no significant effects among youth in juvenile correctional facilities. CONCLUSIONS The study adds to a body of literature demonstrating the negative effects of parental incarceration on youth's school-based outcomes for youth in public schools; however, findings were mixed for youth in alternative learning centers and juvenile correctional facilities. Implications for future research and school practitioners are discussed.
Cumulative and Non-Cumulative Semantic Interference in Object Naming: Evidence from Blocked and Continuous Manipulations of Semantic Context

Experiments involving blocked and continuous manipulations of the semantic naming context demonstrate that, when speakers name several taxonomically related objects in close succession, they display persistent interference effects. A review of studies using the blocked paradigm shows that, unlike the continuous paradigm, it typically does not induce cumulative interference effects in healthy speakers. This contrasts with the simulation results obtained from a model of semantic context effects recently put forward by Oppenheim and colleagues [Oppenheim, G. M. , Dell, G. S. , & Schwartz, M. F. (2010). The dark side of incremental learning: A model of cumulative semantic interference during lexical access in speech production. Cognition, 114, 227–262], which generates cumulative effects in both paradigms. We propose that the effects are non-cumulative in the blocked paradigm, because it allows participants to bias top-down the levels of activation of lexical-semantic representations, thereby curtailing the accumulating interference. Indeed, prior research has shown that the interference effects in the blocked paradigm are exacerbated when participants carry out a concurrent digit-retention task, loading on working memory and reducing their capacity to exert a top-down bias. In Experiment 1, combining the continuous paradigm with a digit-retention task, we demonstrate that this does not exacerbate cumulative context effects, corroborating the selective role of working memory and the associated top-down biasing mechanism in the blocked paradigm. A review of neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies demonstrates that left inferior frontal regions may play a critical role in controlling semantic interference top-down. We discuss the implications of these findings for language production research and for models of lexical-semantic encoding.
Corporate Hedging and the Design of Incentive-Compensation Contracts

We use the introduction of exchange-traded weather derivative contracts as a natural experiment to examine the relation between risk and incentives. Specifically, we examine how executives’ ability to hedge weather-related risk that was previously difficult and costly to manage influences the design of their incentive-compensation contracts. Using both traditional and fuzzy differences-in-differences research designs, we find that the CEOs of firms that are relatively more exposed to weather risk — and therefore stand to benefit the most from hedging this source of risk — receive less annual compensation and have fewer equity incentives following the introduction of weather derivatives. We attribute the former finding to a reduction in the risk premium that CEOs demand for exposure to firm risk. The latter finding suggests that uncertainty in firms’ operating environments and equity incentives are complements for our sample firms. Collectively, our results show that hedging corporate risk alters the nature of agency conflicts and influences the design of executives’ incentive-compensation contracts.
Prevalence of menopausal symptoms in Australian women at midlife: a systematic review

Abstract Aim To systematically review the published data for the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms in Australian women. Method A comprehensive and systematic literature search was done using six databases to extract all English-language, peer-reviewed studies that contained information on the prevalence of menopausal symptoms among women living in Australia. Risk of bias of included studies was assessed using a risk-of-bias tool specifically designed for the systematic review of prevalence studies. Results Eight independent studies met our inclusion criteria. There was no consistent pattern of vasomotor, psychological, physical or sexual symptom prevalence for the studies that reported symptoms across the menopausal stages. The ranges of the prevalences for the various outcomes were wide. A high level of bias was observed related to both external and internal validities for the included studies. Conclusion The available data for the prevalence of menopausal symptoms in Australian women are not sufficient to allow conclusive findings. A large, appropriately sampled study using a validated questionnaire is needed to establish the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms in Australian women.
Long-term results of the lateral tunnel Fontan operation.

OBJECTIVES Completion of a total cavopulmonary anastomosis with an intra-atrial lateral tunnel is known to yield good early and midterm results. In this study, we sought to determine the long-term outcome (10 years) after a lateral tunnel Fontan procedure. METHODS Between October 1987 and December 1991, 220 patients (aged 11 months to 32 years) with a wide range of underlying diagnoses underwent a fenestrated or nonfenestrated lateral tunnel Fontan procedure at our institution. Current follow-up information was available for 196 patients (94%, mean follow-up = 10.2 +/- 0.6 years). Risk factor analysis included patient-related and procedure-related variables, with death, failure, and bradyarrhythmia or tachyarrhythmia as outcome parameters. RESULTS There were 12 early deaths (<30 days or hospital death), 7 late deaths, 4 successful takedown operations, and 4 heart transplantations. Kaplan-Meier estimated survival was 93% at 5 years and 91% at 10 years, and freedom from failure was 90% at 5 years and 87% at 10 years. Freedom from new supraventricular tachyarrhythmia was 96% at 5 years and 91% at 10 years; freedom from new bradyarrhythmia was 88% at 5 years and 79% at 10 years. Three patients had evidence of protein-losing enteropathy. Multivariable risk factors for development of supraventricular tachyarrhythmia included heterotaxy syndrome, atrioventricular valve abnormalities, and preoperative bradyarrhythmia. Risk factors for bradyarrhythmia included systemic venous anomalies. The sole risk factor for late failure was a previous coarctation repair. CONCLUSION The lateral tunnel Fontan procedure results in excellent long-term outcome even when used in patients with diverse anatomic diagnoses. The incidence of atrial tachyarrhythmia is low and mainly depends on the underlying cardiac morphology and preoperative arrhythmia. The good long-term outcome after an intracardiac lateral tunnel Fontan procedure should serve as a basis for comparison with other surgical alternatives.