Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of antiretroviral therapy with detection of HIV-1 RNA and DNA in the anorectal mucosa of homosexual men

Objective:To determine whether combination antiretroviral therapy is associated with reduced detection of HIV-1 RNA and DNA in the anorectal mucosa of men who have sex with men (MSM). Design:Cross-sectional study of 233 MSM recruited from community and clinic sites in Seattle, Washington between July 1996 and December 1997. Methods:HIV-1 RNA and HIV-1 DNA were detected in anorectal swab specimens by polymerase chain reaction amplification assays. Results:HIV-1 RNA was detected significantly less often in anorectal specimens from users of combination antiretroviral therapies, whether a protease inhibitor was received (15/89; 17%) or not (16/53; 30%), than in men not receiving therapy (43/88; 49%) (P < 0.001, P = 0.03, respectively). In contrast, HIV-1 DNA was detected only slightly less frequently in anorectal specimens obtained from men receiving protease inhibitors (35/81; 43%) or reverse transcriptase inhibitors alone (22/48; 46%) than in specimens from men not receiving therapy (45/78; 58%) (P = 0.07, P = 0.20, respectively). Among men with < 50 copies HIV-1 RNA/ml plasma, detection of HIV-1 RNA in anorectal specimens was rare (1/54; 2%) but detection of HIV-1 DNA was common (14/50; 28%). Conclusions:Combination antiretroviral therapy is associated with reductions in HIV-1 RNA, but HIV-1 DNA remains detectable in the anorectal canal of almost half of MSM receiving such therapy. Condom use during anal intercourse should be encouraged, regardless of plasma viral load response to potent antiretroviral therapy.
Time consistency and moving horizons for risk measures

We consider portfolio selection when decisions based on a dynamic risk measure are affected by the use of a moving horizon, and the possible inconsistencies that this creates. By giving a formal treatment of time consistency which is independent of Bellman's equations, we show that there is a new sense in which these decisions can be seen as consistent.
THE TERM STRUCTURE OF OCEAN FREIGHT RATES

This paper contains an empirical investigation of the relation between spot and period freight rates for the ocean dry bulk shipping market. This relation is commonly referred to as a term structure. This paper hypothesizes a present value model, expressing the period rate as expectations of future spot rates, to represent this relation. The present value model is estimated using a vector autoregressive modelling approach. Although formal tests on the vector autoregressive models reject a restriction imposed by the present value relation, alternative, informal, tests proposed in financial markets research show that there is, in fact, considerable evidence that the present value model provides a valid description of the relation between spot and period freight rates. The results in this paper, therefore, support the existence of a term structure in ocean freight rates.
Active versus Passive Strategies for EAFE and the S&P 500

The authors establish a dynamic asset allocation strategy investing in EAFE and the S&P 500 indexes to time the market and generate a superior abnormal return on a portfolio. A prediction model built on public information variables can forecast the upcoming movements of the two indexes for 1978 through 1999. Even with transaction costs, out-of-sample tests show an investor can rely on model signals to allocate assets between the indexes and produce significantly more terminal wealth than would passive portfolios invested in either index alone.
First-order verification of hydrologic model predictions for the Brazilian Cerrado

The InVEST hydrologic models were designed to represent the dominant processes of sediment/nutrient delivery and retention by land use/ land cover (LULC). Since they are not standard rainfall-runoff models, classical calibration and testing methods are not always applicable. Testing and calibration were particularly difficult in our study region due to: i) the absence of local data (e.g. in-stream sediment or nutrient concentration time series, contributions from point sources) to calibrate the model or a more sophisticated model, and ii) the existing uncertainties in nutrient/sediment dynamics in this region of Brazil (Thomas et al., 2004; Moreno-seceña et al., 2011; Filoso et al., 2006; Maillard & Santos, 2008) (e.g. magnitude of nutrient leaching from sugar cane fields, effect of cattle ranching).
Who Uses Paid Domestic Labor in Australia? Choice and Constraint in Hiring Household Help

Abstract This paper investigates why some Australian households use paid help with domestic labor while others do not. Consistent with earlier studies, the analysis examines hypotheses relating to resources, objective demand, and gender attitudes. Additionally, this paper examines the impact of attitudes toward using paid domestic labor, an area that has not been investigated previously. The findings suggest that resources and objective demand provide the parameters within which employing household help is made possible or necessary, but beliefs about the appropriateness of this strategy also play a role in determining whether Australian households use paid domestic labor. The paper concludes that understanding whether Australian households pay for domestic help is dependent not just on the level of resources and objective demand but also on whether individuals view paid domestic help as an appropriate strategy for undertaking domestic work.
Construction of a single global scale for multi‐item assessments of the same variable

Complex health‐related concepts are commonly measured by means of multi‐item scales or questionnaires. As the item scales of an instrument cover different aspects of the same variable, a single global response value is required of the concept to be measured. In this paper, different approaches that take into account the non‐metric properties of ordered categorical data when aggregating multi‐item scales into global scaling were suggested. A single score of equally important items is easily defined by the median. When the multi‐items are constructed to identify the most serious sign of a particular state, the maximum categorical level of the items could be an appropriate single score of the variable. By means of the joint response scheme over two aspects of the same variable, a global scale with an optional number of ordered categories could be defined. Some of the multi‐item scales of the Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36) and Euro‐QoL were used for illustrations to the proposed approaches. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Outcome of peritoneal dialysis in cirrhotic patients with end-stage renal disease: a 24-years' experience in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND Use of peritoneal dialysis (PD) in liver cirrhosis patients with end-stage renal disease remains controversial. Moreover, the long-term outcome in cirrhotic patients is unclear. The aim of the present study was to analyze the outcome of cirrhotic patients treated with PD in our center during the past 24 years. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the data of cirrhotic patients who received PD between 1984 and 2009. A group of noncirrhotic patients who were age- and sex-matched during the same period were selected as controls. Peritonitis rates, complications and outcomes were compared. RESULTS A total of 30 cirrhotic patients and 60 control patients were included in the analysis. Peritonitis-free survival did not differ between groups. Gram-positive organisms, especially coagulase-negative staphylococcus and streptococcus sp. , were the major causes of peritonitis in the cirrhotic patients. Also in the cirrhotic patients, complications such as umbilical hernia, chronic hypotension and erythropoietin resistance were more common as compared with controls. An initially higher solute and water transport capacity was observed in the cirrhotic patients, which became comparable to controls by the end of the 2nd year of treatment. Serum albumin concentrations were lower in cirrhotic patients (p = 0.01), and the decline of renal Kt/V was slower in cirrhotic patients as compared to that of controls (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in patient and technique survival between the two groups. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that PD is an effective therapy with a comparable risk of peritonitis and solute clearance in liver cirrhosis patients with end-stage renal failure.
Human proteoforms as new targets for clinical mass spectrometry protein tests

ABSTRACT Introduction: Only about dozen mass spectrometry (MS) protein tests have been translated into clinical laboratories since the MALDI and ESI approaches were developed thirty years ago. While the cost and complexity of these assays are important factors impeding their clinical adoption, new content generated via proteoforms detection could provide the impetus for further development and translation. Areas covered: Provided here are several examples of MS-based protein assays capable of detecting proteoforms, including those for B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and parathyroid hormone (PTH). The evidence suggests that the ability to detect proteoforms is not enough to drive the clinical adoption of the MS-based tests – clinical utility of those proteoforms needs to be demonstrated first. Along those lines, recent efforts to discover, clinically validate, and initiate translation of novel proteoform biomarkers such as those of apolipoprotein C-III will be discussed. Expert commentary: MS protein tests face a challenging future. Both the sample preparation steps and the MS platforms need to be simplified to bring the cost per test down, and then the new content brought by the detection of proteoforms will drive the proliferation of these MS tests – first in clinical utility studies and then for routine diagnostics.
The impact of PSA screening on prostate cancer mortality and overdiagnosis of prostate cancer in the United States.

BACKGROUND The study assessed the impact of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in the United States by comparing the rates of PSA testing in U.S. counties to the rates of prostate biopsies and newly treated prostate cancer and to deaths from prostate cancer. METHODS We examined the association between the percentage of men aged 66-74 from a nationally representative 5% Medicare sample who received PSA testing in each U.S. county in 1997 and the percent of men who received prostate biopsies or treatment for newly diagnosed prostate cancer in 1997 as well as mortality from prostate cancer and from all other causes from 1998 to 2007. RESULTS Analyses of 1,067 U.S. counties showed a significant relationship between the rate of PSA testing and both the rate of men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality (both p < .001) but no relationship with mortality from other causes. For every 100,000 men receiving a PSA test in 1997, an additional 4,894 men underwent prostate biopsy and 1,597 additional men underwent prostate cancer treatment in 1997, and 61 fewer men died from prostate cancer during 1998-2006. Analyses stratified by age and race produced similar results. CONCLUSIONS PSA testing was associated with modest reductions in prostate cancer mortality and large increases in the number of men overdiagnosed with and overtreated for prostate cancer. The results are similar to those obtained by the large European randomized prospective trial of PSA testing.
Analysis of the promotion of cigarettes at the point of sale and its attractiveness to children

Smoking habit seriously affects public health in a number of direct and indirect ways. The study reported here took place in Brazil and examined the promotional activities of the tobacco industry at the point of sale, with particular reference to their impact on children. Tobacco control policies are generally in place in developed countries, and smokers typically develop the habit while still young. Trained researchers visited a stratified sample of 429 retail outlets in the city of Sao Paulo, comprising the local equivalents of bars, snack bars, luncheonettes and pubs. Data for analysis were collected by direct observation at the point of sale and interviews with the person deemed to be in charge of the outlet visited. The results indicate that the tobacco industry is displaying its products within full view of children and making use of the sales’ incentives offered to the retailer. The findings contribute significantly to the study of the effect of promotion at the point of sale on young smokers and can inform the policy debate on the increasing regulation of tobacco marketing promotional methods.
The Mismatch Repair System Modulates Curcumin Sensitivity through Induction of DNA Strand Breaks and Activation of G2-M Checkpoint

The highly conserved mismatch (MMR) repair system corrects postreplicative errors and modulates cellular responses to genotoxic agents. Here, we show that the MMR system strongly influences cellular sensitivity to curcumin. Compared with MMR-proficient cells, isogenically matched MMR-deficient cells displayed enhanced sensitivity to curcumin. Similarly, cells suppressed for MLH1 or MSH2 expression by RNA interference displayed increased curcumin sensitivity. Curcumin treatment generated comparable levels of reactive oxygen species and the mutagenic adduct 8-oxo-guanine in MMR-proficient and MMR-deficient cells; however, accumulation of γH2AX foci, a marker for DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), occurred only in MMR-positive cells in response to curcumin treatment. Additionally, MMR-positive cells showed activation of Chk1 and induction of G2-M cell cycle checkpoint following curcumin treatment and inhibition of Chk1 by UCN-01 abrogated Chk1 activation and heightened apoptosis in MMR-proficient cells. These results indicate that curcumin triggers the accumulation of DNA DSB and induction of a checkpoint response through a MMR-dependent mechanism. Conversely, in MMR-compromised cells, curcumin-induced DSB is significantly blunted, and as a result, cells fail to undergo cell cycle arrest, enter mitosis, and die through mitotic catastrophe. The results have potential therapeutic value, especially in the treatment of tumors with compromised MMR function. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(3); 558–68
Kynurenic acid blocks nicotinic synaptic transmission to hippocampal interneurons in young rats

The tryptophan metabolite kynurenic acid can block glutamate at ionotropic receptors, but recent evidence suggests a more potent antagonistic action at α7 nicotinic receptors for acetylcholine on cultured neurons. The present study examines activity of kynurenic acid at those nicotinic receptors, which mediate cholinergic neurotransmission onto interneurons in the rat hippocampus. Intracellular recordings were made from pyramidal cells and interneurons in the presence of atropine, bicuculline methobromide, (3‐aminopropyl)(diethoxymethyl)‐phosphinic acid [CGP35348, to block γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)B receptors] and 3‐tropanyl‐3,5‐dichlorobenzoate (MDL 72222, to block 5‐HT3 receptors). In the added presence of glutamate antagonists 2‐amino‐5‐phosphono‐pentanoic acid and 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione, interneurons exhibited a residual excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) that could be blocked by the nicotinic α7 receptor blocker methyl‐lycaconitine, but not by dihydro‐β‐erythroidine which blocks α4β2 receptors. Kynurenic acid reduced the amplitude of these EPSPs with an EC50 of 136 µm. The amplitudes of nicotinic spontaneous miniature EPSPs were also reduced by methyl‐lycaconitine and kynurenic acid. The results show that kynurenic acid is more potent in blocking nicotinic EPSPs compared with the full, glutamate‐mediated EPSPs, but it was substantially less potent than has been reported in cultures, possibly because of differences in the accessibility of synaptic and extrasynaptic receptors. It is suggested that blockade of nicotinic synaptic transmission may be relevant to the actions of kynurenic acid in the hippocampus, but that in the intact brain this activity is likely to be comparable in importance to the blockade of glutamate‐mediated transmission.
An Academic Development Agenda for Postgraduate Research Students

There is concern in the South African higher education system of the low production of post graduate research graduates. A knowledge economy is driven by skilled and research trained personnel yet the low graduation rates at Masters and PhD levels is a cause for concern. In this paper we interrogate the relationship between a knowledge economy and the quantity and quality of post graduates. The purpose of post graduate research degrees is explored and factors affecting dissertation and theses completion by postgraduate students are discussed. The concept academic development is discussed and ways of academically developing post graduate research students are explored. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n11p49
Four Scenarios of Development and the Role of Economic Policy

Abstract We ask which economic policies can help a country create the most favourable conditions for development. We observe that the dynamics of several development indicators can be grouped into four clusters, each cluster corresponding to a different combination of growth and changes in inequality. Based on this observation, we define four different development scenarios and use limited dependent variable regressions to study how structural and policy factors affect a country's probability to achieve the most (or the least) favourable of these scenarios. Our results point to a comforting picture: through the choice of appropriate policies countries can effectively increase their chances to achieve the most favourable development scenario.
Rating Expatriate Leader Effectiveness in Multisource Feedback Systems: Cultural Distance and Hierarchical Effects

A critical challenge for global firms is to implement assessment tools to develop expatriate leaders who can effectively manage role relationships across different directions (upward, laterally, downward) in cross-national contexts. Drawing on social categorization and relational demography theories and a data set of 360-degree ratings of expatriates from 36 countries, we use multilevel modeling to investigate relationships between cultural distance and ratings of leadership effectiveness in task and contextual performance by colleagues with different hierarchical vantage points (subordinates, supervisors, peers). Cultural distance refers to the overall degree of difference in key cultural values identified in the GLOBE study between an expatriate's and coworkers’ countries of origin. Unlike supervisors as a rating group, results show that peer and subordinate raters as a group may be more likely to have their ratings negatively influenced by cultural distance, an effect that may be exacerbated for peer ratings from countries higher in power distance and lower in humane orientation. This study contributes to the understanding of multisource feedback systems to assess expatriate leadership effectiveness by identifying likely group ratings tendencies linked to cultural distance and hierarchical perspectives. Organizations should develop strategies to mitigate possible effects of cultural distance on subordinate and peer ratings of expatriates. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Post-Earnings Announcement Drift (PAD) Phenomenon in the Price/Earnings Relationship: An Evaluation of Existing Explanations

The stocks are valuated well by the accounting information. Various methods /techniques are used for valuation. This paper examines the historically evaluation of “Post-Earnings Announcement Drift-PAD” the late price adjustment phenomenon for valuing stocks. Several streams of researches conducted over the time on this concept are evaluated in this paper which high light the strong and weak points of using PAD. It has been concluded that there still exist some shortcoming in the evaluation method of stock and more research is needed to be done in this area to make it more effective both for developed and the developing countries.
Developing a model of innovation implementation for UK SMEs: A path analysis and explanatory case analysis

Continuous large-scale changes in technology and the globalization of markets have resulted in the need for many SMEs to use innovation as a means of seeking competitive advantage where innovation includes both technological and organizational perspectives (Tapscott, 2009). However, there is a paucity of systematic and empirical research relating to the implementation of innovation management in the context of SMEs. The aim of this article is to redress this imbalance via an empirical study created to develop and test a model of innovation implementation in SMEs. This study uses Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test the plausibility of an innovation model, developed from earlier studies, as the basis of a questionnaire survey of 395 SMEs in the UK. The resultant model and construct relationship results are further probed using an explanatory multiple case analysis to explore ‘how’ and ‘why’ type questions within the model and construct relationships. The findings show that the effects of leadership, people and culture on innovation implementation are mediated by business improvement activities relating to Total Quality Management/Continuous Improvement (TQM/ CI) and product and process developments. It is concluded that SMEs have an opportunity to leverage existing quality and process improvement activities to move beyond continuous improvement outcomes towards effective innovation implementation. The article concludes by suggesting areas suitable for further research.
THE ‘EXPANSIONARY FISCAL CONTRACTION’ HYPOTHESIS: A NEO-KEYNESIAN ANALYSIS

It has recently been argued that several fiscal contractions can, through their impact on expectations, lead to growth in consumption, investment, and employment. Since such contractions typically occur because adjustment has been delayed due to fear of aggravating unemployment, the authors examine the hypothesis in a model with wage/price rigidities. The New Classical features of the model, however, allow expectational effects to be taken fully into account. While consumption and investment may rise, the authors find that employment is in all cases likely to fall; this leads them to believe that the so-called 'German view' is overoptimistic. Copyright 1995 by Royal Economic Society.
The intraday relationship between volume and volatility in LIFFE futures markets

This paper examines the intraday behaviour of five-minute FTSE-100, Short Sterling and Long Gilt LIFFE futures returns volatility and volume. The intraday patterns identified exhibit a U-shape, significantly affected by UK and US macroeconomic news releases. Evidence from estimation of a GMM system for volatility and volume supports a significant positive and contemporaneous correlation between volatility and volume, although lagged volume is also significant in the volatility equation. Further, there is strong evidence of bi-directional causality on the basis of Granger-causality testing. These results are found to be robust to the adjustment of volatility and volume for macroeconomic news effects, and in the case of the Granger-causality tests to a variety of temporal horizons.