Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of screening mammography. A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of screening mammography by age, number of mammographic views per screen, screening interval, and duration of follow-up. DESIGN Literature review and meta-analysis. DATA IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS: Literature search of English-language studies reported from January 1966 to October 31, 1993, using MEDLINE, manual literature review, and consultation with experts. A total of 13 studies were selected, and their results were combined using meta-analytic techniques based on the assumption of fixed effects. MAIN RESULTS The overall summary relative risk (RR) estimate for breast cancer mortality for women aged 50 to 74 years undergoing screening mammography compared with those who did not was 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 to 0.83). The magnitude of the benefit in this age group was similar regardless of number of mammographic views per screen, screening interval, or duration of follow-up. In contrast, none of the summary RR estimates for women aged 40 to 49 years was significantly less than 1.0, irrespective of screening intervention or duration of follow-up. The overall summary RR estimate in women aged 40 to 49 years was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.76 to 1.13); the summary RR estimate for those studies that used two-view mammography was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.68 to 1.12) compared with 1.02 (95% CI, 0.73 to 1.44) for those studies that used one-view mammography, and for those studies with 7 to 9 years of follow-up, the summary RR estimate was 1.02 (95% CI, 0.82 to 1.27) compared with 0.83 (95% CI, 0.65 to 1.06) for those studies with 10 to 12 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION Screening mammography significantly reduces breast cancer mortality in women aged 50 to 74 years after 7 to 9 years of follow-up, regardless of screening interval or number of mammographic views per screen. There is no reduction in breast cancer mortality in women aged 40 to 49 years after 7 to 9 years of follow-up. Screening mammography may be effective in reducing breast cancer mortality in women aged 40 to 49 years after 10 to 12 years of follow-up, but the same benefit could probably be achieved by beginning screening at menopause or 50 years of age.
MONEY, CREDIT, HOUSE PRICES AND QUANTITATIVE EASING – THE WAVELET PERSPECTIVE FROM 1970 TO 2016

This paper investigates the relationship between money/credit growth and house price inflation for a sample of twelve developed countries. The novel application of the continuous wavelet transform showed significant but time-varying linkages between these two variables. During quantitative easing in the United States and the United Kingdom, growth of respectively broad money and bank credit was leading house price inflation for the 2-8 years cycle. In contrast to this, the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank either did not assign a separate role to house prices in their reaction functions or the two central banks were not capable to significantly increase house prices by extending money/credit during the business cycle. The significant co-movements of financial variables and house prices around booming episodes warn us that a new asset price boom might appear within the length of a business cycle as a consequence of overly expansionary monetary policy. In the euro area, the significant, long run, and close to a one-for-one link between growth of M3 and house price inflation is an argument for the monetary pillar of the European Central Bank. The present study contributes significantly to the literature by introducing a novel application of a continuous wavelet transform to study the housing prices in relation to money, credit and quantitative easing. The article uses a long-term dataset covering a period of almost half a century to analyse their varying relationship in the short-run to the long-run and from the historical perspective.
Sleep-related groaning: Prevalence and characteristics in a cohort of patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract Conclusion: Nocturnal groaning has the same prevalence in patients referred for diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing as among other populations referred for sleep studies. The respiratory tracings in these patients have a distinct appearance that is possible to recognize with a polygraphic recording and thereby prevent the pattern from being misdiagnosed as central apneas. Objectives: The aim of this study was first to estimate the prevalence of groaning in patients referred for diagnosis of sleep-related breathing disorders. Second, we wanted to describe the respiratory pattern in order to distinguish the patients from patients with sleep apnea. Methods: This was a prospective study in 1004 patients, performed in the Sleep Unit in our ENT Department, during a 12 month period. Results: Four patients were diagnosed with video polysomnography, and the diagnosis of nocturnal groaning was confirmed. The prevalence of groaning in our sleep laboratory was 0.4%. All the patients had a mild form of sleep-related disturbance, and all groaning episodes occurred during REM sleep. The groaning events appeared in clusters. The length of each groan varied between 4 and 38 s. The number of events in a period varied between 2 and 11, and the length of each groaning period ranged between 11 and 168 s.
Optimal voice coil actuators for needle-free jet injection

We present a scaling model for electrically-actuated needle free jet injectors, establishing the relationship between injection volume and motor size. Using an analytical electromagnetic model for the motor, we derive an optimal motor design, and show that this design is approximately scale-invariant. To illustrate the utility of this model, we then describe the design of a motor for use with 300μL disposable injection ampoules with a mass of just 300g, including a light-weight support structure. Experimental verification of the motor performance shows close agreement to model predictions, with a peak force of 1000 N/kg and a 150 m/s water jet delivered.
Regulated transcription of Clostridium difficile toxin genes

The Clostridium difficile toxA and toxB genes, encoding cytotoxic and enterotoxic proteins responsible for antibiotic‐associated colitis and pseudomembranous colitis, were shown to be transcribed both from gene‐specific promoters and from promoters of upstream genes. However, the gene‐specific transcripts represented the majority of tox gene mRNAs. The 5′ ends of these mRNAs were shown to correspond to DNA sequences that had promoter activity when fused to the Escherichia coliβ‐glucuronidase (gusA) gene and introduced into C. perfringens. The appearance of tox mRNA in C. difficile was repressed during exponential growth phase but increased substantially as cells entered stationary phase. When glucose or other rapidly metabolizable sugars were present in the medium, the stationary phase‐associated induction was inhibited, indicating that the toxin genes are subject to a form of catabolite repression. This glucose effect was general to many toxinogenic strains having varying levels of toxin production.
Sexually dimorphic expression of two types of DM (Doublesex/Mab-3)-domain genes in a teleost fish, the Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Sex determination consists of somatic and germ-line sex differentiation hierarchies whose interaction is poorly understood. A single gene known to control somatic sex determination, the DM-domain containing (Doublesex/Mab-3 DNA-binding motif) gene, is highly conserved across species. Vertebrate DMRT1 (DM-related transcription factor 1) expression occurs predominantly in testis. We, however, isolated two distinct DM-domain cDNAs from tilapia testis and ovary, named tDMRT1, and tDMO (DM-domain gene in Ovary), respectively. Despite high homology in the DM-domain, there is little similarity outside the DM-domain. A male specific motif is absent in tDMO indicating a similarity with the female type of doublesex in Drosophila. In contrast to the alternatively spliced male and female types of doublesex, tDMRT1 and tDMO cDNAs are encoded by two different genes. The mutually exclusive nature of tDMRT1 and tDMO expression in the testis or ovary suggests that they both play important roles in gonadal development and/or function.
Prevalence of Down syndrome in Glasgow, 1980-96--the growing impact of prenatal diagnosis on younger mothers.

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of improved methods of prenatal diagnosis on the prevalence of Down Syndrome (DS). DESIGN Registry based epidemiological study. SETTING Glasgow Register of Congenital Anomalies, Greater Glasgow Health Board, Scotland. SUBJECTS All registered cases of DS diagnosed at or after birth plus terminations following prenatal diagnosis from 1980 to 1996. Denominator data (total births to mothers resident in GGHB) were obtained from the Registrar General for Scotland. RESULTS A total of 293 cases of DS were registered over the 17 year period. Of these, 198 (68%) were live births, 8 (3%) stillbirths and 84 (29%) induced abortions following prenatal diagnosis. There were 212,724 total births to women in the GGHB area over the same period, giving a period pregnancy prevalence of 1.36 per 1000 total births (95% CI 1.21-1.53). After correcting for spontaneous losses, the adjusted pregnancy prevalence was 1.24 per 1000 total births. The pregnancy prevalence of DS rose over time. One hundred and two (35%) of cases of DS were diagnosed prenatally. The annual proportion of DS cases diagnosed prenatally slowly increased to around 60% towards the end of the period. The termination rate also increased, especially in younger (under35) women. A change in this rate in 1987 coincided with the introduction of the triple test. CONCLUSIONS The epidemiological impact of antenatal screening and subsequent prenatal diagnosis is clear with pregnancy and birth prevalence rates diverging steadily over time since the late 1980s. The rising termination rate in younger women suggests that the benefits of antenatal screening are now extending to the lower risk younger age groups.
Comparative Production Performance of Multi Coloured Broiler Strains - Nandanam Broiler - 2 and Nandanam Broiler - 3 Under Intensive System of Management

A total of 400 day old chicks comprising of two groups (T1Nandanam broiler-2 and T2 Nanadanam broiler-3 chickens and) with four replicates of 50 chicks each and reared up to 8 week of age under intensive system. Production performance of birds was assessed based on biweekly bodyweight, feed conversion ratio and livability. The results revealed that there were no significant (P>0.05) differences observed in mean body weight (g) at initial growth periods, i.e., from 0-2 weeks of age between. Significantly higher (P0.01) mean body weight (g) was observed in Nanadanam broiler-3 chickens from 4 to 8 weeks of age than Nandanam broiler-2 birds. Significantly better (P0.01) cumulative feed conversion ratio was recorded in Nanadanam broiler-3 than Nandanam broiler-2 and per cent livability did not differ. It is concluded that Nanadanam broiler-3 chickens had significantly higher production performance than Nandanam broiler-2 birds under intensive system of management.
Soil organic carbon and nutrient content in aggregate-size fractions of a subtropical rice soil under variable tillage

The effects of tillage on soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient content of soil aggregates can vary spatially and temporally, and for different soil types and cropping systems. We assessed SOC and nutrient levels within water-stable aggregates in ridges with no tillage (RNT) and also under conventional tillage (CT) for a subtropical rice soil in order to determine relationships between tillage, cation concentrations and soil organic matter. Surface soil (0–15 cm) was fractionated into aggregate sizes (>4.76 mm, 4.76–2.00 mm, 2.00–1.00 mm, 1.00–0.25 mm, 0.25–0.053 mm, <0.053 mm) under two tillage regimes. Tillage significantly reduced the proportion of macroaggregate fractions (>2.00 mm) and thus aggregate stability was reduced by 35% compared with RNT, indicating that tillage practices led to soil structural change for this subtropical soil. The patterns in SOC, total N, exchangeable Ca, Mg and total exchangeable bases (TEB) were similar between tillage regimes, but concentrations were significantly higher under RNT than CT. This suggests that RNT in subtropical rice soils may be a better way to enhance soil productivity and improve soil C sequestration potential than CT. The highest SOC was in the 1.00–0.25 mm fraction (35.7 and 30.4 mg ⁄kg for RNT and CT, respectively), while the lowest SOC was in microaggregate (<0.025 mm) and silt + clay (<0.053 mm) fractions (19.5 and 15.7 mg ⁄kg for RNT and CT, respectively). Tillage did not influence the patterns in SOC across aggregates but did change the aggregate-size distribution, indicating that tillage affected soil fertility primarily by changing soil structure.
Adventitia contribution in vascular tone: insights from adventitia‐derived cells in a tissue‐engineered human blood vessel

Whether the adventitia component of blood vessels directly participates in the regulation of vascular tone remains to be demonstrated. We have recently developed a human tissue‐engineered blood vessel comprising the three tunicae of a native blood vessel using the self‐assembly approach. To investigate the role of the adventitia in the modulation of vascular tone, this tissue‐engineering method was used to produce three vascular constructs from cells explanted and proliferated from donor vessel tunicae 1) an adventitia + a media, or only 2) an adventitia, or 3) a media. The vasoconstriction responses of these 3 constructs to endothelin, the most potent vasopressor known up‐to‐date, as well as to nonselective and selective agonists and antagonists, were compared. The adventitia contracted to endothelin‐1, ‐2, whereas the media and the media+ adventitia contracted to all three endothelins. Endothelin‐induced contraction of the adventitia was dependent on ETA receptors, whereas that of the media and the adventitia+ media was ETA and ETB receptor‐dependent. RT‐PCR studies corroborated these results. SNP induced a dose‐dependent relaxation of the three tissue constructs. We also demonstrated that the endothelin‐converting enzyme, responsible for the formation of the active endothelin peptides, was present and functional in the adventitia. In conclusion, this is the first direct demonstration that the adventitia has the capacity to contract and relax in response to vasoactive factors. The present study suggests that the adventitia of a blood vessel could play a greater role than expected in the modulation of blood vessel tone. —Laflamme, K. , Roberge, C. J., Grenier, G. , Rémy‐Zolghadri, M. , Pouliot, S. , Baker, K. , Labbé, R. , D'Orleans‐Juste, P., Auger, F. A. , Germain, L. Adventitia contribution in vascular tone: insights from adventitia‐derived cells in a tissue‐engineered human blood vessel. FASEB J. 20, E516–E524 (2006)
Metabolic studies in paralytic acute anterior poliomyelitis. II. Alterations in calcium and phosphorus metabolism.

Further evidence of the extensive effects of infection with the poliomyelitis virus upon many bodily systems is presented in this paper, the second of a series (1) describing metabolic and physiological features of the natural course of paralytic acute anterior poliomyelitis during its acute, convalescent and chronic phases. The most marked alteration in metabolism noted during the immobilization of healthy subjects in body casts (2) was greatly increased excretion of calcium, progressing to urinary calcium outputs more than double those of the control phase and to large negative calcium balances. This striking result suggested that it would be pertinent to investigate the extent of mineral loss occurring in patients with a seriously immobilizing disease such as paralytic acute anterior poliomyelitis. Several indications of alteration in calcium and phosphorus metabolism in poliomyelitis have been reported, such as hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, urinary tract lithiasis, bone rarefaction and retardation of bone growth. Orr (3) found hypercalcemia four months after onset in a nine-yearold boy with extensive paralysis and, later, in 10 of 11 other children with paralytic poliomyelitis. Wilkins (4) noted "hypercalcemia in some of the paralytic cases at Children's Hospital" in Baltimore. Hypercalciuria in poliomyelitis has been mentioned several times but quantitatively only once, by Wilkins (5) who found as much as 1 gram per day in the urine of a patient, presumably a child, with poliomyelitis. The frequence of urinary tract calculi formation in poliomyelitis is well known, particularly in severely paralyzed patients
Earnings Management and CSR Disclosure. Family vs. Non-Family Firms

Building on Institutional theory and Signaling theory, integrated with the socioemotional wealth (SEW) approach, we studied the effect of earnings management (EM) practices on a firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosure behavior. In so doing, we analyzed a sample of 226 non-financial, family and non-family listed firms for the period, 2006–2015. Our results suggest that family firms, in instances of downward earnings management, are more prone to diverting attention from these practices by means of CSR disclosure, compared to non-family firms, although the level of family ownership exerts a moderating effect. Moreover, we found that a firm’s visibility, in terms of size, significantly enhances this behavior and that the effect is higher for family firms.
Mechanisms in enzymatic transamination; variables in the spectrophotometric estimation of glutamate-aspartate kinetics.

SUMMARY In view of the importance of data on initial velocity in the study of enzyme behavior, a basis has been established for accurate estimation of the kinetics of the glutamate-aspartate transaminase system by means of spectrophotometric analysis. It has been found that changes in oxal- acetate concentration can bc estimated rapidly during transamination with a st.andard error of the mean no greater than 3 per cent. In establishing this basis for study, the following facts also have been shown. (a) The two isomeric forms of oxalacetic acid appear to be identi- cal in solution at pH 7.4. (b) The spontaneous decomposition of oxalace- tate, which is a side reaction to transamination, is a reaction of the first order; the velocity constant is independent of oxalacetate concentration, but is increased considerably in the presence of glutamic or aspartic acid and, to a lesser extent, by cu-ketoglutarate and the enzyme preparation; the occurrence of transamination in the same reaction mixture has no sig- nificant effect on the rate of decomposition. (c) Optical densities of mix- tures of components of the transaminase system can be predicted ac- curately from a knowledge of individual absorption coefficients.
Gap crossing by chipmunks: an experimental test of landscape connectivity

Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) are forest specialists common to eastern North America. Numerous studies suggest that chipmunks require fencerow corridors between woodlots to maintain functional connectivity in agricultural landscapes. We tested this hypothesis by conducting a homing experiment to assess whether chipmunks would cross nonforested gaps of different sizes. Chipmunks in 11 landscapes were translocated a constant distance of 220-250 m across gaps ranging in size from 0 (continuous forest) to 240 m (mostly gap). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the probability of an adult chipmunk returning to its home range was not related to the size of the gap that had to be crossed (χ 2 = 0.781, n = 60, P = 0.377, ρ 2 = 0.011). Chipmunks crossed the entire range of gap sizes and there was no evidence of a threshold in connectivity. These results suggest that forest woodlots may be func - tionally connected for chipmunks even without fencerow corridors, and that landscape configuration in the study area may not have isolating effects on chipmunk populations. More empirical studies are required to identify whether func- tional connectivity thresholds are present in mammal populations as theoretical studies suggest. Resume : Les tamias rayes (Tamias striatus) sont des animaux abondants, specialistes des forets dans l'est de l'Amerique du Nord. De nombreuses etudes indiquent que les tamias necessitent la presence de corridors de haies entre les boises pour que la connectivite entre les boises reste fonctionnelle dans les paysages agricoles. Nous avons teste cette hypothese au moyen d'une experience de homing au cours de laquelle nous avons verifie si les tamias traversaient des breches non boisees de differentes tailles. Des tamias de 11 paysages ont ete deplaces sur une distance constante de 220 a 250 m au-dela de breches mesurant de 0 (foret continue) a 240 m (surtout des breches). Une analyse de regression logistique a demontre que la probabilite qu'un tamia regagne son domaine n'est pas reliee a la taille des breches a traverser ( 2 = 0,781, n = 60, P = 0,377, 2 = 0,011). Les tamias ont traverse des breches de toutes les tailles et nous n'avons vu aucun signe de l'existence d'un seuil de connectivite. Nos resultats indiquent que les boises sont connectes fonctionnellement, meme en l'absence de corridors de haies, et que la configuration du paysage dans la region etudiee n'est pas necessairement un facteur d'isolation pour les populations de tamias. Il faudra proceder a d'autres etudes empiriques pour determiner s'il existe des seuils de connectivite fonctionnelle chez les populations de mammiferes comme l'indiquent les etudes theoriques. (Traduit par la Redaction) Bowman and Fahrig 1561
Phase I trial of OTS11101, an anti‐angiogenic vaccine targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 in solid tumor

OTS11101 is a novel peptide vaccine that acts as an angiogenesis inhibitor by inducing cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) cells that specifically target vascular endothelial cells expressing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 1. We conducted a phase I study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, maximum tolerated dose, and pharmacodynamic biomarker status of this vaccine. Nine patients with advanced solid tumors received 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 mg of OTS11101 subcutaneously, once a week in a 28‐day cycle. Three patients experienced grade 1 injection site reactions, which were the most frequent adverse events. Grade 2 proteinuria and hypertension each occurred in one patient. As other toxicities were generally mild, the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Furthermore, we explored the induction of specific activated CTLs, and biomarkers related to angiogenesis. A pharmacodynamics study revealed that induction of specific CTLs was observed for a dose of 2.0 and 3.0 mg. The serum concentrations of soluble VEGF receptor 1 and 2 after vaccination increased significantly compared with baseline. A microarray was performed to give a comprehensive analysis of gene expression, suggesting that OTS11101 vaccination resulted in T cell activation in a clinical setting. In conclusion, OTS11101 was well tolerated in patients up to 3.0 mg once weekly and our biomarker analysis suggested that this anti‐angiogenesis vaccine is biologically active. (Cancer Sci 2013; 104: 98–104)