Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The usefulness of ultrasound guidance in frozen-thawed embryo transfer: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Recent randomized controlled trials have shown that implantation and pregnancy rates were improved with ultrasound-guided embryo transfer compared with clinical touch in fresh IVF cycles associated with supraphysiological ovarian steroid levels. However, the usefulness of ultrasound guidance in frozen-thawed embryo transfer where potential hormonal influences are lacking has not been appropriately investigated. METHODS A total of 184 consecutive patients undergoing thawed embryo transfer cycles with hormone replacement under pituitary suppression were randomized by computer-generated randomization table to two study groups: 93 had ultrasound-guided (group 1) and 91 had clinical touch (group 2) embryo transfer. RESULTS There was equal distribution between the two study groups with respect to the main demographic and baseline characteristics of the patients as well as the characteristics of both prior IVF cycles from which embryos were generated and cryopreserved-thawed embryo transfer cycles. However, both pregnancy and implantation rates in group 1 (34.4 and 19.8% respectively) were significantly higher than the corresponding values (19.7 and 11.9%) in group 2. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound guidance in frozen-thawed embryo transfer significantly increases pregnancy and implantation rates.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of a Novel p70 S6 Kinase, p70 S6 Kinase β Containing a Proline-rich Region*

A novel ribosomal S6 kinase, termed p70 S6 kinase β (p70β), which has a highly conserved amino acid sequence compared with that of p70/p85 S6 kinase (p70α) within the catalytic, kinase extension, and autoinhibitory pseudosubstrate domains, was identified. However, the amino acid sequence of p70β differs from that of p70α in the noncatalytic amino-terminal region and in the carboxyl-terminal tail, which contains a proline-rich region. The majority of the regulatory phosphorylation sites identified in p70α are conserved in p70β. Two isoforms of p70β, referred to as β1 (495 amino acids) and β2 (482 amino acids), could be expressed from the single gene either by alternative mRNA splicing or by the use of alternative start codons. Here we report the characterization of p70β2. Similarly to p70α, the catalytic activity of p70β toward ribosomal protein S6 could be rapidly activated by serum, insulin, and phorbol ester in transiently transfected cells. The p70β kinase was found to be significantly less sensitive to wortmannin and rapamycin than p70α. These results indicate that p70β has the potential to participate in the regulation of protein synthesis and the cell cycle.
Readjusting one's life in the tension inherent in work and motherhood.

AIM This paper is a report on a study undertaken to interpret employed first-time mothers' experiences of returning to work after maternity leave, in a Norwegian context. BACKGROUND Despite the increasing rate of employed fertile women and increasing welfare benefits to support the work-life balance, the first years after giving birth are described as being the most demanding on mothers' health. However, little is known about mothers' experiences of returning to work after maternity leave. METHODS The study included nine Norwegian employees who were individually interviewed during the first months after their return to work following maternity leave. The interviews were conducted during 2009 and interpreted using a method grounded in hermeneutics. FINDINGS Overall, the meaning of returning to work was interpreted as 'Readjusting one's life in the tension inherent in work and motherhood'. This comprehensive theme was based on three sub-themes: (a) Striving to manage the workload and taking responsibility for the best interests of the child, (b) Struggling with feelings of not being a good enough mother, and (c) Maintaining a balance between sensitivity and self-confidence. CONCLUSION Returning to work after maternity leave appears to be a transitional phase that can be critical to the well-being of first-time mothers. To support women during this phase, employers and public health nurses should monitor the work in relation to the women's capacity and value their competence both as employees and mothers.
Auditor Tenure and Quality of Financial Reporting

Prior studies in general suggest a positive association between auditor tenure (the length of an auditor–firm relationship) and reporting quality (the informational content of reported earnings). In this study, we present evidence that the association is reversed when clients represent increased litigation risks to their auditors. Featuring downward biases in reported earnings as a measure of reporting quality that stem from auditors’ minimization of costs from potential audit errors, we argue that the magnitude of such downward bias decreases in auditors’ experiences with their clients (tenure improves reporting quality). Furthermore, we predict that longer auditor tenure is associated with larger downward bias for firms with increased audit risks (tenure impairs reporting quality). Using non-operating accruals as proxy for downward bias in reported earnings, we find robust empirical evidence in support of our prediction.
Theta-Alpha Oscillations Bind the Hippocampus, Prefrontal Cortex, and Striatum during Recollection: Evidence from Simultaneous EEG–fMRI

Recollection of contextual information represents the core of human recognition memory. It has been associated with theta (4–8 Hz) power in electrophysiological recordings and, independently, with BOLD effects in a network including the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Although the notion of the hippocampus coordinating neocortical activity by synchronization in the theta range is common among theoretical models of recollection, direct evidence supporting this hypothesis is scarce. To address this apparent gap in our understanding of memory processes, we combined EEG and fMRI during a remember/know recognition task. We can show that recollection-specific theta-alpha (4–13 Hz) effects are correlated with increases in hippocampal connectivity with the PFC and, importantly, the striatum, areas that have been linked repeatedly to retrieval success. Together, our results provide compelling evidence that low-frequency oscillations in the theta and alpha range provide a mechanism to functionally bind the hippocampus, PFC, and striatum during successful recollection. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Low-frequency oscillations are supposed to drive the binding of information across a large-scale network centered on the hippocampus, which supports mnemonic functions. The electrophysiological means to investigate this phenomenon in humans (EEG/MEG), however, are inherently limited by their spatial resolution and therefore do not allow a precise localization of the brain regions involved. By combining EEG with BOLD-derived estimates of hippocampal connectivity during recognition, we can identify the striatum and specific areas in the medial and lateral PFC as part of a circuit linked to low-frequency oscillations (4–13 Hz) that promotes hippocampus-dependent context retrieval. Therefore, the current study closes an apparent gap in our understanding of the network dynamics of memory retrieval.
Black/white differences in leukocyte subpopulations in men.

BACKGROUND Although counts of leukocytes differ substantially between blacks and whites, and are predictive of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), racial differences in counts of leukocyte subpopulations have received less attention. METHODS We examined black/white differences in leukocyte subpopulations among 3467 white and 493 black 31-45 year-old-men who had previously served in the US Army. Laboratory determinations were performed at a central location during 1985-1986. RESULTS Black men had an 840 cell/microliter (or 15%) lower mean total leukocyte count than did white men, largely due to a 960 cell/microliter (or 25%) lower mean neutrophil count. Although black men also had a 20% lower mean monocyte count (= 70 cells/microliter) than did white men, their mean lymphocyte count was 10% higher (approximately = 200 cells/microliter). Counts of various leukocyte subpopulations were associated with cigarette smoking, haemoglobin levels, platelet counts, and several other characteristics, but black/white differences in counts of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and other subpopulations could not be attributed to any of the examined covariates. CONCLUSIONS Despite the relatively low counts of leukocytes and neutrophils among black men, their lymphocyte counts are generally higher than those among white men. It is possible that black/white differences in counts of various cell types may influence race-specific rates of IHD, and future studies should attempt to assess the importance of leukocyte subpopulations in the development of clinical disease.
Fumaric acid therapy in psoriasis: a double-blind comparison between fumaric acid compound therapy and monotherapy with dimethylfumaric acid ester.

In a 4-month double-blind study the effects of dimethylfumaric acid esters (DMFAE-EC) and DMFAE plus salts of monoethylfumaric acid esters (fumaric acid combination, FAC-EC) in enteric-coated tablets were compared in 22 respectively 23 patients with psoriasis. In both groups about 50% showed a considerable improvement, i.e. the initial score was more than halved. The therapeutic effects showed no significant differences in both groups with respect to the total psoriasis score or the different parameters. In the FAC-EC group the effects were obtained more rapidly. Most frequently observed side effects in both groups were flushings, stomachache and diarrhea. Due to these complaints 3 respectively 8 patients discontinued therapy. Eosinophilia, leukopenia and lymphopenia were the most frequently observed differences in lab tests. It was concluded that FAC-EC had no significantly better effect than monotherapy with DMFAE-EC. Moreover, enteric coating of the tablets did not prevent stomach complaints. Until more information has been obtained about the pharmacokinetics, the toxicity and optimal composition of the drug, the fumaric acid therapy in psoriasis should be seen as experimental.
Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy is associated with the T3866C mutation in mitochondrial ND1 gene in three Han Chinese Families.

PURPOSE To investigate the pathophysiology of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). METHODS Seventy-one subjects from three Chinese families with LHON underwent clinical, genetic, molecular, and biochemical evaluations. Biochemical characterizations included the measurements of the rates of endogenous, substrate-dependent respirations, the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and generation of reactive oxygen species using lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from five affected matrilineal relatives of these families and three control subjects. RESULTS Ten of 41 matrilineal relatives exhibited variable severity and age at onset of optic neuropathy. The average age at onset of optic neuropathy in matrilineal relatives of the three families was 5, 11, and 24 years, respectively. Molecular analysis identified the ND1 T3866C (I187T) mutation and distinct sets of polymorphisms belonging to the Eastern Asian haplogroups D4a, M10a, and R, respectively. The I187T mutation is localized at the highly conserved isoleucine at a transmembrane domain of the ND1 polypeptide. The marked reductions in the rate of endogenous, malate/glutamate-promoted and succinate/glycerol-3-phosphate-promoted respiration were observed in mutant cell lines carrying the T3866C mutation. The deficient respiration is responsible for the reduced ATP synthesis and increased generation of reactive oxygen species. CONCLUSIONS Our data convincingly show that the ND1 T3866C mutation leads to LHON. This mutation may be insufficient to produce a clinical phenotype. Other modifier factors may contribute to the phenotypic manifestation of the T3866C mutation. The T3866C mutation should be added to the list of inherited factors for molecular diagnosis of LHON. Thus, our findings may provide new insights into the understanding of pathophysiology and valuable information on the management of LHON.
Total Lesion Glycolysis and Sequential (90)Y-Selective Internal Radiation Therapy in Breast Cancer Liver Metastases: Preliminary Results.

To assess the prognostic role of total lesion glycolysis (TLG) in patients with breast cancer liver metastases (BCLM) after sequential lobar (90)Y-radioembolization ((90)Y-RE). Seventeen patients with bilobar BCLM underwent FDG PET/CT and TLG calculation before (90)Y-RE. The hepatic lobe with the highest TLG was treated in the first session. PET was performed 6 weeks postprocedure and decrease in TLG (ΔTLG) in the treated lobe was calculated before the second (90)Y administration. Subjects were divided in two groups (group 1: ΔTLG >50%, group 2: ΔTLG <50%). After the two consecutive (90)Y-therapies, patients underwent follow-up until death. Statistical analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors on overall survival (OS). After the first (90)Y administration, 10 cases showed a ΔTLG >50% and seven had a ΔTLG value <50%. After the two consecutive procedures, the mean OS for all patients was 13.5 ± 0.8 months. Subjects with a ΔTLG >50% and ΔTLG <50% had a mean OS of 16.4 ± 0.6 and 10.3 ± 0.4 months, respectively (p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis demonstrated hepatic tumor load (p = 0.048) and ΔTLG as the only significant (p = 0.005) predictors of survival. ΔTLG after the first (90)Y administration agrees with final outcome in BCLM patients after separate sequential lobar (90)Y-RE.
Susac's syndrome

A 29-year-old man developed vertigo, diplopia, confusion, and spasticity. Brain biopsy revealed multifocal microinfarcts. Bilateral hearing loss and retinal microangiopathy were also noted. Deficits were stable 2 years after onset. Repeated neuropsychological testing was suggestive of diffuse cerebral dysfunction, with likely prominent involvement of reciprocal diencephalic-cortical projections. NEUROLOGY 1996;47: 266-268
Functional Significance of the Interaction between the mRNA-binding Protein, Nab2, and the Nuclear Pore-associated Protein, Mlp1, in mRNA Export

Nuclear export of mRNA requires several key mRNA-binding proteins that recognize and remodel the mRNA and target it for export via interactions with the nuclear pore complex. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the shuttling heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein, Nab2, which is essential for mRNA export, specifically recognizes poly(A) RNA and binds to the nuclear pore-associated protein, myosin-like protein 1 (Mlp1), which functions in mRNA export and quality control. Specifically, the N-terminal domain of Nab2 (Nab2-N; residues 1–97) interacts directly with the C-terminal globular domain of Mlp1 (CT-Mlp1: residues 1490–1875). Recent structural and binding studies focused on Nab2-N have shown that Nab2-N contains a hydrophobic patch centered on Phe73 that is critical for interaction with Mlp1. Engineered amino acid changes within this patch disrupt the Nab2/Mlp1 interaction in vitro. Given the importance of Nab2 and Mlp1 to mRNA export, we have examined the Nab2/Mlp1 interaction in greater detail and analyzed the functional consequences of disrupting the interaction in vivo. We find that the Nab2-binding domain of Mlp1 (Mlp1-NBD) maps to a 183-residue region (residues 1586–1768) within CT-Mlp1, binds directly to Nab2 with micromolar affinity, and confers nuclear accumulation of poly(A) RNA. Furthermore, we show that cells expressing a Nab2 F73D mutant that cannot interact with Mlp1 exhibit nuclear accumulation of poly(A) RNA and that this nab2 F73D mutant genetically interacts with alleles of two essential mRNA export genes, MEX67 and YRA1. These data provide in vivo evidence for a model of mRNA export in which Nab2 is important for targeting mRNAs to the nuclear pore for export.
Efficient network migration planning

Networks are constantly changing due to new technologies, mergers, acquisitions and resizing. These factors, combined with the growing demand for bandwidth, are forcing many carriers to migrate their existing network to a network with a new technology in order to meet customer needs and to increase network performance. This migration process not only can take, in some cases, few years and require several resources, but also comes with long undesirable outages if not planned efficiently. Designing an efficient optimization tool that can provide an insight on duration, cost and distribution of resources is a valuable asset for telecommunication companies. In this paper, we propose a new enhanced optimization model for the network migration planning problem. The resulting optimization model can estimate network migration requirements efficiently even for large data sets. Network migration problem is studied as the planning of the migration of its circuits, subject to realistic technical and operational constraints. Computational experiences on two Ciena customers' network migration instances with different sizes and under different human resource scenarios complete our study.
The Chilean peso exchange-rate carry trade and turbulence

In this study we provide evidence regarding the relationship between the Chilean peso carry trade and currency crashes of the peso against other currencies. Using a rich dataset containing information from the local Chilean forward market, we show that speculation aimed at taking advantage of the recently large interest rate differentials between the peso and developedcountry currencies has led to several episodes of abnormal turbulence, as measured by the exchange-rate distribution’s skewness coefficient. In line with the interpretative framework linking turbulence to changes in the forward positions of speculators, we find that turbulence is higher in periods during which measures of global uncertainty have been particularly high.
Twenty‐four‐hour time course of eosinophil granule proteins ECP and EPX during bronchial allergen challenges in serum of asthmatic children

To study in vivo monitoring variables for bronchial allergen challenges, we investigated the time course of the eosinophil granule proteins, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and eosinophil protein × (EPX) after allergen provocation in serum. Thirty‐two asthmatic children sensitive to house‐dust mites and six healthy young adult controls were challenged by bronchial allergen provocations with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae. Blood samples were taken at regular intervals up to 24 h. Base‐line concentrations of ECP (P<0.004), EPX (P<0.002), and eosinophils (P<0.001) were found to be increased in asthmatic children, as compared with healthy controls. ECP and EPX concentrations showed a uniform pattern with two characteristic features: 1) a rapid increase for both mediators up to 30 min after provocation over base‐line values (P<0.0001 and P<0.001), followed by a rapid decrease nearly to base‐line values in the next 30 min; and 2) a steady increase for ECP and EPX up to 10 h (P<0.02 and P<0.01), and even higher levels at 24 h, after challenge (P<0.002 and P<0.003). We conclude that although eosinophils are activated in asthmatic children after bronchial allergen challenge, ECP and EPX concentrations are not suitable monitoring variables. Base‐line eosinophils seem to predict the occurrence of a late‐phase asthmatic reaction after allergen provocation.
Schmallenberg virus in Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) populations in France during 2011‐2012 outbreak

Following the emergence of the Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in 2011 in Germany and its rapid spread in Europe, Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) collected through the French surveillance network were analysed in order to record the presence of virus genome into species diversity collected, to assess the minimum infectious rates (MIR) and the virus circulation dynamics in Culicoides populations. Two vector activity periods were selected (2011, August to October, 53 sites and 2012, June to October, 35 sites) corresponding to 704 night collections. A total of 29,285 individual midges covering at least 50 species were tested either in pools of maximum 50 females or individually (for Culicoides obsoletus/Culicoides scoticus) using real-time RT-PCR. Nine species were found SBV positive (C. obsoletus, C. scoticus, Culicoides chiopterus, Culicoides dewulfi, Culicoides imicola, Culicoides pulicaris, Culicoides newsteadi, Culicoides lupicaris and Culicoides nubeculosus) with overall MIR ranging from 0.2% to 4.2%. While the Culicoides nubeculosus laboratory strain is generally considered to have only low vector competence for viruses, interestingly, field-caught C. nubeculosus specimens were found positive twice for SBV. The first SBV-positive pool was recorded in August 2011 in north-eastern France, dating the virus circulation in France 5 months earlier than the first recorded congenital malformations and 2 months earlier than the former recorded date based on retrospective serological data. The MIR were maximum in October 2011, and in July 2012 according to dates of virus arrival in the studied areas. Moreover, our study also showed that virus circulation could be locally intense with infection rate (IR) reaching up to 16% for C. obsoletus/C. scoticus in July 2012 in one site of western France. This retrospective study demonstrates the importance of large-scale analysis to describe the spatio-temporal dynamics of virus circulation.
A survey and challenges in routing and data dissemination in vehicular ad-hoc networks

In this paper, we survey recent results in VANET data dissemination. We structure the survey into three broad categories: geocast/broadcast, multicast, and unicast approaches; and describe key ideas of representative technologies in each category. In addition, we consider location service and security issues that are crucial for data dissemination in VANET. We conclude by sharing our thoughts on further challenges.
Organized Labor and Audit Fees

SYNOPSIS: This study investigates the empirical relationship between organized labor and audit fees. We find that audit fees are negatively related to the firm-level unionization rate—the higher the unionization rate, the lower the audit fees. We further observe that the unionized firms are less likely to hire Big 4 or industry-specialist auditors. Additional analyses show that the negative relationship between the firm-level unionization rate and audit fees is significantly attenuated for unionized firms with poor financial performance. Our results are consistent with unionized firms preferring less audit scrutiny, which helps them maintain information asymmetry with the labor unions. The study facilitates our understanding of firms' demand for audit services and the consequential effect on audit fees when faced with strong organized labor, and adds to the extant literature investigating the impact of organized labor on various aspects of firms' financial reporting decisions. JEL Classifications: M41; M4.
Audit partner’s length of audit experience and audit quality: evidence from Korea*

Abstract This paper investigates the relation between the length of an audit partner’s experience as a certified public accountant and audit quality. Audit quality is measured by the magnitude of discretionary accruals and tendency to meet or miss earnings benchmarks of the client firms. This paper documents that an audit partner’s experience is positively associated with audit quality and the association is more salient among non-Big 4 auditors. These findings suggest that auditors’ knowledge and expertise develop with actual involvement with the clients over an extended period of time. For Big 4 audit firms, intense training, structured audit programs, and knowledge sharing opportunities are provided to individual accountants, which may weaken the dependence of audit quality on the individual partner’s experience.