Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protective responses against skin-dwelling microfilariae of Onchocerca lienalis in severe combined immunodeficient mice

Inoculation of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice with microfilariae of Onchocerca lienalis results in a sustained infection of the skin, extending for months beyond the point at which the parasites are eliminated from immunocompetent BALB/c controls. Reconstitution of SCID mice with spleen cells, thymocytes, or CD4+-cell-enriched splenocytes from naive BALB/c donors confers the ability to mount a protective immune response, leading to the rapid elimination of microfilariae. High levels of interleukin-5 and low levels of gamma interferon in the sera of reconstituted SCID mice during the destruction of microfilariae suggest that this protective immune response is directed by Th2 lymphocytes, mirroring that observed in immunocompetent controls. Unexpectedly, abbreviation of primary infections of unreconstituted SCID mice with the drug ivermectin induces resistance to reinfection with microfilariae at a level equivalent to that induced in secondarily infected, immunocompetent controls. In contrast to protection mediated by adoptive reconstitution, resistance induced by ivermectin-abbreviated infection occurs in the absence of T cells and in association with negligible levels of serum interleukin-5 and gamma interferon. This points to the activation of some alternative host defense mechanism that operates after the clearance of therapeutic levels of drug. Such a response could have important implications for the treatment of human onchocerciasis and may go some way in explaining the long-term suppression of microfilariae observed in patients after treatment with ivermectin.
Activation of immediate-early, early, and late promoters by temperature-sensitive and wild-type forms of herpes simplex virus type 1 protein ICP4

To better define the activities on herpes simplex virus type 1 gene expression of temperature-sensitive and wild-type forms of the transcriptional regulatory protein ICP4, regulatory sequences from immediate-early, early, and late herpes simplex virus genes were fused to the gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). These constructs were used in trans induction and cotransfection experiments with wild-type and temperature-sensitive mutant alleles of ICP4. The ICP4 genes used in this study were cloned from the KOS strain (wild type) and two phenotypically distinct temperature-sensitive ICP4 mutants, tsB32 and tsL14 (DeLuca et al., J. Virol. 52:767-776, 1984), both alone and in conjunction with three other immediate-early genes. The latter series of plasmids was used to assess the influence of additional immediate-early gene products on gene expression in the presence of a given ICP4 allele. The results of this study demonstrate that the phenotypes of these ICP4 mutants observed in cell culture at the nonpermissive temperature were determined in part by activities associated with the mutant ICP4 polypeptides and that these activities differed from those of wild-type ICP4. Low levels of wild-type ICP4 had a marginal but reproducible stimulatory effect on immediate-early CAT gene expression, especially the pIE4/5CAT chimera. This effect was diminished with increasing quantities of ICP4, suggesting an inhibitory role for the wild-type form of the protein. The ICP4 mutants had a strong stimulatory effect on immediate-early CAT expression, consistent with their phenotypes at 39 degrees C. The mutant forms of the ICP4 polypeptide differed in their ability to induce CAT activity from an early chimeric gene. Thus, the tsL14 form of ICP4 was effective in early gene induction (i.e., ptkCAT was induced), whereas the ICP4 derived from tsB32 was slightly inhibitory. Cotransfection of tsB32 ICP4 simultaneously with other immediate-early genes resulted in a marginal increase in ptkCAT induction. This induction was enhanced when the gene for ICP4 was inactivated by restriction enzyme cleavage, substantiating the inhibitory effect of the tsB32 form of ICP4. The two mutant ICP4 genes (tsB32 and tsL14) were unable to trans-activate either of the late CAT constructs (p5CAT and pL42CAT) tested. Cotransfecting tsL14 ICP4 with the other immediate-early genes resulted in activation of p5CAT but not pL42CAT. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that (i) low levels of wild-type ICP4 have stimulatory effect on immediate-early promoters and that higher concentrations of wild-type ICP4 have an inhibitory effect on these promoters, (ii) isolated mutant form of ICP4 exhibit activities that reflect the phenotypes of the mutants from which they were isolated, and (iii) immediate-early gene products other than ICP4 are involved in determining the distinct phenotypes of the two mutants at 39 degrees Celsius.
Pricing Asian options with stochastic convenience yield and jumps

We price Asian options on commodity futures contracts in the presence of stochastic convenience yield, stochastic interest rates and jumps in the commodity spot price. In the case of no jumps, we obtain a closed-form solution for a geometric average Asian option. This analytic result enables us to employ this option as a suitable control variate when pricing the corresponding arithmetic average Asian option. Discussion of further applications and comparative statics are presented. To cover the case with jumps, we condition on the jump times first and then average over the sequences of jump times.
Situational factors and thought processes associated with unprotected intercourse in young gay men

ObjectivesTo investigate (1) the types of justifications, if any, that young gay men give themselves at the time they make the decision to have unprotected anal intercourse and (2) the types of occasion on which they are most at risk of having unprotected intercourse. Design and methodsIn structured interviews, gay men aged 15–21 years were asked to recall two sexual encounters from the preceding 6 months: one in which they had had unprotected anal intercourse ('unsafe' encounter) and one in which they had resisted a strong temptation to have unprotected intercourse ('safe' encounter). We studied both types of encounter to enable identification of situational variables distinguishing between them. ResultsThe first two factors that emerged from a Factor Analysis of the self-justification data ('unsafe' encounter, n = 219) involved, respectively, high-risk behaviour in response to a negative mood state and inferring from perceptible characteristics that the partner was unlikely to be infected. The most commonly reported self-justification was of this latter type. In respondents recalling both encounters (n = 115), sexual desires, mood, communication, and use of 'dirty talk' distinguished between the encounters. In contrast, type of partner, consumption of alcohol or drugs, desire for excitement, and use of pornography did not. ConclusionsResults are discussed in relation to those obtained in our earlier study of older gay men. Young gay men appear to be more single-minded about what they want to do sexually, and more likely to infer from perceptible characteristics that their partner is unlikely to be infected. In young gay men, a negative mood state is associated with unsafe sex, an opposite finding to that obtained with older gay men. The results also suggest the possible importance of failure to communicate about desires concerning safe sex and the use of 'dirty talk'; these may help to facilitate the occurrence of unsafe sex.
Superoxide Dismutase Activity in Lymphocytes and Polymorphonuclear Cells of Diabetic Patients

Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase) activity was evaluated in lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells of insulin-dependent (n = 33) and non-insulin-dependent (n = 34) diabetic patients. A commercial method for the measurement of superoxide dismutase activity was adapted for use on a discrete analyser and evaluated for interference by other antioxidants with superoxide anion-scavenging properties. In comparison to healthy control subjects (n = 32), a significantly lower Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activity was found in both lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells of insulin-dependent (2.08 +/- 0.58 vs. 1.70 +/- 0.46 U/mg protein, p < 0.05, and 1.06 +/- 0.46 vs. 0.64 +/- 0.40 U/mg protein, p < 0.001, respectively) and non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients (2.08 +/- 0.58 vs. 1.61 +/- 0.48 U/mg protein, p < 0.01, and 1.06 +/- 0.46 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.24 U/mg protein, p < 0.001, respectively). There was a week, but significant negative correlation between age and Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase activity in lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells (r = -0.22 and r = -0.28, p < 0.05, respectively), whereas no influence of gender, diabetes duration and glycaemic control was observed. The results indicate that diabetes mellitus could elicit a significant disturbance in superoxide anion-scavenging potential of lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells.
Measuring and Predicting Surgeons’ Practice Styles for Breast Cancer Treatment in Older Women

Background.Few measures exist to assess physicians’ practice style, and there are few data on physicians’ practice styles and patterns of care. Objectives.To use clinical vignettes to measure surgeons’ “propensity” for local treatments for early-stage breast cancer and to describe factors associated with propensity. Research Design and Subjects.A cross-sectional mailed survey with telephone follow-up of a random sample of 1,000 surgeons treating Medicare beneficiaries in fee-for-service settings. Measures.Outcome measures include treatment propensity, self-reported practice, and actual treatment received by the surgeons’ patients. Results.Propensities were significantly associated with actual treatment, controlling for covariates. Area Medicare fees were the strongest predictor of propensity, followed by region, attitudes, volume, and gender. For instance, after other factors were considered, surgeons practicing in areas with the highest breast-conserving surgery (BCS) fees were 8.61 (95% CI 2.26–32.73) times more likely to have a BCS propensity than surgeons in areas with the lowest fees. Surgeons with the strongest beliefs in patient participation in treatment decisions were nearly 6 times (95% CI 1.67–20.84) more likely to have a BCS propensity than surgeons with the lowest such beliefs, controlling for covariates. Male surgeons were also independently more likely to have a mastectomy propensity than female surgeons. Conclusions.Surgeons’ propensities explain some of the observed variations in breast cancer treatment patterns among older women. Standardized scenarios provide a practical method to measure practice style and could be used to evaluate physician contributions to shared decision making, practice patterns, costs and outcomes, and adherence to guidelines.
PUBLIC DEBT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN PAKISTAN: A REASSESSMENT

This study examined the effect of public debt on economic growth for Pakistan over the period 1972 to 2012. Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing procedure was applied to explore the long and the short run liaison between public debt and economic growth. This study examined the effect of public debt on both the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Grass National Product (GNP) unlike other studies, which examined only one indicator of economic growth. Public debt includes both external debt and domestic debt. Our findings reveal a significant negative effect of external debt on GDP and GNP in the long run and in the short run. Further, debt servicing is inversely influencing GDP and GNP in the short run. However, domestic debt is found to have no effect on economic growth. This study suggests that reliance on public debt should be minimized as this adversely effects economic growth in Pakistan.
Balance Error Scoring System Performance Changes After a Competitive Athletic Season

Objective:To evaluate the change in Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) performance after an athletic season. Design:A prospective longitudinal group study. Setting:University biomechanics research laboratory. Participants:A total of 58 college-aged females (23 soccer student-athletes, 16 volleyball student-athletes, and 19 recreationally active healthy college students) participated in the study. Interventions:The BESS test was administered on 2 occasions 90 days apart. For the student-athletes, the first test (PRE) was administered before the start of their athletic season and the second test (POST) was administered immediately after the season. For the recreationally active college students, the PRE test was at the beginning of the academic semester and the POST test exactly 90 days thereafter. Main Outcome Measures:Total BESS score at PRE and POST was compared with a 3 × 2 repeated measures analysis of variance. The overall change score and absolute value change score were also calculated and compared with a 1-sample t test to an expected change of zero errors. Results:There was no group by time interaction; however, there was a main effect for time. There was a significant improvement (P = 0.003) between PRE (9.00 ± 2.97 errors) and POST (7.92 ± 2.78 errors) BESS performance. There were significant differences for both the overall change score (1.08 errors) and the absolute value change score (2.00 errors). Conclusions:A clinically and statistically significant difference in BESS performance was identified after a 90-day intercollegiate athletic season.
CER-ETH – Center of Economic Research at ETH Zurich The role of energy and investment literacy for residential electricity demand and end-use efficiency

This paper estimates the level of transient and persistent efficiency in the use of electricity in Swiss households using the newly developed generalized true random effects model (GTREM). An unbalanced panel dataset of 1, 994 Swiss households from 2010 to 2014 collected via a household survey is used to estimate an electricity demand frontier function. We further investigate whether energy and investment literacy have an influence on the household electricity consumption. The results show significant inefficiencies in the use of electricity among Swiss households, both transient (11%) and persistent (22%). We note that the high persistent inefficiency is indicative of structural problems faced by households and systematic behavioral shortcomings in residential electricity consumption. These results indicate a considerable potential for electricity savings and thus reaching the reduction targets defined by the Swiss federal council as part of the Energy Strategy 2050, wherein end-use efficiency improvement is one of the main pillars. The results support a positive role of energy and, in particular, investment literacy in reducing household electricity consumption. Policies targeting an improvement of these attributes could help to improve efficiency in the use of energy within households.
Can School Sports Reduce Racial Gaps in Truancy and Achievement?

While existing research supports that participation in high-school athletics is associated with better education and labor-market outcomes, the mechanisms through which these benefits accrue are not well established. Using individual microdata collected daily, and team-specific schedules, we retrieve estimates of the causal effect of high-school athletic participation on absenteeism, suggesting that participation decreases absences, driven primarily by reductions in unexcused absences in boys. There are also strong game-day effects in truancy, in both boys and girls, with truancy declines on game days more than offset by subsequent absenteeism. Important heterogeneity by race, gender, and family structure may serve to substantially reduce racial gaps in truancy and achievement. (JEL I21, L83)
Fully- and Quasi-Vertical GaN-on-Si p-i-n Diodes: High Performance and Comprehensive Comparison

We report growth and fabrication of fully- and quasi-vertical GaN-on-Si p-i-n diodes. A record high Baliga figure of merit of 304 and 152 MW/cm<sup>2</sup> is reported for fully- and quasi-vertical GaN-on-Si p-i-n diodes, respectively. A comprehensive comparison has been made between the two kinds of diodes in regard ON-resistance, breakdown voltage, and switching performance. An ultralow differential ON-resistance of 0.5 and 1.0 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text {m}\Omega \cdot \text {cm}^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> has been demonstrated for quasi- and fully-vertical diodes with a diameter of 60 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> at 3 kA/cm<sup>2</sup>. Current crowding effect in the n-GaN was a dominant factor of R<sub>ON</sub>, especially for large size quasi-vertical diodes at high current density. A high V<sub>br</sub> of 390 V has been demonstrated for the two types of device structures, regardless of device diameters. The same breakdown voltage and low off-state leakage indicated the reliability of fully-vertical device fabrication that reflects intrinsic properties of the grown epilayers. The two kinds of diodes share similar switching performance, which is much superior to a commercial fast-recovery Si diode as a reference. The device characteristics show promising potential of both fully- and quasi-vertical diodes for low-cost high-power applications.
Limited short-term prognostic utility of cerebral NIRS during neonatal therapeutic hypothermia

Objective: We evaluated the utility of amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) and regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for short-term outcome prediction in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Methods: Neonates with HIE were monitored with dual-channel aEEG, bilateral cerebral NIRS, and systemic NIRS throughout cooling and rewarming. The short-term outcome measure was a composite of neurologic examination and brain MRI scores at 7 to 10 days. Multiple regression models were developed to assess NIRS and aEEG recorded during the 6 hours before rewarming and the 6-hour rewarming period as predictors of short-term outcome. Results: Twenty-one infants, mean gestational age 38.8 ± 1.6 weeks, median 10-minute Apgar score 4 (range 0–8), and mean initial pH 6.92 ± 0.19, were enrolled. Before rewarming, the most parsimonious model included 4 parameters (adjusted R2 = 0.59; p = 0.006): lower values of systemic rSO2 variability (p = 0.004), aEEG bandwidth variability (p = 0.019), and mean aEEG upper margin (p = 0.006), combined with higher mean aEEG bandwidth (worse discontinuity; p = 0.013), predicted worse short-term outcome. During rewarming, lower systemic rSO2 variability (p = 0.007) and depressed aEEG lower margin (p = 0.034) were associated with worse outcome (model-adjusted R2 = 0.49; p = 0.005). Cerebral NIRS data did not contribute to either model. Conclusions: During day 3 of cooling and during rewarming, loss of physiologic variability (by systemic NIRS) and invariant, discontinuous aEEG patterns predict poor short-term outcome in neonates with HIE. These parameters, but not cerebral NIRS, may be useful to identify infants suitable for studies of adjuvant neuroprotective therapies or modification of the duration of cooling and/or rewarming.
Networks of social relations and underground economics: A study on a black market of bicycles in Shanghai

Mark Granovetter emphasized the effect of ongoing systems of social relations on economic actions. This essay uses a black market of bicycles as a critical case, based on field work from 2004 to 2008, to study the ongoing interaction between the networks of social relations and the economic actions in the case. I conclude that because of the characteristics of economic actions in the black markets and their environment, individual black market bicycle dealers are faced with a conflict between limited inventory and diversified demands from different customers. However, at the level of all dealers, the inventory is sufficient. Thus, the key issue in the black market is how to deliver information on diversified demands to the right dealer. The networks of social relations can do this. These networks are not based on blood or geographical ties, but originate from economic actions in the black market. The dealers use la guanxi (try to establish a relationship with somebody) to establish initial networks of social relations and jiang yiqi (be loyal to friends) to strengthen them with ongoing economic actions. Because of their function concerning information and trust, the networks soon construct a reciprocal model of transactions, which reduces risks and raises profits. In addition, as information and trust are accumulated through ongoing economic actions, a cartel of purchasing and prices emerges, changes the market again, and further raises profits. In addition, the economic actions, which are based on intermediary activities and the rapid movement of information, prevent the networks from developing into a mafia. The networks can also prevent potential malfeasance in economic actions.
Cover crop-based reduced tillage system influences Carabidae (Coleoptera) activity, diversity and trophic group during transition to organic production

Abstract Organic grain growers rely on cultural practices and biological control to regulate pests, and the implementation and timing of cultural practices can affect many characteristics of the cropping system as a habitat for natural enemies of arthropod pests. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in particular are important insect and weed-seed predators, and are sensitive to crop rotations, tillage and environmental complexity. In a reduced tillage system in transition to organic management, we evaluated the effect of cover crop species and termination date, crop rotation and high residue cultivation on ground and tiger beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) activity-density, community composition and size and trophic groups. The 3-year experiment included a sequence of corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. ) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A mixture of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) and triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) preceded corn, and cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) preceded soybean, and each crop sequence was present in each year (full-entry). We compared three cover crop termination (and cash crop planting) dates by terminating the overwintered cover crops with a roller-crimper, and immediately or soon after, we no-till planted corn and soybean through the mat created by the rolled cover crops. In the corn and soybean phases of the rotation, we also compared inter-row cultivation as a pest management strategy to a control treatment (no inter-row cultivation in corn, and an alternative row-spacing in soybean). Wheat was planted on a single date in each year into tilled soil. Carabids were sampled using pitfall traps 2 weeks after termination of the two cover crop treatments, and in mid-June in wheat. Carabid activity-density and species richness increased across the experimental site during the 3-year transition, and community evenness across the experimental site increased by the third year. Crop species influenced carabid community composition, and by the third year, the carabid community was comparable between wheat and hairy vetch-triticale cover crop. The late cover crop termination date was positively associated with higher activity-densities of large carabids in rolled hairy vetch-triticale and rolled cereal rye; carnivorous beetles in rolled hairy vetch-triticale; and granivorous beetles in rolled cereal rye. Inter-row cultivation occurring in corn and soybean resulted in a significantly higher proportion of small beetles in the wheat phase of the rotation, with a significantly higher proportion of large beetles in wheat treatments, which had not received inter-row cultivation in corn and soybean. Results have strong implications for management during the transition to organic, including the importance of plant residue, reduced tillage and timing of cover crop termination dates for augmenting carabid populations.