Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The expression pattern of nuclear receptors during cerebellar development

The cerebellum is essential for fine control of movement and posture, and it has been a useful model for studying many aspects of neural development because of its relatively simple anatomy and developmental program. However, the roles of nuclear receptors (NRs) underlying formation of the cerebellum and maintenance of cerebellar functions are still poorly characterized. As a contribution to the Nuclear Receptor Signaling Atlas (NURSA), we employed immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression pattern of 18 NRs in the cerebellum. Ten receptors were demonstrated to be expressed in the postnatal day 21 (P21) cerebellum. Among them, five receptors (COUP‐TFI, COUP‐TFII, RORα, ERβ, and ERRγ) were expressed at all stages (embryonic stage, P0, P7, and P21) examined. Interestingly, COUP‐TFI and COUP‐TFII show differential anterior‐posterior expression patterns during cerebellar development. Taken together, our results suggest that members of the nuclear receptor superfamily might play importantly physiological roles in the cerebellum. Developmental Dynamics 236:810–820, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hedging Demand for Bequest Motives

This paper considers the case of an investor who has only bequest motives while facing uncertainty in the opportunity set. We analyze her optimal hedging demand and show that the latter can be cast into a single portfolio that involves the wealth certainty equivalent. Our decomposition is useful to understand humps in the hedging demand of the equity market that are usually attributed to consumption (Wachter, 2002; Munk, 2008).
Atypical symptoms of depression in a sample of depressed child and adolescent outpatients.

OBJECTIVE To examine the presence of symptoms of atypical depression among children and adolescents with a major depressive disorder (MDD). METHOD One thousand forty-six youths (aged 6-19 years) meeting DSM-III-R criteria for MDD were included in the study. All subjects had presented at an outpatient clinic seeking treatment and were identified as having MDD via clinical interviews using the semistructured Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present Episode (K-SADS-P) with the youngster themselves and a parent/guardian. A diagnosis of atypical depression was derived from the symptoms of depression assessed in the K-SADS-P and required the presence of mood reactivity and at least one the following symptoms: hypersomnia, increased appetite, weight gain, or psychomotor retardation (substituted for leaden paralysis). RESULTS One hundred sixty-two (15.5%) of the depressed youths met criteria for atypical depression. The symptoms of atypical depression were found to correlate marginally, and the diagnosis of atypical depression had marginal construct validity for both children and adolescents. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this large sample of depressed children and adolescents suggest that atypical features of depression occur in this age group. However, the diagnosis of atypical depression appears to have only marginal construct validity for both children and adolescents.
Ultrahigh-Resolution X-ray Tomography

Ultrahigh-resolution three-dimensional images of a microscopic test object were made with soft x-rays collected with a scanning transmission x-ray microscope. The test object consisted of two different patterns of gold bars on silicon nitride windows that were separated by ∼5 micrometers. Depth resolution comparable to the transverse resolution was achieved by recording nine two-dimensional images of the object at angles between –50 and +55 degrees with respect to the beam axis. The projections were then combined tomographically to form a three-dimensional image by means of an algorithm using an algebraic reconstruction technique. A transverse resolution of ∼1000 angstroms was observed. Artifacts in the reconstruction limited the overall depth resolution to ∼6000 angstroms; however, some features were clearly reconstructed with a depth resolution of ∼1000 angstroms.
Lack of BLV and PTLV DNA sequences in the majority of patients with large granular lymphocyte leukaemia

The primate T‐cell lymphoma/leukaemia viruses (PTLV) and bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) comprise a unique genus of retroviruses, infection with which induces seroreactivity in the host against conserved epitopes in their p24 gag and gp21 env cognate proteins. Herein, we have confirmed this serocrossreactivity. Patients with large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukaemia have frequent seroreactivity to the p24 and gp21 env proteins of human T‐cell lymphoma/leukaemia virus I (HTLV‐I), one of the species in the genus. However, only a small minority of patients are actually infected with prototypic HTLV‐I or HTLV‐II, another species within the group. In an attempt to determine whether LGL leukaemia might be associated with other members of the PTLV/BLV genus, we examined the peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA of 22 HTLV p24 and/or gp21 seropositive LGL leukaemia patients via PCR using degenerate and specific primer pair/probe systems capable of detecting all known members of the PTLV/BLV genus. None of the samples was positive. These data indicate that although HTLV‐II may be associated with some cases of LGL leukaemia most patients are not infected with a PTLV or BLV virus.
Impact of peer counselling breast-feeding support programme protocols on any and exclusive breast-feeding discontinuation in low-income women

Abstract Objective Peer counselling (PC) programmes have been shown to improve breast-feeding outcomes in populations at risk for early discontinuation. Our objective was to describe associations between programme components (individual and combinations) and breast-feeding outcomes (duration and exclusivity) in a PC programme for low-income women. Design Secondary analysis of programme data. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations between type and quantity of peer contacts with breast-feeding outcomes. Types of contacts included in-person (hospital or home), phone or other (e.g. mail, text). Quantities of contacts were considered ‘optimal’ if they adhered to standard programme guidelines. Setting Programme data collected from 2005 to 2011 in Michigan’s Breastfeeding Initiative Peer Counseling Program. Subjects Low-income (n 5886) women enrolled prenatally. Results For each additional home, phone and other PC contact there was a significant reduction in the hazard of discontinuing any breast-feeding by 6 months (hazard ratio (HR)=0·90 (95 % CI 0·88, 0·92); HR=0·89 (95 % CI 0·87, 0·90); and HR=0·93 (95 % CI 0·90, 0·96), respectively) and exclusive breast-feeding by 3 months (HR=0·92 (95 % CI 0·89, 0·95); HR=0·90 (95 % CI 0·88, 0·91); and HR=0·93 (95 % CI 0·89, 0·97), respectively). Participants receiving greater than optimal in-person and less than optimal phone contacts had a reduced hazard of any and exclusive breast-feeding discontinuation compared with those who were considered to have optimum quantities of contacts (HR=0·17 (95 % CI 0·14, 0·20) and HR=0·28 (95 % CI 0·23, 0·35), respectively). Conclusions Specific components of a large PC programme appeared to have an appreciable impact on breast-feeding outcomes. In-person contacts were essential to improving breast-feeding outcomes, but defining optimal programme components is complex.
Open Environment for Multimodal Interactive Connectivity Visualization and Analysis

Brain connectivity investigations are becoming increasingly multimodal and they present challenges for quantitatively characterizing and interactively visualizing data. In this study, we present a new set of network-based software tools for combining functional and anatomical connectivity from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The computational tools are available as part of Functional and Tractographic Connectivity Analysis Toolbox (FATCAT), a toolbox that interfaces with Analysis of Functional NeuroImages (AFNI) and SUrface MApping (SUMA) for interactive queries and visualization. This includes a novel, tractographic mini-probabilistic approach to improve streamline tracking in networks. We show how one obtains more robust tracking results for determining white matter connections by utilizing the uncertainty of the estimated diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters and a few Monte Carlo iterations. This allows for thresholding based on the number of connections between target pairs to reduce the presence of tracts likely due to noise. To assist users in combining data, we describe an interface for navigating and performing queries in two-dimensional and three-dimensional data defined over voxel, surface, tract, and graph domains. These varied types of information can be visualized simultaneously and the queries performed interactively using SUMA and AFNI. The methods have been designed to increase the user's ability to visualize and combine functional MRI and DTI modalities, particularly in the context of single-subject inferences (e.g., in deep brain stimulation studies). Finally, we present a multivariate framework for statistically modeling network-based features in group analysis, which can be implemented for both functional and structural studies.
Evaluating the Cost- Effectiveness of In-Work Benefits: A Simulation Study for Switzerland

Abstract Income support for working low-income families (the ‘working poor’) is on top of the political agenda in Switzerland. The current social assistance system is considered inadequate to support working poor households. Several European countries have introduced in-work benefits in order to make work pay. Based on a structural labour supply model, this paper provides microsimulation results of the effects of introducing different schemes of in-work benefits. It turns out that adding a minimum hours requirement to the current social assistance system is the most cost-effective reform. Onethird of expected costs can be attributed to behavioural changes in labour supply.
Strategic Framework for Implementing Flexible Manufacturing Systems in India

The success of any manufacturing concern greatly depends on the effective functioning of the management at the strategic level. The importance of Advanced Manufacturing Systems (AMS) such as Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) has been increasing because of their competitive advantages. With fast changing markets manufacturing firms are facing challenges to satisfy pluralistic customers. Thus the concept of “flexibility” in manufacturing systems has attained significant importance in meeting the challenges for a variety of products at shorter lead‐times, together with higher productivity and quality. FMSs are, therefore, expected to be of great significance over the years to come. FMS focuses attention on the manufacturing firm at its strategic level. Describes the state‐of‐the‐art of the Indian machine tool industry and the scope for FMS. Continues with a review of the strategic issues which influence the implementation process of FMS and suggests a four‐stage strategic framework.
The politics of productivity: foundations of American international economic policy after World War II

The years immediately after World War II provided American policy makers with a unique opportunity to help shape the international economic order for a generation to come. United States objectives are usually described in terms of enlightened idealism or capitalist expansionism. But much of the way policy makers envisaged international economic reconstruction derived from the ambivalent way in which domestic economic conflict had been resolved before and during the New Deal. In the inconclusive struggle between business champions and the spokesmen for reform, Americans achieved consensus by celebrating a supposedly impartial efficiency and productivity and by condemning allegedly wasteful monopoly. Looking outward during and after World War II, United States representatives condemned Fascism as a form of monopoly power, then later sought to isolate Communist parties and labor unions as adversaries of their priorities of production. American blueprints for international monetary order, policy toward trade unions, and the intervention of occupation authorities in West Germany and Japan sought to transform political issues into problems of output, to adjourn class conflict for a consensus on growth. The American approach was successful because for almost two decades high rates of growth made the politics of productivity apparently pay off. Whether an alternative approach could have achieved more equality remains an important but separate inquiry.
Homozygous c.14576G>A variant of RNF213 predicts early-onset and severe form of moyamoya disease

Objective: RNF213 was recently reported as a susceptibility gene for moyamoya disease (MMD). Our aim was to clarify the correlation between the RNF213 genotype and MMD phenotype. Methods: The entire coding region of the RNF213 gene was sequenced in 204 patients with MMD, and corresponding variants were checked in 62 pairs of parents, 13 mothers and 4 fathers of the patients, and 283 normal controls. Clinical information was collected. Genotype-phenotype correlations were statistically analyzed. Results: The c.14576G>A variant was identified in 95.1% of patients with familial MMD, 79.2% of patients with sporadic MMD, and 1.8% of controls, thus confirming its association with MMD, with an odds ratio of 259 and p < 0.001 for either heterozygotes or homozygotes. Homozygous c.14576G>A was observed in 15 patients but not in the controls and unaffected parents. The incidence rate for homozygotes was calculated to be >78%. Homozygotes had a significantly earlier age at onset compared with heterozygotes or wild types (median age at onset 3, 7, and 8 years, respectively). Of homozygotes, 60% were diagnosed with MMD before age 4, and all had infarctions as the first symptom. Infarctions at initial presentation and involvement of posterior cerebral arteries, both known as poor prognostic factors for MMD, were of significantly higher frequency in homozygotes than in heterozygotes and wild types. Variants other than c.14576G>A were not associated with clinical phenotypes. Conclusions: The homozygous c.14576G>A variant in RNF213 could be a good DNA biomarker for predicting the severe type of MMD, for which early medical/surgical intervention is recommended, and may provide a better monitoring and prevention strategy.
Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Among Youth

Childhood obesity and the early development of type 2 diabetes (T2 DM) place students at risk for chronic health problems. The school nurse is uniquely situated to promote school health initiatives that influence health behavior. The purpose of this review was to determine effective nonpharmacological interventions for prevention of T2 DM in youth. Researchers from 35 reports modified T2 DM risk factors. These nonpharmacological interventions often include increasing daily activity, decreasing caloric intake, and increasing muscle mass. Some researchers also included psychological and social support interventions intended to strengthen initiating and/or maintaining health behavior. Characteristics of effective nonpharmacological T2 DM prevention interventions are discussed. Findings from this review are a useful guide for the implementation of T2 DM prevention strategies in the school setting. Few school-based studies included high school students; therefore, further research is needed among older adolescents on the efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions in the high school.
Purification from a human hepatoma cell line of a basic fibroblast growth factor-like molecule that stimulates capillary endothelial cell plasminogen activator production, DNA synthesis, and migration

A 17,500-dalton protein which stimulates plasminogen activator production in cultured bovine capillary endothelial cells has been purified from a SK-Hep-1 human hepatoma cell lysate by using heparin affinity chromatography and fast protein-liquid ion exchange chromatography. The purified molecule stimulated plasminogen activator production in a dose-dependent manner between 0.01 and 1 ng/ml. It also stimulated collagenase synthesis, DNA synthesis, and motility in capillary endothelial cells in the same concentration range. This molecule was identified as a basic fibroblast growth factor-like molecule on the basis of its biological activity, its affinity for heparin-Sepharose, and its cross-reactivity with a polyclonal antibody raised against the human placental basic fibroblast growth factor.
Phosphorus Uptake by Plants: From Soil to Cell

P is an important plant macronutrient, making up about 0.2% of a plant's dry weight. It is a component of key molecules such as nucleic acids, phospholipids, and ATP, and, consequently, plants cannot grow without a reliable supply of this nutrient. Pi is also involved in controlling key enzyme
Spill Over Effects of Futures Contracts Initiation on the Cash Market: A Comparative Analysis

This paper investigates possible spill over effects on the Spot Market due to the initiation of Futures contracts in three different financial markets. According to many analysts there still exists a puzzle regarding the stabilization or destabilization effects of futures contracts. Although the speculative forces (uninformed investors) tend to destabilize the market, rational hedging strategies and the transition of risk allow for stabilization shift. In order to investigate this issue, many researchers during the last decade, have utilized the GARCH framework enriched to capture many stylized financial features, such as the asymmetric response to news and leptokurtosis. However, in this paper the GARCH framework is extended to allow for skewness in the distribution of returns and to examine the timing of possible structural changes, while the conditional mean of the process is adjusted to account for time-varying risk premia and for the day of the week effects decomposition. Furthermore, the distinguishing feature of this paper is the SWARCH econometric model, which enables a dynamic regime shifting through a Markov Chain transition matrix. According to the empirical findings for the UK, Spanish and Greek Capital markets, there exist a significant stabilization effect either in the long run or in the short run, which is negatively associated with the level of efficiency and completeness of these capital markets.
Environmental Compliance and Firm Performance: Evidence from China

This article evaluates the impact of environmental compliance on firms’ innovation and financial performance using a panel dataset of Chinese firms for the period of 2000–5. Our results show certification of the ISO14000 has a significantly positive impact on firms’ profitability. This finding is robust when we take into account possible endogeneity of certification, effects of export and types of customers, and possible precertification time trends. In addition, we find that certified firms have larger per-worker sales volumes and market shares in the country, which suggests an alternative mechanism for the Porter hypothesis in the context of a developing economy.
Sugar meals and longevity of the sandfly Phlebotomus papatasi in an arid focus of Leishmania major in the Jordan Valley

The sugar diet and life‐span of Phlebotomus papatasi were studied in a typical zoonotic focus of Leishmania major in an arid area of the Jordan Valley during 1996–1997. Plant‐tissue residues (cellulose particles) were identified in the stained guts of 23% of P. papatasi and significant amounts of sugar were found in the gut of 16%. Feeding on different plants was demonstrated by using their branches, suffused with cellulose stain, as baits in the field. Ingested, stained cellulose was detected in 10% of the sandflies (6% of males, 12.5% of females) caught near bait‐branches of common local plants, mostly Chenopodiaceae. The similar rates of plant and sugar feeding, with the observed absence of aphids (ruling out the availability of honeydew), implied that the sugar meals of sandflies were obtained directly from plants.
MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF POORLY SOLUBLE PARTICULATES IN OVERLOAD-RELATED LUNG PATHOLOGY

For reasons that are unclear, poorly soluble particulates are associated with the development of inflammation, fibrogenesis, and carcinogenesis in the rat. The pathogenesis of these changes may be triggered by distinct or species-specific cellular responses to inhaled particulates in a manner similar to known fibrogenic and carcinogenic fibers, such as asbestos. Data reviewed here suggest that generation of oxidants by poorly soluble particulates is a key factor in the initiation of inflammation and generation of chemokines and cytokines in the rat. These substances then cause hyperplasia of epithelial cells and fibroblasts. The diminished or lack of proliferative responses by poorly soluble particulates in mice and primates, in comparison to rats, may be reflected by intrinsic differences in their oxidant-generating capacities or repair after oxidant injury or DNA damage.
The Preston-Curve and the Contribution of Health to Economic Well-Being: Evidence From the DHS of India and Four African Countries

The objective of this paper is two-fold: (a) to corroborate Preston’s cross-country macro-level findings with the micro-level evidence from the demographic and health surveys (DHS); and (b) to examine, at the within-country regional level, the impact that health improvements may have had on economic well-being. Two cases of empirical findings are presented: one using the DHS data for the states of India, and the other using DHS data for a group of four African countries: Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. For India, the regional level joint evolution of longevity and wealth index produced the Preston curves that resemble the one conventionally produced using cross-country macro-level data. Also, we find positive and elastic impact of life expectancy on economic outcome. The findings are different for the African countries. The Preston curves are flat in most cases, with large downward shifts postulating the existence of significant exogenous shocks for the health conditions. The regression estimates for the African countries show a positive but inelastic impact of the increase in life expectancy on wealth index.
The Economic Value of Using Realized Volatility in Forecasting Future Implied Volatility

We examine the economic benefits of using realized volatility to forecast future implied volatility for pricing, trading, and hedging in the S&P 500 index options market. We propose an encompassing regression approach to forecast future implied volatility and hence future option prices by combining historical realized volatility and current implied volatility. An analysis of delta-neutral straddles and naked and delta-hedged option positions shows that the statistical superiority of historical realized volatility demonstrated in the encompassing regressions and option pricing errors does not translate into economic gains, when trading and hedging in the options markets, after considering trading costs.
Rescheduling of unrelated parallel machines under machine breakdowns

In this paper, new repair and rescheduling algorithms are developed for the unrelated parallel machine environment. The introduced rules and algorithms are used to handle different rates of breakdowns and delays and are evaluated based on several performance measures to ensure the optimisation of both the schedule quality and stability. Schedule quality is assessed based on the schedule makespan (time to finish all jobs), and schedule stability is based on the number of shifted jobs from one machine to another and the time to match up with the original schedule after the occurrence of a breakdown. The extensive computational tests and analyses show the superiority of the proposed algorithms compared to existing methods in the literature. Moreover, the rules are ranked based on their accomplishment for different performance measure combinations, allowing the decision maker to easily determine the most appropriate repair/rescheduling rule depending on the performance measure(s) desired.