Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arterial remodelling in Fabry disease

Aim: The enzymatic defect in Fabry disease results in the slow systemic deposition of uncleaved glycosphingolipids in the lysosomes of vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells, leading to ischaemic strokes, cardiomyopathy and renal failure. Whereas it is known that Fabry disease affects small blood vessels, little is known about its effects on peripheral large arteries. We therefore set out to compare parameters of arterial wall structure and function in a cohort of patients with Fabry disease and an age‐matched control group. Methods: Large artery phenotype was non‐invasively investigated in 21 hemizygous patients with Fabry disease and 24 age‐matched male controls. Common carotid and radial artery diameter, intima‐media thickness (IMT) and distensibility were determined with high‐definition echotracking systems and aplanation tonometry. Results: Patients with Fabry disease had a significant twofold increase in radial artery IMT and distensibility, independent of body surface area, age and mean blood pressure. In both groups, older age at the time of examination was significantly associated with larger radial artery IMT. The relationship between age and radial IMT was 2.3‐fold higher in patients with Fabry disease than in controls (p > 0.01). Carotid IMT was mildly but significantly increased in patients with Fabry disease (+18%), whereas distensibility was unchanged.
Quality of brief guidelines produced by professional bodies: a study of the 'green-top' guidelines by the UK Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Clinicians ignore lengthy guidelines and prefer pocket cards and concise pamphlets. However, brevity in guidelines may lead to deficiency in quality. Our objective, therefore, was to examine the quality of brief guidelines produced by professional bodies, using those produced by the UK Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) as an example. We assessed all 22 'green-top' guidelines, produced by September 2002, for quality using a validated 37-item appraisal instrument. This instrument evaluated the guidelines on three dimensions, namely rigour of development, context and content and applicability. Ten (45%), 18 (82%) and five (23%) of the 22 guidelines met at least half the quality criteria for rigour of development, context and content and applicability, respectively. We conclude that the brief guidelines were deficient in several specific quality items, particularly those in the applicability dimension. Guideline developers need to achieve the higher quality standards expected of professional bodies.
US Health Care Reform and Transplantation, Part II: Impact on the Public Sector and Novel Health Care Delivery Systems

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in 2010 will result in dramatic expansion of publically funded health insurance coverage for low‐income individuals. It is estimated that of the 32 million newly insured, 16 million will obtain coverage through expansion of the Medicaid Program, and the remaining 16 million will purchase coverage through their employer or newly legislated insurance exchanges. While the Act contains numerous provisions to improve access to private insurance as discussed in Part I of this analysis, public sector coverage will significantly be affected. The cost of health care reform will be borne disproportionately by Medicare, which faces nearly $500 billion in cuts to be identified by a new independent board. Transplant centers should be concerned about the impact of the reform on the financial aspects of transplantation. In addition, this legislation also utilizes the Medicare Program to drive reform of the health care delivery system, by encouraging the development of integrated Accountable Care Organizations, experimentation with new ‘models’ of health care delivery, and expanded support for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Transplant providers, including transplant centers and physicians/surgeons need to lead this movement, drawing on our experience providing comprehensive multidisciplinary care under global budgets with publically reported outcomes.
Performance evaluation of SIMO Least Squares channel tracking on Rician distributed channel

Wireless channel with the presence of Line of Sight (LOS) is often modeled as Rician distribution. In order to track the channel for mobile users, exponentially weighted Least Squares (LS) Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO) channel estimation is employed. By incorporating the optimum forgetting, the system performance in terms of tracking Mean Square Error (MSE) and Bit Error Rate (BER) is evaluated. It is shown that the optimum forgetting factor as well as the system performance, are elevation angle-dependent due to the rapid movement of the user in the coverage area.
Ammonia and pH Inhibition in Anaerobic Treatment of Wastewaters, Part I: Experimental

Abstract The influences of pH and ammonia on methane production in the anaerobic treatment of an acetic-propionic-butyric acid mixture in batch reactors operated at 37°C were investigated. Two independent sets of experiments were carried out using seeds from two different full-scale industrial anaerobic treatment reactors. One of the seeds (“Sludge A”) was obtained from an upflow anaerobic sludge-blanket (UASB) reactor treating the waste from a potato chips production plant. The second sludge seed (“Sludge B”) was from an expanded granular sludge-blanket (EGSB) reactor treating a corn processing waste. Experiments were carried out at four different pH values (6.8, 7.4, 7.8, 8.4) and with six different TAN (Total Ammonia Nitrogen) values (262 mg/L (control), 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000). Three vials (triple runs) were used for each pH and TAN value. The sludge seeds used in the inhibition tests were not exposed to high levels of ammonia at any stage before the tests. For each vial, cumulative methane production was monitored for a period long enough for the termination of biogas production. Although neither sludge was acclimated to ammonia, the lag-phase times were less than 2 days for Sludge A and essentially zero for Sludge B for all TAN and pH values. At certain high pH and high TAN values, however, methanogenic activity ceased within about 1–3 months; and then activity restarted and methane formation rate reached its maximum values after this period. If the experiments had not been continued following this period, this reactivation phenomenon would not have been detected.
Analgesic use and risk of subsequent hypertension in apparently healthy men.

BACKGROUND Prospective studies have suggested that women who self-select for use of analgesics have an increased risk of hypertension, but data in men are sparse. We tested whether apparently healthy male physicians who reported analgesic use had an increased risk of subsequent hypertension. METHODS Prospective cohort study of 8229 participants in the Physicians' Health Study who were free of hypertension and completed detailed analgesic questionnaires. Hypertension was defined as self-reported blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher or use of antihypertensive medication. RESULTS After a mean of 5.8 years' follow-up, 2234 men (27.2%) reported subsequent hypertension. We categorized the cumulative analgesic use in quintiles. After adjusting for potential confounders, men in the highest quintile had no statistically significant increased risk of hypertension (hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.97-1.31) when compared with those in the lowest quintile. In subgroup analyses, we evaluated the cumulative use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, and aspirin. Compared with never users, men who reported consuming at least 2500 pills had hazard ratios of 1.05 (95% confidence interval, 0.89-1.24) for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 1.08 (95% confidence interval, 0.87-1.34) for acetaminophen, and 1.16 (95% confidence interval, 0.92-1.48) for aspirin. The results were similar for analgesic use in the year preceding the analgesic questionnaire. CONCLUSION In this large cohort, apparently healthy male physicians who self-selected for analgesic use had no significantly increased risk of subsequent hypertension, although a small to moderately increased risk cannot be excluded in observational studies.
Retirement decisions: the role of labour supply, financial incentives, and mortality expectations

This thesis provides an empirical examination of retirement behaviour in Germany. The focus is on relevant determinants for retirement decisions such as labour supply, financial incentives, and mortality expectations. Implementing state of the art statistical methods, this work predominantly aims to make use of quasi-experimental situtations that allow to examine the impact of specific policy measures on retirement decisions and labour supply of older workers.
Cells Exposed to Sublethal Oxidative Stress Selectively Attract Monocytes/Macrophages via Scavenger Receptors and MyD88-Mediated Signaling

The innate immune system responds to endogenous molecules released during cellular stress or those that have undergone modifications normally absent in healthy tissue. These structures are detected by pattern-recognition receptors, alerting the immune system to “danger. ” In this study, we looked for early signals that direct immune cells to cells undergoing stress before irreversible damage takes place. To avoid detecting signals emanating from apoptotic or necrotic cells we exposed fibroblasts to sublethal oxidative stress. Our results indicate that both nonenzymatic chemical reactions and aldehyde dehydrogenase-2–mediated enzymatic activity released signals from fibroblasts that selectively attracted CD14+ monocytes but not T, NK, and NKT cells or granulocytes. Splenocytes from MyD88−/− mice did not migrate, and treatment with an inhibitory peptide that blocks MyD88 dimerization abrogated human monocyte migration. Monocyte migration was accompanied by downmodulation of CD14 expression and by the phosphorylation of IL-1R–associated kinase 1, a well-known MyD88-dependent signaling molecule. The scavenger receptor inhibitors, dextran sulfate and fucoidan, attenuated monocyte migration toward stressed cells and IL-1R–associated kinase 1 phosphorylation. Surprisingly, although monocyte migration was MyD88 dependent, it was not accompanied by inflammatory cytokine secretion. Taken together, these results establish a novel link between scavenger receptors and MyD88 that together function as sensors of oxidation-associated molecular patterns and induce monocyte motility. Furthermore, the data indicate that MyD88 independently regulates monocyte activation and motility.
Effects of Green Tea and High-Fat Diet on Arachidonic Acid Metabolism and Aberrant Crypt Foci Formation in an Azoxymethane-Induced Colon Carcinogenesis Mouse Model

Excessive fat consumption is a risk factor for colon carcinogenesis, and green tea consumption may reduce the risk of colon and other cancers. The current study was designed to investigate the effects of green tea and a high-fat diet on arachidonic acid metabolism and aberrant crypt foci formation in an azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon carcinogenesis mouse model. We also determined whether green tea consumption altered the size of regional fat pads. CF-1 female mice were maintained on either a high-fat (20% corn oil) or a low-fat (5% corn oil) diet. AOMwas given subcutaneous at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg body weight at 6 wk and then a dose of 10 mg/kg at 7 wk of age. Two weeks after the second AOM injection, 0.6% green tea (6 mg tea solids/ml) was given as the drinking fluid and continued for 10 wk until the experiment was terminated. In the AOM-treated mice not receiving green tea, the high-fat diet significantly enhanced colonic levels of 5-lipoxygenase, leukotriene A4 hydrolase, and leukotriene B4, but it did not significantly alter prostaglandin E2 levels and aberrant crypt foci formation. In AOM-treated mice on the high-fat diet, green tea significantly decreased colonic levels of cytosolic phospholipase A2, 5-lipoxygenase, and leukotriene B4; green tea treatment also decreased the number of aberrant crypt foci (P < 0.05). The weights of parametrial and retroperitoneal fat pads were increased by the high-fat diet and decreased by green tea treatment. The current results indicate that green tea consumption and dietary fat modulate 5-lipoxygenase-dependent pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism during AOM-induced colon carcinogenesis. Green tea inhibits ACF formation in mice on a high corn oil diet, suggesting its possible inhibitory effect on colon carcinogenesis in populations such as those in Western countries that consume high amounts of fat.
Combined genetic transformation and nutritional assay for identification of Moraxella nonliquefaciens

A combined genetic transformation and nutritional assay is described that permits definitive identification of clinically isolated strains of Moraxella nonliquefaciens. Crude DNA preparations of strains of various Moraxella species were used to transform nutritional mutants of a stably competent strain of M. nonliquefaciens for ability to grow on a defined medium (Mn-B). DNA samples from 24 independently isolated strains of M. nonliquefaciens all resulted in massive (4+) transformation of each of two mutant assay strains. DNA samples from strains of M. bovis and M. lacunata frequently gave weak (1+) transformation of one of the mutant assay strains (Mn64) but almost always failed to transform another assay strain (Mn136). DNA samples from eight other Moraxella species failed completely to transform either of the mutant assay strains. When streaked on the defined medium used for the transformation assay (Mn-B), 23 of the 24 strains of M. nonliquefaciens grew well, but all strains of M. bovis and M. lacunata failed to grow on this medium.
Design and Demonstration of Apodized Comb Filters on SOI

We report on the design, modeling, and characterization of apodized comb filters in the silicon-on-insulator platform. These devices are based on sampled gratings, wherein the comb response is generated by a convolution of a regular grating by a predetermined periodic sampling function. We show that dual and complementary apodization of the etch depth in the marks and spaces ensures a near-zero dc index change over the length of the device and avoids the unwanted sidelobes obtained in a single apodized device. Comb filters with a 40-dB side-mode suppression ratio, a 92-GHz clear bandwidth, 200-GHz channel spacing, and a 120-dB/dec rolloff have been theoretically proposed. An experimental demonstration of the fabricated devices is also presented, and the performance is compared with the numerical simulations.
Process mining using α-algorithm as a tool (A case study of student registration)

The α-algorithm is an algorithm used in process mining, aimed at reconstructing causality from a set of sequences of events. In this paper we used alpha algorithm in order to focus on the control flow perspective of students' registration process model in one of the universities in Thailand. The event log consisted of 299 cases and 569 events. Initially the data was received in form of MS Access Database but later using PromImport platform, the data was converted into MXML, a format that commonly is used in Prom. Though the paper applies the α-algorithm in presented case study, yet the α-algorithm could not adequately deal with loops and concurrency of process models. Therefore, the α-algorithm should not be seen as a very practical mining technique as it has its own problems with noise, infrequent/incomplete behavior, and complex routing constructs. Nevertheless, we used the algorithm as a baseline for discussing the challenges related to model discovery of registration process in an academic environment.
ENERJİ FİYAT ŞOKLARININ HİSSE SENEDİ PİYASASINA ETKİSİ: BIST ÖRNEĞİNDE ASİMETRİK NEDENSELLİK VE ETKİ-TEPKİ ANALİZİ KANITLARI

Petrol fiyat soklarinin borsa performanslari uzerindeki etkisi, literaturde tartisilmaya devam etmektedir. Literaturdeki diger calismalardan farkli olarak, bu calismada, Granger ve Yoon (2002) tarafindan onerilen asimetrik modelleme teknigi takip edilmistir. 2003:1-2016:1 zaman dilimli petrol fiyat endeksi negatif ve pozitif bileneler olarak ikiye ayrilmistir. Sonra, petrol fiyatinin negatif ve pozitif bilesenleri ile Borsa Istanbul (BIST) 100 endeksi arasindaki iliskiler koentegrasyon, vektor hata duzeltme, Granger nedenselligi ve etki-tepki fonksiyonlariyla calisilmistir. Ulasilan bulgular, petrol fiyatindaki artisin BIST-100 endeksi uzerinde etkisi olmadigini gostermesine ragmen, hem kisa hem de uzun donemde, petrol fiyatindaki dususun BIST-100 endeksini artirdigini gostermektedir. Sonuc olarak, bu calismadaki bulgular, petrol fiyati soklarinin BIST-100 endeksi uzerindeki asimetrik etkisine destek sunmaktadir. http://dx.doi. org/10.17130/ijmeb.2016icafr22434
Metabolic Activity of the Spleen and Bone Marrow in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction Evaluated by 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomograpic Imaging

Background—Atherosclerosis is considered to be an inflammatory disease associated with the activation of hematopoietic and immune-related organs such as the bone marrow (BM) and spleen. We evaluated the metabolic activity of those organs and of the carotid artery with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in patients with coronary artery disease, including acute myocardial infarction. Methods and Results—Whole-body combined 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography was performed in 32 patients with acute myocardial infarction, 33 patients with chronic stable angina, and 25 control subjects. The mean standard uptake value was calculated in the regions of interest in the spleen and the BM of lumbar vertebrae. The target-to-background ratio of the standard uptake values of the carotid artery and jugular vein was also calculated. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, the standard uptake values of the BM (1.67±0.16) and spleen (2.57±0.39), as well as the target-to-background ratio of the carotid artery (2.13±0.42), were significantly higher than the corresponding values of patients with angina (1.22±0.62; 2.03±0.35; 1.36±0.37; all P<0.001) and controls (0.80±0.44; 1.54±0.26; 1.22±0.22; all P<0.001), independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. In all groups combined, the target-to-background ratio of the carotid artery was significantly associated with the standard uptake values of the BM (r=0.535; P<0.001), spleen (r=0.663; P<0.001), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (r=0.465; P<0.001). Conclusions—The metabolic activity of the BM and spleen, as well as of the carotid artery, was highest in patients with acute myocardial infarction, intermediate in patients with angina, and lowest in control subjects. The activation of the BM and spleen was significantly associated with inflammatory activity of the carotid artery.
Nucleotide Sequence Analysis of a Variant Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus ( HTLV-Ib ) Provirus with a Deletion in pXI

A variant of human T-cell leukemia virus subgroup I (HTLV-I), designated HTLV-Ib, has been isolated from a transformed T-lymphocytic cell line established from a Zairian patient with adult T-cell lymphoma. A recombinant phage clone of the variant provirus, denoted AMC-1, hybridizes under high stringency to HTLV-I DNA probes, but 17 of 43 restriction enzyme sites differ from those of HTLV-I, 10 of them clustering within 1.5 kilobases in the env-pX region. Since this variant virus retains its capacity to transform T-cells in vitro, and since a pX product is suspected to be important in transformation, we have determined the nucleotide sequence of the entire pX region of this virus for comparison to the prototype HTLV-I. In addition, the region between the gag and pol genes, parts of the pol and env genes, and a portion of the U3 region of the long terminal repeat sequence were also analyzed. We noted 141 single-base-pair changes among 3,897 base pairs, which were relatively well distributed over those portions of the provirus that were examined. In addition, an 11-base-pair deletion was found which included the potential initiator ATG codon of the first open reading frame of pX (pX-I). The next potential initiator codon predicted by the sequence is followed by 10 codons and then a termination codon. An identical deletion was also demonstrated in the only provirus present in another cell line established from the same patient on a different occasion after transformation in vitro of normal human umbilical cord blood cells. These results indicate that pX-I is not required for transformation.
Impaired Immune Responses and Prolonged Allograft Survival in Sly1 Mutant Mice

ABSTRACT Adaptive immunity is crucial for protective host defense and the development of immunological disorders. SLY1 was recently identified as an X-chromosomal SH3 protein that is serine phosphorylated (Ser27) upon B-and T-cell receptor engagement. Here, we demonstrate that SLY1 is localized in the cytoplasm and the nucleus of immunocytes. We generated mice expressing a mutant version of SLY1 lacking Ser27 and a functional nuclear localization signal. The defective SLY1 (SLY1d) protein is localized exclusively in the cytoplasm. B- and T-cell proliferation is attenuated and T-cell cytokine production is severely reduced. Sly1d/d mice exhibit reduced lymphoid organ sizes, diminished marginal zone B-cell numbers, and severely impaired antibody responses against T-dependent and -independent antigens. Importantly, survival of semi-identical cardiac allografts was substantially prolonged in Sly1 d/d mice. These results define SLY1 as an essential molecular component for the full activation of adaptive immunity.
Violence exposure and cortisol responses in urban youth

I examined the physiological costs associated with exposure to violence in 101 African American youth (55% male; M age = 11.14 years) living in high-violence areas of a midsized southern city in the United States. Salivary cortisol was measured before and after a laboratory task (viewing and discussing a video depicting community violence) and on waking 1 morning in the week following the laboratory assessment. Overall, cortisol levels were low. Analyses controlling for age, gender, negative affect, and major life events revealed that peer victimization was associated with lower basal cortisol values obtained from home assessments. Witnessed violence predicted a cortisol awakening response (CAR) but only in girls; girls with a typical CAR had lower levels of witnessing violence than girls with an atypical pattern. Witnessed violence also was associated with lower baseline cortisol levels measured in the laboratory and with increases in cortisol from baseline to posttask for boys but not girls. Peer victimization was associated with increases in cortisol from pretask to posttask for both genders. I discuss implications for research and prevention.
The mysterious overvaluation of KRW in the 1990s†

ABSTRACT Existing theories on real exchange rates predict a significant undervaluation of the Korean won (KRW) in the early and mid-1990s. The paper demonstrates why this expectation did not materialize and instead an unprecedentedly large degree of overvaluation took place. Focusing on three variables, namely, financial repression, devaluation pass-through, and policy exhibitionism, the paper examines how the unraveling of the developmental state eventually gave rise to the 1990s’ overvaluation. It argues that the policy exhibitionism of the new civilian government amplified the influence of Chaebol on monetary policies, which in turn created a strong appreciative force to KRW. It also contends that the increasing exchange rate pass-through onto the prices of imported intermediate goods explains why Chaebol did not desire to tame the excessive appreciative trend despite its detrimental effect on their exports. The paper offers policy implications for other state-led, emerging economies.