Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the effects of total productivity growth of economic freedom and total resource rents: The case of both natural resource rich and OECD countries

The focus of the paper is to analyse the relation between institutions on cross-country economic development in Natural Resource Rich countries and OECD countries. The paper emphasizes the effects of economic freedom that interacts with total resource rents on total factor productivity, covering 30 Natural Resource Rich, 34 OECD countries in dynamic panel data for the period of 2000-2013. Findings suggest that as economic freedom increases along with resource rents, total factor productivity increases for natural resource rich countries. The results are mixed for OECD countries.
Life Satisfaction, Income Comparisons and Individual Traits

People gain utility from occupying a higher ranked position in the income distribution of the reference group. This paper investigates whether these gains depend on an individual's set of personality and affective traits. Using the 2000 to 2013 waves of the German Socio‐economic Panel dataset (SOEP), a subjective question on Life Satisfaction, and three different measures of personal and affective traits, we find significant and robust differences across groups and conclude that traits determine the relationship between rank and life satisfaction. The heterogeneity on the importance of income comparisons is relevant, for example, when building economic models, predicting individuals' behavior, or making welfare judgments.
Serum bicarbonate concentrations and kidney disease progression in community-living elders: the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study.

BACKGROUND In populations with prevalent chronic kidney disease (CKD), lower serum bicarbonate levels are associated with more rapid CKD progression, but whether lower bicarbonate levels also are associated with risk of incident estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and CKD progression among community-living persons with predominantly preserved kidney function is unknown. STUDY DESIGN Longitudinal observational cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS Well-functioning community-living elders aged 70-79 years at inception. PREDICTOR Serum bicarbonate level measured at the time of collection by arterialized venous blood sample using an arterial blood gas analyzer. OUTCOMES Change in eGFR over 7 years, and new eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) with a rate of loss of at least 1 mL/min/1.73 m(2) per year. MEASUREMENTS Linear and logistic regressions were used to evaluate associations of baseline serum bicarbonate level with change in eGFR and incident eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2). RESULTS At baseline, mean eGFR was 84 ± 16 (SD)mL/min/1.73 m(2), and serum bicarbonate level was 25.2 ± 1.9 mmol/L. Compared with participants with higher bicarbonate concentrations (23.0-28.0 mmol/L), those with bicarbonate concentrations < 23 mmol/L (n = 85 [8%]) lost eGFR0.55 (95% CI, 0.13-0.97) mL/min/1.73 m(2) per year faster in models adjusted for demographics, CKD risk factors, baseline eGFR, and urine albumin-creatinine ratio. Among the 989 (92%) participants with baseline eGFRs > 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), 252 (25%) developed incident eGFRs < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) at follow-up. Adjusting for the same covariates, participants with bicarbonate concentrations < 23 mmol/L had nearly 2-fold greater odds of incident eGFRs < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 0.97-3.07) compared with those with higher bicarbonate concentrations. LIMITATIONS Only 2 measurements of kidney function separated by 7 years and loss to follow-up due to intervening mortality in this elderly population. CONCLUSIONS Lower serum bicarbonate concentrations are associated independently with decline in eGFR and incident eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) in community-living older persons. If confirmed, serum bicarbonate levels may give insight into kidney tubule health in persons with preserved eGFRs and suggest a possible new target for intervention to prevent CKD development.
Neurocognitive function in unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar disorder: a preliminary report.

OBJECTIVE Patients with remitted bipolar disorder (BD) have persistent impairments in neuropsychological function, particularly in the domains of executive control and declarative memory [Br J Psychiatry 180 (2002) 293]. If these were the phenotypic expression of genetic vulnerability to BD, then healthy subjects with a genetic predisposition to BD would be expected to display the same deficits. This study, therefore, examined neuropsychological function in healthy first-degree relatives of patients with BD. METHOD A cross-sectional design was employed to compare the performance of 17 unaffected first-degree relatives of BD patients and 17 demographically matched controls on a range of neuropsychological tests. RESULTS Relatives were significantly impaired on Backward Digit Span, Spatial Span and on tasks of visuospatial declarative memory in comparison with controls. Psychomotor performance and verbal declarative memory were intact, as were non-working memory aspects of executive performance. CONCLUSION The selective deficits in executive control and declarative memory exhibited by relatives in this study have previously been reported in euthymic BD patients suggesting they may be useful endophenotypic markers of genetic vulnerability to BD.
Meta-analysis of prediction model performance across multiple studies: Which scale helps ensure between-study normality for the C-statistic and calibration measures?

If individual participant data are available from multiple studies or clusters, then a prediction model can be externally validated multiple times. This allows the model’s discrimination and calibration performance to be examined across different settings. Random-effects meta-analysis can then be used to quantify overall (average) performance and heterogeneity in performance. This typically assumes a normal distribution of ‘true’ performance across studies. We conducted a simulation study to examine this normality assumption for various performance measures relating to a logistic regression prediction model. We simulated data across multiple studies with varying degrees of variability in baseline risk or predictor effects and then evaluated the shape of the between-study distribution in the C-statistic, calibration slope, calibration-in-the-large, and E/O statistic, and possible transformations thereof. We found that a normal between-study distribution was usually reasonable for the calibration slope and calibration-in-the-large; however, the distributions of the C-statistic and E/O were often skewed across studies, particularly in settings with large variability in the predictor effects. Normality was vastly improved when using the logit transformation for the C-statistic and the log transformation for E/O, and therefore we recommend these scales to be used for meta-analysis. An illustrated example is given using a random-effects meta-analysis of the performance of QRISK2 across 25 general practices.
Isolation and characterization of mouse mutant embryonal carcinoma cells which fail to differentiate in response to retinoic acid.

Murine embryonal carcinoma cells from line PCC4.aza1R differentiate readily in response to retinoic acid. By treating PCC4.aza1R cells with the mutagen N-methyl-N' -nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, we derived two embryonal carcinoma lines in which the cells failed to differentiate during exposure to retinoic acid. Although these dif(RA)- cells maintained the tumorigenic potential of the parental cells, they differentiated poorly in tumor form. Similarly, the tendency of dif(RA)- cells to differentiate when aggregated in vitro was diminished relative to that of PCC4.zaz1R cells. The rate of retinoic acid uptake in cells from the two mutant lines did not appear to be reduced compared with the rate in cells from the parental line; however, specific cytoplasmic retinoic acid-binding protein activity was virtually absent in both mutants. These results strengthen the view that differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells in response to retinoic acid requires formation of retinoic acid-cytoplasmic retinoic acid-binding protein complexes.
Hibernation model of tau phosphorylation in hamsters: selective vulnerability of cholinergic basal forebrain neurons – implications for Alzheimer's disease

Neurofibrillar tangles made up of ‘paired helical filaments’ (PHFs) consisting of hyperphosphorylated microtubule‐associated protein tau are major hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tangle formation selectively affects certain neuronal types and systematically progresses throughout numerous brain areas, which reflects a hierarchy of neuronal vulnerability and provides the basis for the neuropathological staging of disease severity. Mechanisms underlying this selective neuronal vulnerability are unknown. We showed previously that reversible PHF‐like phosphorylation of tau occurs during obligate hibernation. Here we extend these findings to facultative hibernators such as Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) forced into hibernation. In this model, we showed in the basal forebrain projection system that cholinergic neurons are selectively affected by PHF‐like phosphorylated tau, while γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons are largely spared, which shows strong parallels to the situation in AD. Formation of PHF‐tau in these neurons apparently does not affect their function as pacemaker for terminating hibernation. We conclude that although formation of PHF‐like phosphorylated tau in the mammalian brain follows a certain hierarchy, affecting some neurons more frequently than others, it is not necessarily associated with impaired neuronal function and viability. This indicates a more general link between PHF‐like phosphorylation of tau and the adaptation of neurons under conditions of a ‘vita minima’.
Locally recurrent subcutaneous and muscular hydatid cysts of the leg: an unusual case report

We report a rare case of 50-year-old Moroccan woman with local recurrence of a subcutaneous hydatid cyst in proximity to the medial surface of the tibia and another cyst at the tibialis posterior muscle in the absence of liver, lung und spleen involvement. The first surgery was done in another hospital three years ago; no adjuvant treatment was performed after surgery. Recurrence was diagnosed according to the MRI appearance, serological and pathological findings. The patient underwent complete excision of the subcutaneous cyst with two centimeters of the medial gastrocnemius muscle; the tibialis posterior muscle cyst was intraoperatively drained and irrigated with scolicidal agent as it was next to the posterior tibial pedicle. A periopertive anthelmintic chemotherapy was administered. Two years after the patient showed no recurrence. This case report and literature review describe an approach to the diagnosis and management of this pathological entity.
From Mining to Markets: The Evolution of Bitcoin Transaction Fees

Abstract We investigate the role that transaction fees play in the bitcoin blockchain's evolution from a mining-based structure to a market-based ecology. We develop a game-theoretic model to explain the factors leading to the emergence of transactions fees, as well as to explain the strategic behavior of miners and users. Our model highlights the role played by mining rewards, transaction fees, price, and waiting time, discusses welfare issues, and examines how microstructure features such as exogenous structural constraints influence the dynamics of user participation on the blockchain. We provide empirical evidence on the model's predictions and discuss implications for bitcoin's evolution.
Troponin I phosphorylation enhances crossbridge kinetics during β‐adrenergic stimulation in rat cardiac tissue

Inotropic agents that increase the intracellular levels of cAMP have been shown to increase crossbridge turnover kinetics in intact rat ventricular muscle, as measured by the parameter fmin (the frequency at which dynamic stiffness is minimum). These agents are also known to increase the level of phosphorylation of two candidate myofibrillar proteins: myosin binding protein C (MyBPC) and Troponin I (TnI), but have no effect on myosin light chain 2 phosphorylation (MyLC2). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the phosphorylation of TnI and/or MyBPC was responsible for the increase in crossbridge cycling kinetics (as captured by fmin) seen with the elevation of cAMP within cardiac tissue. Using barium‐activated intact rat papillary muscle, we investigated the actions of isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), an inhibitor of cAMP‐dependent phosphatase, which simulates the action of β‐adrenergic agents, and the chemical phosphatase 2,3‐butanedione monoxime (BDM), which has been shown to dephosphorylate a number of contractile proteins. The presence of 0.6 mm IBMX approximately doubled the fmin value of intact rat papillary muscle. This action was unaffected by the addition of BDM. In the presence of IBMX and BDM, the level of phosphorylation of MyBPC was unchanged, that of MyLC2 was reduced to 60 % of control, yet that of TnI was markedly increased (to 30 % above control levels). We conclude that TnI phosphorylation, mediated by cAMP‐dependent protein kinase A, is the molecular basis for the enhanced crossbridge cycling seen during β‐adrenergic stimulation of the heart.
Enhancing actions of peptides derived from the γ-chain of fetal human hemoglobin on the immunostimulant activities of monophosphoryl lipid A

Hemoglobin and its structures have been described since the 1990s to enhance a variety of biological activities of endotoxins (LPS) in a dose-dependent manner. To investigate the interaction processes in more detail, the system was extended by studying the interactions of newly designed peptides from the γ-chain of human hemoglobin with the adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA), a partial structure of lipid A lacking its 1-phosphate. It was found that some selected Hbg peptides, in particular two synthetic substructures designated Hbg32 and Hbg35, considerably increased the bioactivity of MPLA, which alone was only a weak activator of immune cells. These findings hold true for human mononuclar cells, monocytes and T lymphocytes. To understand the mechanisms of action in more detail, biophysical techniques were applied. These showed a peptide-induced change of the MPLA aggregate structure from multilamellar into a non-lamellar, probably inverted, cubic structure. Concomitantly, the peptides incorporated into the tightly packed MPLA aggregates into smaller units down to monomers. The fragmentation of the aggregates was an endothermic process, differing from a complex formation but rather typical for a catalytic reaction.
Induction of Cell Death in Renal Cell Carcinoma With Combination of D-Fraction and Vitamin C

Hypothesis. Although several conventional therapeutic options for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are currently available, the unsatisfactory outcomes demand establishing more effective interventions. D-fraction (PDF), a bioactive proteoglucan of Maitake mushroom, demonstrates anticancer and immunomodulatory activities, which are also shown to be potentiated by vitamin C (VC). We thus hypothesized that a combination of PDF and VC (PDF + VC) could be an alternative approach to more effectively inhibit the growth of RCC. Study design. We examined the dose-dependent effects of PDF + VC on RCC cell viability and also performed biochemical assays to explore the growth regulatory mechanism. Methods. Human RCC, ACHN cell line, was employed and exposed to varying concentrations of PDF or VC and their combinations. Cell viability at specified times was determined by MTT assay. Lipid peroxidation assay, cell cycle analysis, and Western blot analysis were also performed. Results. PDF or VC alone led to the significant reduction in cell viability at 72 hours with PDF >500 µg/mL and VC ≥300 µM. When various combinations of PDF and VC were tested, the combination of the ineffective concentrations of PDF (300 µg/mL) and VC (200 µM) resulted in ~90% cell death in 24 hours. Lipid peroxidation assay then indicated significantly (~2.5 fold) elevated oxidative stress with this PDF + VC. Cell cycle analysis also indicated a G1 cell cycle arrest following a 6-hour PDF + VC treatment. Western blots further revealed a downregulation of Bcl2, an upregulation of Bax, and proteolytic activation of PARP (poly[ADP-ribose] polymerase) in PDF + VC-treated cells, indicating induction of apoptosis. Conclusion. The present study demonstrates that the combination of PDF and VC can become highly cytotoxic, inducing severe cell death in ACHN cells. This cytotoxic mechanism appears to be primarily attributed to oxidative stress, accompanied by a G1 cell cycle arrest. Such cell death induced by PDF + VC could be more likely linked to apoptosis, as indicated by the modulation of apoptosis regulators (Bcl2, Bax, and PARP). Therefore, as PDF and VC may work synergistically to induce apoptotic cell death, they may have clinical implications in an alternative, improved therapeutic modality for advanced RCC.
INTRACRANIAL PLACEMENT OF A NEW, COMPLIANT GUIDE CATHETER: TECHNICAL NOTE

OBJECTIVEWe describe our initial experience with the use of a novel, compliant guide catheter designed for placement within the cranial vasculature in a series of seven patients who were treated for various intracranial pathologies. CLINICAL PRESENTATIONSeven patients were deemed to have either tortuous supra-aortic, intracranial, and/or extracranial vasculature or to require additional microcatheter support as the result of lesion location. INTERVENTIONThe patients were treated, in part, with the 6-French Neuron delivery catheter (Penumbra, Inc., San Leandro, CA) at the authors' two institutions. The guide catheter was positioned in various distal locations within the intracranial internal carotid artery or external carotid artery. Three patients were treated for unruptured intracranial aneurysms, 2 patients for intracranial atherosclerosis, 1 patient for an arteriovenous malformation, and 1 patient for a pseudoaneurysm. CONCLUSIONAll lesions were successfully treated through a microcatheter advanced in a coaxial fashion through the guide catheter. There were no complications related to the positioning of the catheter. Distal intra- or extracranial placement of a specially designed, compliant guide catheter can be performed safely and may improve access and microcatheter stability in patients with tortuous vessels or difficult-to-reach lesions.
Systematic derivation of static analyses for software product lines

A recent line of work lifts particular verification and analysis methods to Software Product Lines (SPL). In an effort to generalize such case-by-case approaches, we develop a systematic methodology for lifting program analyses to SPLs using abstract interpretation. Abstract interpretation is a classical framework for deriving static analyses in a compositional, step-by-step manner. We show how to take an analysis expressed as an abstract interpretation and lift each of the abstract interpretation steps to a family of programs. This includes schemes for lifting domain types, and combinators for lifting analyses and Galois connections. We prove that for analyses developed using our method, the soundness of lifting follows by construction. Finally, we discuss approximating variability in an analysis and we derive variational data-flow equations for an example analysis, a constant propagation analysis for a simple imperative language.
Handing over the Keys: Nonprofit Economic Development Corporations and Their Implications for Accountability and Inclusion

ABSTRACT Public organizations have explored service-delivery with nonprofit organizations to help alleviate the strain on their long-term fiscal sustainability. This interdependence has ramifications for fairness and responsiveness in service-delivery that are poorly understood. One area where government-nonprofit collaborative activity has not been explored is within the context of sustainable development. This study utilizes surveys of U.S. cities at multiple time periods to examine the comparative use of nonprofit economic development corporations and their performance on smart-growth and social equity policy activities. This study first explores the roles played by the two most common types of local nonprofit organizations—nonprofit Local Development Corporations (LDCs) and Community-Based Development Organizations (CBDOs)—in use of performance information and accountability mechanisms in local economic development activities. In turning to policy outcomes, the use of LDCs is negatively associated with land use policies intended to advance social inclusion.
Call detection of driver based on constrained local models

In order to reduce the number of accidents caused by the call when the driver was driving, this paper uses the computer vision technology to dectet the behavior of the driver. Based on the constrained local models (CLM) to detect the characteristic changes of the mouth area, combine the HSV color space and the template matching to detect the hand characteristics to judge whether the driver has the behavior of using the telephone. The method can adapt to the complex changes in the cab light, to achieve better test results, and the program has a good portability. It is easy to migrate on embedded systems and onboard. It is proved that the method proposed in this paper can detect the driving behavior of the driver and timely and effective reminder of the illegal behavior, which is helpful to reduce the traffic accident and ensure the safe driving of the driver.
Econometric Model Analysis of Influencing Factors of Import and Export in Zhanjiang City

In order to analyze the quantity and regularity of Zhanjiang's total import and export with the changes of GDP and residents' consumption level in Zhanjiang, this essay uses econometrics method to establish a model to study the influencing factors of import and export in Zhanjiang. The results show that GDP and residents' consumption level in Zhanjiang have a great impact on import and export trade in Zhanjiang, and import and export have become an important factor in economic growth in Zhanjiang. Therefore, it can be concluded that the import and export trade in Zhanjiang should be vigorously developed so as to promote economic development in this city.
Irradiation enhances hippocampus‐dependent cognition in mice deficient in extracellular superoxide dismutase

The effects of ionizing irradiation on the brain are associated with oxidative stress. While oxidative stress following irradiation is generally viewed as detrimental for hippocampal function, it might have beneficial effects as part of an adaptive or preconditioning response to a subsequent challenge. Here we show that in contrast to what is seen in wild‐type mice, irradiation enhances hippocampus‐ dependent cognitive measures in mice lacking extracellular superoxide dismutase. These outcomes were associated with genotype‐dependent effects on measures of oxidative stress. When cortices and hippocampi were analyzed for nitrotyrosine formation as an index of oxidative stress, the levels were chronically elevated in mice lacking extracellular superoxide dismutase. However, irradiation caused a greater increase in nitrotyrosine levels in wild‐type mice than mice lacking extracellular superoxide dismutase. These paradoxical genotype‐dependent effects of irradiation on measures of oxidative stress and cognitive function underscore potential beneficial effects associated with chronic oxidative stress if it exists prior to a secondary insult such as irradiation. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.