Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of genomic breakpoints in MLL and CBP in leukemia patients with t(11;16)

The recurring chromosome translocation t(11;16)(q23;p13) is detected in leukemia patients, virtually all of whom have received previous chemotherapy with topoisomerase (topo) II inhibitors. In the t(11;16), 3′ CBP, on 16p13, is fused to 5′ MLL, on 11q23, resulting in an MLL–CBP fusion gene that plays an important role in leukemogenesis. In this study, we cloned genomic breakpoints of the MLL and CBP genes in the t(11;16) in the SN‐1 cell line and in five patients with therapy‐related leukemia, all of whom had received topo II inhibitors for previous tumors. In all patients except one, both the genomic MLL–CBP and the reciprocal fusions were cloned. Genomic breakpoints in MLL occurred in the 8.3‐kb breakpoint cluster region in all patients, whereas the breakpoints in CBP clustered in an 8.2‐kb region of intron 3 in four patients. Genomic breakpoints in MLL occurred in intron 11 near the topo II cleavage site in the SN‐1 cell line and in one patient, and they were close to LINE repetitive sequences in two other patients. In the remaining two patients, genomic breakpoints were in intron 9 in Alu repeats. Genomic breakpoints in CBP occurred in and around Alu repeats in one and two patients, respectively. In two patients, the breaks were near LINE repetitive sequences, suggesting that repetitive DNA sequences may play a role. No specific recombination motifs were identified at or near the breakpoint junctions. No topo II cleavage sites were detected in introns 2 and 3 of CBP. However, there were deletions and duplications at the breakpoints in both MLL and CBP and microhomologies or nontemplated nucleotides at most of the genomic fusion junctions, suggesting that a nonhomologous end‐joining repair mechanism was involved in the t(11;16). © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparison of photomultipliers and avalanche photodiodes for laser applications

Photomultipliers and avalanche photodiodes are compared as detectors of short light pulses such as might be encountered in laser ranging or laser PCM communication systems. Expressions are derived for the optimum spectral response of the amplifier-filter combination which maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio for the two detectors. Assuming that this optimized filter is used, the minimum detectable energy of a laser pulse is then calculated for the two detectors as a function of detector quantum efficiency, laser pulse length, and background light level. As an example, the detectors are compared for laser pulses of lengths 100 ns, 10 ns, and 1 ns at 1.06 µm.
A Normative Approach to Pension Fund Management

This paper is concerned with two decisions facing firms with defined benefit, trusteed pension plans: the amount of funds to contribute to the pension fund in any given period; and the selection of a particular mix of assets for that fund. The pension decision area is of importance for many firms today due to the recent rapid growth in pension costs in absolute terms and as a percent of firm profits. Unfunded liabilities (pension benefits payable net of pension assets) have become a sizable component of the capital structure of many firms. Pension funds (assets) also have grown rapidly due to liberalizationof pension benefits, inflation, the higher funding requirements of the pension reform law (ERISA), and the overall aging of the labor force.
An Adaptive Cross-Window stereo camera Distance Estimation technology and its system implementation for multiple applications

This paper proposes an adaptive cross-window stereo camera distance estimation technology which is a low complexity disparity algorithm and high efficient parallelized, which includes Adaptive Cross Window Distance Estimation (ACWDE) and disparity-based erosion. The proposed algorithm reduces the computation time by changing the aggregation window shape, which calculates color and texture of 13 pixels to generate a pixel disparity. The computation time is speeded up 2.97 times compares to the original system. By integrating ACWDE with voting filter, median filter and proposed disparity-based erosion, which erodes noise only for nearer disparity level, good enough disparity map can be generated, which 10.38% average error rate in Middlebury dataset. This proposed system can generate quality disparity map according to dual VGA resolution videos at 11fps through down-scaling disparity estimation. The proposed ACWDE algorithm also facilities moving object detection and can be adopted in various applications by changing the baseline of stereo camera to set the distance estimation range.
Aid, the Public Sector and the Market in Less Developed Countries

The article in this JOURNAL by Mosley et al. (I987) concludes its analysis of aid effectiveness as demonstrating '. inability of development aid over more than twenty years to provide a net increment to overall growth in the Third World' (p. 636). This note purports to show that this conclusion, which is ostensibly 'distressing' as the authors claim, is not warranted. The section of the study which is the basis of the conclusion cited and the subject of this note is a cross-section regression analysis, full details of which are shown in Mosley et al. Table 3. The note is concerned with the relation between the dependent variable specified as the growth rate of real GDP per cent per annum (hereafter GDP) and aid specified as a percentage of GDP (hereafter Aid). ' The Aid results, with only two significant positive coefficients in one subsample, certainly give no basis for claiming aid-effectiveness in terms of GDP growth. The intention in this note is to interpret the results which are assumed to be valid. This is made possible by the fact that the authors have helpfully provided the full input set of mean values derived from the raw data. From this it is possible to calculate the GDP/Aid relationship for each country for the second and third period. The procedure for deriving these relationships is as follows. For each country the mean values of the time series of GDP and Aid are extracted from the data for I 960-70 and for I 970-80. Using I 960-70 as the base, the signs of the change in the levels of the GDP and Aid mean values between periods are recorded. This is repeated for I980-4 with I970-80 mean values as the base. The relationship between the two signs is an indication of the effect of Aid on GDP in the period in which the change in levels is effected. Thus in the case of an increase in Aid being combined with a decrease in GDP the latter must have fallen relatively to the former and aid-effectiveness is negative; Mutatis mutandis, for the other three sign combinations, thus generating the appropriate GDP/Aid relationship for each country in each period. A frequency distribution of the four sign-combinations, relating to the full sample, is presented in Table I. Since the signs of the changes in the levels of GDP and Aid are derived by making explicit the arithmetic relationship implicit in the data they form a valid base from which to draw conclusions without requiring any test of
The Link between Self‐ and Societal Interests in Theory and Practice

This paper explores the relationship between self‐ and societal interests and addresses the problem of irresponsible profit generation in practice. By contrasting the neo‐classical assumptions about the role of self‐interest in promoting societal interests with empirical evidence, the paper elaborates on the following point: self‐ and societal interests are not at odds but they do not automatically coincide in reality because markets are never perfect. Thus, the problem of the pursuit of self‐interest at the expense of others cannot simply be solved by creating more markets. In this paper, it is argued that the danger of irresponsible realization of profits becomes more significant with increasing focus on short‐term goals. Accordingly, the paper pleads for the promotion of long‐term orientation in markets as a means of bringing self‐ and societal interests closer together.
Tax Structure and the FDI: The Deterrent Effects of Complexity and Uncertainty

In this study, we examine the connection between the varied experiences of the transition countries in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and their diverse experiences in transforming their tax structures to be consistent with a market economy. In particular, we study whether complexity and uncertainty in their tax laws have deterred FDI by increasing transaction costs, the compliance burden and the unpredictability of tax liabilities. Our results indicate that complexity and uncertainty, in the sense of multiple tax rates, indeterminate language in the tax law and inconsistent changes in the tax laws, have a significant negative effect on inward FDI.
Risk aversion, regret aversion and travel choice inertia: an experimental study

This paper presents the results of an experimental study into the role of risk aversion and regret aversion as codeterminants of travel choice inertia. Theoretical results published by Chorus and Dellaert are tested empirically. More specifically, the expectation is tested that when (1) travelers are risk averse, (2) the quality of travel choices is uncertain, and (3) the quality is partially revealed upon usage, travel choice inertia emerges as a learning-based lock-in effect. In addition, this paper studies the role of regret aversion as a possible trigger of travel choice inertia. Analyses are based on data collected in an experiment, where the reward that participants obtain is a function of the outcome of choices they make. Empirical results suggest that the learning-based lock-in effect indeed plays a role in the context of our data. The evidence for the hypothesis that regret aversion triggers inertia is mixed at best.
Transcriptional Regulation by the Repressor of Estrogen Receptor Activity via Recruitment of Histone Deacetylases*[boxs]

Histone acetyltransferases and deacetylases are recruited by transcription factors and adapter proteins to regulate specific subsets of target genes. We were interested in identifying interaction partners of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) that might be involved in conferring target or substrate specificity. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we isolated the repressor of estrogen receptor activity (REA) as a novel HDAC1-associated protein. We demonstrated the in vivo interaction of REA with HDAC1 and characterized the respective domains required for their interaction in vitro. In addition, we found that REA also associates with the class II histone deacetylase HDAC5. In luciferase reporter assays, REA decreased transcription, and this repression was sensitive to the deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A. Finally, we showed that REA specifically interacts with the chicken ovalbumin upstream binding transcription factors and II. The nuclear receptor chicken ovalbumin upstream binding transcription factor I was found to cooperate with REA and histone deacetylases in the repression of target genes. We, therefore, propose a novel function for REA as a mediator of transcriptional repression by nuclear hormone receptors via recruitment of histone deacetylases.
Effect of Mutual Coupling on BER Performance of Alamouti Scheme

This work presents a study on the effect of mutual coupling on the performance of Alamouti scheme by studying the bit error rate (BER) performance under different propagation scenarios and for different coupling cases. We show that the presence of mutual coupling may have positive or negative impact on the achieved power gain depending on the correlation properties of the propagation environment in absence of the coupling effect and on the mutual coupling matrix
Testing Automation of Context-Oriented Programs Using Separation Logic

A new approach for programming that enables switching among contexts of commands during program execution is context-oriented programming (COP). This technique is more structured and modular than object-oriented and aspect-oriented programming and hence more flexible. For context-oriented programming, as implemented in COP languages such as ContextJ* and ContextL, this paper introduces accurate operational semantics. The language model of this paper uses Java concepts and is equipped with layer techniques for activation/deactivation of layer contexts. This paper also presents a logical system for COP programs. This logic is necessary for the automation of testing, developing, and validating of partial correctness specifications for COP programs and is an extension of separation logic. A mathematical soundness proof for the logical system against the proposed operational semantics is presented in the paper.
Prospective evaluation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in patients receiving hepatic arterial and systemic chemotherapy for unresectable colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND The prognostic and predictive abilities of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) coupled with conventional computed tomography (CT) have not been studied in patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases (uCRLM) treated with combined hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) and systemic chemotherapy. OBJECTIVES The ability of PET-CT metabolic response parameters to predict conversion to resectability and oncologic outcome in this setting was evaluated. METHODS Thirty-eight patients undergoing serial PET-CT as part of a Phase II trial of HAI and systemic chemotherapy for uCRLM were included. Metabolic response was determined as the percentage change in standard uptake value (SUV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). Conversion to resection, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and recurrence-free survival were evaluated using standard statistics. RESULTS Volumetric response sufficient to facilitate resection was seen in 53% of patients after a median of 5 months of therapy. Median follow-up was 38 months (range: 32-52 months). Median OS was not reached [95% confidence interval (CI) 32 months-unknown] and 3-year OS was 54% (range: 33-71%). Median PFS was 13 months (95% CI 6-21 months) and 3 year PFS was 10% (range: 3-20%). Neither baseline values nor the percentage change in any of the metabolic parameters evaluated correlated with conversion to resection, survival variables or hepatic recurrence on Cox regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS Pre- and post-treatment PET-related metabolic parameters do not predict conversion to resection or oncologic outcome in patients with uCRLM treated with HAI and systemic chemotherapy. Metabolic parameters should not be used to monitor response or to determine prognosis in these patients.
Rat cytomegalovirus and Listeria monocytogenes infection enhance chronic rejection after allogenic rat lung transplantation

The role of infection in the pathomechanism of obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) after human lung transplantation is controversial. In a rat lung transplantation model, we analyzed the effect of viral [rat cytomegalovirus (RCMV)] and bacterial infection [Listeria monocytogenes (LM)] on the development of chronic allograft rejection. Fisher rats underwent single left lung transplantation with allografts from Lewis rats. Postoperatively, animals were infected with either RCMV or LM, or served as noninfected controls. Animals were killed on day 120 and both lungs were evaluated histopathologically for chronic airway and chronic vascular rejection. Infection with RCMV produced a significant increase in the incidence of chronic airway rejection (66.7% vs. 20%), compared with noninfected long‐term surviving animals. In rats with bacterial infection (LM) a similar increase of chronic airway changes as in viral infection (50% vs. 20%) was observed. Chronic rejection of allografts infected with either RCMV or LM was associated with significantly enhanced expression of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) on the endothelium. More infiltrating leukocytes (CD18, CD11a, CD44) and ED1‐positive macrophages were found in allografts of infected animals. In this experimental model of chronic airway rejection in long‐term surviving rats, not only viral but also bacterial infection resulted in enhanced development of chronic airway and vascular rejection. These results support our hypothesis that infectious complications have a substantial influence on the development of OB in human lung allografts.
Impact of growth hormone supplementation on adult height in turner syndrome: results of the Canadian randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND A randomized, controlled trial of GH supplementation to adult height in girls with short stature due to Turner syndrome was conducted in Canada. We report results in subjects who completed the protocol and subjects who participated in follow-up. METHODS One hundred fifty-four girls with Turner syndrome, aged 7-13 yr, were randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1) GH by sc injection six times per week (0.30 mg/kg.wk), and 2) control (C), no GH treatment. Both cohorts received standardized sex steroid replacement starting at a chronological age of 13 yr. Subjects were followed until protocol completion, defined as height velocity less than 2 cm/yr and bone age 14 yr or greater. A subsequent protocol addendum requested follow-up safety and efficacy assessment in all patients at least 1 yr after the last core protocol visit. RESULTS One hundred four patients completed the study (61 GH, 43 C), and 50 withdrew (15 GH, 35 C). At protocol completion, mean heights were 147.5 +/- 6.1 (GH) and 141.0 +/- 5.4 cm (C), respectively (P < 0.001). Of those who completed the protocol, 59 (40 GH, 19 C) had height data at least 1 yr after protocol completion; in that group, mean heights were 149.0 +/- 6.4 (GH) and 142.2 +/- 6.6 cm (C), respectively (P < 0.001). At protocol completion and follow-up, the mean height gain due to GH, estimated by analysis of covariance, was +7.2 cm (confidence interval 6.0, 8.4) and +7.3 cm (confidence interval 5.4, 9.2), respectively (both P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS This is the first evidence from a randomized, controlled trial to adult height that GH supplementation with induction of puberty at a near physiological age increases the adult height of girls with Turner syndrome.
Estimating the effects of uncertainty over the business cycle

In this paper I provide empirical evidence that uncertainty shocks have strong asymmetric effects on economic activity depending on the phase of the business cycle. In particular, the impulse responses estimated with the local projection method on a smooth-transition model show that in recessions uncertainty shocks strongly dampen industrial production, increase unemployment and reduce prices. In an expansion the effects are reversed, and uncertainty shocks appear to have positive macroeconomic effects. One possible explanation is that during expansions uncertainty fosters investments and economic activity through the "growth options" channel, while in recessions it reduces investments via the "wait-and-see" channel.
MEASUREMENT OF COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND POLARIZATION POWER SPECTRA FROM TWO YEARS OF BICEP DATA

Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization (Bicep) is a bolometric polarimeter designed to measure the inflationary B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at degree angular scales. During three seasons of observing at the South Pole (2006 through 2008), Bicep mapped ∼2% of the sky chosen to be uniquely clean of polarized foreground emission. Here, we present initial results derived from a subset of the data acquired during the first two years. We present maps of temperature, Stokes Q and U, E and B modes, and associated angular power spectra. We demonstrate that the polarization data are self-consistent by performing a series of jackknife tests. We study potential systematic errors in detail and show that they are sub-dominant to the statistical errors. We measure the E-mode angular power spectrum with high precision at 21 ⩽ ℓ ⩽ 335, detecting for the first time the peak expected at ℓ ∼ 140. The measured E-mode spectrum is consistent with expectations from a ΛCDM model, and the B-mode spectrum is consistent with zero. The tensor-to-scalar ratio derived from the B-mode spectrum is r = 0.02+0.31−0.26, or r < 0.72 at 95% confidence, the first meaningful constraint on the inflationary gravitational wave background to come directly from CMB B-mode polarization.
Selective Dendritic Alterations in the Cortex of Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome, the commonest condition associated with severe mental retardation in girls, is diagnosed only by its clinical phenotype, because, to date, there is no consistent characteristic alteration in genetic, biochemical, neurotransmitter or morphologic marker. The clinical features at various ages suggest involvement of most parts of the nervous system, however, the brain in Rett syndrome is reduced in weight, without other obvious morphologic alteration. Because of the relative microcephaly, hypotheses regarding failure of development have been suggested. Supporting such hypotheses are the quantitative studies by Jellinger, Seitelberger and Kitt defining a decrease in the amount of melanin in the substantia nigra and by Bauman defining a global decrease in the size of the neurons. In this study the cerebral cortex has been examined using the rapid Golgi technique with the purpose of investigating dendrites of pyramidal neurons in six cortical regions of Rett girls from ages 2.9–35 years. Camera lucida drawings of apical and basal dendrites of two cortical layers and CAI were prepared. These were submitted to the Sholl analysis. The Sholl analyses were tested for significance using the repeated measures analysis of covariance, with age as a covariate. The studies demonstrate that from our samples there is no evidence that the pyramidal neurons in Rett syndrome degenerate progressively with incresing age, but that the basal dendrites of layers three and five pyramidal neurons in the motor and frontal cortex, the apical dendrites of layer five of the motor cortex, and the basal dendrites of layer four of the subiculum are significantly shorter than in non-Rett brains.The dendritic trees in the visual cortex are not signifcantly decresed. This selective, non-progressive involvement of projection neurons of motor cortex, and the basal dendrites of layer four of the subiculum are significantly shorter than in non-Rett brains. The dendritic trees in the visual cortex are not significantly decreased. This selective, non-progressive involvement of projection neurons of motor, association and limbic cortex may have bearing on the neurologic deficits in Rett syndrome, and these areas of the brain should be investigated to search for abnormalities of trophic factors in Rett syndrome.
Rare Species Conservation on Irish Farmland: Benefits and Costs

This paper considers farmers willingness to pay (WTP) to conserve an endangered Irish farmland bird, the Corncrake (Crex crex). An Irish National Farm Survey (NFS) is used to produce individual farm-level WTP estimates for the year 2006. These figures are then aggregated to obtain a total value figure for the farming community of Corncrake conservation in Ireland. We focus on the willingness to pay of farmers rather than the WTP of the general Irish population, as farmers will ultimately be the ones that will have to take responsibility if targets set out in the All Ireland Action Plan for Corncrake conservation are to be achieved. Quantifying willingness to pay on the part of farmers can help inform the design of agri-environment schemes aimed at improving conservation of many species on farmland. Results indicate that the nonmarket benefit of corncrake conservation in Ireland may significantly outweigh the costs of existing conservation schemes.