Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selective Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression by 15-Deoxy-Δ12,1412,14-prostaglandin J2 in Activated Human Astrocytes, But Not in Human Brain Macrophages1

Overexpression of the inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in activated brain macrophages (microglia) and astrocytes appears central to many neuroinflammatory conditions. 15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-PGJ2 (15d-PGJ2) is a ligand for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ. It has been proposed as an inhibitor of microglial activation, based on the study of iNOS down-regulation in rodent microglia. Because iNOS induction after cytokine activation remains controversial in human microglia, we examined the effect of 15d-PGJ2 and other PPAR agonists on human microglia and astrocytes, using COX-2 induction as an index of activation. We found that PPARα ligands (clofibrate and WY14643) enhanced IL-1β-induced COX-2 expression in human astrocytes and microglia, while inhibiting IL-1β plus IFN-γ induction of iNOS in astrocytes. This is the first description of an inhibition of iNOS uncoupled from that of COX-2. 15d-PGJ2 suppressed COX-2 induction in human astrocytes. It prevented NF-κB binding to the COX-2 promoter through a new pathway that is the repression of NF-κBp50 induction by IL-1β. In contrast, 15d-PGJ2 increased c-Jun and c-Fos DNA-binding activity in astrocytes, which may result in the activation of other inflammatory pathways. In human microglia, no effect of 15d-PGJ2 on COX-2 and NF-κBp65/p50 induction was observed. However, the entry of 15d-PGJ2 occurred in microglia because STAT-1 and c-Jun expression was modulated. Our data suggest the existence of novel pathways mediated by 15d-PGJ2 in human astrocytes. They also demonstrate that, unlike astrocytes and peripheral macrophages or rodent brain macrophages, human microglia are not subject to the anti-inflammatory effect of 15d-PGJ2 in terms of COX-2 inhibition.
Cancer incidence among semiconductor and electronic storage device workers

Aims: To evaluate cancer incidence among workers at two facilities in the USA that made semiconductors and electronic storage devices. Methods: 89 054 men and women employed by International Business Machines (IBM) were included in the study. We compared employees’ incidence rates with general population rates and examined incidence patterns by facility, duration of employment, time since first employment, manufacturing era, potential for exposure to workplace environments other than offices and work activity. Results: For employees at the semiconductor manufacturing facility, the standardised incidence ratio (SIR) for all cancers combined was 81 (1541 observed cases, 95% confidence interval (CI) 77 to 85) and for those at the storage device manufacturing facility the SIR was 87 (1319 observed cases, 95% CI 82 to 92). The subgroups of employees with ≥15 years since hiring and ≥5 years worked had 6–16% fewer total incidents than expected. SIRs were increased for several cancers in certain employee subgroups, but analyses of incidence patterns by potential exposure and by years spent and time since starting in specific work activities did not clearly indicate that the excesses were due to occupational exposure. Conclusions: This study did not provide strong or consistent evidence of causal associations with employment factors. Data on employees with long potential induction time and many years worked were limited. Further follow-up will allow a more informative analysis of cancer incidence that might be plausibly related to workplace exposures in the cohort.
Admixture analysis of age at onset in obsessive–compulsive disorder

Background. Age at onset (AAO) has been useful to explore the clinical, neurobiological and genetic heterogeneity of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, none of the various thresholds of AAO used in previous studies have been validated, and it remains an unproven notion that AAO is a marker for different subtypes of OCD. If AAO is a clinical indicator of different biological subtypes, then subgroups based on distinct AAOs should have separate normal distributions as well as different clinical characteristics. Method. Admixture analysis was used to determine the best-fitting model for the observed AAO of 161 OCD patients. Results. The observed distribution of AAO in OCD is a mixture of two Gaussian distributions with mean ages of 11·1±4·1 and 23·5±11·1 years. The first distribution, defined by early-onset OCD, had increased frequency of Tourette's syndrome and increased family history of OCD. The second distribution, defined by late-onset OCD, showed elevated prevalence of general anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. Conclusions. These results, based on a statistically validated AAO cut-off and those of previous studies on AAO in OCD, suggest that AAO is a crucial phenotypic characteristic in understanding the genetic basis of this disorder.
Reflections on university teaching in China: A personal narrative inquiry

University teaching academics who want to better understand and develop their teaching for improved student learning can often benefit from experiences in a completely different culture and setting. When university academics travel to another country and participate in teaching there they are often confronted with challenges to their assumptions and approaches to teaching. This paper explores through a narrative enquiry approach the cross-cultural experiences of two university lecturers; one from China and one from Australia. Through their stories here and their reflections on these and reflection on literature they examine their beliefs and practices, and through this try to better understand the assumptions that they hold and how to challenge these in order to be better teachers. The paper provides some other insights into teaching and learning practices within Australia and within China and in particular how the significant changes of higher education in China are both having impact on teachers and learners and are requiring changes of both teaching and learning approaches, Finally, in sharing these experiences the authors provide an opportunity for the reader to similarly engage in processes of personal reflection, and they open up the possibility for other dialogues in this Learning community.
Full Reference Image Quality Assessment: Limitation

In this work, we propose to study the universality of the Full-Reference Image Quality metrics (FR-IQMs) and show the no-relevance to use this kind of metrics without considering the degradation type contained in the image. Different experimental tests have been done in order to analyze its performance. Eight common FR-IQMs have been used and compared in terms of correlation with the subjective judgments. Obtained results show that the performance of a given FR-IQM differs totally from a degradation type to another. Therefore, we finally conclude by the pertinence of some recent works that propose alternative solutions to solve this limitation and then optimize the image quality estimation process.
To admit, or not to admit? An exploratory study of graduation rates of “special-admit” student-athletes within the “Power 5” conferences

ABSTRACT According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) manual, a student-athlete may be admitted to a university under special exception to the normal entrance requirements. Currently, the NCAA does not require data to track the outcomes of specially admitted student-athletes. Pragmatism, within the context of education, warrants regular evaluation of policies and procedures to see if they are achieving the desired purposes, and subsequently making changes to reflect values and beliefs as needed. The purpose of this quantitative study was to gain a pragmatic understanding of educational outcomes associated with specially admitted student-athletes within the “Power 5” conference institutions. Findings show the majority of student-athlete special admits (51%) graduated within six years from their initial institution while 6.06% were dismissed for academic reasons. Furthermore, student-athletes within the “Power 5” conference institutions graduated at a higher rate (68%) than Division I student-athletes (67%) and all Division I students (65%). GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Can partially hydrolyzed guar gum be an alternative to lactulose in treatment of childhood constipation?

BACKGROUND/AIMS In the present study, we aimed to investigate if partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) can be used safely as a fiber source for treatment of constipation in children and to compare its success with the most commonly used osmotic laxative, lactulose. METHODS A randomized prospective controlled study on 61 patients (partially hydrolyzed guar gum group, n: 31; lactulose group, n: 30) was performed. Patients were given lactulose or partially hydrolyzed guar gum for four weeks. Using a standardized bowel diary, defecation frequency, stool consistency, and presence of flatulence and abdominal pain were recorded. Family questionnaires about the success, safety and side effect profile of both treatment arms were also obtained. RESULTS No significant differences were found in the baseline daily fiber (fruits and vegetables) intake between the two groups. Bowel movement frequency per week and stool consistency improved significantly in both treatment groups (p<0.05). The percent of children with abdominal pain and stool withholding also decreased eminently in both groups (p<0.05). Weekly defecation frequency increased from 4±0.7 to 6±1.06 and from 4±0.7 to 5±1.7 in the lactulose and partially hydrolyzed guar gum treated groups, respectively (p<0.05). According to the family questionnaire, the parents complained of bad taste, flatulence and necessity to ingest a high amount of drug in the lactulose treatment group. In the partially hydrolyzed guar gum treatment group, parents were satisfied with the defecation frequency of their children. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with partially hydrolyzed guar gum is as effective as lactulose treatment in relieving stool withholding and constipation-associated abdominal pain, and its use improves stool consistency. Lactulose seemed to have more side effects, including flatulence and sensation of bad taste.
Sensors, transmitters, and targets in mitochondrial oxygen shortage-a hypoxia-inducible factor relay story.

SIGNIFICANCE Cells sense and respond to a shortage of oxygen by activating the hypoxia-inducible transcription factors HIF-1 and HIF-2 and evoking adaptive responses. RECENT ADVANCES Mitochondria are at the center of a hypoxia sensing and responding relay system. CRITICAL ISSUES Under normoxia, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) are HIF activators. As their individual flux rates determine their diffusion-controlled interaction, predictions how these radicals affect HIF appear context-dependent. Considering that the oxygen requirement for NO formation limits its role in activating HIF to conditions of ambient oxygen tension. Given the central role of mitochondrial complex IV as a NO target, especially under hypoxia, allows inhibition of mitochondrial respiration by NO to spare oxygen thus, raising the threshold for HIF activation. HIF targets seem to configure a feedback-signaling circuit aimed at gradually adjusting mitochondrial function. In hypoxic cancer cells, mitochondria redirect Krebs cycle intermediates to preserve their biosynthetic ability. Persistent HIF activation lowers the entry of electron-delivering compounds into mitochondria to reduce Krebs cycle fueling and β-oxidation, attenuates the expression of electron transport chain components, limits mitochondria biosynthesis, and provokes their removal by autophagy. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Mitochondria can be placed central in a hypoxia sensing-hypoxia responding circuit. We need to determine to which extent and how mitochondria contribute to sense hypoxia, explore whether modulating their oxygen-consuming capacity redirects hypoxic responses in in vivo relevant disease conditions, and elucidate how the multiple HIF targets in mitochondria shape conditions of acute versus chronic hypoxia.
The Curse of Cash

The world is drowning in cash—and it’s making us poorer and less safe. In The Curse of Cash, Kenneth Rogoff, one of the world’s leading economists, makes a persuasive and fascinating case for an idea that until recently would have seemed outlandish: getting rid of most paper money. Even as people in advanced economies are using less paper money, there is more cash in circulation—a record $1.4 trillion in U.S. dollars alone, or $4,200 for every American, mostly in $100 bills. And the United States is hardly exceptional. So what is all that cash being used for? The answer is simple: a large part is feeding tax evasion, corruption, terrorism, the drug trade, human trafficking, and the rest of a massive global underground economy. As Rogoff shows, paper money can also cripple monetary policy. In the aftermath of the recent financial crisis, central banks have been unable to stimulate growth and inflation by cutting interest rates significantly below zero for fear that it would drive investors to abandon treasury bills and stockpile cash. This constraint has paralyzed monetary policy in virtually every advanced economy, and is likely to be a recurring problem in the future. The Curse of Cash offers a plan for phasing out most paper money—while leaving small-denomination bills and coins in circulation indefinitely—and addresses the issues the transition will pose, ranging from fears about privacy and price stability to the need to provide subsidized debit cards for the poor. While phasing out the bulk of paper money will hardly solve the world’s problems, it would be a significant step toward addressing a surprising number of very big ones. Provocative, engaging, and backed by compelling original arguments and evidence, The Curse of Cash is certain to spark widespread debate.
Adaptive Compensation Method for High-Speed Surface PMSM Sensorless Drives of EMF-Based Position Estimation Error

To improve the performance of the surface permanent magnet synchronous motor drives, a sensorless control scheme based on the sliding-mode observer with an orthogonal phase-locked loop (PLL) incorporating two synchronous frequency-extract filters (SFFs) is proposed. The rotor position estimation errors are analyzed. The analysis results show that the harmonic errors of the estimated signal are hard to eliminate completely. Therefore, an improved adaptive notch filter - The SFF is proposed to extract the fundamental wave of the rotor position estimation before applying to the PLL. This method of the PLL combined SFFs can compensate the estimated back electromotive force harmonic error efficiently and adaptively. An experimental driveline system used for testing the electrical performance of the developed magnetically suspended motor is built. The effectiveness and the feasibility of the proposed method are validated with the experimental results.
Do Attractions Attract Tourists? A Framework to Assess the Importance of Attractions in Driving Demand

A framework to assess the role attractions play in driving destination choice is proposed. It assesses specificity of need with the number of attraction sets and individual attractions within each set that can satisfy the need. Individual attractions will play an increasingly important role in destination choice as needs become more singular and specific. Alternately, if needs are broad, the number of attraction sets and attractions within each set becomes increasingly substitutable, making it difficult to ascribe visitation to any specific attraction. The framework provides a mechanism for Destination Management Organizations to identify the proximate cause of visitation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of Medicare Part D on out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, medication utilization, health resource utilization, and preference-based health utility.

OBJECTIVES To quantify the impact of Medicare Part D eligibility on medication utilization, emergency department use, hospitalization, and preference-based health utility among civilian noninstitutionalized Medicare beneficiaries. STUDY DESIGN Difference-in-differences analyses were used to estimate the effects of Part D eligibility on health outcomes by comparing a 12-month period before and after Part D implementation using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and health status and compared Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older with near elderly aged 55-63 years old. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Five hundred and fifty-six elderly and 549 near elderly were included. After adjustment, Part D was associated with a U.S.$179.86 (p=.034) reduction in out-of-pocket costs and an increase of 2.05 prescriptions (p=.081) per patient year. The associations between Part D and emergency department use, hospitalizations, and preference-based health utility did not suggest cost offsets and were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Although there was a substantial reduction in out-of-pocket costs and a moderate increase in medication utilization among Medicare beneficiaries during the first year after Part D, there was no evidence of improvement in emergency department use, hospitalizations, or preference-based health utility for those eligible for Part D during its first year of implementation.
Polymerase Chain Reaction for Diagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Infancy in Low Resource Settings

Background: Diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is essential for accessing treatment. Current HIV diagnostic protocols for infants require adaptation and validation before they can be implemented in the developing world. The timing and type of HIV assays will be dictated by country-specific circumstances and experience from similar settings. The performance of an HIV-1 DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and in particular a single test at 6 weeks of age, in diagnosing HIV subtype C infection acquired in utero or peripartum was assessed. Methods: A retrospective review of 1825 Amplicor HIV-1 DNA PCR version 1.5 tests performed between 2000 and 2004 in 2 laboratories in Johannesburg, South Africa on 769 effectively non-breast-fed infants from 3 clinically well characterized cohorts was undertaken. The HIV status of each infant was used as the standard against which the HIV PCR results were compared. Results: The overall sensitivity and specificity of the HIV PCR test were 99.3 and 99.5% respectively. A single test was 98.8% sensitive and 99.4% specific in the 627 infants tested at 6 weeks of age (58 HIV-infected and 569 HIV-uninfected). Repeat testing of all positive HIV PCR tests minimized false positive results. Conclusions: In resource-poor settings where HIV PCR testing in an environment of good laboratory practice is feasible, a single 6-week HIV DNA PCR test can increase identification of HIV-infected children substantially from current levels. Further operational research on how best to implement and monitor such a diagnostic protocol in specific local settings, especially in breast-fed infants, is necessary.
An Integrative Feminist Model

The feminist perspective on intimate partner violence is a predominant model in the field, although not immune to criticism. In this research, frontline workers in the violence against women movement responded to critiques of the feminist model. The project used a focus group and a modified grounded theory analysis. Participants agreed with some criticisms, including an overreliance on a punitive criminal justice system, but reported skepticism toward proposed alternatives. Findings led to the development of the Integrative Feminist Model, which expands the feminist perspective in response to critiques, new research, and alternative theories while retaining a gendered analysis of violence.
Molecular Cloning, Characterization, and Expression of TNF cDNA and Gene from Japanese Flounder Paralychthys olivaceus1

We cloned a cDNA and the gene for Japanese flounder TNF. The TNF cDNA consisted of 1217 bp, which encoded 225 amino acid residues. The identities between Japanese flounder TNF and members of the mammalian TNF family were ∼20–30%. The positions of cysteine residues that are important for disulfide bonds were conserved with respect to those in mammalian TNF-α. The Japanese flounder TNF gene has a length of ∼2 kbp and consists of four exons and three introns. The positions of the exon-intron junction positions of Japanese flounder TNF gene are similar to those of human TNF-α. However, the length of the first intron of Japanese flounder is much shorter than that of the human TNF-α gene. There are simple CA or AT dinucleotide repeats in the 5′-upstream and 3′-downstream regions of the Japanese flounder TNF gene. Southern blot hybridization indicted that Japanese flounder TNF exists as a single copy. Expression of Japanese flounder TNF mRNA is greatly induced after stimulation of PBLs with LPS, Con A, or PMA. These results indicated that Japanese flounder TNF is more like mammalian TNF-α than mammalian lymphotoxin-α, with respect to its gene structure, length of amino acid sequence, number and position of cysteine residues, and regulation of gene expression.
Multivariate First-Passage Models in Credit Risk

This thesis deals with credit risk modeling and related mathematical issues. In particular we study first-passage models for credit risk, where obligors default upon first passage of a “credit quality” process to zero. The first passage problem for correlated Brownian motion is a mathematical structure which arises quite naturally in such models, in particular the seminal multivariate Black-Cox model. In general this problem is analytically intractable, however in two dimensions analytic results are available. In addition to correcting mistakes in several published formulae, we derive an exact simulation scheme for sampling the passage times. Our algorithm exploits several interesting properties of planar Brownian motion and conformal local martingales. The main contribution of this thesis is the development of a novel multivariate framework for credit risk. We allow for both stochastic trend and volatility in credit qualities, with dependence introduced by letting these quantities be driven by systematic factors common to all obligors. Exploiting a conditional independence structure we are able to express the proportion of defaults in an asymptotically large portfolio as a path functional of the systematic factors. The functional in question returns crossing probabilities of time-changed Brownian motion to continuous barriers, and is typically not available in closed form. As such the distribution of portfolio losses is in general analytically intractable. As such we devise a scheme for simulating approximate losses and demonstrate almost sure convergence of this approximation. We show that the model calibrates well, across both tranches and maturities, to market quotes for CDX index tranches. In particular we are able to calibrate to data from 2006, as well as more recent “distressed” data from 2008.