Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the 5.8S rRNA Gene and the Internal Transcribed Spacers in Naegleria spp. and in N. fowleri

Abstract Internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and the 5.8S ribosomal gene of 21 Naegleria fowleri strains and eight other species including Naegleria gruberi were sequenced. The results showed that this region can help differentiate between and within species. The phylogeny of Naegleria spp. deduced from the ITS and the 5.8S gene produced four major lineages, fowleri-lovaniensis, galeacystis-italica-clarki-gruberi-australiensis, andersoni-jamiesoni, and pussardi, that fit perfectly with those inferred from the 18S rRNA gene analysis. The N. gruberi isolate, NG260, was closely related to Naegleria pussardi. The other N. gruberi isolates branched together with Naegleria australiensis in another lineage. The ITS and 5.8S results for N. fowleri were congruent with those previously deduced by RAPD analysis. The phylogenetic analysis inferred from ITS and RAPD data revealed two major groups. The French Cattenom and Chooz and South Pacific strains constituted the first group. The second group encompassed the strains corresponding to the Euro-American and Widespread RAPD variants and shared the same substitution in the 5.8S gene. In addition, it was possible to define species specific primers in ITS regions to rapidly identify N. fowleri.
Trauma transitional care coordination: A mature system at work

BACKGROUND We have previously demonstrated effectiveness of a Trauma Transitional Care Coordination (TTCC) Program in reducing 30-day readmission rates for trauma patients most at risk. With program maturation, we achieved improved readmission rates for specific patient populations. METHODS TTCC is a nursing driven program that supports patients at high risk for 30-day readmission. The TTCC interventions include calls to patients within 72 hours of discharge, complete medication reconciliation, coordination of medical appointments, and individualized problem solving. Account IDs were used to link TTCC patients with the Health Services Cost Review Commission database to collect data on statewide unplanned 30-day readmissions. RESULTS Four hundred seventy-five patients were enrolled in the TTCC program from January 2014 to September 2016. Only 10.5% (n = 50) of TTCC enrollees were privately insured, 54.5% had Medicaid (n = 259), and 13.5% had Medicare (n = 64). Seventy-three percent had Health Services Cost Review Commission severity of injury ratings of 3 or 4 (maximum severity of injury = 4). The most common All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups for participants were: lower-extremity procedures (n = 67, 14%); extensive abdominal/thoracic procedures (n = 40, 8.4%); musculoskeletal procedures (n = 37, 7.8%); complicated tracheostomy and upper extremity procedures (n = 29 each, 6.1%); infectious disease complications (n = 14, 2.9%); major chest/respiratory trauma, major small and large bowel procedures and vascular procedures (n = 13 each, 2.7%). The TTCC participants with lower-extremity injury, complicated tracheostomy, and bowel procedures had 6-point reduction (10% vs. 16%, p = 0.05), 11-point reduction (13% vs. 24%, p = 0.05), and 16-point reduction (11% vs. 27%, p = 0.05) in 30-day readmission rates, respectively, compared to those without TTCC. CONCLUSION Targeted outpatient support for high-risk patients can decrease 30-day readmission rates. As our TTCC program matured, we reduced 30-day readmission in patients with lower-extremity injury, complicated tracheostomy and bowel procedures. This represents over one million-dollar savings for the hospital per year through quality-based reimbursement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic/care management, level III.
Curcumin: a novel Stat3 pathway inhibitor for chemoprevention of lung cancer

Multiple studies from independent groups find evidence for signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) activation in nearly 50% of lung cancers, suggesting a functional role for this target in subsets of lung cancer. On the basis of the existing evidence, we hypothesized that bioavailable curcuminoid complex may modulate lung carcinogenesis, primarily by inhibiting Stat3 activation. With the safety of this being botanically well established, the objective of these studies was to test our hypothesis in vitro and in vivo in an effort to inform the design of a phase II chemoprevention trial in former smokers. We treated non-tumor-derived, normal (but immortalized) human bronchial epithelial cells (AALE) (Lundberg et al., 2002; Pillai et al., 2011) and lung adenocarcinoma-derived cells (H441) with bioactive curcumin C3 complex. Asynchronous cells in each case were treated with curcumin for 24 h, followed by immunoblotting for Stat3 and activated Stat3-P, prior signal of which was used for normalization. We also completed a preclinical trial in which 12 mice were randomly divided into three groups and subjected to 3 days or 9 days of curcumin intraperitoneal injections, followed by analysis of lung tissues for Stat3-P changes and growth suppressive effects of the curcumin. The growth suppressive effects were measured using Cyclin D1 and the replicative helicase subunit, Mcm2, as surrogates for the proliferative capacity of the tissues. In-vitro studies with curcuminoid complex demonstrated that the activity of Stat3 in both normal bronchoepithelial cells and lung cancer-derived cells is sensitive to curcumin exposure. In a dose-dependent manner, curcumin treatment resulted in significant suppression of Stat3 phosphorylation and reduction in the proliferative capacity of both cell types. In the preclinical trial with rodent models, curcumin reduced Stat3-P and the proliferative markers CycD1 and Mcm2 in mice lung tissues in vivo. These culture and preclinical studies indicate that the activity of the Stat3 pathway can be suppressed by curcumin treatment, concomitant with a reduction in cell proliferation, supporting our hypothesis that inhibition of the Stat3 pathway represents at least one important mechanism by which curcumin elicits its effects on the bronchoepithelium. These data provide a rationale for the use of curcumin as a promising chemopreventive agent in high-risk populations such as former smokers.
A Bayesian Approach on People Localization in Multicamera Systems

In this paper, we introduce a Bayesian approach on multiple people localization in multicamera systems. First, pixel-level features are extracted, which are based on physical properties of the 2-D image formation process, and provide information about the head and leg positions of the pedestrians, distinguishing standing and walking people, respectively. Then, features from the multiple camera views are fused to create evidence for the location and height of people in the ground plane. This evidence accurately estimates the leg position even if either the area of interest is only a part of the scene or the overlap ratio of the silhouettes from irrelevant outside motions with the monitored area is significant. Using this information, we create a 3-D object configuration model in the real world. We also utilize a prior geometrical constraint, which describes the possible interactions between two pedestrians. To approximate the position of the people, we use a population of 3-D cylinder objects, which is realized by a marked point process. The final configuration results are obtained by an iterative stochastic energy optimization algorithm. The proposed approach is evaluated on two publicly available datasets, and compared to a recent state-of-the-art technique. To obtain relevant quantitative test results, a 3-D ground truth annotation of the real pedestrian locations is prepared, while two different error metrics and various parameter settings are proposed and evaluated showing the advantages of our proposed model.
Myocilin gene implicated in primary congenital glaucoma

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) has been associated with CYP1B1 gene (2p21), with a predominantly autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Our earlier studies attributed CYP1B1 mutations to only 40% of Indian PCG cases. In this study, we included 72 such PCG cases where CYP1B1 mutations were detected in only 12 patients in heterozygous condition, implying involvement of other gene(s). On screening these patients for mutations in myocilin (MYOC), another glaucoma‐associated gene, using denaturing high‐performance liquid chromatography followed by sequencing, we identified a patient who was double heterozygous at CYP1B1 (c.1103G>A; Arg368His) and MYOC (c.144G>T; Gln48His) loci, suggesting a digenic mode of inheritance of PCG. In addition, we identified the same MYOC mutation, implicated for primary open angle glaucoma, in three additional PCG patients who did not harbor any mutation in CYP1B1. These observations suggest a possible role of MYOC in PCG, which might be mediated via digenic interaction with CYP1B1 and/or an yet unidentified locus associated with the disease.
Towards A Green Economy: Exploring the Political Feasibility of Carbon Tax Policy in Ireland

The thesis research aims to enrich us with knowledge about the concept of a green economy in a time of financial crisis and climate change, with the carbon tax as a policy instrument to achieve the green economy. The political feasibility of a carbon tax is one of the key policy evaluation criteria, to identify a correlation between the green economy and the carbon tax and what critical design elements most affect the political feasibility. To achieve this we will look at a fresh case study exploring the political feasibility of carbon tax policy in Ireland after it was implemented in December 2009 towards a green economy. The case study is based on the cross-sector surveys on the four critical elements of political feasibility: political context, social equity, environmental effectiveness, and economic effectiveness. The key findings from the surveys are analyzed and discussed, to reach the final conclusions.
Characteristic Scaled Betas

Recent asset pricing research has suggested that expected returns are determined not only by systematic risk factors as proposed by equilibrium pricing theories but also by non-risk characteristics such as firm size and book-to-market. In a recent study, Gomes, Kogan, and Zhang (2001) reconcile the ability of such characteristics to predict returns within a dynamic pricing paradigm. Firm characteristics can appear to predict stock returns because they may be correlated with the true conditional factor loadings, thereby motivating the scaling of betas by firm specific variables. We test whether such a scaling procedure improves the performance of the theoretically motivated CAPM and consumption CAPM. The evidence shows that equity characteristics often enter beta significantly. However, 'characteristic scaled factor models' do not outperform their unscaled counterparts. The results are robust to various specifications including different proxies for the market portfolio and using both time-series and cross-sectional regressions.
Trade Policy, Export Expansion, Human Capital and Growth

This paper empirically investigates the impact of trade policy on export expansion and on GDP growth in developing countries while controlling for the human capital stock and the initial level of development. By using a simultaneous system estimation we unite the approach found in the export expansion and growth literature with the approach found in papers that estimate the effect of trade policy on growth, while also making several improvements in the estimation of the underlying relationships. The results obtained from our estimation are more credible because of these improvements and therefore have stronger policy implications. We find that outward-oriented trade policies substantially and significantly impact growth in developing countries not only by directly enhancing exports but also through a feedback (or multiplier) effect.
The Effects of Market Segmentation and Illiquidity on Asset Prices: Evidence from Foreign Stocks Listing in the Us

new abstract and new pdf file Diane 10/22/98 Diane Non-U.S. firms cross-listing shares on U.S. exchanges as American Depositary Receipts earn cumulative abnormal returns of 19 percent during the year before listing, an additional 1.20 percent during the listing week, but incur a loss of 14 percent during the year following listing. We show how these unusual share price changes are robust to changing market risk exposures and are related to an expansion of the shareholder base and to the amount of capital raised at the time of listing. Our tests provide support for the market segmentation hypothesis and Merton? s (1987) investor recognition hypothesis.
Smaller university endowments: team characteristics, portfolio composition and performance

Purpose - – The paper aims to help explain how certain smaller university endowments are able to provide investment results that are more typical of much larger endowments. Investment teams' characteristics and risk-reward perceptions are examined in relation to portfolio composition and performance. Design/methodology/approach - – This exploratory study uses a grounded-theory approach consisting of 20 in-depth interviews of financial officers at US colleges and universities with assets between $100 million and $200 million. Ten were conducted from the top performance quartile and ten from the bottom quartile. Interviews were transcribed and coded; afterward, emerging themes and constructs were identified. Objective investment performance over a ten-year period was employed from a well-known industry survey. Findings - – Top-performing endowments were described as having endowment teams with greater investment expertise, efficacy, decision-making independence and learning commitment than teams from the low-performing endowments. Teams from top-performing endowments assessed alternative investments more favorably and made greater portfolio allocations to them as compared to teams from low-performing endowments. Research limitations/implications - – Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may not be generalizable. Practical implications - – The paper includes implications for colleges and universities in the management of their endowments, and particularly in the selection of committee and other team members. Originality/value - – The paper is original in exploring certain team characteristics and practices of institutional investment decision-makers and their relationship to portfolio composition and performance.
A flexible mine production model based on stochastic price simulations: application at Raglan mine, Canada

The conventional economic evaluation technique that is currently used to evaluate the economic viability of mining operations has three important pitfalls. First, the probability distributions of key variables fed into the simulation process are in most part subjective and not based in a solid scientific ground. Second, the simulation method applied to generate metal prices paths results in unrealistic jumps and falls between the consecutive discrete time steps throughout the same simulated path. Third, the conventional technique implements a static production model in which the flexibility to alter the production policy is not applicable. These three pitfalls can impact the accuracy of evaluation results and consequently can lead to suboptimal production decisions. This paper presents an economic evaluation technique for mining projects based on the real options theory. This technique is based on generating future simulated metal price paths using the appropriate stochastic process for each metal. More important, the technique implements a flexible production model in which the production policy can be revised according to the new market information. To illustrate the difference the proposed improvements can make in the evaluations results, both the conventional and the new technique are applied to investigate the economic viability of some marginal mining zones based on data from Xstrata's Raglan mine. It has been found that the differences in the evaluation results between the two techniques range between $CAD0˙82 million and as high as $CAD3˙25 million depending on the size of the subzone, and for the total zone value, the difference is $CAD6˙55 million.
Silencing Mitosin Induces Misaligned Chromosomes, Premature Chromosome Decondensation before Anaphase Onset, and Mitotic Cell Death

ABSTRACT Mitosin (also named CENP-F) is a large human nuclear protein transiently associated with the outer kinetochore plate in M phase. Using RNA interference and fluorescence microscopy, we showed that mitosin depletion attenuated chromosome congression and led to metaphase arrest with misaligned polar chromosomes whose kinetochores showed few cold-stable microtubules. Kinetochores of fully aligned chromosomes often failed to show orientation in the direction of the spindle long axis. Moreover, tension across their sister kinetochores was decreased by 53% on average. These phenotypes collectively imply defects in motor functions in mitosin-depleted cells and are similar to those of CENP-E depletion. Consistently, the intensities of CENP-E and cytoplasmic dynein and dynactin, which are motors controlling microtubule attachment and chromosome movement, were reduced at the kinetochore in a microtubule-dependent manner. In addition, after being arrested in pseudometaphase for approximately 2 h, mitosin-depleted cells died before anaphase initiation through apoptosis. The dying cells exhibited progressive chromosome arm decondensation, while the centromeres were still associated with spindles. Mitosin is therefore essential for full chromosome alignment, possibly by promoting proper kinetochore attachments through modulating CENP-E and dynein functions. Its depletion also prematurely triggers chromosome decondensation, a process that normally occurs from telophase for the nucleus reassembly, thus resulting in apoptosis.
Uncertainty Analysis of Multiple Hydrologic Models Using the Bayesian Model Averaging Method

Since Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) method can combine the forecasts of different models together to generate a new one which is expected to be better than any individual model’s forecast, it has been widely used in hydrology for ensemble hydrologic prediction. Previous studies of the BMA mostly focused on the comparison of the BMA mean prediction with each individual model’s prediction. As BMA has the ability to provide a statistical distribution of the quantity to be forecasted, the research focus in this study is shifted onto the comparison of the prediction uncertainty interval generated by BMA with that of each individual model under two different BMA combination schemes. In the first BMA scheme, three models under the same Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency objective function are, respectively, calibrated, thus providing three-member predictions ensemble for the BMA combination. In the second BMA scheme, all three models are, respectively, calibrated under three different objective functions other than Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency to obtain nine-member predictions ensemble. Finally, the model efficiency and the uncertainty intervals of each individual model and two BMA combination schemes are assessed and compared.
Development of a method and software for human motion training based on an inertial measurement units system

Rehabilitation and training is generally performed under control of a specialist. However the possibility to self-train motion as effectively as it would be done with an expert has clearly many advantages. One can indeed choose time, duration and place of his training. This paper presents the development of a software based on real-time data collecting from IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units) for human motion self-training. By choosing adequate location for the IMUs, and parameters (anatomic angles) of the movement to control, the system will be able to monitor every single motion of the user. The software allows to choose any body segment and to compute angles between any IMUs in 3 dimensions or in projection in anatomical planes. After defining the movement to control, the user needs to record several optimal movements so as to specify the reference and the boundaries of what will be set as the acceptable motion. Then, the software allows the user to repeat the movement as many times as he wants and displays a visual feedback showing the compliance between the reference and the actual motion. Recording the reference motion with the instructions of an expert will allow using it as an efficient tool for self-rehabilitation or self-training.
Pre-set Prices, Differential Information and Monetary Policy

This paper proves the case for an active stabilization policy by analyzi ng an economy exposed to nominal shocks, where prices are pre-set by firms posse ssing differential information. Price decisions are uncoordinated in that when e ach firm sets its price it is imperfectly informed about prices set by other fir ms. The role of a systematic monetary policy, as a means to overcome the implica tions of differential information for the allocation of economic resources, is a nalyzed. Alternatively, a private indexation scheme is also analyzed and compare d to monetary policy, which can eliminate completely the implications of differe ntial information, whereas an indexation scheme can do so only partially. Copyright 1986 by Royal Economic Society.
Defining minimal disease activity in psoriatic arthritis: a proposed objective target for treatment

Objective: To create minimal disease activity (MDA) criteria for psoriatic arthritis (PsA). With recent therapeutic advances, this is now a goal for treatment and may represent a measure to compare therapies. It defines a satisfactory state of disease activity rather than a change, and encompasses all aspects of the disease. Methods: 40 patient profiles were sampled from an observational PsA database. Sixty experts in PsA classified these as in MDA or not. A consensus of ⩾70% was accepted, identifying 13 profiles in MDA. Summary statistics created possible cut-off points for the definition. Considering the number of measures that must be met, 35 candidate definitions were created and tested using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) for sensitivity and specificity. Results: Four candidate definitions showed high area under the curve values on ROC testing. Definitions with high outlying values were excluded as they were not considered to represent MDA. Aiming for high specificity to reduce false positives resulted in a preference for the following definition: “A patient is classified as achieving MDA when meeting 5 of the 7 following criteria: tender joint count ⩽1; swollen joint count ⩽1; Psoriasis Activity and Severity Index ⩽1 or body surface area ⩽3; patient pain visual analogue score (VAS) ⩽15; patient global disease activity VAS ⩽20; health assessment questionnaire ⩽0.5; tender entheseal points ⩽1”. Conclusion: This study provides the first definition of a “state” of MDA in PsA and defines a target for treatment. It must now be validated in other populations and tested in clinical trials.