Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outcome of BEAM‐autologous and BEAM‐alemtuzumab allogeneic transplantation in relapsed advanced stage follicular lymphoma

The role of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in relapsed follicular lymphoma remains controversial. This study analysed 126 patients with relapsed, advanced stage follicular lymphoma who received BEAM (BCNU [carmustine], cytarabine, etoposide, melphalan)‐alemtuzumab allogeneic HSCT (BEAM‐allo) (n = 44) or BEAM‐autologous HSCT (BEAM‐auto) (n = 82). The BEAM‐allo group had a younger median age (48 years vs. 56 years, P < 0·001) but received a higher median number of therapies pretransplant (P = 0·015) compared with the BEAM‐auto group. There was a higher non‐relapse mortality (NRM) in the BEAM‐allo group compared with the BEAM‐auto group at 1 year (20% vs. 2%, P = 0·001). Older age and heavily pretreated patients were associated with a higher NRM and poorer survival in the BEAM‐allo group. There was, however, a significantly lower relapse rate (20% vs. 43%, P = 0·01) at 3 years with BEAM‐alemtuzumab, with no relapses after 2 years, compared with a continued pattern of relapse in the autologous group. No difference in overall survival (OS) (P = 0·99) or disease‐free survival (DFS) (P = 0·90) was identified at 3 years, whereas a plateau in OS and DFS with crossing of the survival curves in favour of BEAM‐allo group was observed. Furthermore, the ability to re‐induce remissions with donor leucocytes provides additional benefit in favour of allogeneic HSCT.
Money‐Laundering: Estimates in Fog

The paper examines certain problems in determining the extent of money‐laundering. The author first discusses the methodological problems inherent in assessing its volume. He then discusses two methods to estimate the extent of money‐laundering. One method is based on the cash‐flow which is generated by many forms of organised crime trade. In cross‐border money‐laundering constructions the banknotes have to be repatriated to the countries of origin. This creates a registered money trail which may be used to estimate the upper limit of money‐laundering in a national economy. The other method is the one used by the Financial Action Task Force of the G‐7. This method is based on the questionable assumption that 10 per cent of the drug trade is intercepted by the police. The author demonstrates the shortcomings of the FATF method which uses the street price level for its calculations. He warns against politically motivated inflated estimates and stresses the necessity for a methodologically responsible empirical research of this phenomenon.
Superimposing pictorial artwork with projected imagery

Working high above the floor of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican of Rome, between 1509 and 1512 Michelangelo Buonarroti painted some of the finest pictorial images of all time. On the ceiling of the papal chapel, he created a masterpiece fresco that includes nine scenes from the book of Genesis. Among them is the famous Creation of Adam scene---showing God touching Adam's hand. In 1510, an initial study led Michelangelo to draw the Adam figure as a sanguine on a piece of paper. Today, this early drawing is displayed at the London British Museum.
A model of optimal dynamic asset allocation in a Value-at-Risk framework

This study focuses on the problem of investors in optimising dynamic asset allocation to maximise expected utility under the value-at-risk (VaR) constraint. Although Basak and Shapiro presented this topic, they assumed a complete market and employed the martingale approach to determine a dynamic asset allocation strategy. However, a complete market does not exist in the real world and the martingale approach is not suitable for portfolio selection. Consequently, this study relaxes these limitations and firstly provides a solving method to derive the dynamic asset allocation under the VaR constraint. A simple case and a general case of derivation of optimal dynamic asset allocation are explored. A continuous probability distribution also can be approximated by the discrete probability distribution discussed in this study.
Infrastructure Investment as a Real Options Game: The Case of European Airport Expansion

This article analyzes the optional and strategic features of infrastructure investment. Infrastructure investments generate other investment opportunities, and in so doing change the strategic position of the enterprise. A combination of real options theory and game theory can capture the elusive value of a strategic modification of a firm’s position in its industry. My model focuses in particular on an analysis of European airport expansion. Airports with infrastructures that are less constrained by growth regulations capture more value, because they are in a better position to exercise growth options available in the airport industry.
Fuzzy SVM Based on Triangular Fuzzy Numbers

Support vector machine (SVM) is novel type learning machine, based on statistical learning theory, whose tasks involve classification, regression or novelty detection. Traditional SVM classifies the data with numerical features. However, in most cases of real world, there are much more data with fuzzy features. It is difficult to apply traditional SVM to fuzzy data directly to classify. In this paper, we provide a fuzzy SVM for the data with triangular fuzzy number features. The designing fundamentals and method of computation and realization are given. The experiment results show that the new method proposed in this paper is more effective and practical. This new method optimizes the classified result of support vector machine and enhances the intelligent level of support vector machine.
Analyzing Financial Time Series through Robust Estimators

In this paper we suggest an extension of the forward search methodology to GARCH models which are often used for forecasting stock market volatility. It is frequently found that estimated residuals from GARCH models have excess kurtosis, even when one allows for conditional t-distributed errors. Some papers have appeared on outlier detection in GARCH models but the proposed methods are iterative and may suffer from masking effects. The forward search is a method for determining the effect of outliers on fitted parameters and for detecting also masked outliers. In the case of GARCH models outliers are strictly related to extreme observations which are responsible for the well-known volatility clustering of financial returns. It is possible, through the forward search, to visualize the effect on estimated parameters of patches of extremal observations.
Current Accounts: What is Their Relevance for Economic Policymaking?

This paper surveys the main theoretical approaches for analyzing movements in the current account of the balance of payments, from the Mundell-Fleming paradigm to modern intertemporal approaches. It discusses the main implications of these analyses for policymaking, highlighting that modern economic theory views current account imbalances not simply as a reflection of goods market developments, but also as an outcome of intertemporal consumption and investment choices and associated capital market behavior. To reflect on the policy strategies applied under diverse circumstances, the paper analyzes the recent experiences of Italy, Israel, and Pakistan.
Did 'Work First' Work? The Role of Employment Assistance Programs in Reducing Long-term Unemployment in Australia (1990-2008)

Over the last two decades Australia's progress in reducing its long-term reliance on unemployment payments was disappointing; this was despite an improving labour market, tighter work requirements and reformed employment assistance. After the introduction of the Job Network in 1998, the focus of employment assistance for long-term unemployed people shifted from a human capital approach towards a 'work first' approach. We review evidence from microeconomic evaluations of employment programs. Generally, job search assistance - central to work first - is relatively effective. Gaps in the research may be a reason for the apparent discrepancy between these findings and Australia's slow progress overall in reducing long-term reliance on unemployment payments. Short-term average measures mask the distribution of program outcomes and results over the longer term. As unemployment fell, a growing proportion of unemployment payment recipients were disadvantaged in the labour market, and the work first approach may be ineffective for this group. The paper concludes with a brief assessment of the Job Services Australia program.
Long-term survival in patients with coronary artery disease: importance of peripheral vascular disease. The Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) Investigators.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of peripheral arterial disease in predicting long-term survival in patients with clinically evident coronary artery disease. BACKGROUND Patients in the Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) Registry were followed up for > 10 years. METHODS Survival in 2,296 patients with peripheral arterial disease was compared with that of 13,953 patients without peripheral arterial disease using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. All patients had known stable coronary artery disease. Clinical, electrocardiographic (ECG), chest X-ray film and catheterization variables of the two groups were compared using the chi-square statistic or the two-sample t test. The independent effect of peripheral arterial disease (as well as other variables) on mortality was determined utilizing a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS Patients with peripheral vascular disease were more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, family history of coronary artery disease, previous angina or myocardial infarction, previous coronary bypass surgery or to have smoked. They also had a higher incidence of congestive heart failure, ECG abnormality and modestly increased frequency of three-vessel disease. Independent correlates of long-term mortality for the entire cohort included age, smoking, diabetes, number of diseased coronary vessels, left ventricular function, hypertension, pulmonary disease, anginal class, previous myocardial infarction and peripheral vascular disease (all p < 0.001). At any point in time, patients with peripheral vascular disease had a 25% greater likelihood of mortality than patients without peripheral vascular disease (multivariate chi-square 25.83, hazard ratio 1.25, 95% confidence interval 1.15 to 1.36, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Peripheral vascular disease is a strong, independent predictor of long-term mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Aggressive attempts at secondary disease prevention are warranted in this high risk group.
Libéralisation du commerce et intégration spatiale des marchés: Le cas du maïs au Togo

: The cereal market of Togo was liberalized in 1987. This policy aims to improve markets' spatial integration through the development of arbitrage. The paper assesses the extent of maize market spatial integration in order to understand how it has been affected by price liberalization. The monthly retail maize prices collected on 13 markets for the period from 1980 to 2001 are considered. The results show that the impact of price liberalization on markets integration is moderate. The liberalization has not significantly improved the extent of long-run and short-run integration of maize markets. The speed of price adjustment is relatively weak for most of the markets. In order to improve market efficiency, it is suggested that the government should create a market information service (SIM) which will be entrusted in collecting and disseminating weekly cereal prices all over the country. Resume: En 1987, la commercialisation des cereales a ete liberalisee au Togo. Le but vise par cette politique est d'ameliorer l'integration spatiale des marches a travers un developpement de l'arbitrage. Le papier evalue le niveau de l'integration spatiale des marches du mais afin de comprendre comment celle-ci a ete affectee par la liberalisation des prix. Les prix de detail mensuels de mais collectes sur 13 marches pour la periode 1980–2001 sont consideres. Il ressort des resultats obtenus, que l'impact de la liberalisation des prix sur l'integration des marches de mais est mitige. La liberalisation n'a pas ameliore de maniere significative le niveau de l'integration de long terme et de court terme des marches. La vitesse d'ajustement des prix est relativement lente pour la majorite des marches. En vue d'ameliorer l'efficacite du fonctionnement des marches, il est suggere que l'Etat mette en place un Systeme d'Information sur les Marches (SIM). Cet organe sera
2-(Methoxycarbonyl)quinolinium tetrachlorido(quinoline-2-carboxylato-κ2 N,O)stannate(IV) methanol solvate

In the title salt, (C11H10NO2)[SnCl4(C10H6NO2)]·CH3OH, the Sn atom is chelated by the quinolincarboxylate unit and it exists in a distorted octahedral coordination geometry. The cation is linked to the solvent molecule by an N—H⋯O hydrogen bond; the solvent molecule is linked to the anion by an O—H⋯O hydrogen bond.
Hox Genes Regulate Digit Patterning by Controlling the Wavelength of a Turing-Type Mechanism

Digit Determination Pentadactyly has been an early and rapid innovation of tetrapods. Sheth et al. (p. 1476) report that a dramatic reduction in distally expressed Hox genes, in the absence of a functional morphogen signaling pathway, results in extreme polydactyly in mice. Mutant digits exhibited patterns reminiscent of the endoskeleton of fins, suggesting that an ancestral patterning mechanism has been deeply conserved in evolution. Mouse genetics and computer modeling suggest that a reaction-diffusion mechanism defines digit pattern. The formation of repetitive structures (such as stripes) in nature is often consistent with a reaction-diffusion mechanism, or Turing model, of self-organizing systems. We used mouse genetics to analyze how digit patterning (an iterative digit/nondigit pattern) is generated. We showed that the progressive reduction in Hoxa13 and Hoxd11-Hoxd13 genes (hereafter referred to as distal Hox genes) from the Gli3-null background results in progressively more severe polydactyly, displaying thinner and densely packed digits. Combined with computer modeling, our results argue for a Turing-type mechanism underlying digit patterning, in which the dose of distal Hox genes modulates the digit period or wavelength. The phenotypic similarity with fish-fin endoskeleton patterns suggests that the pentadactyl state has been achieved through modification of an ancestral Turing-type mechanism.
Indications and Effects of Plasma Transfusions in Critically Ill Children.

RATIONALE Plasma transfusions are frequently prescribed for critically ill children, although their indications lack a strong evidence base. Plasma transfusions are largely driven by physician conceptions of need, and these are poorly documented in pediatric intensive care patients. OBJECTIVES To identify patient characteristics and to characterize indications leading to plasma transfusions in critically ill children, and to assess the effect of plasma transfusions on coagulation tests. METHODS Point-prevalence study in 101 pediatric intensive care units in 21 countries, on 6 predefined weeks. All critically ill children admitted to a participating unit were included if they received at least one plasma transfusion. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS During the 6 study weeks, 13,192 children were eligible. Among these, 443 (3.4%) received at least one plasma transfusion and were included. The primary indications for plasma transfusion were critical bleeding in 22.3%, minor bleeding in 21.2%, planned surgery or procedure in 11.7%, and high risk of postoperative bleeding in 10.6%. No bleeding or planned procedures were reported in 34.1%. Before plasma transfusion, the median international normalized ratio (INR) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) values were 1.5 and 48, respectively. After plasma transfusion, the median INR and aPTT changes were -0.2 and -5, respectively. Plasma transfusion significantly improved INR only in patients with a baseline INR greater than 2.5. CONCLUSIONS One-third of transfused patients were not bleeding and had no planned procedure. In addition, in most patients, coagulation tests are not sensitive to increases in coagulation factors resulting from plasma transfusion. Studies assessing appropriate plasma transfusion strategies are urgently needed.
Eap1p, a Novel Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4E-Associated Protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT Ribosome binding to eukaryotic mRNA is a multistep process which is mediated by the cap structure [m7G(5′)ppp(5′)N, where N is any nucleotide] present at the 5′ termini of all cellular (with the exception of organellar) mRNAs. The heterotrimeric complex, eukaryotic initiation factor 4F (eIF4F), interacts directly with the cap structure via the eIF4E subunit and functions to assemble a ribosomal initiation complex on the mRNA. In mammalian cells, eIF4E activity is regulated in part by three related translational repressors (4E-BPs), which bind to eIF4E directly and preclude the assembly of eIF4F. No structural counterpart to 4E-BPs exists in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, a functional homolog (named p20) has been described which blocks cap-dependent translation by a mechanism analogous to that of 4E-BPs. We report here on the characterization of a novel yeast eIF4E-associated protein (Eap1p) which can also regulate translation through binding to eIF4E. Eap1p shares limited homology to p20 in a region which contains the canonical eIF4E-binding motif. Deletion of this domain or point mutation abolishes the interaction of Eap1p with eIF4E. Eap1p competes with eIF4G (the large subunit of the cap-binding complex, eIF4F) and p20 for binding to eIF4E in vivo and inhibits cap-dependent translation in vitro. Targeted disruption of theEAP1 gene results in a temperature-sensitive phenotype and also confers partial resistance to growth inhibition by rapamycin. These data indicate that Eap1p plays a role in cell growth and implicates this protein in the TOR signaling cascade of S. cerevisiae.
Combining Stated Preference and Revealed Preference Methods for the Valuation of Non-market Goods

Abstract In this paper, we introduce the combining stated preference and revealed preference methods which is the state-ofthe- art method for the valuation of non-market goods. Revealed preference methods and stated preference (SP) methods have both been applied by economists in valuing non-market goods; however both methods have inherent weaknesses. In order to exploit the strengths of the various approaches while minimizing their weaknesses, combining the two methods has become an important methodological option. Up to now, a growing number of literatures of studying combing the two types of data have evolved, and researchers developed three types of models to estimate combining revealed preference and stated preference data in academic fields: discrete choice model, continuous choice model and mixed choice model. Combining stated and revealed preference methods have been developed fast especially in the transport study field in which ideas could also be leant for environmental economic studies.
User-Centric Cross-Tier Base Station Clustering and Cooperation in Heterogeneous Networks: Rate Improvement and Energy Saving

Heterogeneous cellular networks (HetNets) are to be deployed for future wireless communication to meet the ever-increasing mobile traffic demand. However, the dense and random deployment of small cells and their uncoordinated operation raise important concerns about various costs issues, among which notably is energy efficiency. Base station (BS) cooperation is set to play a key role in managing interference in HetNets. In this paper, we consider BS cooperation in the downlink HetNets where BSs from different tiers within the respective cooperative clusters jointly transmit the same data to a typical user, and in particular focus on the optimization of the energy efficiency performance. First, based on a proposed clustering model, we derive the spectral efficiency using tools from stochastic geometry. Furthermore, we formulate a power minimization problem with a minimum spectral efficiency constraint and derive the optimal received signal strength (RSS) thresholds under certain approximation. Building upon these results, we could address the problem of how to design appropriate RSS thresholds, taking into account the tradeoff between spectral efficiency and energy efficiency. Simulations show that the proposed clustering model is more energy-saving than the geometric clustering model, and deploying a multitier HetNet is significantly more energy-saving compared to a macro-only network.
MUC 1 Is A Novel Marker for the Type II Pneumocyte Lineage during Lung Carcinogenesis 1

Abnormalities in mucin-type glycoprotein expression have been docu mented in a variety of cancers, identifying these molecules as targets for immunologically based therapies and prognostic/diagnostic assays. We examined the expression of the membrane-bound MUC1 mucin in normal, histologically atypical, and neoplastic lung to determine its potential con tribution to lung carcinogenesis. In vivo, intense MUC1 immunoreactivity was present in normal type II pneumocytes as well as in a range of atypical lesions derived from type II cells and >60% of primary and metastatic non-small cell lung cancers. Expression was not associated with altered survival, although it was highly correlated with the adenocarcinoma histology. A carcinogenesis model using â€¢l-I.V-invthvl-A'-nitrosuiiiino)-1-(Jpyridyl)-l-butanone-exposed hamsters revealed that MUC1 mRNA in creased prior to the histolÃ3gica! appearance of tumors. In vitro studies using MUC1 expressing non-small cell lung cancer cell lines revealed that differentiation away from a type II cell lineage was associated with dramatic down-regulation ofMUCl. We propose that MUC1 is a powerful new marker for the type II pneumocyte cell lineage that allows us to follow the type II pneumocyte lineage during the process of lung carcinogenesis.
Climate change and influenza: the likelihood of early and severe influenza seasons following warmer than average winters

The 2012-13 influenza season had an unusually early and severe start in the US, succeeding the record mild 2011-12 influenza season, which occurred during the fourth warmest winter on record. Our analysis of climate and past US influenza epidemic seasons between 1997-98 to present indicates that warm winters tend to be followed by severe epidemics with early onset, and that these patterns are seen for both influenza A and B. We posit that fewer people are infected with influenza during warm winters, thereby leaving an unnaturally large fraction of susceptible individuals in the population going into the next season, which can lead to early and severe epidemics. In the event of continued global warming, warm winters such as that of 2011-12 are expected to occur more frequently. Our results thus suggest that expedited manufacture and distribution of influenza vaccines after mild winters has the potential to mitigate the severity of future influenza epidemics.