Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Extension of the Transmission Disequilibrium Test Incorporating Imprinting

The recombination rates in meioses of females and males are often different. Some genes that affect development and behavior in mammals are known to be imprinted, and >1% of all mammalian genes are believed to be imprinted. When the gene is imprinted and the recombination fractions are sex specific, the conventional transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) is shown to be still valid for testing for linkage. The power function of the TDT is derived, and the effect of the degree of imprinting on the power of the TDT is investigated. It is learned that imprinting has little effect on the power when the female and male recombination rates are equal. On the basis of case–parents trios, the transmissions from the heterozygous fathers/mothers to their affected children are separated as paternal and maternal, and two TDT-like statistics, TDTp and TDTm, are consequently constructed. It is found that the TDTp possesses a higher power than the TDT for maternal imprinting genes, and the TDTm is more powerful than the TDT for paternal imprinting genes. On the basis of the parent-of-origin effects test statistic (POET), a novel statistic, TDT incorporating imprinting (TDTI) is proposed to test for linkage in the presence of linkage disequilibrium, which is shown to be more powerful than the TDT when parent-of-origin effects are significant but slightly less powerful than the TDT when parent-of-origin effects are negligible. The validity of the TDT and TDTI is assessed by simulation. The power approximation formulas for the TDT and TDTI are derived and the simulation results show that they are accurate. The simulation study on power comparison shows that the TDTI outperforms the TDT for imprinted genes. The improvement can be substantial in the case of complete paternal/maternal imprinting.
Effect of Multivitamin Supplementation on Measles Vaccine Response among HIV-Exposed Uninfected Tanzanian Infants

ABSTRACT Immunization and nutritional interventions are mainstays of child health programs in sub-Saharan Africa, yet few published data exist on their interactions. HIV-exposed (but uninfected) infants enrolled in a randomized placebo-controlled trial of multivitamin supplements (vitamins B complex, C, and E) conducted in Tanzania were sampled for an assessment of measles IgG quantity and avidity at 15 to 18 months. Infants were vaccinated between 8.5 and 12 months of age, and all mothers received high-dose multivitamins as the standard of care. Of 201 HIV-exposed infants who were enrolled, 138 (68.7%) were seropositive for measles. There were no effects of infant multivitamin supplementation on measles seroconversion proportions, IgG concentrations, or IgG avidity (P > 0.05). The measles seroconversion proportion was greater for HIV-exposed infants vaccinated at 10 to 11 months of age than for those vaccinated at 8.5 to 10 months (P = 0.032) and greater for infants whose mothers had a CD4 T-cell count of <200 cells/μl than for infants whose mothers had a CD4 T-cell count of >350 cells/μl (P = 0.039). Stunted infants had a significantly decreased IgG quantity compared to nonstunted infants (P = 0.012). As for measles avidity, HIV-exposed infants vaccinated at 10 to 11 months had increased antibody avidity compared to those vaccinated at 8.5 to 10 months (P = 0.031). Maternal CD4 T-cell counts of <200 cells/μl were associated with decreased avidity compared to counts of >350 cells/μl (P = 0.047), as were lower infant height-for-age z-scores (P = 0.016). Supplementation with multivitamins containing B complex, C, and E does not appear to improve measles vaccine responses for HIV-exposed infants. Studies are needed to better characterize the impact of maternal HIV disease severity on the immune system development of HIV-exposed infants and the effect of malnutrition interventions on vaccine responses. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT00197730.)
Economic Theory and the Welfare State

This authoritative collection brings together 100 key articles on the subject of the welfare state selected by one of the world’s leading experts. The first volume discusses the economic theory and related matters which underpin analysis of the welfare state. Volume II is about income transfers, especially social security benefits and poverty relief. Volume III looks at benefits in kind, particularly health care and education. This important work provides an analytical background to the subject whilst illustrating the vast array of literature available. It will be invaluable to students and professionals alike.
Involvement of adiponectin-SIRT1-AMPK signaling in the protective action of rosiglitazone against alcoholic fatty liver in mice.

The development of alcoholic fatty liver is associated with reduced adipocyte-derived adiponectin levels, decreased hepatic adiponectin receptors, and deranged hepatic adiponectin signaling in animals. Peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) plays a key role in the regulation of adiponectin in adipose tissue. The aim of the present study was to test the ability of rosiglitazone, a known PPAR-gamma agonist, to reverse the inhibitory effects of ethanol on adiponectin expression and its hepatic signaling, and to attenuate alcoholic liver steatosis in mice. Mice were fed modified Lieber-DeCarli ethanol-containing liquid diets for 4 wk or pair-fed control diets. Four groups of mice were given a dose of either 3 or 10 mg.kg body wt(-1). day(-1) of rosiglitazone with or without ethanol in their diets for the last 2 wk of the feeding study. Coadministration of rosiglitazone and ethanol increased the expression and circulating levels of adiponectin and enhanced the expression of hepatic adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs) in mice. These increases correlated closely with the activation of a hepatic sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)-AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) signaling system. In concordance with stimulated SIRT1-AMPK signaling, rosiglitazone administration enhanced expression of fatty acid oxidation enzymes, normalized lipin 1 expression, and blocked elevated expression of genes encoding lipogenic enzymes which, in turn, led to increased fatty acid oxidation, reduced lipogenesis, and alleviation of steatosis in the livers of ethanol-fed mice. Enhanced hepatic adiponectin-SIRT1-AMPK signaling contributes, at least in part, to the protective action of rosiglitazone against alcoholic fatty liver in mice.
α2‐macroglobulin stimulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in macrophages via the mannose receptor for Fcγ receptor‐mediated phagocytosis activation

Macrophage phagocytic activity has previously been shown to be increased by binding of modified α2‐macroglobulin (α2M) with mannose residues at termini of sugar chains to mannose receptors on macrophages, with a subsequent increase in the number of Fcγ receptors at the cell surface. In the present study, an examination was made of the association of protein tyrosine kinase with the increase in number of Fcγ receptors following binding of modified α2M to mannose receptors. The phagocytosis of IgG‐opsonized sheep red blood cells through the action of the Fcγ receptor by modified α2M was inhibited by mannose and herbimycin A and slightly so by genistein. The mannose receptor would thus appear to be associated with tyrosine kinase activity. By Western blotting, tyrosine phosphorylated proteins with molecular weights of 32 000, 34 000, 36 000, 65 000, 85 000 and 110 000 appeared or increased upon treating macrophages with modified α2M. The degree of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins was the same for control macrophages following incubation in the presence of mannose and herbimycin A. Genistein treatment affected only tyrosine phosphorylated proteins of 65 000 and 110 000. The binding of modified α2M to mannose receptors was demonstrated by the inducement of tyrosine kinase activation that was sensitive to herbimycin A, followed by an increase in Fcγ receptors and consequently greater phagocytosis.
Evidence that in situ generated reactive oxygen species act as a potent stage I tumor promoter in mouse skin.

A body of indirect evidence has suggested the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumor promotion. However, direct evidence for the involvement of in situ generated ROS in tumor promotion is lacking at present. This study provides the first in situ evidence for the involvement of ROS in stage I tumor promotion. Earlier we have shown that parenteral administration of Photofrin-II (a mixture of porphyrins) to mice followed by their exposure to visible light generates ROS. In this study we further provide E.S. R. spectral evidence that both O2. - and . OH radicals are generated during tissue photosensitization. The free radicals/ROS generation is followed by the development of cutaneous inflammation which is maximum at six hours after photosensitization and develops in a dose dependent manner. The epidermal myeloperoxidase activity which represents neutrophil infiltration is also increased more than 160% of the control value. The histopathology of skin tissues of 7,12 dimethyl benz(a)anthracene initiated mice receiving multiple treatments of Pf-II and light for a period of four weeks indicates pronounced epidermal hyperplasia, glandular hyperplasia, dark basal keratinocytes induction characterized by the high uptake of the dye and frequent neutrophil infiltrations. Our data indicate that ROS generated in situ as a result of porphyrin-mediated cutaneous photosensitization results in the development of changes characteristic of stage I tumor promotion in murine skin.
Traffic speed prediction under weekday using convolutional neural networks concepts

For providing drivers with robust traffic information and Optimizing the energy management of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), it is important to predict traffic information accurately with past traffic information. As acquisition of the traffic information have been easier by the development of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), active study on traffic prediction is currently underway. Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) model have been widely utilized for predicting traffic information since it is appropriate to represent the non-linear characteristics inherent in traffic prediction. However, the MLP model doesn't reflect local dependencies of traffic data and is prone to noise in traffic data. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) based model, on the other hand, can capture the local dependencies of traffic data and is less prone to disturbance in data. In this paper, we use temporal data and speed data collected on main roads in Seoul, South Korea to construct traffic prediction models. The speed data which are collected by every 5 minutes are provided by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in South Korea. We construct the CNN based model and two MLP models which predict traffic speed and compare performance of the prediction models in this paper. The comparison results show that the CNN based model's prediction performance is higher than the prediction performance of the other two MLP models.
Is Post Cardiopulmonary Bypass Dysfunction a Special Form of Stunning?

Abstract It has been suggested that cardioplegic arrest during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) produces global myocardial ischemia with a risk of myocardial stunning. It has also been postulated that anesthetic technique may affect the course of post‐CPB myocardial stunning via exaggerated myocardial depression. However, we have previously found that global ventricular and regional myocardial responses to halothane do not differ in post‐CPB and pre‐CPB dogs. Our examination of the effects of CPB on the beta‐adrenergic function revealed that beta‐adrenergic receptor function is only slightly decreased immediately following (i.e., 1 min) and 30 minutes post‐CPB. A dose‐response relationship was established for dobutamine, with decreased responsiveness noted at both times. Since other data show normal inotropic stimulation of stunned myocardium, decreases in dobutamine responsiveness cannot be explained by beta‐receptor desensitization. Overall, these data indicate that CPB does not result in myocardial stunning. The differences between these data and others showing myocardial stunning following CPB may be due to several factors, such as anesthetic regimen, lack of coronary blood flow abnormalities, and a reduction in sarcoplasmic reticular damage due to the hypothermic conditions used.
Engagement in HIV care and sexual transmission risk behavior among men who have sex with men using online social/sexual networking in Latin America

HIV/AIDS in Latin America is concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM). However, accurate estimates of engagement in HIV care in this population can be difficult to ascertain because many do not self-identify as MSM. Given evidence of decreased HIV transmissibility in the context of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, identifying individuals not in care who are engaging in HIV transmission risk behavior is crucial for secondary prevention. Primary aims of this study were to examine engagement in care from testing to ART adherence among MSM using online social/sexual networking across Latin America, and whether individuals not in care at each step reported greater sexual transmission risk behavior than those in care. In the overall sample (n = 28,779), approximately 75% reported ever being tested for HIV, and 9% reported having received an HIV diagnosis. Among known HIV-infected individuals, 20% reported not being in care, 30% reported not taking ART, and 55% reported less than 100% ART adherence. Over one-third of HIV-infected individuals reported sexual HIV transmission risk behavior, defined as unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with a male partner of different/unknown HIV serostatus in the past three months. HIV-infected individuals not engaged in care more often reported UAI compared to those in care (OR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.01–1.66). Although not statistically significant, HIV-infected individuals not on ART more often reported UAI compared to those on ART (OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 0.94–1.47). Individuals who reported less than 100% ART adherence more often reported UAI compared to individuals with 100% adherence (OR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.26–1.90). Findings demonstrate that a substantial portion of HIV-infected MSM in Latin America who are likely not virologically suppressed from lack of ART use or adherence report sexual HIV transmission risk. Tailoring secondary HIV prevention for MSM in Latin America who are not in HIV care or adherent to ART may be warranted.
Psychosocial predictors of first attendance for organised mammography screening

Objective To study psychosocial predictors of attendance at an organised breast cancer screening programme. Setting Finnish screening programme based on personal first round invitations in 1992–94, and with 90% attendance rate. Methods Attenders (n=946) belonged to a 10% random sample (n=1680 women, age 50, response rate 64%) of the target population (n=16 886), non-attenders (n=641, 38%) came from the whole target population. Predictors were measured one month before the screening invitation. Measures included items for social and behavioural factors, Breast Cancer Susceptibility Scale, Illness Attitude Scale, Health Locus of Control Scale, Anxiety Inventory, and Depression Inventory. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to predict attendance. Results Those most likely to attend were working, middle income, and averagely educated women, who had not had a mass mammogram recently, but who regularly visited gynaecologists, attended for Pap smear screening, practised breast self examination, and who did not smoke. Low confidence in their own capabilities in breast cancer prevention, overoptimism about the sensitivity of mammography, and perception of breast cancer risk as moderate were also predictive of attendance. Expectation of pain at mammography was predictive of non-attendance. Conclusion Mammography screening organised as a public health service was well accepted. A recent mammogram, high reliance on self control of breast cancer, and an expectation of pain at mammography deterred attendance at screening. Further information about these factors and health information on screening are needed.
Visibility driven visualization of 3D cardiac ultrasound data on the GPU

Direct volume rendering (DVR) has become a widely used technique for visualizing anatomical structures in medical 3D datasets The aim of this study was to locally adapt the opacity transfer function (OTF) in order to improve the results achieved when rendering 3D echocardiographic datasets using DVR. A novel approach for defining locally adaptive OTFs has been tested and adapted to echo data and implemented on the GPU. The local OTF is modeled as a truncated second order polynomial. The algorithm locates significant transitions along the ray profile (feature detection along the ray) in order to estimate an opacity threshold (below which all values are considered transparent) and the steepness of the polynomial for each ray. A reference global OTF and the locally adaptive algorithm have been implemented on a GPU using OpenCL and tested on a dataset of nine 3D echo recordings. The rendering resolution is 512×512×300, while average timing is 28ms, 104ms for the reference and the new method respectively. The locally adaptive OTFs were able to compensate for high variations in tissue (and such reducing wall drop-outs) and blood pool signal (reducing spurious structures inside the cavity). The method depends on a number of user defined parameters, determining these values robustly is subject of ongoing research.
Echocardiography in the Potential Heart Donor

Background. The relationship between echocardiographic left ventricular(LV) systolic function (E-function) and pulmonary artery catheter(PAC) assessment of hemodynamic function (H-function) in potential heart donors is ill defined. We investigated this and determined (a) whether optimization could improve abnormal E-function, (b) feasibility and usefulness of repeat transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and (c) whether thyroid status and therapy affected E-function. Materials and Methods. Transthoracic E-function imaging was performed at baseline and 4 hr in potential donors (enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of tri-iodothyronine±methylprednisolone [MP] therapy) undergoing PAC-guided algorithmic optimization. Images were analyzed post hoc for LV wall thickness, ejection fraction, and Tei index. Results. The study comprised 66 donors. Both LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and LV-Tei correlated with cardiac index (CI; P<0.001), and LV Tei was most frequently measurable and repeatable(P=0.01). Normal LVEF independently predicted end-assessment H-functional suitability (odds ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 1.007–1.088 [P=0.021]) but had poor specificity. Initial subnormal E-function was identified in 29 of 66 of hearts, of which 58% (17/29) achieved H-function suitability criteria. In 52 hearts, repeat E-function assessment was possible. Nineteen of 52 had initially subnormal E-function, which improved in over half (53%). H-function could be manipulated to meet functional suitability criteria for transplant even without E-function change. Neither initial thyroid status nor hormonal therapy affected LV function. Conclusions. Echocardiography is possible in most potential heart donors. Normal E-function predicts hemodynamic suitability for transplantation but lacks specificity. More than 50% of hearts with subnormal E-function can attain hemodynamic transplantation criteria after donor management. Repeat echocardiography is feasible but has a limited role. Both initial echocardiography and PAC-guided management should be used routinely.
Fracture Properties of Thermal Silicon Oxide Thin Films from the Load-Deflection of Long SiNx/SiO2 Membranes

The bulge test was successfully extended to the determination of the fracture properties of silicon oxide/silicon nitride thin film sandwiches. This was achieved by using long membranes and applying a comprehensive mechanical model describing the mechanical response of these membranes deflected into a plane-strain deflection profile under a differential pressure. The model is able to cope with thin films with arbitrary z-dependent prestress and plane-strain modulus, where z denotes the coordinate perpendicular to the membrane. It consistently takes into account the bending rigidity and the stretching stiffness of the layered material and enables accurate calculations of the load-deflection response and of the stress distribution throughout the composite membrane as a function of the load, and in particular at the critical pressure leading to the fracture of the membranes. The method was applied to six different types of membranes made of 300-nm-thick LPCVD silicon nitride and 450-nm-thick to 980-nm-thick thermal silicon oxide films produced at 950 deg C and at 1000 deg C. Extracted prestress levels, plane-strain moduli, and fracture stresses are 0.97 plusmn 0.05 GPa, 301.7 plusmn 36.1 GPa, and 9.7 plusmn 0.3 GPa, respectively, for the LPCVD silicon nitride. For the silicon oxide -236.5 plusmn 49.0 MPa, 69.8 plusmn 46.1 GPa, and 0.8 GPa to 1.48 GPa were found for the prestress, plane-strain modulus, and fracture stress, respectively
Benchmarking Infrastructure Project Finance: Objectives, Roadmap, and Recent Progress

In this article, the authors examine the objectives, roadmap, and recent progress of academic research with respect to benchmarking the financial performance of privately held infrastructure debt or equity investment, with a focus on the recent development of a new framework to collect data and evaluate such assets. To determine a way forward, the authors start with the reasons that infrastructure investment benchmarks are in demand and list the key questions that such benchmarks should be expected to help answer. Unfortunately, these questions remain very difficult to answer today, for lack of relevant information. Hence, the authors propose a roadmap to develop a definition, valuation, data-collection, and portfolio-construction framework of privately held infrastructure debt and equity cash flows designed to answer these important questions.
Severe Hypercholesterolemia, Hypertriglyceridemia, and Atherosclerosis in Mice Lacking Both Leptin and the Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor*

Leptin-deficient mice (ob/ob) are an excellent murine model for obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes, all of which are components of a multiple risk factor syndrome that, along with hypercholesterolemia, precipitates a potential high risk for atherosclerosis. In the current study, we show an unexpectedly severe hyperlipidemia in ob/ob mice on a background of low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) deficiency (−/−). Doubly mutant mice (LDLR−/−;ob/ob) exhibited striking elevations in both total plasma cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels (1715 ± 87 and 1016 ± 172 mg/dl, respectively), at age 3–4 months, resulting in extensive atherosclerotic lesions throughout the aorta by 6 months. Lipoprotein analyses revealed the elevated TC and TG levels to be due to a large increase in an apoB-containing broad-β remnant lipoprotein fraction. While fasting, diet restriction, and low level leptin treatment significantly lowered TG levels, they caused only slight changes in TC levels. Hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride contents as well as mRNA levels of cholesterologenic and lipogenic enzymes suggest that leptin deficiency increased hepatic triglyceride production but did not change cholesterol production in ob/ob mice regardless of their LDLR genotype. These data provide evidence that the hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia in the doubly mutant mice are caused by distinct mechanisms and point to the possibility that leptin might have some impact on plasma cholesterol metabolism, possibly through an LDLR-independent pathway. This model will be an excellent tool for future studies on the relationship between impaired fuel metabolism, increased plasma remnant lipoproteins, diabetes, and atherosclerosis.