Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐ and reverse transcription PCR‐based minimal residual disease detection in long‐term follow‐up of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Summary. Minimal residual disease (MRD) was investigated in 52 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), using antigen receptor gene rearrangements and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for fusion transcripts as molecular targets. Patients [treated according to the Medical Research Council United Kingdom ALL (MRC UKALL) XI protocol or Total XI and XIII protocols] were monitored for a median period of 45 months (range, 9–110 months). Among 17 patients who relapsed, MRD persisted for longer (66·7%, 47·1%, 53·8% and 41·7% at 0–2, 3–5, 6–9, 10–24 months respectively) than patients who remained in continuous clinical and immunological remission (n = 35) (27·3%, 11·1%, 4·3%, 8·0%). Association between MRD tests and outcome was assessed and found to be significant at all time‐points. The difference in survival for MRD‐positive and MRD‐negative patients (using the log‐rank test) was statistically significant at all time intervals, as was risk of relapse for MRD‐positive patients (1·89, 2·20, 2·65 and 2·16) and MRD‐negative patients (0·72, 0·82, 0·65 and 0·70). Sixteen of the 52 patients had an oligoclonal pattern at presentation but oligoclonality did not have an impact on outcome. Cox regression analysis revealed that MRD assessment is an independent and prognostically significant factor during treatment and should be used for patients' stratification in future studies.
An efficient and effective method to find uninteresting items for accurate collaborative filtering

Collaborative filtering methods suffer from a data sparsity problem, which indicates that the accuracy of recommendation decreases when the user-item matrix used in recommendation is sparse. To alleviate the data sparsity problem, researches on data imputation have been done. In particular, the zero-injection method, which finds uninteresting items and imputes zero values to those items for collaborative filtering, achieves significant improvement in terms of recommendation accuracy. However, the existing zero-injection method employs the One-Class Collaborative Filtering (OCCF) method that requires a lot of time. In this paper, we propose a fast method that finds uninteresting items rapidly with preserving high recommendation accuracy. Our experimental results show that our method is faster than the existing zero-injection method and also show that the recommendation accuracy using our method is slightly higher than or similar to that of the existing zero-injection method.
Perception of airborne odors by loggerhead sea turtles

SUMMARY Sea turtles are known to detect chemical cues, but in contrast to most marine animals, turtles surface to breathe and thus potentially have access to olfactory cues both in air and in water. To determine whether sea turtles can detect airborne chemical cues, captive loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) were placed into a circular, water-filled arena in which odorants could be introduced to the air above the water surface. Air that had passed across the surface of a cup containing food elicited increased activity, diving and other behavior normally associated with feeding. By contrast, air that had passed across the surface of an identical cup containing distilled water elicited no response. Increases in activity during food odor trials occurred only after turtles surfaced to breathe and peaked in the first post-breath minute, implying that the chemical cues eliciting the responses were unlikely to have been detected while the turtles were under water. These results provide the first direct evidence that sea turtles can detect airborne odors. Under natural conditions, this sensory ability might function in foraging, navigation or both.
Micro versus macro consumption data: the cyclical properties of the consumer expenditure survey

The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX) offers the most comprehensive consumption data at the consumer level for the United States. Several previous studies have shown a large gap between per-capita consumption from the CEX and the aggregate Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) series. While previous research has focused on consumption levels, we focus on the cyclical properties of consumption. We find that the cyclical properties of consumption expenditure data from the two sources are quantitatively very different. This result calls for caution when using CEX data for business cycle research.
Theoretical Issues in International Borrowing

The current crisis in international lending points up a lesson re-learned several times in the past 150 years: the international loan markets function very differently from the textbook model of competitive lending. This paper discusses various extensions of the basic model.First, we amend the textbook model to show how limitations on a government'staxing authority may greatly affect its optimal borrowing strategy.Second, we explore the implications of adebtor country's option to repudiate debt.Third, we show that efficient lending may require collective actions by bank syndicates, and that a breakdown in collective action can result in serious inefficiencies and even financial panics.
Glass Ceilings or Sticky Floors? Statistical Discrimination in a Dynamic Model of Hiring and Promotion

I show that when two groups differ in ("i") their average skill level, ("ii") the precision with which they can signal their skill prior to entering the labour market, and/or ("iii") the frequency with which they have the opportunity to signal their skill prior to entering the labour market, then even if firms become increasingly informed regarding each worker's skill over time, equally skilled workers from different groups will have different likelihoods of making it to top jobs in the economy, even though there is no discrimination when it comes to promotion to these top jobs. Copyright © The Author(s). Journal compilation © Royal Economic Society 2008.
Investigation of techniques to measure cortisol and testosterone concentrations in coyote hair.

Long-term noninvasive sampling for endangered or elusive species is particularly difficult due to the challenge of collecting fecal samples before hormone metabolite desiccation, as well as the difficulty in collecting a large enough sample size from all individuals. Hair samples may provide an environmentally stable alternative that provides a long-term assessment of stress and reproductive hormone profiles for captive, zoo, and wild mammals. Here, we extracted and analyzed both cortisol and testosterone in coyote (Canis latrans) hair for the first time. We collected samples from 5-week old coyote pups (six female, six male) housed at the USDA-NWRC Predator Research Facility in Millville, UT. Each individual pup was shaved in six different locations to assess variation in concentrations by body region. We found that pup hair cortisol (F5,57.1 = 0.47, p = 0.80) and testosterone concentrations (F5,60 = 1.03, p = 0.41) did not differ as a function of body region. Male pups generally had higher cortisol concentrations than females (males = 17.71 ± 0.85 ng/g, females = 15.48 ± 0.24 ng/g; F1,57.0 = 5.06, p = 0.028). Comparatively, we did not find any differences between male and female testosterone concentrations (males = 2.86 ± 0.17 ng/g, females = 3.12 ± 0.21 ng/g; F1,60 = 1.42, p = 0.24). These techniques represent an attractive method in describing long-term stress and reproductive profiles of captive, zoo-housed, and wild mammal populations.
Irradiation Enhances the Efficiency of Testicular Germ Cell Transplantation in Sheep

Testis germ cell transplantation in livestock has the potential for production of transgenic genotypes and for use as an alternative to artificial insemination in animal breeding systems. In a pilot experiment, we investigated a workable protocol for testis germ cell transplantation in sheep, including donor cell isolation, rete testis injection, and microsatellite detection of donor spermatozoa in recipient semen. In a second experiment, the effect of depletion of endogenous stem cells with a single irradiation dose of 9 Gy (n = 5) or 15 Gy (n = 5) on the outcome of germ cell transplantation was investigated. Irradiation of recipient testes with a single dose of 15 Gy, followed by transplantation 6 wk after depletion, may be most advantageous because it resulted in all recipients (five of five) producing donor-derived spermatozoa, while the 9-Gy and control groups had limited success rates (two of five and one of three, respectively). Using microsatellite markers to detect the presence of donor DNA, 10 rams were identified that produced spermatozoa of donor origin. The proportion of donor DNA was between 1% and 30% of total ejaculate DNA. When three of these positive rams were used in breeding experiments, four donor-derived offspring (four of 50 [8% of progeny])resulted from a recipient in Merino to Merino transplantation. Six lambs (six of 41 [15% of progeny]) were sired by donor-derived Border Leicester sperm produced in a Merino recipient ram; however, no donor-derived offspring were detected among 34 progeny from a second Border Leicester to Merino combination. These results confirm that preparation of recipient animals with a correct dose of irradiation not only enhances the success rate of the transplantation procedure but also increases the proportion of donor spermatozoa in recipient semen. This study represents the first report of the production of live progeny following testis germ cell transplantation using irradiated recipients in a livestock species.
Co-production of Knowledge in Multi-stakeholder Processes: Analyzing Joint Experimentation as Social Learning

Abstract Purpose: Changing research design and methodologies regarding how researchers articulate with end-users of technology is an important consideration in developing sustainable agricultural practices. This paper analyzes a joint experiment as a multi-stakeholder process and contributes to understand how the way of organizing social learning affects stakeholders’ ownership of process outcomes. Design/Methodology/Approach:A learning group composed of the different stakeholders of the oil palm seed system in Benin was set around a joint experiment. We use a detailed account of the group dynamics to understand the social process. Findings: The way the process is designed and conducted has a great effect on the ownership by the participants. Methodological steps taken in this research process showed its efficacy to produce quick and positive feedback mechanisms. Stakeholders’ perspectives on what constitutes a quality oil palm seedling varied widely. Participants, mainly nursery holders, learned new production practices. Representatives of the research center learned a mismatch of recommendations with users’ contexts. Field observations further to the process indicate changes in practices among stakeholders that would be sustainable. Practical Implications: Beyond focusing on outcomes, initiatives in multi-stakeholder processes should also document and analyze social processes in order to better understand the mechanisms by which such processes foster socio-technical change, as well as identify potential institutional barriers to such processes. Originality/Value: Through a detailed analysis of group dynamics, this paper addresses an important knowledge gap in participatory agricultural development.
How do you say 'imperialism'? The English language teaching industry and the culture of imperialism in South Korea

Foreign language acquisition provides a fascinating angle from which to analyze the nature and evolving dynamics of global transformation. This thesis examines the emergence and stratospheric growth of the English Language Teaching (ELT) industry in South Korea in the context of ongoing debates over the continued relevancy of theories of cultural imperialism. A case study of the Korean conglomerate YBMISi-sa, the overwhelming leader in the Korean ELT and English publishing industry, serves as the focal point. Founded over 40 years ago, YBMISi-sa grew up under the "neo-imperial" conditions set by the USA after the Korean War. Since then, YBMSi-sa has formed many intimate brand name and business relationships with American publishing, education and media companies. Through these ventures, YBMISi-sa is aggressively seeking to expand its schools and products around the world, with the English language serving as a critical site for class formation, within and across national boundaries.
Complete Genome of a Panresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain, Isolated from a Patient with Respiratory Failure in a Canadian Community Hospital

ABSTRACT We report here the complete genome sequence of a panresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain, isolated from a patient with respiratory failure in Canada. No carbapenemase genes were identified. Carbapenem resistance is attributable to a frameshift in the oprD gene; the basis for colistin resistance remains undetermined.
Hereditary hyper-ACE-emia due to the Pro1199Leu mutation of somatic ACE as a potential pitfall in diagnosis: a first family outside Europe

Abstract Elevated plasma levels of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) are associated with granulomatous diseases. However, several families of autosomal dominant hyper-ACE-emia without disease association have already been reported. Recently, the ACE mutation c.3705C>T (Pro1199Leu) was identified as the genetic correlate in European cases of asymptomatic autosomal dominant hyper-ACE-emia. Here, we describe a first family outside Europe with asymptomatic autosomal-dominant hyper-ACE-emia due to the ACE Pro1199Leu mutation. Benign autosomal-dominant hyper-ACE-emia should be considered for differential diagnosis of elevated ACE levels worldwide. Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44:1088–9.
A 5-State Financial Distress Prediction Model

The model presented here extends previous corporate failure prediction models (e.g., Beaver [1966], Altman [1968], Altman, Haldeman, and Narayanan [1977], Ohlson [1980], Zavgren [1985], etc.) in two ways: (1) instead of the conventional failing/nonfailing dichotomy, five financial states are used to approximate the continuum of corporate financial health; and (2) instead of "classifying" a firm into a certain financial state, the new model will estimate the probabilities that a firm will enter each of the five financial states. The ranked probability scoring rule is then used to evaluate the quality of such probabilistic predictions. The first extension enables the prediction of prefailure distress in addition to ultimate failure. The second extension conforms with more recent advances in prediction methodologies (see, e.g., Epstein [1969] and Murphy and Winkler [1970]). Together, the two extensions provide a better approximation to the continuum of alternative financial judgment and actions in reality. Sections 2 and 3 explain the structure of the model and the data; section 4 explains the statistical methodology (multivariate logit analysis) and presents the constructed models. These models are evaluated in section 5.
Mass production of spores of lactic acid‐producing Rhizopus oryzae NBRC 5384 on agar plate

Mass production of sporangiospores (spores) of Rhizopus oryzae NBRC 5384 (identical to NRRL 395 and ATCC 9363) on potato‐dextrose‐agar medium was studied aiming at starting its L(+)‐lactic acid fermentation directly from spore inoculation. Various parameters including harvest time, sowed spore density, size of agar plate, height of air space, and incubation mode of plate (agar‐on‐bottom or agar‐on‐top) were studied. Ordinarily used shallow Petri dishes were found out to be unsuitable for the full growth of R. oryzae sporangiophores. In a very wide range of the sowed spore density, the smaller it was, the greater the number of the harvested spores was. It was also interesting to find out that R. oryzae grown downward vertically with a deep air space in an agar‐on‐top mode gave larger amount of spores than in an agar‐on‐bottom mode at 30°C for 7‐day cultivation. Scale‐up of the agar plate culture from 26.4 to 292 cm2 was studied, resulting in the proportional relationship between the number of the harvested spores/plate and the plate area in the deep Petri dishes. The number of plates of 50 cm in diameter needed for 100 m3 industrial submerged fermentation started directly from 2 × 105 spores/mL inoculum size was estimated as about 6, from which it was inferred that such a fermentation would be feasible. Designing a 50 cm plate and a method of spreading and collecting the spores were suggested. Bioprocess technological significance of the “full‐scale industrial submerged fermentation started directly from spore inoculation omitting pre‐culture” has been discussed. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 29:876–881, 2013
The thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSR) superfamily: Diverse proteins with related roles in neuronal development

The thrombospondins are a family of proteins found widely in the embryonic extracellular matrix. Like most matrix proteins, thrombospondins are modular and contain a series of repeated domains arrayed between globular amino and carboxyl terminal domains. In recent years, other proteins that share thrombospondin type 1 repeats, or TSRs, have been identified. These include the F‐spondin gene family, the members of the semaphorin 5 family, UNC‐5, SCO‐spondin, and others. Most of these are expressed in the developing nervous system, and many have expression patterns and in vitro properties that suggest potential roles in the guidance of cell and growth cone migration. Both cell‐ and matrix‐binding motifs have been identified in the TSRs of thrombospondin‐1, so it has been hypothesized that the properties of these diverse proteins may also depend on the presence of these repeats. Here, we review the cell biology of the TSR module, the extensive literature regarding the distribution and functions of thrombospondins and other TSR superfamily proteins, and evaluate their possible roles during the development of the nervous system. Dev Dyn;218:280–299. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Temporal Coding of Amplitude and Frequency Modulation in the Rat Auditory Cortex

The rat primary auditory cortex was explored for neuronal responses to pure tones and sinusoidally amplitude‐modulated (SAM) and frequency‐modulated (SFM) stimuli. Units showed phase‐locked responses to SAM stimulation (55%) and SFM stimulation (80%), with modulation frequencies up to 18 Hz. Tuning characteristics to the modulation frequency were mainly band‐pass with best modulation frequencies (BMFs) between 4 and 15 Hz. Units with synchronized activity to SFM stimulation showed three response types with respect to the direction of the frequency modulation: 52% were selective to the upward direction, 30% to the downward direction, and 18% had no preference. Triangular frequency modulations were used to test if units were tuned to specific modulation frequencies or to specific rates of frequency change. In the vast majority of units tested the response characteristics were strongly influenced by varying the modulation frequency, whereas varying the rate of frequency change had little effect in the stimulus range used. Units that showed phase‐locked responses to SAM and SFM stimulation had similar activity patterns in response to both types of stimuli. BMFs for SAM and SFM stimulation were significantly correlated. Intrinsic oscillations of up to 20 Hz could be seen in the spontaneous activity and after the stimuli independent of the stimulus type. Oscillation frequencies were significantly correlated with the BMFs of the respective units. The results are discussed in terms of a mechanism for periodicity detection based on a temporal code. This could be important for the recognition of complex acoustic signals.
Stress Testing the Corporate Loans Portfolio of the Swedish Financial Sector

In this study, a macroeconomic credit risk model is applied to Sweden to judge the stability of the Swedish financial system to changes in the macroeconomic environment. Default rates for each industry are regressed against the macroeconomic variables to which Sweden has the greatest exposure and then stress tests are performed on the Swedish corporate loans portfolio to determine whether structural vulnerabilities are present in the financial sector. The findings of this study suggest that Swedish financial institutions are more susceptible to shocks in the real GDP than the real interest rate. Furthermore, the Swedish financial system is found to be only moderately affected by macroeconomic shocks to the corporate loans portfolio.
Public managers and policy communities: learning to meet new challenges

Abstract: Comprehending external environments is an increasingly important facet of the work of senior public servants. The purpose of this paper is to introduce concepts that will help practitioners and academic observers to describe and analyse the structure and dynamics of policy communities. The paper first draws from the political science literature to identify different networks in policy communities, considering how the role of public managers changes from network to network, and then models policy communities as “learning” entities consisting of advocacy coalitions responding to policy challenges in competitive and cooperative interactions. The paper concludes that public managers have a special stewardship function in facilitating more productive learning within policy communities. Sommaire: Dans le cadre du travail des fonctionnaires superieurs, il devient de plus en plus important de bien comprendre l'environnement exterieur. Le present expose vise a presenter des concepts qui aideront les professionnels du metier et les theoriciens a decrire et a analyser la structure et les dynamiques des communautes qui formulent les politiques. L'expose se fonde d'abord sur la litterature dans le domaine des sciences politiques pour identifier divers reseaux'au sein de ces communautes, en tenant compte de l'evolution du role du gestionnaire public d'un reseau a l'autre, puis il presente un modele de ces communautes en tant qu'ensembles «d'apprentissage» composes de coalitions qui militent en faveur d'un certain objectif et qui interagissent de facon concurrentielle et cooperative aux defis que posent les politiques. Selon la conclusion de l'expose, les gestionnaires publics ont un role-cle dans la facilitation d'un apprentissage plus productif au sein des communautes qui decident des politiques.
Crystal Structures of Catalytic Subunit of cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase in Complex with Isoquinolinesulfonyl Protein Kinase Inhibitors H7, H8, and H89

The discovery of several hundred different protein kinases involved in highly diverse cellular signaling pathways is in stark contrast to the much smaller number of known modulators of cell signaling. Of these, the H series protein kinase inhibitors (1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H7), N-[2-(methylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (H8) N-[2-(p-Bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (H89)) are frequently used to block signaling pathways in studies of cellular regulation. To elucidate inhibition mechanisms at atomic resolution and to enable structure-based drug design of potential therapeutic modulators of signaling pathways, we determined the crystal structures of corresponding complexes with the cAPK catalytic subunit. Complexes with H7 and H8 (2.2 Å) and with H89 (2.3 Å) define the binding mode of the isoquinoline-sulfonamide derivatives in the ATP-binding site while demonstrating effects of ligand-induced structural change. Specific interactions between the enzyme and the inhibitors include the isoquinoline ring nitrogen ligating to backbone amide of Val-123 and an inhibitor side chain amide bonding to the backbone carbonyl of Glu-170. The conservation of the ATP-binding site of protein kinases allows evaluation of factors governing general selectivity of these inhibitors among kinases. These results should assist efforts in the design of protein kinase inhibitors with specific properties.