Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Histochemical correlates of (15)O-water-perfusable tissue fraction in experimental canine studies of old myocardial infarction.

UNLABELLED A method has been proposed to quantitate the myocardial water-perfusable tissue fraction (PTF) in the area of hypoperfused asynergic segments using (15)O-water (H2(15)O) and PET. This study investigated the histochemical correlates of PTF (and perfusable tissue index, PTI) in a canine model of old myocardial infarction. METHODS Myocardial infarction was produced in 12 mongrel dogs, and PET was performed 1 mo later, providing quantitative parametric images of PTF, regional myocardial blood flow (MBF), and extravascular density from H2(15)O, (15)O-carbon monoxide, and transmission datasets. At the end of scanning, the myocardium was sectioned, and the PET images were compared directly with the corresponding myocardial sections. RESULTS The distribution of tissue necrosis identified by histochemical staining corresponded well with the defect in PTF but not in MBF. PTF agreed with the equilibrium images of myocardial H2(15)O distribution, obtained after injection of a large bolus of H2(15)O. The defect surface area identified on PTF agreed well quantitatively with the morphometric estimates of the surface area of myocardial infarction. PTI agreed with the absolute proportion of histochemically defined normal myocardium (0.87 +/- 0.09 and 0.83 +/- 0.08, respectively; P < 0.01). Both PTF and PTI decreased significantly in segments of myocardial infarction and showed a significant difference between the transmural and nontransmural myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION The absolute mass and proportion of histochemically defined noninfarcted tissue may be quantitated with PTF and PTI in the area of myocardial infarction segments.
Not All Brains Are Made the Same: New Views on Brain Scaling in Evolution

Evolution has generated mammalian brains that vary by a factor of over 100,000 in mass. Despite such tremendous diversity, brain scaling in mammalian evolution has tacitly been considered a homogeneous phenomenon in terms of numbers of neurons, neuronal density, and the ratio between glial and neuronal cells, with brains of different sizes viewed as similarly scaled-up or scaled-down versions of a shared basic plan. According to this traditional view, larger brains would have more neurons, smaller neuronal densities (and, hence, larger neurons), and larger glia/neuron ratios than smaller brains. Larger brains would also have a cerebellum that maintains its relative size constant and a cerebral cortex that becomes relatively larger to the point that brain evolution is often equated with cerebral cortical expansion. Here I review our recent data on the numbers of neuronal and nonneuronal cells that compose the brains of 28 mammalian species belonging to 3 large clades (Eulipotyphla, Glires, and Primata, plus the related Scandentia) and show that, contrary to the traditional notion of shared brain scaling, both the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum scale in size as clade-specific functions of their numbers of neurons. As a consequence, neuronal density and the glia/neuron ratio do not scale universally with structure mass and, most importantly, mammalian brains of a similar size can hold very different numbers of neurons. Remarkably, the increased relative size of the cerebral cortex in larger brains does not reflect an increased relative concentration of neurons in the structure. Instead, the cerebral cortex and cerebellum appear to gain neurons coordinately across mammalian species. Brain scaling in evolution, hence, should no longer be equated with an increasing dominance of the cerebral cortex but rather with the concerted addition of neurons to both the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum. Strikingly, all brains appear to gain nonneuronal cells in a similar fashion, with relatively constant nonneuronal cell densities. As a result, while brain size can no longer be considered a proxy for the number of brain neurons across mammalian brains in general, it is actually a very good proxy for the number of nonneuronal cells in the brain. Together, these data point to developmental mechanisms that underlie evolutionary changes in brain size in mammals: while the rules that determine how neurons are added to the brain during development have been largely free to vary in mammalian evolution across clades, the rules that determine how other cells are added in development have been mostly constrained and to this day remain largely similar both across brain structures and across mammalian groups.
Transforming growth factor β-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition requires the Ste20-like kinase SLK independently of its catalytic activity

Invasion can be stimulated in vitro using the soluble ligand transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) to induce a process called epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) characterized by cell-cell junction breakdown and an invasive phenotype. We have previously demonstrated a role for Ste20-like kinase SLK cell migration and invasion. Here we show that SLK depletion in NMuMG mammary epithelial cells significantly impairs their TGFβ-induced migration and invasion. Immunofluorescence studies show that a fraction of SLK localizes to E-cadherin-positive adherens junction and that SLK impairs the breakdown of cell-cell contacts. We find that SLK-depleted cultures express significantly lower levels of vimentin protein as well as Snai1 and E-cadherin mRNA levels following TGF-β treatment. Surprisingly, our data show that SLK depletion does not affect the activation and nuclear translocation of Smad3. Furthermore, we show that expression of a dominant negative kinase does not impair tight junction breakdown and rescues Snai1 mRNA expression levels. Together these data suggest that SLK plays a novel role in TGFβ-induced EMT, independent of Smads, in a kinase activity-independent manner.
Online learning and forecast combination in unbalanced panels

ABSTRACT This article evaluates the performance of a few newly proposed online forecast combination algorithms and compares them with some of the existing ones including the simple average and that of Bates and Granger (1969). We derive asymptotic results for the new algorithms that justify certain established approaches to forecast combination including trimming, clustering, weighting, and shrinkage. We also show that when implemented on unbalanced panels, different combination algorithms implicitly impute missing data differently, so that the performance of the resulting combined forecasts are not comparable. After explicitly imputing the missing observations in the U.S. Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF) over 1968 IV-2013 I, we find that the equally weighted average continues to be hard to beat, but the new algorithms can potentially deliver superior performance at shorter horizons, especially during periods of volatility clustering and structural breaks.
Varied Patterns of HIV-1 Drug Resistance on Failing First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy in South Africa

Background:The South African national antiretroviral therapy roll-out program is entering its sixth year, with over 570,000 adults accessing treatment. HIV-1 drug resistance is a potential consequence of therapy. This study determined the pattern of HIV-1 drug resistance mutations after failure of first-line treatment regimens in South Africa. Methods:Two hundred and twenty-six patients virologically failing first-line regimens were studied to determine resistance patterns. Results:The most common reverse transcriptase mutation was M184V/I (72%; n = 163); 11% of patients (n = 25) had only nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) mutations and 17% (n = 38) had no known resistance mutations. The K65R mutation was detected in 4%. The frequency of thymidine analog mutations was significantly higher with azidothymidine-containing (31 of 57) than stavudine-containing regimens (39 of 169; P < 0.001). The Y181C mutation was more frequent with failure of nevirapine (NVP)-containing (26%) than efavirenz (EFV)-containing therapy (3%; P < 0.001). The V106M mutation was more frequent with EFV (30%) than NVP (4%; P = 0.012). Conclusions:HIV-1 drug resistance patterns varied broadly after failure of first-line therapy, ranging from no known resistance mutations (17%) to multinucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and NNRTI resistance (23%). NNRTI mutation profiles differed for patients on EFV- compared with NVP-containing regimens. Overall, these findings suggest that HIV-1 drug resistance testing would be useful in identifying most appropriate second-line regimens.
Financial Deepening of Insurance and Economic Growth in Kenya

The depth of financial sector has been found to promote economic growth. The indemnification and risk pooling properties of insurance facilitate commercial transactions and provision of credit by mitigating losses as well as the measuring and management of non diversifiable risk thus promoting economic activities. Study was set out to examine the relationship between economic growth and insurance penetration in Kenya. The study employed a causal study design. Secondary data was obtained from published reports of Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) and Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) specifically the Annual Insurance Reports and Economic Surveys respectively. The target population was all the 45 Insurance companies registered for operation in Kenya. The study covered six years from 2003 to 2008. Insurance penetration ratio increased by 0.10% to stand at 2.7% in 2008. The long term business accounted for 0.9% and general business accounted for 1.8%. According to the regression equation established, taking insurance penetration factor into account constant at zero, economic growth will still be experienced at 8.395. The data findings analyzed also shows that taking all other independent variables at zero, a unit increase in insurance penetration ratio will lead to 1.375 increase in economic growth rate by 1.375.
Addition of nuclear DNA content to the AMES risk-group classification for papillary thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess whether nuclear DNA content added prognostic value to existing risk factors in patients with papillary thyroid cancer. METHODS Nuclear DNA content was measured both on the fine needle aspiration material and the surgical specimen in 73 patients with primary or recurrent papillary thyroid cancer. We modified the existing age of patient, presence of distant metastases, extent and size of the tumor (AMES) risk-group classification to include DNA ploidy with AMES (DAMES). Patients with euploid tumors that were AMES low risk were considered to be DAMES low risk; patients with euploid tumors that were AMES high risk became intermediate risk, and patients with aneuploid tumors that were AMES high risk became DAMES high risk. RESULTS Forty-eight patients were in the DAMES low-risk group. Recurrences and/or distant metastases developed in only four (8%) of these patients. Twenty-two patients were in the DAMES intermediate-risk group. Twelve (55%) of the intermediate-risk group had residual, recurrent, or distant metastatic disease, with one death from cancer at 120 months. Three patients were in the DAMES high-risk group. Distant metastases developed in all three patients, who died within 24 months from thyroid cancer. A statistically significant difference existed in the development of recurrence/metastases or death from cancer in the DAMES high-risk group compared with the other risk groups combined. CONCLUSIONS Nuclear DNA content adds prognostic value to the existing AMES risk-group classification. Because DNA analysis on fine needle aspiration correlated well with the surgical specimen DNA analysis, this modified classification can be used perioperatively to further individualize the treatment of patients with papillary thyroid cancer.
New York Stock Exchange Trading in Perspective

THE SHARP INCREASE in stock market trading during 1967 and 1968 astonished Wall Street observers and forced unprecedented closings of the New York Stock Exchange to enable brokers to catch up with the attendant paperwork. Yet, the last half century has provided numerous instances of sharp increases in trading similar to that of 1967 and 1968. In fact, these surges have recurred frequently enough to create a cycle in the NYSE turnover rate (the number of shares traded annually as a per cent of the shares listed). This paper explores the nature of these cycles and draws implications about future trading from them.
The risk of acquiring hepatitis A and B among travelers in selected Eastern and Southern Europe and non-European Mediterranean countries: review and consensus statement on hepatitis A and B vaccination.

Large numbers of Europeans travel frequently to destinations both near and far, and there is a growing trend toward shorter but more frequent trips.1 Traditional destinations for European (EU) travelers, such as France, Italy, and Spain, have shown only limited tourism growth in recent years, with these countries experiencing growth of 2.4, 0.6, and 3.3%, respectively, in 2000 to 2001. Many more Europeans now visit non‐EU Mediterranean destinations, for example, Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey (which experienced growth of 17, 49, and 29%, respectively, in 2004), and newly emerging travel destinations in Eastern and Southern Europe, for example, Croatia (which experienced growth of 6% in 2004). 2 Importantly, travel to such destinations is not generally perceived as a potential health risk3 in the same way as travel to more “exotic” destinations (eg, Thailand, Mexico). Many Europeans traveling to Turkey or to North Africa, for example, do not consider themselves to be at major risk of infection with the hepatitis A virus (HAV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV). 4,5 There is a need to ensure that international vaccination recommendations reflect these changing travel trends and address uncertainties about the risk of HAV and HBV, particularly in newer travel destinations. Furthermore, the development and adoption of standardized HAV vaccination statements is an important public health issue. In January 2005, a panel of EU travel medicine, public health, and epidemiology experts met in Vienna, Austria. The aim of the meeting was to provide a responsible assessment of currently available data regarding HAV and HBV epidemiology and vaccination recommendations for nonimmune travelers visiting specific Eastern and Southern Europe and non‐EU Mediterranean (ESENEM) destinations. Countries considered by the panel were Albania, Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, …
Plus and Minus Sexual Agglutinins from Chlamydomonas reinhardtiiw⃞

Gametes of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii undergo sexual adhesion via enormous chimeric Hyp-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs), the plus and minus sexual agglutinins, that are displayed on their flagellar membrane surfaces. We have previously purified the agglutinins and analyzed their structural organization using electron microscopy. We report here the cloning and sequencing of the Sag1 and Sad1 genes that encode the two agglutinins and relate their derived amino acid sequences and predicted secondary structure to the morphology of the purified proteins. Both agglutinin proteins are organized into three distinct domains: a head, a shaft in a polyproline II configuration, and an N-terminal domain. The plus and minus heads are related in overall organization but poorly conserved in sequence except for two regions of predicted hydrophobic α-helix. The shafts contain numerous repeats of the PPSPX motif previously identified in Gp1, a cell wall HRGP. We propose that the head domains engage in autolectin associations with the distal termini of their own shafts and suggest ways that adhesion may involve head–head interactions, exolectin interactions between the heads and shafts of opposite type, and antiparallel shaft–shaft interactions mediated by carbohydrates displayed in polyproline II configurations.
Interfacial Engineering of Hierarchically Porous NiTi/Hydrogels Nanocomposites with Exceptional Antibiofouling Surfaces

Seamlessly bridging the hard and the soft, a strategy to fabricate hierarchically porous NiTi/hydrogels nanocomposites is reported. The nanocomposite surface can hold high-content water while keeping its hierarchical nanoscale topography, thus showing exceptional antibiofouling performance. This strategy will lead to antibiofouling alloy (e.g., NiTi)/hydrogel nanocomposites for improved stents and other blood-contacting implants and medical devices.
The Role of the Primary Care Physician in Patients' Adherence to Antidepressant Therapy

In this study, the authors attempted to determine predictors of adherence to antidepressant therapy and to identify specific educational messages, side effects, and features of doctor-patient collaboration that influence adherence. Patients newly prescribed antidepressants for depression at a health maintenance organization were identified by using automated pharmacy data and medical records review. Patients (n = 155) were interviewed 1 and 4 months after starting antidepressant medication. Approximately 28% of patients stopped taking antidepressants during the first month of therapy, and 44% had stopped taking them by the third month of therapy. Patients who received the following five specific educational messages—1) take the medication daily; 2) antidepressants must be taken for 2 to 4 weeks for a noticeable effect; 3) continue to take medicine even if feeling better; 4) do not stop taking antidepressant without checking with the physician; and 5) specific instructions regarding what to do to resolve questions regarding antidepressants—were more likely to comply during the first month of antidepressant therapy. Asking about prior experience with antidepressants and discussions about scheduling pleasant activities also were related to early adherence. Side effects, only at severe levels, were associated with early noncompliance. Neuroticism, depression severity, and other patient characteristics did not predict adherence. Primary care physicians may be able to enhance adherence to antidepressant therapy by simple and specific educational messages easily integrated into primary care visits.
Belief in demons and exorcism in psychiatric patients in Switzerland.

Belief in demons as the cause of mental health problems is a well-known phenomenon in many cultures of the world. However, there is little literature on this phenomenon in Protestant subcultures of the West. The author conducted a systematic investigation of the prevalence of this attribution in 343 mainly Protestant out-patients of a psychiatric clinic in Switzerland, who described themselves as religious. Of these, 129 (37.6 per cent) believed in the possible causation of their problems through the influence of evil spirits, labelling this as 'occult bondage' or 'possession'. One hundred and four patients (30.3 per cent) sought help through ritual 'prayers for deliverance' and exorcism. Prevalence of such practices was significantly related to diagnosis (p < .01) and to church affiliation (p < .005). Patients in charismatic free churches suffering from anxiety disorders and schizophrenia reported the highest rate of exorcistic rituals (70 per cent), and patients with adjustment disorders from traditional state churches the lowest (14 per cent). The various forms and functions of these healing rituals are described. Although many patients subjectively experienced the rituals as positive, outcome in psychiatric symptomatology was not improved. Negative outcome, such as psychotic decompensation, is associated with the exclusion of medical treatment and coercive forms of exorcism.
The Choice of the Tax System

The paper considers the choice of a tax system in the transition from socialism. The paper reviews the tax system in Bulgaria inherited from socialism and revenues generated in the early transition. It then describes the relatively high tax rate, Western European-type tax system introduced in Bulgaria in the early 1990s. It considers the question whether, in view of tax evasion and limited administrative and enforcement capacities of the tax authorities, a more modest tax structure might not have been more appropriate.
Understanding the mechanism(s) of mosaic trisomy 21 by using DNA polymorphism analysis.

In order to investigate the mechanism(s) underlying mosaicism for trisomy 21, we genotyped 17 families with mosaic trisomy 21 probands, using 28 PCR-detectable DNA polymorphic markers that map in the pericentromeric region and long arm of chromosome 21. The percentage of cells with trisomy 21 in the probands' blood lymphocytes was 6%-94%. There were two classes of autoradiographic results: In class I, a "third allele" of lower intensity was detected in the proband's DNA for at least two chromosome 21 markers. The interpretation of this result was that the proband had inherited three chromosomes 21 after meiotic nondisjunction (NDJ) (trisomy 21 zygote) and subsequently lost one because of mitotic (somatic) error, the lost chromosome 21 being that with the lowest-intensity polymorphic allele. The parental origin and the meiotic stage of NDJ could also be determined. In class II, a "third allele" was never detected. In these cases, the mosaicism probably occurred either by a postzygotic, mitotic error in a normal zygote that followed a normal meiosis (class IIA mechanism); by premeiotic, mitotic NDJ yielding an aneusomic zygote after meiosis, and subsequent mitotic loss (class IIB mechanism); or by a meiosis II error with lack of crossover in the preceding meiosis I, followed by mitotic loss after fertilization (class IIC mechanism). Among class II mechanisms, the most likely is mechanism IIA, while IIC is the least likely. There were 10 cases of class I and 7 cases of class II results. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Minimum-Bending-Energy Needle Model for Closed-Loop Localization During Image-Guided Insertion

Accurate needle placement is critical to the success of needle-based interventions. Needle deflection due to tissue non-homogeneity and dynamic forces results in targeting error, potentially requiring repeated insertions. Real-time imaging enables closed-loop control of the needle during insertion, improving insertion accuracy. The needle localization algorithm proposed in this thesis models the needle as a parametric polynomial equation optimized to minimize beam bending energy relative to a set of observed needle coordinates. Simulated insertions using an MRI dataset show that the minimum bending energy model allows planning of subsequent imaging planes to capture the moving needle while estimating the shape of the needle with low error.