Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial Stability Review: June 2002 – Spillovers from Recent Emerging Market Crises: What Might Account for Limited Contagion from Argentina? Spillovers from Recent Emerging Market Crises: What Might Account for Limited Contagion from Argentina?

SEEMINGLY ISOLATED crises in Mexico in 1994 and Thailand in 1997 quickly led to problems in other EMEs – including stock market collapses, banking panics, and balance of payments crises. By contrast, spillovers from the current crisis in Argentina have to date been much more limited. Why do some crises quickly spread elsewhere, while others have a more limited wider impact? Part of the answer may lie in the existence of different channels of crisis propagation. In some cases, problems may spill over to EMEs having close economic or financial ties to the crisis economy. In others, crises can spread more widely without any such obvious linkages, for example because of shifting investor sentiment. Regardless of the specific channel of shock transmission, the likelihood that spillovers lead to crises elsewhere will depend on structural features of EMEs. For example, macroeconomic or financial vulnerabilities may make EMEs more susceptible to shocks. The behaviour of EME investors can also have an important influence. EME creditors with sound balance sheets may help absorb shocks transmitted from crisis EMEs; conversely, investors with impaired balance sheets may make spillovers more likely. The nature of the initial crisis matters too. A sudden crisis may be more likely to have adverse impacts elsewhere if it leads to disorderly selling in illiquid markets. A well-anticipated crisis might cause less of a jolt as it may allow investors to rebalance their positions gradually in advance. Anecdotally, all of these factors – stronger balance sheets on the part of EMEs and their creditors and the lack of a surprise – help account for the relatively limited spillovers from the recent Argentine crisis. This article considers these elements of crisis transmission in greater detail, focusing on the EME crises in Asia in 1997/98 and Argentina now. Previous studies, such as Kaminsky and Reinhart (2000), have suggested that trade and financial ties between Thailand and other Asian EMEs played some role in the spread of problems in the Asia crisis. This article adds to these studies by examining whether weaker trade and financial links from Argentina to other EMEs, and/or lower associated economic fragilities, might explain the more limited spillovers from this crisis. It also considers other factors that have reportedly played a key role in the differing evolution of these crises, including the behaviour of international investors. The current crisis in Argentina has been notable for the lack of substantial spillovers …
Synaptic Connections Between Spiny Neurons of the Direct and Indirect Pathways in the Neostriatum of the Rat: Evidence from Dopamine Receptor and Neuropeptide Immunostaining

The flow of cortical information through the basal ganglia occurs through the so‐called ‘direct pathway’ and ‘indirect pathways’. The object of the present work was to attempt to determine whether spiny neurons in the neostriatum that give rise to the direct pathway (i.e. the striatonigral/entopeduncular pathway) and those giving rise to the indirect pathways (i.e. striatopallidal pathway) are synaptically interconnected. The approach was to carry out double immunocytochemistry at the electron microscopic level using antibodies against peptides or dopamine receptor subtypes that are selectively associated with the neurons that give rise to the direct (substance P or D1 receptors) and indirect pathways (enkephalin or D2 receptors). Sections of perfuse‐fixed rat neostriatum were immunostained to reveal both substance P immunoreactivity and D2 receptor immunoreactivity or enkephalin and D1 receptor immunoreactivity, respectively. Double peroxidase methods were employed using different chromogens that were distinguishable at both the light and electron microscopic levels. In the electron microscope substance P‐immunoreactive terminals were seen in synaptic contact with dendritic structures that displayed immunoreactivity for D2 receptor. Similarly, enkephalin‐immunoreactive terminals were seen in synaptic contact with D1‐immunoreactive dendritic structures. Thus, axon collaterals of neurons giving rise to the direct pathway form synaptic contacts with neurons that give rise to the indirect pathway and axon collaterals of neurons giving rise to the indirect pathway form synaptic contact with neurons that give rise to the direct pathway. These results indicate that the two pathways of information flow through the basal ganglia are synaptically linked at the level of the neostriatum.
Special Section on Prediction of Human Pharmacokinetic Parameters from In Vitro Systems Meeting the Challenge of Predicting Hepatic Clearance of Compounds Slowly Metabolized by Cytochrome P450 Using a Novel Hepatocyte Model, HepatoPac

Generating accurate in vitro intrinsic clearance data is an important aspect of predicting in vivo human clearance. Primary hepatocytes in suspension are routinely used to predict in vivo clearance; however, incubation times have typically been limited to 4–6 hours, which is not long enough to accurately evaluate the metabolic stability of slowly metabolized compounds. HepatoPac is a micropatterened hepatocyte-fibroblast coculture system that can be used for continuous incubations of up to 7 days. This study evaluated the ability of human HepatoPac to predict the in vivo clearance (CL) of 17 commercially available compounds with low to intermediate clearance (<12 ml/min per kg). In vitro half-life for disappearance of each compound was converted to hepatic clearance using the well stirred model, with and without correction for plasma protein binding. Hepatic CL, using three individual donors, was accurately predicted for 10 of 17 compounds (59%; predicted clearance within 2-fold of observed human in vivo clearance values). The accuracy of prediction increased to 76% (13 of 17 compounds) with an acceptance criterion defined as within 3-fold. When considering only low clearance compounds (< 5m l/ min per kg), which represented 10 of the 17 compounds, the accuracy of prediction was 60% within 2-fold and 90% within 3-fold. In addition, the turnover of three slowly metabolized compounds (alprazolam, meloxicam, and tolbutamide) in HepatoPac was directly compared with turnover in suspended hepatocytes. The turnover of alprazolam and tolbutamide was approximately 2-fold greater using HepatoPac compared with suspended hepatocytes, which was roughly in line with the extrapolated values (correcting for the longer incubation time and lower cell number with HepatoPac). HepatoPac, but not suspended hepatocytes, demonstrated significant turnover of meloxicam. These results demonstrate the utility of HepatoPac for prediction of in vivo hepatic clearance, particularly with low clearance compounds.
The RalB Small GTPase Mediates Formation of Invadopodia through a GTPase-Activating Protein-Independent Function of the RalBP1/RLIP76 Effector

ABSTRACT Our recent studies implicated key and distinct roles for the highly related RalA and RalB small GTPases (82% sequence identity) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumorigenesis and invasive and metastatic growth, respectively. How RalB may promote PDAC invasion and metastasis has not been determined. In light of known Ral effector functions in regulation of actin organization and secretion, we addressed a possible role for RalB in formation of invadopodia, actin-rich membrane protrusions that contribute to tissue invasion and matrix remodeling. We determined that a majority of KRAS mutant PDAC cell lines exhibited invadopodia and that expression of activated K-Ras is both necessary and sufficient for invadopodium formation. Invadopodium formation was not dependent on the canonical Raf-MEK-ERK effector pathway and was instead dependent on the Ral effector pathway. However, this process was more dependent on RalB than on RalA. Surprisingly, RalB-mediated invadopodium formation was dependent on RalBP1/RLIP76 but not Sec5 and Exo84 exocyst effector function. Unexpectedly, the requirement for RalBP1 was independent of its best known function as a GTPase-activating protein for Rho small GTPases. Instead, disruption of the ATPase function of RalBP1 impaired invadopodium formation. Our results identify a novel RalB-mediated biochemical and signaling mechanism for invadopodium formation.
A Framework for Local Supervised Dimensionality Reduction of High Dimensional Data

High dimensional data presents a challenge to the classification problem because of the difficulty in modeling the precise relationship between the large number of feature variables and the class variable. In such cases, it may be desirable to reduce the information to a small number of dimensions in order to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the classification process. While data reduction has been a well studied problem for the unsupervised domain, the technique has not been explored quite as extensively for the supervised case. Existing techniques which try to perform dimensionality reduction are too slow for practical use in the high dimensional case. These techniques try to find global discriminants in the data. However, the behavior of the data often varies considerably with data locality and different subspaces may show better discrimination in different localities. This is an even more challenging task than the global discrimination problem because of the additional issue of data localization. In this paper, we propose the novel idea of supervised subspace sampling in order to create a reduced representation of the data for classification applications in an efficient and effective way. The method exploits the natural distribution of the different classes in order to sample the best subspaces for class discrimination. Because of its sampling approach, the procedure is extremely fast and scales almost linearly both with data set size and dimensionality.
The Accommodation Reflex and its Stimulus *

IT is well known in the practice of subjective refraction measurement that when a low-power negative lens is placed before the emmetropic eye of a young subject, distant objects are still seen clearly, the eye having presumably accommodated by an amount equal to the effective power of the negative lens. When the lens is removed the distant object is' again seen clearly, which shows that the accommodation has then been relaxed. The purpose of the investigation which is to be described, is the study of this reaction of the accommodative mechanism to changes in the vergence of the light caused by placing lenses before the eye, independently of other causes for the adjustment. It may, however, be profitable first to review briefly the whole function of the adjustment of the eyes for different distances in its relation to this special case. In normal binocular vision the adjustment of the eyes for different distances is brought about by a complex voluntary innervation operating upon the recti muscles through the convergence centre and also upon the ciliary muscles via those parasympathetic fibres which pass through the ciliary ganglion. It is probable that the most powerful stimulus to this innervation is to be found in the disparity of the retinal images arising from the separation of the eyes, and although primarily this would apply only to the fusion centre and thus to convergence, its natural accompaniment of a corresponding change in the vergence of the light reaching the eyes, makes it necessary for the brain to order a change of accommodation as well as convergence. In monocular vision other factors must operate to make the subject aware that the distance has been changed; in fact, all those characteristic appearances which give rise to the monocular perception of depth will constitute potential stimuli to the mechanism for adjusting the eyes for different distances. Ittleson and Ames (1950) have shown that, under certain conditions, accommodation and convergence can be stimulated by altering only one of these factors, angular size of object, so producing an illusion of change of distance. They claim that in their experiments muscular effort of accommodation and convergence were related to a subjective change of apparent distance, with all other
Multi-match packet classification on memory-logic trade-off FPGA-based architecture

Packet processing is becoming much more challenging as networks evolve towards a multi-service platform. In particular, packet classification demands smaller processing times as data rates increase. To successfully meet this requirement, hardware-based classification architectures have become an area of extensive research. Even if Field Programmable Logic Arrays (FPGAs) have emerged as an interesting technology for implementing these architectures, existing proposals either exploit maximal concurrency with unbounded resource consumption, or base the architecture on distributed RAM memory-based schemes which strongly undervalues FPGA capabilities. Moreover, most of these proposals target best-match classification and are not suited for high-speed updates of classification rulesets. In this paper, we propose a new approach which exploits rich logic resources available in modern FPGAs while reducing memory consumption. Our architecture is conceived for multi-match classification, and its mapping methodology is naturally suited for high-speed, simple updating of the classification ruleset. Analytical evaluation and implementation results of our architecture are promising, demonstrating that it is suitable for line speed processing whith balanced resource consumption. With additional optimizations, our proposal has the potential to be integrated into network procesing architectures demanding all aforementioned features.
Gap junction structure: unraveled, but not fully revealed

Gap junction channels facilitate the intercellular exchange of ions and small molecules, a process that is critical for the function of many different kinds of cells and tissues. Recent crystal structures of channels formed by one connexin isoform (connexin26) have been determined, and they have been subjected to molecular modeling. These studies have provided high-resolution models to gain insights into the mechanisms of channel conductance, molecular permeability, and gating. The models share similarities, but there are some differences in the conclusions reached by these studies. Many unanswered questions remain to allow an atomic-level understanding of intercellular communication mediated by connexin26. Because some domains of the connexin polypeptides are highly conserved (like the transmembrane regions), it is likely that some features of the connexin26 structure will apply to other members of the family of gap junction proteins. However, determination of high-resolution structures and modeling of other connexin channels will be required to account for the diverse biophysical properties and regulation conferred by the differences in their sequences.
Global Estimates on the Number of People Blind or Visually Impaired by Diabetic Retinopathy: A Meta-analysis From 1990 to 2010

OBJECTIVE To estimate global and regional trends from 1990 to 2010 of the prevalence and number of persons visually impaired specifically by diabetic retinopathy (DR), as a complication of the precipitous trends in global diabetes, is fundamental for health planning purposes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The meta-analysis of published population studies from 1990 to 2012 for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD) yielded estimated global regional trends in DR among other causes of moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity <6/18, ≥3/60) and blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60). RESULTS Globally in 2010, out of overall 32.4 million blind and 191 million visually impaired people, 0.8 million were blind and 3.7 million were visually impaired because of DR, with an alarming increase of 27% and 64%, respectively, spanning the two decades from 1990 to 2010. DR accounted for 2.6% of all blindness in 2010 and 1.9% of all MSVI worldwide, increasing from 2.1% and 1.3%, respectively, in 1990. These figures were lower in regions with younger populations (<2% in East and Southeast Asia and Oceania) than in high-income regions (North America, Western Europe, and Australasia) with relatively aging populations (>4%). CONCLUSIONS The number of persons with visual impairment due to DR worldwide is rising and represents an increasing proportion of all blindness/MSVI causes. Age-standardized prevalence of DR-related blindness/MSVI was higher in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. One out of 39 blind people had blindness due to DR, and 1 out of 52 visually impaired people had visual impairment due to DR.
Modulation of Fgf3 dosage in mouse and men mirrors evolution of mammalian dentition

A central challenge in evolutionary biology is understanding how genetic mutations underlie morphological changes. Because highly calcified enamel enables preservation of detailed dental features, studying tooth morphology enables this question to be addressed in both extinct and extant species. Previous studies have found that mutant mice can have severe abnormalities in tooth morphology, and several authors have explored the evolutionary implications of tooth number modifications in mutants. However, although they can potentially shed much light on evolutionary mechanisms, anomalies in tooth shape remain poorly studied. Here, we report that alterations in dosage of the Fgf3 gene cause morphological changes in both genetically engineered mutant mice and in human patients. By comparing the dental morphologies in mice and humans carrying Fgf3 mutations with primitive rodent and primate fossils, we determined that decreases in dosage of Fgf3 lead to phenotypes that resemble the progressive reappearance of ancestral morphologies. We propose that modifications in the FGF signaling pathway have played an important role in evolution of mammalian dentition by giving rise to new cusps and interconnecting cusps by new crests. We anticipate that our multidisciplinary study will advance the detailed correlation of subtle dental modifications with genetic mutations in a variety of mammalian lineages.
The cytoplasmic domain of CD4 is sufficient for its down-regulation from the cell surface by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Nef

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Nef down-regulates surface expression of murine and human CD4 but not human CD8. We recently reported that the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 is required for its down-regulation by Nef. Using a chimeric molecule composed of the extracellular and transmembrane domains of human CD8 fused to the cytoplasmic domain of human CD4, we show here that the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 is sufficient for down-regulation by Nef. Since the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 is also the site of its association with p56lck, we used a series of CD4 mutants to determine whether the regions of the cytoplasmic domain of CD4 required for down-regulation by Nef are the same as those required for p56lck binding. Our results indicate that the portion of the cytoplasmic domain required for the down-regulation of CD4 by Nef overlaps with the binding site of p56lck, but the cysteine residues which are essential for the association of CD4 with p56lck are not required. This observation raised the possibility that Nef competes with p56lck for binding to CD4. However, under conditions which are considerably milder than those permissive for coimmunoprecipitation of CD4 and p56lck, we found no evidence for an association between Nef and CD4. While a decrease in total CD4 was observed in lysates of cells expressing Nef, the levels of p56lck were not significantly affected. Pulse-chase experiments further revealed a decrease in the half-life of CD4 in Nef-expressing cells. These results show that the decrease in surface CD4 expression induced by Nef is mediated at least in part by a decrease in the half-life of CD4 protein. These results also indicate that a large portion of p56lck is free of CD4 in T cells expressing Nef, which could have a significant effect on T-cell function.
Effectiveness of hexaminolevulinate fluorescence cystoscopy for the diagnosis of non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer in daily clinical practice: a Spanish multicentre observational study

To assess the sensitivity and specificity of blue‐light cystoscopy (BLC) with hexaminolevulinate as an adjunct to white‐light cystoscopy (WLC) vs WLC alone for the detection of non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), in routine clinical practice in Spain.
Co‐tier downlink interference management in dense femtocell networks

With the adoption of long‐term evolution standard for 4G mobile communications, the deployment of femtocell base stations (FBSs) to cope with the surging traffic in mobile wireless communication is becoming increasingly popular. However, with the random installation of FBSs, the problem of interference among FBSs is still a challenge. In this paper, assuming the presence of a femtocell management system that can control and coordinate the densely deployed FBSs, a novel power backoff scheme is proposed that determines the appropriate transmit power of each FBS so that the interference is reduced. Simulation results for randomly deployed FBSs in an environment with shadowing using MATLAB are provided, showing that our proposed methods can effectively mitigate the co‐tier downlink interference while improving the system capacity in a densely deployed femtocell network with shared spectrum use. Quantitatively, the average interference is reduced by roughly 90% to 100% of dBm, and the average capacity is increased by more than 80%. These results attest to the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Association between noninvasive fibrosis markers and mortality among adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the United States

The clinical and public health significance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not well established. We investigated the long‐term effect of NAFLD on mortality. This analysis utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 1988‐1994 and subsequent follow‐up data for mortality through December 31, 2006. NAFLD was defined by ultrasonographic detection of hepatic steatosis in the absence of other known liver diseases. The presence and severity of hepatic fibrosis in subjects with NAFLD was determined by the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), and FIB‐4 score. Of 11,154 participants, 34.0% had NAFLD—the majority (71.7%) had NFS consistent with lack of significant fibrosis (NFS <−1.455), whereas 3.2% had a score indicative of advanced fibrosis (NFS >0.676). After a median follow‐up of 14.5 years, NAFLD was not associated with higher mortality (age‐ and sex‐adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93‐1.19). In contrast, there was a progressive increase in mortality with advancing fibrosis scores. Compared to subjects without fibrosis, those with a high probability of advanced fibrosis had a 69% increase in mortality (for NFS: HR, 1.69, 95% CI: 1.09‐2.63; for APRI: HR, 1.85, 95% CI: 1.02‐3.37; for FIB‐4: HR, 1.66, 95% CI: 0.98‐2.82) after adjustment for other known predictors of mortality. These increases in mortality were almost entirely from cardiovascular causes (for NFS: HR, 3.46, 95% CI: 1.91‐6.25; for APRI: HR, 2.53, 95% CI: 1.33‐4.83; for FIB‐4: HR, 2.68, 95% CI: 1.44‐4.99). Conclusions: Ultrasonography‐diagnosed NAFLD is not associated with increased mortality. However, advanced fibrosis, as determined by noninvasive fibrosis marker panels, is a significant predictor of mortality, mainly from cardiovascular causes, independent of other known factors. (HEPATOLOGY 2013)