Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ERG Transcription Factor as an Immunohistochemical Marker for Vascular Endothelial Tumors and Prostatic Carcinoma

ERG, an ETS family transcription factor, is known to be expressed in endothelial cells, and oncogenic ERG gene fusions occur in subsets of prostatic carcinoma, acute myeloid leukemia, and Ewing sarcoma. In this study, we immunohistochemically investigated nuclear ERG expression using a new monoclonal antibody, CPDR ERG-MAb, that is highly specific for detecting ERG protein and ERG-expressing prostate carcinomas. A broad range of vascular endothelial (n=250), other mesenchymal (n=973), and epithelial tumors (n=657) was examined to determine the use of ERG immunohistochemistry in surgical pathology. Only immunostains with ERG-positive normal endothelia (internal control) were considered valid, and only nuclear staining was considered to be positive. In adult tissues, ERG was restricted to endothelial cells and to a subset of bone marrow precursors, but early fetal mesenchyme and subpopulations of fetal cartilage were also positive. In vascular tumors, ERG was expressed in endothelia of all hemangiomas and lymphangiomas, and typically extensively expressed in 96 of 100 angiosarcomas, 42 of 43 epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas, and all 26 Kaposi sarcomas. Among nonvascular mesenchymal tumors, only blastic extramedullary myeloid tumors (7 of 10) and rare Ewing sarcomas (2 of 29) were positive. Among epithelial tumors, 30 of 66 prostatic adenocarcinomas showed focal-to-extensive ERG positivity, with no immunoreactivity in the normal prostate. Other carcinomas and epithelial tumors (n=643) were ERG negative, with the exception of 1 of 42 large cell undifferentiated pulmonary carcinomas and 1 of 27 mesotheliomas, each of which showed focal nuclear ERG positivity. On the basis of the above observations, ERG is a highly specific new marker for benign and malignant vascular tumors. Among epithelial tumors, ERG shows a great promise as a marker to identify prostatic carcinoma in both primary and metastatic settings.
Design and Human-in-the-Loop Testing of Reduced-Modification Input Shapers

Many systems require a human in the control loop. When the controlled system has flexibility, the human can have significant difficulties operating the machine. Input-shaping control has been shown to improve the control of flexible systems by reducing system vibration. However, it may negatively affect the control of the driven base or vehicle that the operator is directly controlling. This brief presents a new type of input shaper that modifies the operator's command less than traditional input shapers, thereby improving the control of the driven base. A manual tracking experiment compared the tracking performance and subjective difficulty using both the new and traditional input shapers. Input shapers generally improved the tracking performance of the system's flexible element, and the new input shapers did not significantly degrade tracking of the system's driven base.
Information asymmetries, agency costs and venture capital exit outcomes

This paper provides theory and evidence relating information asymmetries and agency costs to exit outcomes in venture capital-backed entrepreneurial firms. Where venture capitalists are able to better mitigate information asymmetries and agency costs faced by the new owners of the firm, they will be more likely to have a successful exit outcome. Information asymmetries and agency costs will vary depending on the characteristics of the venture capitalist and entrepreneurial firm, as well as the structure of the financing arrangement. This paper introduces a new dataset comprising all venture capital exits in Canada for the years 1991 to 2004. The data provide strong support for the conjecture that the ability to mitigate information asymmetries and agency costs is a central factor in influencing exit outcomes.
Endogenous Pulmonary Antibiotics

The human lung produces a variety of peptides and proteins which have intrinsic antimicrobial activity. In general these molecules have broad spectra of antimicrobial activity, kill micro-organisms rapidly, and evade resistance generated by pathogens. In recent years it has become increasingly apparent that the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) simultaneously possess immunomodulatory functions, suggesting complex roles for these molecules in regulating the clearance of, and immune response to, invading pathogens. These collective properties have stimulated considerable interest in the potential clinical application of endogenous AMPs. This article outlines the biology of AMPs, their pattern of expression in the lung, and their functions, with reference to both antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity. We then consider the biological importance of AMPs, before concentrating on the potential to use AMPs to therapeutic effect. The principles discussed in the article apply to innate immune defence throughout the body, but particular emphasis is placed on AMPs in the lung and the potential application to pulmonary infection.
Crucial Role for Prion Protein Membrane Anchoring in the Neuroinvasion and Neural Spread of Prion Infection

ABSTRACT In nature prion diseases are usually transmitted by extracerebral prion infection, but clinical disease results only after invasion of the central nervous system (CNS). Prion protein (PrP), a host-encoded glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane glycoprotein, is necessary for prion infection and disease. Here, we investigated the role of the anchoring of PrP on prion neuroinvasion by studying various inoculation routes in mice expressing either anchored or anchorless PrP. In control mice with anchored PrP, intracerebral or sciatic nerve inoculation resulted in rapid CNS neuroinvasion and clinical disease (154 to 156 days), and after tongue, ocular, intravenous, or intraperitoneal inoculation, CNS neuroinvasion was only slightly slower (193 to 231 days). In contrast, in anchorless PrP mice, these routes resulted in slow and infrequent CNS neuroinvasion. Only intracerebral inoculation caused brain PrPres, a protease-resistant isoform of PrP, and disease in both types of mice. Thus, anchored PrP was an essential component for the rapid neural spread and CNS neuroinvasion of prion infection.
SVM Classification for Large Data Sets by Considering Models of Classes Distribution

Despite of good theoretic foundations and high classification accuracy of support vector machines (SVM), normal SVM is not suitable for classification of large data sets, because the training complexity of SVM is very high. This paper presents a novel SVM classification approach for large data sets by considering models of classes distribution (MCD). A first stage uses SVM classification in order to gets a sketch of classes distribution. Then the algorithm obtain the support vectors (SVs) most close between each class and construct a ball using minimum enclosing ball from each pair of SVs with different label. The data points included in the balls constitute the MCD, which is the framework in the boundary of each class and represents the most important data points, these data points are used as training data for a posterior SVM classification. Experimental results show that our approach has good classification accuracy while the training is significantly faster than other SVM classifiers.
Option Pricing: Dividends and the in- and out-of-the-Money Bias

* Although strides have recently been made in the theory of option pricing, the models currently available do not completely explain the behavior of actual option prices. A particularly persistent item is the inand out-of-the-money bias. Even more perplexing is the fact that the empirical evidence concerning this bias has not been consistent. Black [2] reports that the Black-Scholes (B-S) model underprices (overprices) deep out-of-the-money (in-the-money) call options. Merton [8] states that practitioners observe B-S model prices to be less than market prices for deep in-themoney as well as deep out-of-the-money options. MacBeth and Merville [6, 7] tested the B-S model on the options of six firms and found biases that were the exact opposite of those reported by Black. This bias has been believed to be at least partially related to the fact that the original Black-Scholes model does not account for dividends on the underlying stock. The more recent models specifically take account of dividends. Sterk [10] finds that a dividend modified B-S model leads to results that are consistent with Black's original findings. The theoretically superior Roll [9] model alleviates but does not completely eliminate this bias. In this Journal, Gultekin, Rogalski, and Tinic [5] recently reported results for the simpler Geske [3] model which are also consistent with Black's findings. Finally, Whaley [13], using a recently corrected version of the original Roll and Geske models, presents further evidence which indicates that deviations of model prices from market prices are significantly related to the extent to which the option is inor out-of-the-money. This paper will present evidence that indicates that the nature of the particular inand out-of-the-money bias that is observed by a researcher depends on the magnitude of the dividend on the underlying stocks in the sample. Out-of-the-money options on stocks with small (large) dividends will be shown to be significantly underpriced (overpriced) by both the dividendmodified B-S model and the recently developed RollGeske-Whaley model which specifically accounts for dividends. This behavior is reversed for in-the-money
International Handbook of Trade Unions

The author has analysed the phenomenon of ‘self-regulation’ by establishing corporate codes as an aspect of ‘enforcement and implementation’ of human rights obligations through non-judicial supervision. The approach is awkward. Self-regulation is not about enforcement, but rather about the creation of legal norms. She argues that most codes are restricted to corporations producing consumer products, acting under public pressure. The effectiveness of codes of conduct for industries unaffected by public pressure is doubtful.
Portfolio performance: factors or benchmarks?

The suitability of using factors or benchmarks to measure portfolio performance is analysed. Fama and French factors are constructed from Russell US stock indexes and then directly utilized as benchmarks. The interpretation of factors as zero-investment benchmarks makes it difficult to explain performance measurement as the comparison of active versus passive management, given the short selling restrictions often applied to mutual funds. Empirical results reveal similar biases in extended Jensen's alphas in models with both factors and with benchmarks and with convexity and nonnegativity restrictions. Selection of the benchmarks has a more important effect than the model type chosen.
Joint TOA/DOA wireless position location using matrix pencil

In this paper, the matrix pencil algorithm is used to recover the time and angle of signal arrivals from a mobile device to a base station. Signal transmission within a basic BPSK system in a slowly fading frequency selective wireless environment is considered. A method similar to the matched-filter idea is applied to overcome the matrix pencil restriction in the number of signal directions that can be measured. The estimated times and angles of arrivals are used in a proposed hybrid time/direction of arrival position location scheme.
Comparative Energy Policy: The Economics of Nuclear Power in Japan and the United States

Over the next several decades, Japan and the United States will pursue dramatically different nuclear power strategies. In the United States, no new reactors have been ordered since 1978, and no U.S. utility is seriously planning any new construction. In contrast, Japanese utilities aggressively continue to plan, order, and build new nuclear plants, and the Japanese government and utility industry are committed to increasing Japan's nuclear reliance from 26 percent of total generation to 49 percent by the year 2010.
Eastern Poland: a belt of poor regions

Eastern Poland is an area of five voivodeships that form a belt of the poorest regions in Poland and the European Union. There have been multi-directional steps, taken both before Poland's accession to the EU and after it, intended to boost the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the region. Poland's EU membership has opened up financial means and enabled operational programmes that offer grounds for optimism as to the levelling out of the existing disparities in the living conditions of the communities inhabiting this part of the country. This paper presents both the socio-economic situation of Eastern Poland and the strategic documents that stimulate growth processes.
Measurement of Optic Disc Cup Surface Depth Using Cirrus HD-OCT

Purpose: To introduce the measurement method of optic disc cup surface depth using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and then evaluate the rates of cup surface depression at 3 different stages of glaucoma. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively identified 52 eyes with preperimetric glaucoma, 56 with mild-or-moderate glaucoma and 50 with severe glaucoma and followed them for at least 48 months. Eyes were imaged using SD-OCT (Cirrus HD-OCT) at 12-month intervals. The mean cup surface depth was calculated using the following formula: Cup volume/(disc area×average cup-to-disc ratio2)−200 &mgr;m. Results: The rates of mean cup surface depression (&mgr;m/y) were significantly greater in mild-or-moderate glaucoma (−7.96±1.03) than in preperimetric (−3.11±0.61) and severe glaucoma (−0.70±0.12; all P<0.001). The percentile rates of mean cup surface depression (%/y) were significantly greater than those of average of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thinning (%/y) in preperimetric glaucoma (−1.64±0.12 vs. −1.11±0.07; P<0.001) and mild-or-moderate glaucoma (−4.20±0.33 vs. −3.14±0.19; P<0.001); and conversely, in severe glaucoma, mean cup surface depth changed slower than did average RNFL thickness (−0.64±0.06 vs. −0.75±0.08%/y; P<0.001). Conclusions: In early-to-moderate glaucoma, the cup surface depth changed faster than did the RNFL thickness. These results signify the possibility that SD-OCT–based estimation of cup surface depth might be useful for monitoring of glaucoma development and progression.
Adaptive mixture for a controlled smile: the LT model

We build here an arbitrage-free model for an equity-type asset that allows the forward volatility surface to be uncertain today and change profiles over time with some stationarity. Spot and forward distributions are both expressed in the same format through convenient lognormal mixtures ensuring consistent recombinations. The underlying spot process is obtained as the product of a lognormal and a jump variable that can be easily simulated. Closed-form solutions are derived for standard and forward-start European options. The model addresses the drawbacks of local volatilities and is very tractable with respect to jump-diffusion and stochastic vol models. It allows to calibrate, as needed, on both cliquet and vanilla options and offers a convenient framework to observe and control volatility surface evolution.
Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis in Prader–Willi syndrome

Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is due to loss of paternally expressed genes in the 15q11–q13 region generally from a paternal 15q11–q13 deletion. The proximal deletion breakpoint in the 15q11–q13 region occurs at one of two sites located within either of two large duplicons allowing for identification of two typical deletion subgroups. The larger type I (TI) deletion involving breakpoint 1 (BP1) is nearer to the centromere and located proximal to the microsatellite marker D15S1035, while the smaller type II (TII) deletion involves breakpoint 2 (BP2) and distal to D15S1035. Breakpoint 3 (BP3) is located at the distal end of the 15q11–q13 region and common to both typical deletion subgroups. Using high resolution aCGH, BP1 spanned a region from 18.683 to 20.220 Mb, BP2 from 20.812 to 21.357 Mb and BP3 from 25.941 to 27.286 Mb. The TI deletion ranged in size from 5.721 to 8.147 Mb (mean 6.583) and the type II deletion from 4.770 to 6.435 Mb (mean 5.330). A subset of the TI subjects showed larger deletions including the loss of at least three genes/transcripts (i.e., LOC283755, POTE5, OR4N4) in addition to the four genes between BP1 and BP2 (i.e., GCP5, CYFIP1, NIPA1, NIPA2). Interestingly, four PWS subjects had duplications of the 15q11 region in addition to the typical deletion. Furthermore, most PWS subjects had copy number variation (CNV) of 50 kb or larger in other chromosome regions; most common were deletions and duplications of 8p and 3q, previously recognized sites of CNV in the human genome. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of ethnicity and gender on the incidence of venous thromboembolism in a diverse population in California in 1996

Summary There have been very few studies that have describe the epidemiology of first-time venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a large, ethnically diverse population. The California Discharge Data Set was used to identify a cohort of cases with incidentVTE in 1996. Cases associated with traditional provoking risk factors were identified and the remaining cases were labeled as idiopathicVTE. Direct standardization using census information was performed to compare incidence rates across races, gender, and gender within race. There were 21,002 cases with incident VTE in 1996, a crude incidence of 90 events per 100,000 adults. Thirty percent of all VTE events were pulmonary embolism. The directly standardized incidence per 100,000 California adults was 93 ± 1.7 ( ± 95% CI) in women, 85 ± 1.7 in men, 103 ± 2.1 in Caucasians, 138 ± 6.5 in African- Americans, 61 ± 2.8 in Hispanics and 29 ± 2.4 in Asian-Pacific Islanders (p<0.001 for all inter-group comparisons). After adjusting for misclassification of race, the incidence of VTE per 100,000 was 104 in Caucasians, 141 in African- Americans, 55 in Hispanics, and 21 in Asian/Pacific-Islanders. The incidence of idiopathic VTE was significantly lower among both Hispanics and Asian/Pacific-Islanders (p<0.001) than Caucasians or African-Americans. African-Americans were more likely, and Hispanics less likely, to be diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary embolism compared to Caucasians. The 28 day case-fatality rate among cases with idiopathic VTE was 2%, and it was significantly higher among African-Americans (4.1%) compared to Caucasians (1.8%, p<0.001). There are important differences in the incidence of total and idiopathicVTE and in the proportion of events diagnosed as pulmonary embolism among each of the major racial/ethnic groups in California. Further research is needed to explain these observed differences among the different racial/ethnic group.
A study of the relationship between plane of nutrition during lactation and certain production characteristics in autumn-calving suckler cows

Hereford ♂ × British Friesian ♀ cows that had calved in September/October and were suckling mainly Charolais ♂ × calves were offered individually one of three planes of nutrition based on their estimated maintenance requirement during their first 150 days of lactation. The mean daily intakes of metabolizable energy were 95·8, 71·5 and 52·1 MJ for the high, medium and low planes of nutrition respectively. Data were collected from 122 lactations. The mean 150-day cumulative milk yields of the cows were 1 355, 1 258 and 1 187 kg for the high, medium and low planes of nutrition respectively ( P P P Although there was a significant ( P The experiment demonstrates that energy-deficient beef cows will attempt to maintain milk production at the expense of body reserves and that when supplementary solid food is made available to the suckled calves, their weaning weights are unaffected by the plane of nutrition of the dam during the winter.
Accounting Discretion and Fair Value Reporting: A Study of US Banks’ Fair Value Reporting of Mortgage‐Backed‐Securities

: This study looks at US banks’ fair value reporting of mortgage-backed-securities (MBS) before and after a new accounting rule, FSP 157–3, Determining the Fair Value of a Financial Asset When the Market for That Asset Is Not Active, initially issued by the US Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) and later adopted by the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) into IFRS No. 13 Fair Value Measurement. FSP 157–3 allows for additional accounting discretion in fair value reporting when the market for a financial asset is inactive and significant adjustment needs to be exercised in estimating fair value. By evaluating MBS’ fair value reporting against observable economic factors, firm-specific reporting incentives, and the reporting entity's mortgage-banking activities, this study makes inference on the relationship between accounting discretion exercised under FSP 157–3 and any unobservable, private information conveyed in the MBS’ fair value reporting. Empirical results indicate that additional accounting discretion has been exercised in MBS’ fair value reporting under FSP 157–3. While MBS’ fair value reporting is less associated with economic factors and firm-specific characters under the new rule, it is reflective of the reporting entity's mortgage-banking activities.
The role of guanylyl cyclases in the permeability response to inflammatory mediators in pial venular capillaries in the rat

Inflammatory mediators have a role in the formation of cerebral oedema and there is evidence that cGMP is an important signal in vascular permeability increase. We have investigated the role and the source of cGMP in mediating the permeability response to acutely applied bradykinin and the histamine H2 agonist dimaprit on single cerebral venular capillaries, by using the single vessel occlusion technique. We found that 8‐bromo‐cGMP applied acutely resulted in a small and reversible permeability increase with a log EC50−7.2 ± 0.15 m. KT 5823, the inhibitor of cGMP‐dependent protein kinase, abolished the permeability responses to both bradykinin and dimaprit, while zaprinast, an inhibitor of type 5 phosphodiesterase, potentiated the response to bradykinin. On the other hand, l‐NMMA blocked the response to dimaprit, but not that to bradykinin. Inhibitors of soluble guanylyl cyclase, LY 85353 and methylene blue, also inhibited the permeability response to dimaprit, but not bradykinin. The permeability responses to the natriuretic peptides ANP and CNP were of similar magnitude to that of bradykinin with log EC50−10.0 ± 0.33 m and −8.7 ± 0.23 m, respectively. The natriuretic peptide receptor antagonist HS‐142–1 blocked permeability responses to bradykinin as well as to ANP, and leukotriene D4 blocked the responses to CNP and bradykinin, but not to dimaprit. In conclusion, the histamine H2 receptor appears to signal via cGMP that is generated by a NO and soluble guanylyl cyclase, while bradykinin B2 receptor also signals via cGMP but through particulate guanylyl cyclase.
The Unique-Lowest Sealed-Bid Auction

This discussion paper resulted in a publication in 'Theory and Decision' , 2011, 71(2), 269-295. Unique-lowest sealed-bid auctions are auctions in which participation is endogenous and the winning bid is the lowest bid among all unique bids. Such auctions admit very many Nash equilibria (NEs) in pure and mixed strategies. The two-bidders' auction is similar to the Hawk-Dove game, which motivates to study symmetric NEs: Properties and comparative statics are derived and the symmetric NE with the lowest expected gains is the maximin in symmetric strategies, which allows computation through a mathematical program. Simulations provide numerical evidence that the symmetric NE with the lowest expected gains is the unique limit point of the replicator dynamics.