Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MicroRNAs Transfer from Human Macrophages to Hepato-Carcinoma Cells and Inhibit Proliferation

Recent research has indicated a new mode of intercellular communication facilitated by the movement of RNA between cells. There is evidence that RNA can transfer between cells in a multitude of ways, including in complex with proteins or lipids or in vesicles, including apoptotic bodies and exosomes. However, there remains little understanding of the function of nucleic acid transfer between human cells. In this article, we report that human macrophages transfer microRNAs (miRNAs) to hepato-carcinoma cells (HCCs) in a manner that required intercellular contact and involved gap junctions. Two specific miRNAs transferred efficiently between these cells—miR-142 and miR-223—and both were endogenously expressed in macrophages and not in HCCs. Transfer of these miRNAs influenced posttranscriptional regulation of proteins in HCCs, including decreased expression of reporter proteins and endogenously expressed stathmin-1 and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor. Importantly, transfer of miRNAs from macrophages functionally inhibited proliferation of these cancerous cells. Thus, these data led us to propose that intercellular transfer of miRNA from immune cells could serve as a new defense against unwanted cell proliferation or tumor growth.
Predictors of persistence and remission of ADHD into adolescence: results from a four-year prospective follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the predictors of persistence and the timing of remission of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD Subjects were 6- to 17-year old Caucasian, non-Hispanic boys with and without ADHD. DSM-III-R structured diagnostic interviews and blind raters were used to examine psychiatric diagnoses, cognitive achievement, social, school, and family functioning at a 4-year follow-up assessment. RESULTS At the 4-year follow-up assessment, 85% of children with ADHD continued to have the disorder and 15% remitted. Of those who remitted, half did so in childhood and the other half in adolescence. Predictors of persistence were familiality of ADHD, psychosocial adversity, and comorbidity with conduct, mood, and anxiety disorders. CONCLUSIONS The findings prospectively confirm that the majority of children with ADHD will continue to express the disorder 4 years later. For a minority of children, ADHD was a transient disorder that remits early in development. In addition, we have shown that persistence of ADHD is predictable. Familiality, adversity, and psychiatric comorbidity may be clinically useful predictors of which children with ADHD are at risk for a persistent disorder.
Urban-scale cellular offloading through Wi-Fi access points: A measurement-based case study

Wi-Fi offloading is one of the most effective approaches to relieve the cellular radio access from part of the burgeoning mobile demand. To date, Wi-Fi offloading has been mainly leveraged in limited contexts, such as home, office or campus environments. In this paper, we investigate the scaling properties of Wi-Fi offloading, by studying how it would perform on a much larger scope than those considered today. To that end, we consider a real-world citywide scenario, built on data about actual infrastructure deployments and mobile traffic demand, and observe which amount of traffic could be accommodated by the existing pervasive Wi-Fi access infrastructure, were it opened to mobile users. We find that more than 80% of the mobile traffic demand in a large urban area may be easily served by Wi-Fi access points, under a wide range of system settings.
Statistical image reconstruction from limited projection data with intensity priors

The radiation dose generated from x-ray computed tomography (CT) scans and its responsibility for increasing the risk of malignancy became a major concern in the medical imaging community. Accordingly, investigating possible approaches for image reconstruction from low-dose imaging protocols, which minimize the patient radiation exposure without affecting image quality, has become an issue of interest. Statistical reconstruction (SR) methods are known to achieve a superior image quality compared with conventional analytical methods. Effective physical noise modeling and possibilities of incorporating priors in the image reconstruction problem are the main advantages of the SR methods. Nevertheless, the high computation cost limits its wide use in clinical scanners. This paper presents a framework for SR in x-ray CT when the angular sampling rate of the projection data is low. The proposed framework is based on the fact that, in many CT imaging applications, some physical and anatomical structures and the corresponding attenuation information of the scanned object can be a priori known. Therefore, the x-ray attenuation distribution in some regions of the object can be expected prior to the reconstruction. Under this assumption, the proposed method is developed by incorporating this prior information into the image reconstruction objective function to suppress streak artifacts. We limit the prior information to only a set of intensity values that represent the average intensity of the normal and expected homogeneous regions within the scanned object. This prior information can be easily computed in several x-ray CT applications. Considering the theory of compressed sensing, the objective function is formulated using the ℓ1 norm distance between the reconstructed image and the available intensity priors. Experimental comparative studies applied to simulated data and real data are used to evaluate the proposed method. The comparison indicates a significant improvement in image quality when the proposed method is used.
Conflict management and constructive engagement in ASEAN's expansion

This article examines the expansion of membership in ASEAN which has occurred during the second half of the 1990s, and identifies the factors behind this process, with particular attention devoted to the efforts aimed at implementing the conflict management mechanisms of ASEAN on a wider regional level. The study takes as its starting point the rapprochement between the original member states of ASEAN and Vietnam and Laos, which began during the second half of the 1980s and gained momentum following the resolution of the Cambodian conflict in 1991. The first half of the 1990s was characterised by the gradual acceptance by other Southeast Asian countries of ASEAN's code of conduct for inter-state interaction. This paved the way for the accession to full membership in ASEAN of Vietnam in 1995, of Laos and Burma in 1997 and of Cambodia in late 1998. Given the considerable discrepancy in the level of economic development between the new and old members of ASEAN, the economic motivation for expanding ASEAN wou.
The Past as Prologue? Business Cycles and Forecasting since the 1960s

This paper examines how successfully economic forecasts as covered in public media foreshadow major real estate and financial crises. Building from existing research on the accuracy of economic forecasts, we focus on real estate crises and the portrayal of forecasts in the press. We utilize textual analysis to identify articles on specific topics and to track coverage over time, both in the print media, as well as the larger internet-based news world; we also use the Google tool, “Insights for Search,” to gauge public “forecasting” and popular beliefs. We find that the use of real-time data limits the accuracy of forecasts, that there appears to be a reluctance in the press to forecast bad news, and that when bad news is forecast, the report is often cushioned with counterbalancing observations. Preliminary results based on review of specific sets of articles show that articles reporting on academic forecasts have tended to be more accurate in hindsight than those relying on other sources. Reviews of two periods of real estate crises, the mid-1980s and the 2007-2009 crisis show that many of the serious problems were described in the press as early as two years in advance, but that interest and concern tended to taper off before the crisis occurred, leading to a sense of surprise. Our results suggest while the recent past is not always a good predictor of future trends, it can be very useful to be familiar with long term history that spans several cycles.
Fund Analysis and Selection Based on the Dimensions of Performance Measures

In this article, the author studies the distances and similarities between key performance measures based on clustering data-mining techniques. Using 27 performance measures related to 211 investment funds and calculated for three subperiods (six months, one year, and three years), these clustering techniques enable the observation of the three main dimensions of performance formed by the Sharpe ratio, the information ratio, and beta coefficients. Once more, the Sharpe ratio appears to be the key element for traditional performance measures. Thereby, each obtained cluster can be used to complete and improve classical fund performance analysis. From a practical perspective, these results confirm not only the relevance of a selective approach in choosing measures but also the efficiency of an integrated approach to performance analysis and the selection of funds. To this end, the author finds in an ex ante perspective that ranking based on a combination of Jensen’s alpha, the Sharpe ratio, and absolute performance over a three-year span dominates clearly all other rankings.
Rational expectations and fixed-event forecasts: An application to UK inflation

This paper tests a version of the rational expectations hypothesis using ‘fixed-event’ inflation forecasts for the UK. Fixed-event forecasts consist of a panel of forecasts for a set of outturns of a series at varying horizons prior to each outturn. The forecasts are the prediction of fund managers surveyed by Merrill Lynch. Fixed-event forecasts allow tests for whether expectations are unbiased in a similar fashion to the rest of the literature. But they also permit the conduct of particular tests of forecast efficiency - whether the forecasts make best use of available information - that are not possible with rolling-event data. We find evidence of a positive bias in inflation expectations. Evidence for inefficiency is much less clear cut.
Climate change impact on nutrient loss in regions with pronounced winter seasons.

Eutrophication manifested by massive algal blooms is the most acute problem in many coastal waters and lakes around the world. The main source of phosphorus and nitrogen transport in the region studied, the Baltic Sea basin, is agriculture. Several studies have predicted adverse climate change impact on eutrophication problems. Here we show that in regions with a climate characterized by pronounced winter seasons and snow-melt flow peaks, this may not be the case. Regional Climate Model results were used to drive hydrological and nutrient modelling. Substantial reductions of phosphorus losses and small reductions for nitrogen were predicted. The main factors behind these results were fewer and less pronounced snow-melt occasions, elevated plant uptake of nutrients and increased growth and crop yield. Based on IPCC scenarios, one ‘market driven’ (A2) and one ‘Local Sustainability’ (B2), the impact on nutrient loss of societal development and future policy lines were assessed. Agricultural adaptation to a future climate, market demand and remedial action policies, e.g. more autumn crops and bio-fuel production, gave further reductions in nutrient loss. The results should not be taken as a motive to reduce efforts to minimize eutrophication in these areas, since severe eutrophication may cause irreversible effects in the decades to come.
Managing Knowledge to Capture Value in Technology and Engineering Consultancies

In this paper we report the findings of a two-year project that examined how technology and engineering consultancies (TECs) manage knowledge and innovation to create and capture value. We studied eight multi-national consultancies at two levels. First, we examined the policies, processes and practices used at the corporate level to promote innovation, and capture the value created by it. Secondly, for each company we examined a specific innovative project. We found that whilst many of the policies, processes and practices used are similar to good practice in leading manufacturing firms, the ways in which they attempt to translate knowledge and innovation at the project level into value at the corporate level are far less well-developed, and are closer to practices elsewhere in the service sector
Fall prevention in acute care hospitals: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT Falls cause injury and death for persons of all ages, but risk of falls increases markedly with age. Hospitalization further increases risk, yet no evidence exists to support short-stay hospital-based fall prevention strategies to reduce patient falls. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether a fall prevention tool kit (FPTK) using health information technology (HIT) decreases patient falls in hospitals. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Cluster randomized study conducted January 1, 2009, through June 30, 2009, comparing patient fall rates in 4 urban US hospitals in units that received usual care (4 units and 5104 patients) or the intervention (4 units and 5160 patients). INTERVENTION The FPTK integrated existing communication and workflow patterns into the HIT application. Based on a valid fall risk assessment scale completed by a nurse, the FPTK software tailored fall prevention interventions to address patients' specific determinants of fall risk. The FPTK produced bed posters composed of brief text with an accompanying icon, patient education handouts, and plans of care, all communicating patient-specific alerts to key stakeholders. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was patient falls per 1000 patient-days adjusted for site and patient care unit. A secondary outcome was fall-related injuries. RESULTS During the 6-month intervention period, the number of patients with falls differed between control (n = 87) and intervention (n = 67) units (P=.02). Site-adjusted fall rates were significantly higher in control units (4.18 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 3.45-5.06] per 1000 patient-days) than in intervention units (3.15 [95% CI, 2.54-3.90] per 1000 patient-days; P = .04). The FPTK was found to be particularly effective with patients aged 65 years or older (adjusted rate difference, 2.08 [95% CI, 0.61-3.56] per 1000 patient-days; P = .003). No significant effect was noted in fall-related injuries. CONCLUSION The use of a fall prevention tool kit in hospital units compared with usual care significantly reduced rate of falls. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00675935.
A Probabilistic Approach to Pricing a Bundle of Products or Services

The authors propose a probabilistic approach to optimally price a bundle of products or services that maximizes seller's profits. Their focus is on situations in which consumer decision making is on the basis of multiple criteria. For model development and empirical investigation they consider a season ticket bundle for a series of entertainment performances such as sports games and music/dance concerts. In this case, they assume consumer purchase decisions to be a function of two independent resource dimensions, namely, available time to attend performances and reservation price per performance. Using this information, the model suggests the optimal prices of the bundle and/or components (individual performances), and corresponding maximum profits under three alternative strategies: (a) pure components (each performance is priced and offered separately), (b) pure bundling (the performances are priced and offered only as a bundle), and (c) mixed bundling (both the bundle and the individual performances are priced and offered separately). They apply their model to price a planned series of music/dance performances. Results indicate that a mixed bundling strategy is more profitable than pure components or pure bundling strategies provided the relative prices of the bundle and components are carefully chosen. Limitations and possible extensions of the model are discussed.
Autonomic nervous system, heart rate variability and n-3 fatty acids

Animal and in-vitro studies have shown profound antiarrhythmic effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on the heart. Because n-3 PUFAs (in particular docosahexaenoic acid) are abundant in nervous tissue, this antiarrhythmic effect may be mediated by effects of n-3 PUFAs on autonomic control or tone. This paper reviews the effect of n-3 PUFAs on heart rate variability, a noninvasive indicator of cardiac autonomic function. In most, although not all, studies, dietary n-3 PUFA levels and n-3 PUFA supplementation are related to improved heart rate variability. Although further research is required to confirm these relationships, the results support a beneficial effect of n-3 PUFAs on autonomic tone in humans, specifically an increase in vagal tone, which may reduce the risk of arrhythmias. The modulation of heart rate variability by n-3 PUFAs may partly explain the reduction in sudden cardiac death observed in subjects with a regular intake of n-3 PUFAs.
Effects of two fermentable carbohydrates (inulin and resistant starch) and their combination on calcium and magnesium balance in rats

Resistant starch and inulin are complex carbohydrates that are fermented by the microflora and known to increase colonic absorption of minerals in animals. The fermentation of these substrates in the large bowel to short-chain fatty acids is the main reason for this increase in mineral absorption. The purpose of the present study was to examine the potential synergistic effect of a combination of these two fermentable carbohydrates. For this purpose, thirty-two adult male Wistar rats weighing 200 g were used in the present study. The rats were distributed into four groups, and fed for 21 d a fibre-free basal purified diet or diet containing 100 g inulin, or 150 g resistant starch (raw potato starch)/kg diet or a blend of 50 g inulin and 75 g resistant starch/kg diet. After an adaptation period of 14 d, the rats were then transferred to metabolic cages and dietary intake, faeces and urine were monitored for 5 d. The animals were then anaesthetized and caecal Ca and Mg absorption were measured. Finally, the rats were killed and blood, caecum and tissues were sampled. Ca and Mg levels were assessed in diets, faeces, urine, caecum and plasma by atomic absorption spectrometry. Our results confirmed that inulin and resistant starch ingestion led to considerable caecal fermentation in the three experimental groups compared with the control group diet. Moreover, both carbohydrates significantly increased the intestinal absorption and balance of Ca and Mg, without altering the plasma level of these two minerals. Interestingly, the combination of the studied carbohydrates increased significantly (P<0·05) the caecal soluble Ca and Mg concentrations, the apparent intestinal absorption and balance of Ca, and non-significantly the plasma Mg level. In conclusion, a combination of different carbohydrates showed synergistic effects on intestinal Ca absorption and balance in rats. Further studies with other types of carbohydrate combinations should be carried out to extend these findings.
Trade Liberalization and Agricultural Terms of Trade in China: Price Scissors Revisited

With China’s accession to the WTO, concerns have arisen over the possible negative welfare impacts on domestic agricultural producers. The broad concern is that China’s domestic agricultural prices will be pushed down even further, leading to a greater widening of the gap between rural and urban incomes. It is widely believed that declining price ratio of agricultural to industrial products, the so-called “price scissors”, is one of the major reasons for increasing rural-urban income differences over the past decades. Therefore, improving the terms of trade in favor of agricultural products is a broad policy goal in China. But is this possible with the country joining the WTO? While there is a general perception that the price scissors have negatively affected China’s agriculture and that trade liberalization will worsen the situation, empirical work on price scissors in China, and the relationship to openness, is scarce. In this paper, we use data from 1978-2005 to estimate the impact of China’s trade openness on the relative price of domestic agricultural to industrial products. We find that the domestic agricultural-industrial terms of trade have not exhibited a declining trend, and that trade openness in fact exerts positive impacts on the terms of trade in favor of agricultural products. This finding implies that trade openness improves the economic welfare of China’s agricultural producers.
The Effect of Income and Food Programs on Dietary Quality: A Seemingly Unrelated Regression Analysis with Error Components

This article employs new Food Guide Pyramid servings data to measure how food intake is affected by income and two food programs. The analysis uses a maximum likelihood estimator that combines the seemingly unrelated regression and one-way error component models, to account for two types of intrahousehold correlations. Participation in the Food Stamp Program is associated with higher intake of meats, added sugars, and total fats. Participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is associated with lower intake of added sugars. Copyright 1999, Oxford University Press.
The Unofficial Economy and Economic Development

In developing countries, informal firms account for up to about half of all economic activity. Using data from World Bank firm-level surveys, we find that informal firms are small and extremely unproductive compared with even the small formal firms in the sample, and especially relative to the larger formal firms. Formal firms are run by much better educated managers than informal ones and use more capital, have different customers, market their products, and use more external finance. Few formal firms have ever operated informally. This evidence supports the dual economy (“Wal-Mart”) theory of development, in which growth comes about from the creation of highly productive formal firms. Informal firms keep millions of people alive but disappear as the economy develops.
Agent Bank Behavior in Bank Loan Syndications

Using Shared National Credit (SNC) Program data from 1995 to 2000, we extend previous empirical work on bank loan syndications. First, we examine recent trends in the volume and examiner-based credit quality of loans syndicated through the banking system. Second, we estimate a panel regression model to explain changes in an agent bank's retained share of a syndicated loan in terms of information asymmetries, loan credit quality, capital constraints, and loan age and maturity. We find that these variables are significant determinants of the proportion of a SNC loan retained by an agent bank for its portfolio over time. 2005 The Southern Finance Association and the Southwestern Finance Association.
Learning From Experience: Lessons From Policy Implementation

The first generation of implementation analysts discovered the problem of policy implementation—the uncertain relationship between policies and implemented programs—and sketched its broad parameters. The second generation began to unpack implementation processes and to zero in on relations between policy and practice. Together, these examinations generate a number of important lessons for policy, practice, and analysis; for example: policy cannot always mandate what matters to outcomes at the local level; individual incentives and beliefs are central to local responses; effective implementation requires a strategic balance of pressure and support; policy-directed change ultimately is a problem of the smallest unit. These lessons frame the conceptual and instrumental challenge for a third generation of implementation analysts—integrating the macro world of policymakers with the micro world of individual implementors.