Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Number 1 March 2017 Multiple z-Score Based Method for Noninvasive Prenatal Test Using Cell-Free DNA in Maternal Plasma

Objective: To improve the detecting accuracy of chromosomal aneuploidy of fetus by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using next generation sequencing data of pregnant women’s cell-free DNA. Methods: We proposed the multi-Z method which uses 21 z-scores for each autosomal chromosome to detect aneuploidy of the chromosome, while the conventional NIPT method uses only one z-score. To do this, mapped read numbers of a certain chromosome were normalized by those of the other 21 chromosomes. Average and standard deviation (SD), which are used for calculating z-score of each sample, were obtained with normalized values between all autosomal chromosomes of control samples. In this way, multiple z-scores can be calculated for 21 autosomal chromosomes except oneself. Results: Multi-Z method showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for 187 samples sequenced to 3 M reads while the conventional NIPT method showed 95.1% specificity. Similarly, for 216 samples sequenced to 1 M reads, Multi-Z method showed 100% sensitivity and 95.6% specificity and the conventional NIPT method showed a result of 75.1% specificity. Conclusion: Multi-Z method showed higher accuracy and robust results than the conventional method even at low coverage reads.
The Relation between Investor Uncertainty and Market Reactions to Earnings Announcements: Evidence from the Property-Casualty Insurance Industry

This paper examines the association between pre-disclosure uncertainty and investor reliance on reported earnings. Our study is unique because it incorporates both context-specific and forecast-based measures of uncertainty. The analysis is based on data for 118 publicly-traded property and casualty insurers for the period 1989 through 1998. We find significantly positive correlations among loss exposure, our context-based measure of uncertainty, and more general measures of uncertainty based on analysts' forecasts. Further, each uncertainty measure considered individually is significantly associated with the magnitude of abnormal returns around subsequent earnings announcements. However, the relation between loss exposure and abnormal returns is nonlinear. Although the market response to earnings generally increases with the firm's exposure to losses in the prior period, that effect is attenuated when the loss is very large. Simultaneous consideration of contextual and forecast-based measures of uncertainty indicates that, once forecast-based measures are taken into account, our contextual measure of uncertainty provides little incremental explanatory power for abnormal returns. The fact that generalized uncertainty measures based on analysts' forecasts apparently outperform a context-specific variable is good news for empirical researchers confronted with samples drawn from diverse industry settings. Taken together, our results provide compelling support for the view that investor reliance on reported earnings increases in periods of heightened uncertainty about the firm's prospects.
Understanding Sexualities, Genders, and Fatness in Physical Education

In June of 2011, the National Prevention Council, under the leadership of the U.S. Surgeon General, published the 125-page National Prevention Plan. This document calls for a shift in U.S. public health efforts from a focus on treating illness to one of wellness and prevention. Prominent among the objectives outlined in this plan is an increase in the quantity and quality of physical activity promotion efforts in U.S. public schools, including physical education, because of the wide-ranging and well-established health benefits of physical activity (National Prevention Council, 2011). The benevolent intrapersonal, social, and public health ideals guiding the efforts of physical educators, however, are sometimes lost in translation when it comes to students, particularly those who, at no fault of their own, may not enjoy, excel, or even desire to partake in physical education. The institution of physical education is anathema to some students, as it represents a manifestation not of learning, enjoyment, and freedom of movement but of hostility, marginalization, and anxiety. A new publication by Heather Sykes (2011) deals with these issues in an examination of the personal experiences of individuals Sykes terms “queer” (p. 5). The root of the marginalization of queer students, according to Sykes (2011), is that, “Queer bodies—‘fat,’ ‘lazy,’ ‘unathletic’—are rarely imagined [within the physical education profession] because they threaten [fantasies] of enjoyment and fun that binds [sic] physical educators together” (p. 17). Sykes’ book is an analysis of queer students’ subjective experiences in physical education based on her interviews with adults who attended public schools in Canada. The author’s interviews focused on former students’ memories of physical education, feelings about their bodies, the role of physical education teachers in students’ lives, and interviewees’ perspectives on how physical education might benefit from learning about these experiences. Although at times repetitive and disjointed, Sykes’ analysis is strengthened by the inclusion of accessible and empathic excerpts from these student narratives,
State Trading, the WTO and GATT Article Xvii

"I should at this point raise a related issue concerning state trading, in other words cases where a government has given a special right to a designated corporation to import or export or to distribute certain goods.the time is ripe to consider whether this antiquated form of monopoly trading can be phased out altogether". Sir Leon Brittan, Speech on "Competition Policy and the Trading system: Toward International Rules", Institute of International Economics (1997).
Characterization of tumor necrosis factor-deficient mice.

Although tumor necrosis factor (TNF) initially came to prominence because of its anti-tumor activity, most attention is now focused on its proinflammatory actions. TNF appears to play a critical role in both early and late events involved in inflammation, from localizing the noxious agent and amplifying the cellular and mediator responses at the local site and systemically, to editing (e.g., apoptosis) injured cells or effete immune cells and repairing inflammatory damage. We have generated mice deficient in TNF (TNF-/- mice) and have begun to examine the multiple functions attributed to TNF. TNF-/- mice develop normally and have no gross structural or morphological abnormalities. As predicted, they are highly susceptible to challenge with an infectious agent (Candida albicans), are resistant to the lethality of minute doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) following D-galactosamine treatment, have a deficiency in granuloma development, and do not form germinal centers after immunization. Phagocytic activity of macrophages appears relatively normal, as do T cell functions, as measured by proliferation, cytokine release, and cytotoxicity. B cell response to thymus-independent antigens is normal, but the Ig response to thymus-dependent antigen is reduced. Surprisingly, cytokine production induced by LPS appears essentially intact, with the exception of reduced colony-stimulating factor activity. Other unexpected findings coming from our initial analysis are as follows. (i) TNF has low toxicity in TNF-/- mice. (ii) TNF-/- mice show an anomalous late response to heat-killed Corynebacterium parvum. In contrast to the prompt response (granuloma formation, hepatosplenomegaly) and subsequent resolution phase in C. parvum-injected TNF+/+ mice, similarly treated TNF-/- mice show little or no initial response, but then develop a vigorous, disorganized inflammatory response leading to death. These results suggest that TNF has an essential homeostatic role in limiting the extent and duration of an inflammatory process-i.e., an anti-inflammatory function. (iii) In contrast to the expectation that TNF+/+ mice and TNF+/- mice would have identical phenotypes, TNF+/- mice showed increased susceptibility to high-dose LPS lethality, increased susceptibility to Candida challenge, and delayed resolution of the C. parvum-induced inflammatory process, indicating a strong gene dose requirement for different actions of TNF.
Molecular Heterogeneity of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma: Implications for Disease Management and Prognosis

Abstract Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) accounts for approximately 40% of all B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas of the Western world. According to the "WHO classification of tumours of the haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues", the term DLBCL is likely to include more than one disease entity, as suggested by the marked variability of the clinical presentation and response to treatment of this disease. Such heterogeneity may reflect the occurrence of distinct molecular subtypes of DLBCL as well as differences in the host's immune function. In immunocompetent hosts, approximately 50% DLBCL carry one of two primary molecular lesions defining two distinct genotypic subgroups, characterized by activation of either the BCL-6 or the BCL-2 proto-oncogene. Conversely, the remaining DLBCL of immunocompetent hosts display one of several molecular lesions, each associated with a small subset of cases and including activation of the proto-oncogenes REL, MUC-1, BCL-8 and c-MYC. The molecular pathogenesis of immunodeficiency-associated DLBCL differs substantially from that of DLBCL in immunocompetent hosts. In fact, EBV infection is present in a large fraction of immunodeficiency-associated DLBCL, whereas it is consistently negative in DLBCL of immunocompetent hosts, probably reflecting the critical role of disruption of the immune system in this disease. Finally, the application of DNA microarray technology to DLBCL has led to the distinction of two disease variants: a germinal center like DLBCL and an activated peripheral B-cell like DLBCL. Overall the molecular features of DLBCL may identify prognostic categories of the disease and may represent a powerful tool for therapeutic stratification.
Localization and function of the Ska complex during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation

The Ska (spindle and kinetochore-associated) complex is composed of three proteins: Ska1, Ska2 and Ska3. It is required for stabilizing kinetochore-microtubule (KT-MT) interactions and silencing spindle checkpoint during mitosis. However, its roles in meiosis remain unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the localization and function of the Ska complex during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. Our results showed that the localization and function of Ska complex in mouse oocyte meiosis differ in part from those in mitosis. Injection of low dose exogenous Myc-Ska mRNA showed that, instead of localizing to the kinetochores (KTs) and mediating KT-MT interactions from pro-metaphase to mid-anaphase stages as in mitosis, the members of the Ska complex were only localized on spindle microtubules from the Pro-MI to MII stages in mouse oocyte meiosis. Time-lapse live imaging analysis showed that knockdown of any member of the Ska complex by Morpholino injection into mouse oocytes resulted in spindle movement defects and enlarged polar bodies. Depletion of the whole Ska complex disrupted the stability of the anaphase spindle and influenced the extrusion of the first polar body. Taken together, these results show that the Ska complex plays an important role in meiotic spindle migration and anaphase spindle stability during mouse oocyte maturation.
The Compelling “Hard Case” for “Green” Hotel Development

Hotel developers and managers may be wary of the current emphasis on “green” hotel development, because such trends have come and gone in the past. This time, however, consumers will almost certainly continue to demand that hotels join other commercial real estate operators in constructing and operating their buildings in accordance with standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council. The so-called LEED standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) are the basis of certification for qualifying buildings. Governments are beginning to mandate reduced energy use and emissions. Whereas building a green hotel used to cost a premium, current studies show that the cost of building to LEED standards is not greater than conventional approaches, while those buildings are healthier for occupants and less expensive to operate. Although retrofitting buildings does save energy, a better approach is to construct green hotels. Current incentives for energy-saving construction and operation may diminish, and early adopters will have the best chance at those incentives.
[Characteristics of cognitive impairment in adults with cerebral ischemia].

OBJECTIVE To explore the characteristics of cognitive impairment of cerebral ischemia in adults to provide rationales for proper diagnosis and targeted treatment. METHODS A battery of standardized neuropsychological tests including mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and memory and executive screening (MES) was administered in a cohort of consecutive patients with cerebral ischemia. According to the screening results, they were divided into 3 subgroups of vascular dementia (VaD), vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI) and non-vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). The general profiles of 3 subgroups were compared and the characteristics of VaMCI subgroup examined. Then the relationship between the composition of cognitive impairment and the type of ischemia (stroke and transient ischemic attack) was analyzed. RESULTS Fifty-six patients and 48 healthy subjects (normal control group) matched with regards to age, gender and education were recruited. Compared to normal control group, there was a decline in the scores of MMSE [(25.0 ± 5.6) vs (28.0 ± 1.4); t = 2.695, P = 0.007] and MES [(67 ± 21) vs (84 ± 7); z = 3.860, P = 0.000] in case group. There were 33 cases (58.9%) of VCI in case group, including 11 (19.6%) in VaD subgroup, 22 (39.3%) in VaMCI subgroup and 23 (41.1%) in non-VCI subgroup. And the rate of VaD/VaMCI was 1/2. The percentage of males (36.4% vs 78.3%; χ(2) = 5.720, P = 0.017) and education [(8 ± 3) vs (12 ± 4); P = 0.010] of VaD subgroup were significantly lower than that of non-VCI subgroup; the education of VaMCI subgroup was significantly lower than that of non-VCI subgroup [(7 ± 3) vs (12 ± 4); P = 0.001]; a positive correlation existed between scores of MMSE/MES and cognitive impairment. The neuropsychological tests were both sensitive and specific.In VaMCI subgroup, 22 cases (100%) presented with a deficit of at least 1 certain executive function/attention index, 21(95.5%) with at least 1 certain memory index, 17(77.3%) with at least 1 certain language index and 16(72.7%) with at least 1 certain visuospatial function index; all VaMCI cases presented with comprehensive cognitive impairment: 11 (50%) in 4 domains, 10 (45%) in 3 domains and 1 (5%) in 2 domains.No significant difference existed among 3 subgroups with regard to type of ischemia (χ(2) = 1.111, P = 0.574). In the case group, 30 patients suffered stroke and 17 (56.7%) had an onset of VCI with a rate of VaMCI/VCI at 58.8%; transient ischemic attack occurred in 26 patients and 16 (61.5%) suffered VCI with a rate of VaMCI/VCI at 75.0%. CONCLUSION Our study not only profiles the prevalence and peculiarity of cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral ischemia, but also provides concrete rationales for further diagnosis and classification of VCI.
Resistance or Change in the Vietnamese Accounting Field?

The paper explores the probability of substantive change in the Vietnamese accounting field from a Bourdieuian perspective. The research question is, "Do the 2 million practitioners in the Vietnamese accounting field look forward to changes that may be brought about by Anglo Saxon institutions such as, the large accounting firms, the international standards and the foreign accounting professions? " Semi structured interviews were conducted to draw from respondents their feelings and thoughts on the possibility of change. Some 44 interviews of bookkeepers, including professional accountants, academics and other informed observers were conducted. Of the 44 interviewees the bookkeepers were more generally negative with regard to change. They preferred a compliance mode of accounting. By contrast, those representatives of other groups such as professional accountants, managers and academics were more open to change and saw merit in following accounting principles. The literature refers to "a paucity of studies on developing countries" with respect to the effects of exogenous changes to local accounting fields. The paper meets this need by investigating the accounting field in Vietnam and its reaction to exogenous change.
Antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of Swietenia mahagoni in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Context: Swietenia mahagoni L. Jacq. (Meliaceae) is a medium to large evergreen tree native to Southern Florida, Cuba, The Bahamas, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. Objective: To evaluate the antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of S. mahagoni bark. Materials and methods: In the present study, the antidiabetic activity of the methanol extract of S. mahagoni (MESM) bark in streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/kg body weight)-induced diabetic rats was evaluated. Glibenclamide (0.5 mg/kg; orally) was taken as the reference drug. The blood glucose levels and body weights were measured every 5th day over a period of 15 days. Antioxidant effects were assayed in diabetic rats by estimating thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT) levels. Results and discussion: Oral administration of MESM at the doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg b.w. resulted in a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. Body weights were significantly (p < 0.001) reduced in STZ-induced diabetic rats when compared to normal rats, while the extract significantly restored body weight. The present study was further undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant activity of MESM in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Decreased levels of TBARS and increased levels of GSH and CAT activity indicated a reduction in free radical formation in tissues such as the liver and kidney of diabetic rats. Conclusion: These findings showed the significant hypoglycemic and antioxidant activity of the extract (MESM) in diabetic rats.
Femtosecond laser-assisted MyoRing implantation in postoperative LASIK ectasia.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of MyoRing implantations (DIOPTEX GmbH, Linz, Austria) in patients with ectasia after LASIK. METHODS MyoRing implantation was performed in 15 eyes of 14 patients with ectasia after LASIK using a femtosecond laser. Uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity, refraction, keratometry, central corneal thickness, corneal biomechanical profile, and corneal aberrometry were evaluated preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS Uncorrected distance visual acuity (1.02 ± 0.48 to 0.30 ± 0.18 logMAR), maximum keratometry (50.14 ± 1.82 to 43.80 ± 1.21 diopters), and sphere (-4.4 ± 4.8 to +1.50 ± 0.61 diopters) were significantly improved from preoperative values at 1 month after surgery with no significant change afterward. Corrected distance visual acuity did not improve significantly 1 month after implantation, but between the 1- and 3-month follow-up visits, a significant improvement (0.30 ± 0.1 to 0.17 ± 0.13 logMAR) was observed without any additional improvement thereafter. A nearly significant (P = .05) increase in central corneal thickness (439.4 ± 19 to 452.2 ± 20 μm) was observed during the 1-month postoperative period. Primary coma, higher-order aberrations, and trefoil showed an insignificant decrease 1 month after surgery and afterward. Spherical aberration significantly increased between the preoperative visit and the first postoperative visit. Corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor showed no significant change between visits. CONCLUSIONS MyoRing is a safe and effective method in patients with ectasia after LASIK. It can improve corrected distance visual acuity and reduce refractive error in these patients.
BEYOND PRACTICES: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO HIGH PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLY

This paper is based on the cumulative or synergies theory of manufacturing performance, as opposed to the trade‐off perspective. The paper compares the cases of two British contract electronics assemblers, the first one having achieved a high level of performance on productivity, quality, and dependability, and the second one having achieved a lower level of performance on these criteria but higher flexibility. The case material is used to develop a “high school” analogy that helps to understand why companies come to achieve cumulative manufacturing performance in an industrial sector where competitive pressure is particularly high.
Portfolio Disequilibrium: Implications for the Divisia Approach to Monetary Aggregation

The first part of the paper reviews the performance of the U.K.'s official monetary aggregates during the 1980s and argues that Divisia aggregation is, in principle, likely to offer a sounder basis for monetary analysis and policy. The central sections develop an econometric model of the demand for retail balances and examine the effect of portfolio disequilibrium, showing how this makes it appropriate to smooth the user costs in a particular way when using them to construct a Divisia aggregate. The final section of the paper shows that the resulting aggregate is closely associated with economic activity and prices once an allowance is made for the growth in the use of credit cards. Copyright 1994 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd and The Victoria University of Manchester
Resonant-Type Antennas Loaded With CRLH Unit Cell

The concept of loading monopole antennas with composite right/left-handed (CRLH) unit cell is extended to cover other types of resonant antennas, namely loop antennas and printed inverted-F antennas (printed IFAs). By adding one unit cell, these antennas achieve three operating bands while having their sizes unmodified. The new frequencies are lower than the unloaded antenna's nominal frequency. The printed IFA is fabricated, and measurements are consistent with theoretical predictions.
Simple and Effective Market Timing with Tactical Asset Allocation

A simple market timing algorithm is examined that switches from an exchange traded fund representing U. S. equities to one holding treasury long bonds every month on the last day, the switch being made to whichever ETF has the greatest ratio of current adjusted closing price to adjusted closing price μ months earlier. The parameter μ is determined so as to maximize total return and minimize the total number of trades, however the results are relatively insensitive to μ over a fairly wide range. The performance of this scheme is compared to that of an Ivy 5 portfolio consisting initially of equal dollar amounts of ETFs in U. S. equities, foreign large blend, 7-10 year treasuries, real estate, and commodities. As with the paired switching approach, each ETF is purchased only once a month, on the last day, in this case only if its adjusted closing price exceeds the 10-month simple moving average (SMA). Otherwise that portion of the portfolio is invested in a cash surrogate. Comparison is made over the 10-year period ending on 12/31/13. It is shown that the average annual return of the paired switching algorithm exceeds 30% in this period, which is 3 times greater than that of the Ivy 5. Moreover, only 45 trades were required for the paired switching approach, whereas the Ivy 5 required 70 in the same period. The maximum draw down was 14.6% for the Ivy 5 and 18.8% for paired switching.