Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Reliable Are Local Projection Estimators of Impulse Responses?

Abstract We compare the finite-sample performance of impulse response confidence intervals based on local projections (LPs) and vector autoregressive (VAR) models in linear stationary settings. We find that in small samples, the asymptotic LP interval often is less accurate than the bias-adjusted bootstrap VAR interval, notwithstanding its excessive average length. Although the asymptotic LP interval has adequate coverage in sufficiently large samples, its average length still far exceeds that of bias-adjusted bootstrap VAR intervals with comparable accuracy. Bootstrap LP intervals (with or without bias correction) and asymptotic VAR intervals are shorter on average, but they often lack coverage accuracy in finite samples.
Hyperostosis Following Orbital Exenteration.

PURPOSE To describe CT scan findings following orbital exenteration in 27 patients and to identify the factors involved in the development of post exenteration hyperostosis. METHODS Noncomparative case series. The authors reviewed the charts of 27 patients ranging in age from 33 to 99 years, who underwent unilateral exenteration at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and at the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Data regarding patient demographics, surgical procedure, clinical diagnosis, and preoperative and postoperative CT imaging of the orbits were obtained. The relationship between hyperostosis and postoperative time, gender, age, adjuvant radiotherapy, and cavity coverage was evaluated by multivariate stepwise logistic regression. RESULTS Seventeen (73.9 %) orbits had postoperative orbital hyperostosis. No soft tissue masses were detected in the affected orbits except in 2 cases with tumor recurrence. The only factor associated with hyperostosis was immediate intraoperative socket rehabilitation (odds ratio = 0.13, 95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.89). There was an 87.0% lower chance of hyperostosis in patients whose socket was covered with musculocutaneous flaps. Sequential CT scans showed that orbital hyperostosis followed a specific pattern. Initially, bone thickening appeared as either uniform or undulating endo-osteal minimal thickening along the roof and then on the lateral and medial walls. More advanced hyperostosis had a laminated/lamellated appearance progressing to homogeneous and diffuse circumferential bone thickening. New bone formation and bone overgrowth were late findings. Hyperostosis extended to involve the adjacent facial bone, more obviously on the maxilla. Some patients had minimal thickening of the adjacent frontal and squamous temporal bone. Over-pneumatization of the paranasal sinuses was evident in all cases of hyperostosis. CONCLUSIONS Development of hyperostosis following exenteration is not rare. Radiologists and surgeons should be aware of the need to monitor the orbital healing process closely to avoid misdiagnoses of tumor recurrence/radionecrosis or infection. Obliteration of the orbital cavity with musculocutaneous flaps significantly reduces the chances of bone hyperostosis.
Robust, open-source removal of systematics in Kepler data

We present ARC2 (Astrophysically Robust Correction 2), an open-source Python-based systematics-correction pipeline to correct for the Kepler prime mission long cadence light curves. The ARC2 pipeline identifies and corrects any isolated discontinuities in the light curves, then removes trends common to many light curves. These trends are modelled using the publicly available co-trending basis vectors, within an (approximate) Bayesian framework with `shrinkage' priors to minimise the risk of over-fitting and the injection of any additional noise into the corrected light curves, while keeping any astrophysical signals intact. We show that the ARC2 pipeline's performance matches that of the standard Kepler PDC-MAP data products using standard noise metrics, and demonstrate its ability to preserve astrophysical signals using injection tests with simulated stellar rotation and planetary transit signals. Although it is not identical, the ARC2 pipeline can thus be used as an open source alternative to PDC-MAP, whenever the ability to model the impact of the systematics removal process on other kinds of signal is important.
HYBRID RESISTANCE TO PARENTAL NZW BONE MARROW GRAFTS: Association with the D End of H-2

F1 hybrid and allogeneic mice of several strains rejected NZW bone marrow grafts even though the cell transfer was preceded by an acute and lethal exposure to γ-irradiation. Mice of these strains were designated “resistant. ” F1 and inbred mice of other strains did not reject NZW grafts and were designated “susceptible. ” Interstrain variation in the ability to reject parental or allogeneic NZW grafts was observed even when H-2 differences between hosts and donor were kept identical. Maturation of resistance did, not occur until the 5th week of life in (NZW × NZB)F1 hybrids. In adults, resistance was weakened or abrogated by administration of cyclophosphamide and by sublethal exposure to γ-rays 14 days prior to a second exposure and transplantation. The frequency of resistant and susceptible animals in segregating progeny of (NZW × NZB)F1 hybrids backcrossed to NZW mice was compatible with genetic control by a single autosomal locus closely associated with H-2 in linkage group IX. The genetic determinant of hybrid resistance to NZW grafts was mapped in or near the D end of H-2 by testing F1 hybrids from NZW parents outcrossed to mice congenic with strain B10 and/or carrying recombinant H-2 alleles. The locus is presumably identical to Hh-1 responsible for hybrid resistance to B10 and other inbred strain marrow grafts. In conclusion, hemopoietic grafts of NZW donors were the targets of a transplantation reaction in heavily irradiated host mice. Peculiar features were the parent to F1 hybrid incompatibility, the persistence of reactivity after acute irradiation of prospective hosts, and the additional regulation of reactivity by genetic factors other than the primary determinants of transplantation antigens.
Double Layer Polarization and Non-Linear Electroosmosis in and around a Charged Permeable Aggregate

We have studied the migration of a charged permeable aggregate in electrolyte under the influence of an axial electric field and pressure gradient. The migration of the positively charged aggregate leads to a deformation of the anionic cloud around it. The hydrodynamics of the aggregate is governed by the interaction of electroosmotic flow in and around the particle, hydrodynamic friction and electric force experienced by the aggregate. We have computed the non-linear Nernest-Planck equations coupled with the DracyBrinkman extended Navier-Stokes equations and Poisson equation for electric field through a finite volume method. The permeability of the aggregate enable the counterion penetration. The penetration of counterions depends on the volume charge density of the aggregate and ionic concentration of electrolytes at a fixed field strength. The retardation effect due to the double layer polarization increases the drag force compared to an uncharged aggregate. Increase in migration sped from the electrophretic velocity of the aggregate produces further asymmetry in charge cloud and reduces the electric body force exerted on the particle. The permeability of the particle have relatively little influence on the electric body force when Double layer is relatively thin. The impact of the key parameters of electrokinetics on the hydrodynamics of the aggregate is analyzed. Keywords—Electrophoresis, Advective flow, Polarization effect, Numerical solution.
"RAI"--an international system for assessment of nursing home residents.

The Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) is described. The RAI consists of three basic components: 1) the Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a collection of items covering all the areas one would expect when assessing the needs of elderly people and developing a care plan, 2) the Resident Assessment Protocols are a series of protocols which guide the assessor through the best practice of care planning for the common problems faced by the elderly and 3) the Resource Utilization Groups is a classification system based on MDS to predict resource use at the level of the individual resident. The goal of RAI is to improve the quality of care. It also enables national and international comparisons between long term care residents. RAI was used at 65 nursing homes in Copenhagen in 1992-93 and 3451 residents were examined. The reproducibility and validity of the instrument was tested and found to be good. Results from the use of RAI in Denmark is presented. We conclude that RAI is useful in assessing residents at nursing homes, because the collected data triggers actions that improve the quality of care.
The Generation of Both T Killer and Th Cell Clones Specific for the Tumor-Associated Antigen HER2 Using Retrovirally Transduced Dendritic Cells1

Induction of antitumor immunity involves the presence of both CD8+ CTLs and CD4+ Th cells specific for tumor-associated Ags. Attempts to eradicate cancer by adoptive T cell transfer have been limited due to the difficulty of generating T cells with defined Ag specificity. The current study focuses on the generation of CTL and Th cells against the tumor-associated Ag HER2 using autologous dendritic cells (DC) derived from CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells which have been retrovirally transduced with the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene. HER2-transduced DC elicited HER2-specific CD8+ CTL that lyse HER2-overexpressing tumor cells in context of distinct HLA class I alleles. The induction of both HLA-A2 and -A3-restricted HER2-specific CTL was verified on a clonal level. In addition, retrovirally transduced DC induced CD4+ Th1 cells recognizing HER2 in context with HLA class II. HLA-DR-restricted CD4+ T cells were cloned that released IFN-γ upon stimulation with DC pulsed with the recombinant protein of the extracellular domain of HER2. These data indicate that retrovirally transduced DC expressing the HER2 molecule present multiple peptide epitopes and subsequently elicit HER2-specific CTL and Th1 cells. The method of stimulating HER2-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells with retrovirally transduced DC was successfully implemented for generating HER2-specific CTL and Th1 clones from a patient with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. The ability to generate and expand HER2-specific, HLA-restricted CTL and Th1 clones in vitro facilitates the development of immunotherapy regimens, in particular the adoptive transfer of both autologous HER2-specific T cell clones in patients with HER2-overexpressing tumors without the requirement of defining immunogenic peptides.
The halotolerant Debaryomyces hansenii, the Cinderella of non‐conventional yeasts

Debaryomyces hansenii is a halotolerant yeast with a high biotechnological potential, particularly in the food industry. However, research in this yeast is limited by its molecular peculiarities. In this review we summarize the state of the art of research in this microorganisms, describing both pros and cons. We discuss (i) its halotolerance, (ii) the molecular factors involved in saline and osmotic stress, (iii) its high gene density and ambiguous CUG decoding, and (iv) its biotechnological and medical interests. We trust that all the bottlenecks in its study will soon be overcome and D. hansenii will become a fundamental organism for food biotechnological processes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and Characterization of Silver/Polylactide Nanocomposites

Silver/polylactide nanocomposites (Ag/PLA-NCs) were synthesized via chemical reduction method in diphase solvent. Silver nitrate and sodium borohydride were used as a silver precursor and reducing agent in the polylactide (PLA). The properties of Ag/PLA-NCs were studied as a function of the weight percentages of silver nanoparticles (8, 16 and 32 wt% of Ag-NPs) relative to the weight of PLA. The Ag/PLA-NCs were characterized by Xray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electro-optical microscopy (EOM), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). XRD patterns confirmed that Ag-NPs crystallographic planes were face centered cubic (fcc) type. TEM images showed that mean diameters of Ag-NPs were 3.30, 3.80 and 4.80 nm. Electro-optical microscopy revealed excellent dispersion and interaction between Ag-NPs and PLA films. The generation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed from the UVvisible spectra. FT-IR spectra showed that there were no significant differences between PLA and Ag/PLA-NCs films. The synthesized Ag/PLA-NCs were stable in organic solution over a long period of time without sign of precipitation. Keywords—Nanocomposites, Polylactide, Silver Nanoparticles, Sodium Borohydride, Transmission Electron Microscopy.
Automatic Detection of Stress States in Type 1 Diabetes Subjects in Ambulatory Conditions.

Two levels of control are crucial to the robustness of an artificial β-cell, a medical device that would automatically regulate blood glucose levels in patients with type 1 diabetes. A low-level component would attempt to regulate blood glucose continuously, while a supervisory-level, or monitoring, component would detect underlying changes in the subject's glucose-insulin dynamics and take corrective actions accordingly. These underlying changes, or "faults," can include changes in insulin sensitivity, sensor problems, and insulin delivery problems, to name a few. A multivariate statistical monitoring technique, principal component analysis (PCA), has been applied to both simulated and experimental type 1 diabetes data. The objective of this study was to determine if PCA could be used to distinguish between normal patient data, and data for abnormal conditions that included a variety of "faults. " The PCA results showed a high degree of accuracy; for data from nine type 1 diabetes subjects in ambulatory conditions, 33 of 37 total test days (89%), including fault days and normal days, were classified correctly. Thus, the proposed monitoring technique shows considerable promise for incorporation into an artificial β-cell.
Comparison of use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based kits and PCR amplification of rRNA genes for simultaneous detection of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar

A comparison of the use of three commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based kits and PCR amplification of rRNA genes to detect and differentiate Entamoeba histolytica from E. dispar was carried out. Only the Techlab kit did not cross-react with E. dispar antigens, but it was 100 times less sensitive than PCR in detection of and differentiation between the two types of Entamoeba.
Intermittent claudication. A risk profile from The Framingham Heart Study.

BACKGROUND Intermittent claudication identifies persons at increased risk for death and disability. METHODS AND RESULTS Using 38-year follow-up data for the original cohort in the Framingham Heart Study, we developed an intermittent claudication risk profile. Intermittent claudication occurred in a total of 381 men and women. Age, sex, serum cholesterol, hypertension, cigarette smoking, diabetes, and coronary heart disease were associated with an increased risk for claudication and were included in the profile. A pooled logistic regression model was used to compute the probability of intermittent claudication for specified levels of risk factors. CONCLUSIONS The intermittent claudication risk profile allows physicians to identify high-risk individuals during a routine office visit and can be used to educate patients about modifiable risk factors, particularly smoking and blood pressure. Improved compliance with risk factor modification strategies may result in a beneficial impact on survival.
Helicobacter pylori exotoxins and gastroduodenal diseases associated with cytotoxic strain infection.

This paper describes the characteristics of exotoxins produced by Helicobacter pylori, and in particular the vacuolating toxin (VacA) and the cytotoxin‐associated protein (CagA). The possible association between infection by strains of certain phenotypic or genomic types and the seriousness of gastroduodenal diseases is discussed. Helicobacter pylori induces various morphological changes in cells in vitro, but only infection by strains which induce cytovacuolation has been studied at present. In its native form, VacA is a protein aggregate made of subunits with a mass of 95 kDa. In vitro it stimulates a cellular v‐ type ATPase present on the endosomes and creates an acidic environment inside the vacuoles. It also alters in vitro a K(+)‐dependent phosphatase activity and could impair the flux of sodium through the cells. Purified VacA causes ulceration in mice; experimental infection in mice with strains which also express the CagA protein causes gastric erosions, vacuolation and epithelial and stromal polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell infiltration. In vivo vacuolation can be observed in gastric cells from patients infected with type I (VacA‐CagA positive) H. pylori. CagA is a protein of 128‐140 kDa molecular weight, noncytotoxic and highly immunogenic. It is coexpressed in approximately 70% of cytotoxin‐producing strains. In CagA positive strain infection, increased levels of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) are secreted by the colonized gastric mucosa. Patients infected by cytotoxic strains and/or patients with anti‐CagA antibodies are more likely to have active gastritis, and are more likely to develop peptic ulcer or gastric cancer. The different outcomes of infection could be determined by host factors, diet, or by the age at which infection is acquired.
Cholinergic synaptic circuitry in the macaque prefrontal cortex

Surprisingly little is known about the synaptic architecture of the cholinergic innervation in the primate cerebral cortex in spite of its acknowledged relevance to cognitive processing and Alzheimer's disease. To address this knowledge gap, we examined serially sectioned cholinergic axons in supra‐ and infragranular layers of the macaque prefrontal cortex by using an antibody against the acetylcholine synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). The tissue bound antibody was visualized with both immunoperoxidase and silver‐enhanced diaminobenzidine sulfide (SEDS) techniques. Both methods revealed that cholinergic axons make synapses in all cortical layers and that these synapses are exclusively symmetric. Cholinergic axons formed synapses primarily on dendritic shafts (70.5%), dendritic spines (25%), and, to a lesser extent, cell bodies (4.5%). Both pyramidal neurons and cells exhibiting the morphological features of GABAergic cells were targets of the cholinergic innervation. Some spiny dendritic shafts received multiple, closely spaced synapses, suggesting that a subset of pyramidal neurons may be subject to a particularly strong cholinergic influence. Analysis of synaptic incidence of cholinergic profiles in the supragranular layers of the prefrontal cortex by the SEDS technique revealed that definitive synaptic junctions were formed by 44% of the cholinergic boutons. An unexpected finding was that chohnergic boutons were frequently apposed to spines and small dendrites without making any visible synaptic specializations. These same spines and dendrites often received asymmetric synapses, presumably of thalamocortical or corticocortical origin. Present ultrastructural findings suggest that acetylcholine may have a dual modulatory effect in the neocortex: one through classical synaptic junctions on dendritic shafts and spines, and the other through nonsynaptic appositions in close vicinity to asymmetric synapses. Further physiological studies are necessary to test the hypothesis of the nonsynaptic release of acetylcholine in the Cortex. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Protracted withdrawal.

Most clients in treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) do not immediately feel better after stopping their substance use. In a pattern unique to each client, symptoms related to substance abuse may be felt for weeks, months, and sometimes years. Clients may be affected by less intense versions of the acute signs and symptoms of withdrawal as well as by other conditions such as impaired ability to check impulses, negative emotional states, sleep disturbances, and cravings. These symptoms may lead clients to seek relief by returning to substance use, feeding into the pattern of repeated relapse and return to treatment.1, 2 SUD treatment providers can help clients avoid this cycle by helping them recognize and manage symptoms.
Results of levator-advancement blepharoptosis repair using a standard protocol: effect of epinephrine-induced eyelid position change.

PURPOSE Blepharoptosis repair by levator advancement is successful in most instances, but the postoperative eyelid level is not uniformly predictable. This study was undertaken to evaluate the possible effect of epinephrine (from local anesthetic) on eyelid position. METHODS Seventeen adults with acquired unilateral ptosis as a result of levator aponeurosis dehiscence underwent levator aponeurosis advancement. The distance between the upper eyelid margin and the central corneal light reflex was measured preoperatively with the patient in both the upright and the supine position, 10 minutes after injection of 1.0 mL of anesthetic solution (2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine and 12 U hyaluronidase per mL) in the supine position, intraoperatively after skin closure in the supine position, and 1 week or more postoperatively in the upright position. The ptotic lid was positioned intraoperatively in relation to the contralateral unoperated lid according to the change (presumably) induced by epinephrine stimulation of Müller's muscle. RESULTS Eleven (65%) of the 17 patients had final postoperative lid positions within 1 mm between eyes. Two patients (12%) had undercorrection. Four patients (24%) had overcorrection by > 1 mm. The overcorrected lids were satisfactorily positioned, however, and none required further surgery; in 3 of these 4 patients, the unoperated lid had become ptotic, probably as a result of Hering's law. Differences between operated and unoperated lids and between the different times of measurement were analyzed. Significant changes in lid position occurred in the ptotic lids after injection (mean, +1.1 +/- 1.5 mm; median, +1.0 mm; P = .004) and in the final intraoperative difference between operated and unoperated lids (mean, +0.8 +/- 0.9 mm; median, +1.0 mm; P = .003). The change in the unoperated lid from preoperative upright to preoperative supine was significantly greater in the 6 failures (mean, -0.8 +/- 0.6 mm; median, -1.0 mm) than in the 11 successful outcomes (mean, +0.1 +/- 0.8 mm; median, 0.0 mm; P = .03). The change in unoperated lid position after injection of the ptotic lid was significantly greater in the failures (mean, +0.4 +/- 0.5 mm; median, +0.3 mm) than in the successful cases (mean, -0.2 +/- 0.4 mm; median, 0.0 mm; P = .02). CONCLUSION Although it seems intuitively reasonable and clinically appropriate to account for the stimulatory effect of epinephrine during ptosis surgery, such intraoperative compensation alone did not yield a universally successful outcome in this study.