Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lung cancer pathology discrimination techniques using time series analysis

The goal of this study is to discover, analyze, compare, and interpret diffused reflectance polarimetric signatures from lung cancer cells through time series analysis techniques, by using recently invented efficient polarimetric backscattering detection techniques. Specifically, different time series analyses, relying on linear and generalized linear modeling, have been investigated, with special emphasis on the Granger test for the time series. The experimental results indicate that statistically enhanced discrimination between normal and different types of lung cancer cells and stages can be achieved based on the pairwise comparisons of the time series diffused reflectance signal intensities and depolarization properties of the cells.
Testosterone infusion reduces nocturnal luteinizing hormone pulse frequency in pubertal boys.

Administration of testosterone (T) can inhibit LH secretion in early pubertal boys. However, the GnRH pulse generator is relatively resistant to the effects of T, since T infusion beginning at 2100 h, 3 h before the usual nighttime increase in T, does not suppress the characteristic increase in LH pulse frequency or amplitude associated with the onset of sleep in early pubertal boys. To test the hypothesis that the hypothalamic-pituitary axis must be exposed to T for a longer duration to suppress the nocturnal rise in LH pulse frequency and amplitude, we infused saline or T at one third the adult male production rate (320 nmol/h), beginning at 1200 h on two consecutive weekends in each of eight early to midpubertal boys. Blood was obtained from 2000-0800 h every 10 min for LH and every 30 min for T measurements. T infusion increased the mean plasma T concentration from 6.9 +/- 1.7 to 11.8 +/- 1.4 nmol/L (P less than 0.01) between 2000-0800 h. Despite the T infusion, the nocturnal rise in mean LH concentration and LH pulse frequency persisted, suggesting that the nocturnal amplification of LH, and by inference GnRH, secretion is resistant to the negative feedback effects of T. A higher dose of T, approximating the adult male production rate (960 nmol/h), was given to eight additional boys beginning at 1200 h. The mean T concentration increased from 4.2 +/- 1.7 to 20.8 +/- 3.1 (P less than 0.001) nmol/L between 2000-0800 h. The mean plasma LH concentration was suppressed by T infusion from 5.2 +/- 0.5 to 2.9 +/- 0.4 IU/L, and LH pulse frequency decreased from 0.50 +/- 0.04 to 0.27 +/- 0.11 pulses/boy/h (P less than 0.01). There was no nocturnal amplification of LH secretion, but high amplitude LH pulses did occur during the night in six of the eight boys. The low dose T infusion had no effect on pituitary LH release by exogenous GnRH. With the high dose T infusion, however, the ability of GnRH, at 25 ng/kg but not at 250 ng/kg, to release pituitary LH was amplified. Thus, T supplementation at one third the adult male production rate does not blunt the sleep-associated nighttime rise in LH pulse frequency or LH concentration. T infusion approximating the adult male production rate suppresses the nocturnal increase in LH pulse frequency and mean LH concentration, and high amplitude, slow frequency LH pulses similar to patterns seen in adult men persist. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Role for Sam68 in Cell Cycle Progression Antagonized by a Spliced Variant within the KH Domain*

Sam68 is the main tyrosine-phosphorylated and Src-associated protein in mitotic cells. Sam68 exhibits a conserved functional KH (hnRNPK homology) RNA binding domain and binds single strand nucleic acids. Tyrosine phosphorylation mediates the interaction of Sam68 with many SH3- and SH2-containing proteins and negatively regulates its nucleic acid binding properties. But the function and the impact of Sam68 on cell signaling and cell proliferation remains elusive. We report here the identification of a natural isoform of Sam68 with a deletion within the KH domain. This isoform, called Sam68ΔKH, is specifically expressed at growth arrest upon confluency in normal cells. In cells that do not enter quiescence at confluency such as Src-transformed cells, no recruitment of Sam68ΔKH is observed. Transfected Sam68ΔKH inhibits serum-induced DNA synthesis and cyclin D1 expression. Sam68 overcomes these effects, suggesting that isoforms of Sam68 are involved, through KH domain signaling, in cell proliferation, and more precisely in G1/S transition.
Capital Account Restrictions, Exchange Rate Volatility, and Firm Value

Building upon a data set of publicly traded firms in Thailand, we find that the exposure of firms to exchange rate volatility appears to change during the period of capital account restrictions (in the form of the un-remunerated reserve requirement on capital inflows) between 2006-07. We also find that exchange rate volatility of Thai baht against four major currencies- the US dollar, the British pound, the euro, and the Japanese yen- appears to be greater during the implementation period of capital account restrictions. Our results also show that stock returns for some firms are greater/less sensitive to exchange rate volatility during the capital account restrictions period, suggesting that the restrictions on capital inflows are beneficial to some firms while have a detrimental effect on other firms.
Application of Microfluidic Devices to Proteomics Research IDENTIFICATION OF TRACELEVEL TRACELEVEL TRACELEVEL PROTEIN DIGESTS AND AFFINITY CAPTURE OF TARGET PEPTIDES *

This report describes an integrated and modular microsystem providing rapid analyses of trace-level tryptic digests for proteomics applications. This microsystem includes an autosampler, a microfabricated device comprising a large channel (2.4 l total volume), an array of separation channels, together with a low dead volume enabling the interface to nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry. The large channel of this microfluidic device provides a convenient platform to integrate C18 reverse phase packing or other type of affinity media such as immobilized antibodies or immobilized metal affinity chromatography beads thus enabling affinity selection of target peptides prior to electrophoretic separation and mass spectrometry analyses on a quadrupole/time-of-flight instrument. Sequential injection, preconcentration, and separation of peptide standards and tryptic digests are achieved with a throughput of up to 12 samples/per h and a concentration detection limit of 5 nM (25 fmol on chip). Replicate injections of peptide mixtures indicated that reproducibility of migration time was 1.2–1.8%, whereas relative standard deviation ranging from 9.2 to 11.8% are observed on peak heights. The application of this device for trace-level protein identification is demonstrated for two-dimensional gel spots obtained from extracts of human prostatic cancer cells (LNCap) using both peptide mass-fingerprint data base searching and on-line tandem mass spectrometry. Enrichment of target peptides prior to mass spectral analyses is achieved using c-myc-specific antibodies immobilized on protein G-Sepharose beads and facilitates the identification of antigenic peptides spiked at a level of 20 ng/ml in human plasma. Affinity selection is also demonstrated for gelisolated protein bands where tryptic phosphopeptides are captured on immobilized metal affinity chromatography beads and subsequently separated and characterized on this microfluidic system. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 1:157–168, 2002.
Adequacy of hospital discharge status as a measure of outcome among injured patients.

CONTEXT Crude mortality rates at the time of hospital discharge are commonly used to assess the quality of care provided to patients hospitalized following trauma. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the adequacy of hospital death rates as an outcome measure following trauma and to determine the influence of noninjury illness as a cause of hospital death and the frequency of postdischarge death. DESIGN Retrospective cohort analyses using hospital discharge data for injured patients cross-linked to death certificate data that provided 1 year of follow-up for all patients discharged alive. PATIENTS A total of 90048 injured patients admitted to all acute care hospitals in the state of Washington from 1991 through 1993 and discharged with at least 1 diagnosis coded in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification to indicate trauma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Death in the hospital and death within 30 days of hospital discharge. RESULTS Among 1912 injured patients with in-hospital deaths, 825 death certificates (43%) listed a noninjury cause of death. The overall mortality rate at hospital discharge was 21.2 per 100000 hospitalized injured patients, and was 12.1 per 100000 for trauma deaths and 9.1 per 100000 for those designated as nontrauma deaths. Patients with trauma-related death designations were younger (mean age, 51.5 years vs 77.9 years), had shorter lengths of stay (median stay, 2 days vs 5 days), and sustained more severe injures (P<.001). Including the 1273 deaths that occurred within 30 days of hospital discharge increased rates for trauma-designated deaths to 14.1 per 100000 and increased rates for nontrauma-designated deaths to 21.3 per 100000. CONCLUSIONS Hospital discharge death rates are incomplete measures of death frequency for injured patients. Designation of the cause of death, especially among older, hospitalized, injured patients often reflects preexisting medical conditions. Adequate assessment of mortality following trauma requires measurement of the frequency of death following hospital discharge.
Job Satisfaction for Campus Recreation Professionals within NIRSA Institutions

An international investigation was conducted to determine the overall job satisfaction of college campus recreation employees who are members of the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA). Demographic information was gathered to provide statistical analysis based on (a) region; (b) size of school; (c) private versus public; (d) four-year versus two-year schools; (e) rural, suburban, and urban location; (f) years in the profession; and (g) reporting structure. The following work related areas were examined to determine if NIRSA members were satisfied with their job environment: (a) personal/individual satisfaction, (b) staffing and organizational structure, (c) financial support, (d) salary and professional development, (e) department and individual expectations, (f) campus recreation facilities, and (g) campus collaboration and communication. The study found that overall the respondents indicated they were satisfied with their job situation/environment with greater satisfaction being shown by those with loftier job titles when compared with those with lesser job titles. Differences in job satisfaction were noted in terms of (a) supervisor's expectations of them, salary, and hours worked (based on amount of experience); (b) salary (based on title held); (c) budget allocation (based on reporting structure); and (d) a desire to leave their present position/job (in terms of job title held, experience/length of service and reporting structure).
Forecasts and environmental decision making. The content and accuracy of environmental impact statements

During the 1970s, environmental impact statements (EISs) became the focal point of significant federal decisions regarding natural resources. The legal requirements of environmental assessment assume a technically sophisticated EIS that conforms to the rational-comprehensive model of decision making. The authors of this study examine the accuracy and descriptive characteristics of EIS forecasts in a sample of 29 nationally representative projects. Using data on actual post-project impacts, they evaluate the accuracy of over 200 predictions, finding that although most EIS predictions on environmental impacts fall short of the model's ideal, the outcomes of EIS assessments turn out to be reasonably prescient - that is, few impacts are inconsistent with EIS forecasts and almost no significant impacts are wholly unanticipated by EIS writers. The book concludes with suggested ways of redefining the EIS process so as to diminish false expectations and to enhance the practical strengths of the National Environmental Policy Act.
Financial Deregulation and Economic Distress: Is There a Future for Financial Co-Operatives?

The last years have witnessed a wide reshaping of the banking scene. According to researchers and authorities, the aftermath of these developments include an increased risk of demarketing of the conventional banking system towards certain customer segmentations and marginal areas and activities. Recently the banking scene has deteriorated, especially at the local level, as the financial crisis increased the scarcity of readily available, sufficient and reliable services. Behind the current crisis seems to be the influential corporate governance of dominant financial institutions, which introduced innovative products that resulted in less transparency and created uncertainty and a lack of trust toward and within the financial system. The present paper argues that this new reality can be thought of as giving new opportunities for financial co-operatives to increase their importance among the market and areas that they historically serve. The paper bases its analysis on the development pattern of the financial co-operatives of Italy and Greece and outlines the critical path that the financial co-operatives should follow in order to provide efficient (and crucial for local development banking) services and products. It is argued that these changes can be exploited only if the financial co-operatives would be able to transform without losing their basic values. Further, this route goes through the development of new strategies and in certain cases of the modernization of their services. The authors also stress and define the risk of failing that might hinder the co-operative movement, as the huge potential of co-operative endeavors are rarely “translated” to gains automatically.
Information Markets: A New Way of Making Decisions

Information markets have proven to be so remarkably accurate at predicting a wide range of events, from presidential elections to Oscar winners, that scholars are challenged to examine the potential for using this innovative tool in other areas. This book brings together nine leading scholars to evaluate the applicability of information markets to the work of policymakers, non-profit organizations, and the private sector.
Pancreas Development and Cancer: Wnt/β-Catenin at Issue…

β-catenin and Adenomatous poliposis coli (APC) have been implicated in non-ductal pancreatic cancers. As for many other organs, several recent publications show that β-catenin and more largely the Wnt pathway appear to function at the level of pancreatic progenitors and endocrine cells during organogenesis. This raises the question of the cell type in which β-catenin is mutated during tumor formation in acinar cell carcinomas, pancreatoblastomas and solid cystic papillary tumors of the pancreas.
Psychological functioning among mothers of children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a longitudinal study.

Mothers of children with newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were assessed repeatedly over a period of 6 years in order to determine the psychological correlates of managing this chronic illness. Both maternal depression and overall emotional distress after the 1st year of the IDDM increased slightly with illness duration and were also influenced by other factors. Mothers' adjustment shortly after their children were diagnosed with IDDM was a strong predictor of their long-term emotional symptomatology. However, mothers' symptoms over time were not related to medical aspects of IDDM (i.e., the extent of the children's metabolic control, number of rehospitalizations, or their compliance with the medical regimen) and were also unrelated to the levels of depression or anxiety reported by their children. Mothers generally found it easier to cope with the IDDM the longer their children had the illness. However, the degree to which mothers perceived the IDDM to be bothersome or difficult to manage at any given point in time was associated with their overall levels of emotional distress.
Radiographic Evaluation of Periodontal Osseous Defects-A Retrospective Study

Periodontal disease is the second most prevalent clinical entity among oral diseases, and is recognized as a serious public health problem. Osseous destruction as a result of periodontal disease is classified according to clinical criteria into horizontal (or even) and angular (or vertical) osseous destruction. The detection and accurate assessment of the location, extent and configuration of the endosseous defect is important for the determination of the tooth prognosis, the treatment plan and the maintenance procedures. Radiographic examination is a complementing mean of great importance to obtain the diagnosis of periodontitis, even though it does not reveal the real state of cellular activity, but shows the consequences upon dento alveolar structures.
Sexual Dimorphism in the External Morphology of the Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus Aculeatus)

Abstract Information about sexual dimorphism is essential for understanding the ecology, behavior, and life history of a species, as well as for making morphological comparisons between populations. Furthermore, in order to understand the evolution of sexual dimorphism, it is important to know whether sexual dimorphism is genetically determined or the result of phenotypic plasticity. To this end, we have characterized patterns of sexual dimorphism in the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). These fish are widely distributed throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and their behavior, ecology, and evolution have been extensively characterized. We first examined sexual dimorphism in morphometric and meristic characters of wild-caught threespine sticklebacks from multiple populations that demonstrate different life history strategies in order to understand general patterns of sexual dimorphism in the threespine stickleback. Next, we made several crosses by in vitro fertilization and raised them in the laboratory to investigate developmental and genetic contributions to sexual dimorphism. Morphological analysis of wild-caught breeding males and females from four North American and six Asian populations revealed that adult males have larger heads and mouths than adult females in all populations. In contrast, adult females were longer in standard length and had longer pelvic girdles than adult males in many populations. Sexual dimorphism in dorsal-spine length was variable among populations. Except for body size, sexual dimorphism in most external morphological traits was similar between wild-caught and lab-reared fish. However, sexual dimorphism was only observed after the fish became reproductively mature. These results suggest that general features of secondary sexual characters are shared across different threespine stickleback populations and that sexual dimorphism in some morphological traits may have a genetic basis.
The cochlear geometry as a frequency analyser Further experimental observations on models

MODELS of various sizes but having internal configurations as closely resembling as practically possible the mammalian ('straightened out') cochlea, were shown to perform a linear frequency analysis to a first approximation (Naftalin, 1967). These models had no basilar membrane but were equipped with agar-gel 'tectorial membranes' which could be fragmented into segments without loss of property: the gels sharpened the selectivity of the frequency analysis. Recently it became possible to repeat these experiments with improved signal generating and recording units. These in turn have led to improved modelling. This short communication reports current results.
Role of the ras-MAPK Signaling Pathway in the DNA Methyltransferase Response to DNA Hypomethylation

Our group reported that inhibiting DNA methylation in human T cells increases DNA methyltransferase expression and activity, and suggested that this may represent a response to DNA hypomethylation. The increase correlates with increases in Ha-ras and c-jun, suggesting that increased signaling through the ras-MAPK pathway, due to overexpression of some elements, may be responsible. However, whether human DNA MTase is regulated by the ras-MAPK pathway, and whether overexpression of elements in this pathway will increase DNA MTase, is unknown. We report that treating cells with a DNA methylation inhibitor increases transcription regulated by a putative DNA MTase promoter, and that this increase requires AP-1 sites. Additional studies demonstrate that overexpression of an unmutated Ha-ras causes an increase in DNA MTase, and that human T cell DNA MTase can be decreased by inhibiting signaling through the ras-MAPK pathway. Together, these studies suggest that human T cell DNA MTase is regulated through the ras-MAPK pathway, and that overexpression of Ha-ras is sufficient to increase DNA MTase expression. These results thus provide a mechanism for the increase in DNA MTase observed after inducing DNA hypomethylation, a response which may have relevance to some disease states.
Optimal Price and Quantity of Refurbished Products

Many retail product returns can be refurbished and resold, typically at a reduced price. The price set for the refurbished products affects the demands for both new and refurbished products, while the refurbishment and resale activities incur costs. To maximize profit, a manufacturer in a competitive market must carefully choose the proportion of returned products to refurbish and their sale price. We model the sale, return, refurbishment, and resale processes in an open queueing network and formulate a mathematical program to find the optimal price and proportion to refurbish. Examination of the optimality conditions reveals the different situations in which it is optimal to refurbish none, some, or all of the returned products. Refurbishing operations may increase profit or may be required to relieve a manufacturing capacity bottleneck. A numerical study identifies characteristics of the new product market and refurbished products that encourage refurbishing and some situations in which small changes in the refurbishing cost and quality provoke large changes in the optimal policy.
Opposite effects of MK-801 on the expression of food and morphine-induced conditioned place preference in rats

Behavioural studies have provided strong evidence for common substrates in the rewards of natural and addictive substances, but it is still unclear whether there is a common glutamatergic NMDA receptor mechanism involved in the processing of reward for both. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of MK-801 (0.1mg/kg) on the expression of place preference conditioned with food and morphine (5.0mg/kg) in rats. The data indicates that MK-801 potentiates the expression of food-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) but retards that of morphine CPP. It also demonstrates that the opposite effects of MK-801 on food and morphine CPP expression were caused neither by hyperactivity nor by the impairment of memory retrieval. These results suggest that MK-801 enhances food craving and inhibits morphine craving in rats, and that the roles of glutamatergic NMDA receptor mechanisms in the reward processing of natural reinforcers and addictive drugs may be dissociable.