Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of sagittal T2-weighted BLADE and fast spin-echo MRI of the female pelvis for motion artifact and lesion detection.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of BLADE (proprietary name for periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction [PROPELLER] in MR systems from Siemens Healthcare) MRI compared with conventional T2-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) MRI for reducing artifacts and improving image quality when imaging the female pelvis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sagittal T2-weighted BLADE and FSE examinations of the pelvis of 26 women were performed on a 1.5-T scanner. Three radiologists assessed the images for the presence of artifacts, level of anatomic detail, and overall image quality using a modified Likert scale. Scores for each radiologist and each imaging sequence were analyzed with a linear mixed model, adjusting for correlation within radiologist and within patient. A quantitative comparison was conducted to investigate signal uniformity. RESULTS The BLADE sequence was superior for evaluation of the junctional zone (p = 0.0019), delineation of ovarian borders and depiction of follicles (p < 0.0001), and detection of fibroids (p = 0.022). Overall image quality was improved with BLADE, with fewer respiratory motion artifacts. The BLADE sequence introduced "radial" artifact that was absent from the FSE images, but this artifact did not affect image quality. Quantitative analysis revealed mean coefficients of variation for BLADE and FSE in the uterus of 21.6% and 22.5%, respectively (p = 0.36). The mean coefficients of variation were 4.6% and 6.1% in fat (p = 0.0007), indicating less variation with BLADE. The mean acquisition times for the BLADE and FSE sequences were 4 minutes 31 seconds and 3 minutes 46 seconds, respectively. CONCLUSION Imaging of uterine junctional zone anatomy, ovaries, and fibroids was improved and artifacts were reduced with BLADE compared with FSE. Radial artifact introduced by the BLADE sequence and slightly longer imaging times needed for the BLADE sequence were offset by improved image quality.
Inflation Targeting in a Small Emerging Market Economy: The Case of Pakistan

The success of inflation targeting monetary policy in established market economies has generated interest among monetary policy-makers in smaller emerging market economies to explore the adoption of the same, in order to overcome their current inflationary trends. In recent years, Pakistan has adopted several structural reforms that have enhanced the role of markets in its economy. Fiscal consolidation has also cleared the way for its central bank, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), to adopt independent monetary instruments to conduct its monetary policy. Steps towards greater liberalization of foreign exchange rates, greater accountability of commercial bank executives, and towards increased transparency of SBP’s operations are good reasons to explore the feasibility of a market-based monetary policy aimed at achieving its intermediate targets. The present study explores the feasibility of an inflation targeting monetary policy for Pakistan. Based on our econometric analysis and experiences of other emerging market countries, we raise a few issues that deserve policy-makers’ attention while considering the adoption of an inflation targeting monetary policy. These issues include: the weak impact of monetary policy on domestic prices, the impact of import prices on domestic prices, possible wide fluctuations in output growth resulting from frequent and abrupt adjustment of monetary growth rates when the inflation target is missed, and the lagged adjustment of domestic prices. Some light is also shed on the role of governance structure in determining the monetary and fiscal trends in the country.
Effect of postoperative radiotherapy on outcome in resectable stage IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer: an updated meta-analysis

Background In a previous meta-analysis-based modeling study, it was hypothesized that modern postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) may improve both local recurrence and overall survival (OS) in stage IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There were only four single-arm trials with a total of 357 patients. As other trials have provided new and controversial data, we performed this updated meta-analysis to test the hypothesis. Patients and methods Systematic reviews in Medline, Cochrane, and Science Direct up to December 2015 identified publications exploring the efficacy of PORT in resectable stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC. Results Overall, 16 trials comprising 3278 patients were included. There was a significant benefit in favor of PORT regarding OS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.58–0.92, P=0.008; absolute benefit at 5 years=8%], disease-free survival (HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.60–0.83, P<0.0001), and locoregional recurrence-free survival (HR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.24–0.58, P<0.0001). Restriction of the analysis to trials with induction and/or adjuvant chemotherapy led to similar results. PORT significantly decreased the risk of local recurrence (risk ratio: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.50–0.82, P=0.0006) and DM (risk ratio: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.62–0.88, P=0.0005), and the absolute risk differences were 13 and 14%, respectively. Conclusion The addition of PORT, with or without chemotherapy, significantly improves local control and survival in patients with resectable stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC.
Tackling the world's challenges with technology

Expectations are rising fast that business should help tackle societal challenges and do it profitably. Technology will clearly shake up how organizations operate in every way; no part of management will go untouched in a world of big data, ubiquitous sensors, and powerful analytics providing new levels of insight. But perhaps the most powerful transformation will change how companies manage their relationships with the larger world. Business, using technology wisely, will help build a thriving, resilient world. Of course, technology comes with its own environmental and social costs. Better AI and robots could mean fewer jobs. But the case for techno-optimism is strong. The Internet of Things, paired with smarter analytics, will help managers understand a companys impacts on the world in much greater detail. In the largest sectors of the economy, progress is coming quickly. More powerful computers and cheaper data will also make transportation systems smarter.
Cutting Edge: Suppression of T Cell Chemotaxis by Sphingosine 1-Phosphate1

Murine CD4 and CD8 T cells express predominantly types 1 and 4 sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) G protein-coupled receptors (designated S1P1 and S1P4 or previously endothelial differentiation gene-encoded 1 and 6) for S1P, which has a normal plasma concentration of 0.1–1 μM. S1P now is shown to enhance chemotaxis of CD4 T cells to CCL-21 and CCL-5 by up to 2.5-fold at 10 nM to 0.1 μM, whereas 0.3–3 μM S1P inhibits this chemotaxis by up to 70%. Chemotaxis of S1P1, but not S1P4, transfectants to CXCL1 and CXCL4 was similarly affected by S1P. Activation of CD4 T cells, which decreases S1P receptor expression, suppressed effects of S1P on chemotaxis. Pretreatment of labeled CD4 T cells with S1P before reintroduction into mice inhibited by a maximum of 75% their migration into chemokine-challenged s.c. air pouches. The S1P-S1P1 receptor axis thus controls recruitment of naive T cells by maintaining their response threshold to diverse lymphotactic factors.
Type A behavior, social support, and coronary risk: interaction and significance for mortality in cardiac patients.

&NA; The 10‐year prognostic significance of psychosocial as well as medical risk factors was examined in 150 middle‐aged Swedish men. Type A behavior was assessed by means of the Structured Interview; work demand, social support, and other psychosocial factors were registered through standardized questionnaires. The clinical investigation included a standard physical examination, a frontal and sagittal chest x‐ray, fasting serum lipids, glucose, and urate, and a 24‐hour ambulatory ECG monitoring. Thirty‐seven men died during follow‐up. Mortality was similar in men with Type A (24%) and Type B (22%) behavior. In multivariate analyses, lack of social support/social isolation was an independent mortality predictor in Type A, but not in Type B men. In both groups, a high frequency of ventricular ectopic beats on 24‐hour ECG monitoring and a poor self‐rated general health predicted mortality over the 10‐year period. The 10‐year mortality experience of socially isolated Type A men was 69% and that of socially integrated Type A men was 17% (p less than 0.05). The findings offer a possible explanation for the observed inconsistencies between intervention and follow‐up studies of Type A behavior and coronary heart disease. It is suggested that an important effect of Type A modification programs is to increase the availability of social support. This could be the mechanism through which Type A modification exerts its main effects on cardiovascular health.
Distinct Promoters Mediate the Regulation of Ebf1 Gene Expression by Interleukin-7 and Pax5

ABSTRACT Early differentiation of B lymphocytes requires the function of multiple transcription factors that regulate the specification and commitment of the lineage. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments have provided important insight into the transcriptional control of B lymphopoiesis, whereby E2A was suggested to act upstream of EBF1 and Pax5 downstream of EBF1. However, this simple hierarchy cannot account for all observations, and our understanding of a presumed regulatory network, in which transcription factors and signaling pathways operate, is limited. Here, we show that the expression of the Ebf1 gene involves two promoters that are differentially regulated and generate distinct protein isoforms. We find that interleukin-7 signaling, E2A, and EBF1 activate the distal Ebf1 promoter, whereas Pax5, together with Ets1 and Pu.1, regulates the stronger proximal promoter. In the absence of Pax5, the function of the proximal Ebf1 promoter and accumulation of EBF1 protein are impaired and the replication timing and subcellular localization of the Ebf1 locus are altered. Taken together, these data suggest that the regulation of Ebf1 via distinct promoters allows for the generation of several feedback loops and the coordination of multiple determinants of B lymphopoiesis in a regulatory network.
Enhancement of Glycine Receptor Function by Ethanol Is Inversely Correlated with Molecular Volume at Position α267*

Glycine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptors are members of the “superfamily” of ion channels, and are sensitive to allosteric modulation byn-alcohols such as ethanol and butanol. We recently demonstrated that the mutation of Ser-267 to Ile in the α1 subunit abolished ethanol regulation of glycine receptors (Gly-R). In the present study, a pair of chimeric receptors was studied, in which a 45-amino acid domain comprising transmembrane domains 2 and 3 was exchanged between the Gly-Rα1 and γ-aminobutyric acid ρ1 subunits. Detailed pharmacologic analysis of these chimeras confirmed that this domain of the Gly-R confers enhancement of receptor function by ethanol and butanol. An extensive series of mutations at Ser-267 in the Gly-Rα1 subunit was also prepared, and the resulting homomeric receptors were expressed and tested for sensitivity to glycine, and allosteric modulation by alcohols. All of the mutant receptors expressed successfully in Xenopus oocytes. Mutation of Ser-267 to small amino acid residues such as Gly or Ala produced receptors in which glycine responses were potentiated by ethanol. As we have reported previously, the mutant Gly-Rα1 (Ser-267 → Ile) was completely insensitive to ethanol; mutation of Ser-267 to Val had a similar effect. Mutation of Ser-267 to large residues such as His, Cys, or Tyr resulted in inhibition of Gly-R function by ethanol. These results demonstrate that the size of the amino acid residue at position α267 plays a crucial role in determining the functional consequences of allosteric modulation of the Gly-R by alcohols.
Atherosclerosis in perlecan heterozygous mice Published, JLR Papers in Press, July 16, 2004. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M400019-JLR200

The hypothesis that lipoprotein association with perlecan is atherogenic was tested by studying atherosclerosis in mice that had a heterozygous deletion of perlecan, the primary extracellular heparan sulfate proteoglycan in arteries. We first studied the expression of perlecan in mouse lesions and noted that this proteoglycan in aorta was found in the subendothelial matrix. Perlecan was also a major component of the lesional extracellular matrix. Mice with a heterozygous deletion had a reduction in arterial wall perlecan expression. Atherosclerosis in these mice was studied after crossing the defect into the apolipoprotein E (apoE) and LDL receptor knockout backgrounds. At 12 weeks, chow-fed apoE null mice with a heterozygous deletion had less atherosclerosis. However, at 24 weeks and in the LDL receptor heterozygous background, the presence of a perlecan knockout allele did not significantly alter lesion size. Thus, it appears that loss of perlecan leads to less atherosclerosis in early lesions. Although this might be attributable to a decrease in lipoprotein retention, it should be noted that perlecan might mediate multiple other processes that could, in sum, accelerate atherosclerosis.
Quality, Pricing, and Release Time: Optimal Market Entry Strategy for New Software-as-a-Service Vendors

As a new software licensing model, software-as-a-service (SaaS) is gaining tremendous popularity across the globe. In this study, we investigate the competition between a new entrant and an incumbent in a SaaS market, and derive the optimal market entry strategy for the new entrant. One interesting finding is that, when the new entrant’s product is fully compatible with that of the incumbent, but has a significantly lower quality, the new entrant should adopt an instant-release strategy, i.e., releasing its product at the start of the planning horizon. If the initial quality gap of the two products is small, the new entrant is better off adopting a late-release strategy, i.e., deferring the release of the new product until its quality surpasses that of the existing product. When the two competing products are partially compatible, in addition to instant-release and late-release, an early-release strategy, i.e., spending some time improving the quality of the new product but releasing it before its quality reaches that of the existing product, can also be optimal. Furthermore, under full product compatibility, higher quality leads to higher price for the new product, whereas under partial product compatibility, higher quality does not always go in tandem with higher price.
Unipro UGENE NGS pipelines and components for variant calling, RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data analyses

The advent of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies has opened new possibilities for researchers. However, the more biology becomes a data-intensive field, the more biologists have to learn how to process and analyze NGS data with complex computational tools. Even with the availability of common pipeline specifications, it is often a time-consuming and cumbersome task for a bench scientist to install and configure the pipeline tools. We believe that a unified, desktop and biologist-friendly front end to NGS data analysis tools will substantially improve productivity in this field. Here we present NGS pipelines “Variant Calling with SAMtools”, “Tuxedo Pipeline for RNA-seq Data Analysis” and “Cistrome Pipeline for ChIP-seq Data Analysis” integrated into the Unipro UGENE desktop toolkit. We describe the available UGENE infrastructure that helps researchers run these pipelines on different datasets, store and investigate the results and re-run the pipelines with the same parameters. These pipeline tools are included in the UGENE NGS package. Individual blocks of these pipelines are also available for expert users to create their own advanced workflows.
Comparison of in vitro and in vivo tests for determination of availability of calcium from calcium carbonate tablets.

In vitro tests of calcium (Ca) availability and the oral Ca load test were conducted on eight brands of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) tablets (products A-H) each providing 500 mg Ca. Data were collected over three experiments with nine to 11 healthy premenopausal women testing two to four products. Subjects followed a low Ca diet (less than 10 mmol/day). On test mornings, fasting subjects collected baseline urine for 2 hours (-2 to 0 hours), then ingested the tablet with water. Urine was collected from 0 to 2 hours and 2 to 4 hours; for products E-H, urine was collected for an additional 2 hours (4 to 6 hours). Blood was sampled at hours 0, 4 and 6 during testing of products E and F. Three in vitro tests were run: the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) dissolution test, USP disintegration test, and a disintegration test using vinegar. Ca excretion rose significantly at hours 2 to 4 (p less than 0.05) compared to baseline for seven products. Ca excretion either fell or remained constant between hours 4 and 6. Serum Ca rose and serum parathyroid hormone fell at hour 4, compared to fasting values, suggesting that 4 hours represents peak response time. In vivo availability, measured as the incremental increase in Ca excretion (mmol/mmol creatinine) in hours 2 to 4 compared to baseline, did not correlate significantly with results of the USP dissolution test but did with results of either the USP disintegration test or the vinegar test. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Sensory perception in Parkinson disease.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether there is a complex sensory disturbance that may be contributing to the motor deficit in patients with Parkinson disease. DESIGN Comparison of performance by patients and healthy, age- and sex-matched subjects in tests of various sensory functions. SETTING The Center for Human Performance and Testing at a university hospital and research center. PARTICIPANTS Ten subjects with Parkinson disease and 10 control subjects matched for age and sex. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Performance on 4 subjects of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test: finger identification, graphesthesia, localization of tactile stimuli, and kinesthesia. RESULTS Data were analyzed using paired t tests for ratio data and the paired Wilcoxon test for ordinal data. Patients with Parkinson disease performed significantly worse (P = .001) than the control patients on the test of kinesthesia. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups on the other subtests. CONCLUSIONS Without visual guidance, patients with Parkinson disease had more difficulty in perceiving the extent of a movement made to a target away from the body, a task requiring reliance on proprioceptive feedback. Parkinsonian patients had no more difficulty than controls in making movements to a target on the surface of the body when they could use tactile sensations. Movement difficulties in patients with Parkinson disease may relate in part to a decrease in proprioception. Activities that enhance kinesthetic awareness may be an important adjunct to the treatment of these patients.
The Politics of Canadian Monetary Policy: Reassessing Canadian Inflation, Part II

Abstract: This is the second installment of a two-part article on Canadian inflation. This article builds on the traditional conflict theory of inflation by applying insights from the post-Keynesian and micro-politics theories of money and central bank policy. It argues that the Bank of Canada’s inflation targets — not just inflation itself — have to be understood in terms of social conflict and power. This analysis extends the evidence on the distributive implications of Canadian inflation offered in Part I.
Report of a national conference on liver allocation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States

A national conference was held to better characterize the long‐term outcomes of liver transplantation (LT) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to assess whether it is justified to continue the policy of assigning increased priority for candidates with early‐stage HCC on the transplant waiting list in the United States. The objectives of the conference were to address specific HCC issues as they relate to liver allocation, develop a standardized pathology report form for the assessment of the explanted liver, develop more specific imaging criteria for HCC designed to qualify LT candidates for automatic Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) exception points without the need for biopsy, and develop a standardized pretransplant imaging report form for the assessment of patients with liver lesions. At the completion of the meeting, there was agreement that the allocation policy should result in similar risks of removal from the waiting list and similar transplant rates for HCC and non‐HCC candidates. In addition, the allocation policy should select HCC candidates so that there are similar posttransplant outcomes for HCC and non‐HCC recipients. There was a general consensus for the development of a calculated continuous HCC priority score for ranking HCC candidates on the list that would incorporate the calculated MELD score, alpha‐fetoprotein, tumor size, and rate of tumor growth. Only candidates with at least stage T2 tumors would receive additional HCC priority points. Liver Transpl 16:262–278, 2010. © 2009 AASLD.
Recognition memory impairment and brain oxidative stress induced by postnatal iron administration

Iron accumulation in the brain has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. It is known that iron catalyses the formation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals. Recent studies have implicated oxidative damage in memory deficits in rats and humans. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the long‐term effects of iron treatment in four different phases of the neonatal period on recognition memory in rats. Additionally, parameters of oxidative stress in cerebral regions related to memory formation were evaluated. Male Wistar rats received vehicle or 10.0 mg/kg of Fe2+ orally at postnatal days 5–7, 12–14, 19–21 or 30–32. Animals given iron at any phase of the neonatal period showed impairments in long‐term retention of object recognition memory, although only the group given iron from postnatal days 12–14 showed a complete memory blockade. Iron treatment induced oxidative damage in the brain as assessed by the thiobarbituric acid reactive species assay. Moreover, iron administration increased superoxide production in submitochondrial particles, suggesting impaired mitochondrial function; and there was an increase in superoxide dismutase activity in brain regions susceptible to iron administration. The results show that iron load in the early stages of life induces cognitive impairment possibly by inducing oxidative damage in the brain. These findings are consistent with the view that oxidative stress may be related to the cognitive decline observed in normal ageing.