Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationships in broiler chickens between lameness, liveweight, growth rate and age

Thirteen genotypes of poultry were selected to represent a wide range of growth profiles and were fed either a non-limiting or Label Rouge diet. The birds' degree of lameness and liveweight were measured after 54 and 81 days. The birds reared on the Label Rouge diets were less lame than birds of the same genotype reared on the non-limiting diet. More traditional and slower growing genotypes tended to be less lame than the modern genotypes reared on the same feeding regimen. All the birds, irrespective of their genotype or diet, were less lame after 54 days than after 81 days. However, when liveweight was included in the analysis as a covariable, many of the differences disappeared. Only age at assessment significantly affected the walking ability of the birds, with the birds being approximately 0.6 units of gait score worse at 54 days of age than at 81 days. The regression coefficient between gait score and liveweight was 1.262 at 54 days and 1.128 at 84 days. The results indicated that liveweight was an important determinant of lameness in the diverse range of genotypes examined, that growth rate was also an important determinant of lameness and that younger birds may be more sensitive to differences in liveweight than older birds.
Amsacrine (m‐AMSA): A New Antineoplastic Agent Pharmacology, Clinical Activity and Toxicity

The synthetic aminoacridine derivative amsacrine (m‐AMSA) is capable of preventing DNA from serving as a template in replication and DNA synthesis. This mechanism of action is similar to that of anthracyclines, but clinical evidence suggests the lack of cross‐resistance. The recommended dosage in patients with solid tumors is 90–120 mg/m2 intravenously every 3–4 weeks. Despite the initial encouraging reports from experimental models, m‐AMSA has shown no real impact in the treatment of patients with a wide variety of solid tumors. In relapsed acute nonlymphocytic leukemia, 20–30% of patients will achieve complete remission. An increased remission rate is obtained when m‐AMSA is combined with other agents, especially with high‐dose cytosine arabinoside, with a complete remission rate of 50–60% in relapsed patients. Currently, several phase III trials are evaluating m‐AMSA combinations against daunorubicin‐containing regimens in patients with previously untreated acute leukemia. The potential role of these regimens in this disease remains to be defined.
Single-Parameter Early Warning Criteria to Predict Life-Threatening Adverse Events

Objectives: Early warning criteria ("criteria"), used to activate rapid response system (RRS) teams, may improve patient outcomes by predicting life-threatening adverse events-urgent intensive care unit (ICU) transfers and cardiac arrests. Methods: We conducted a case-control study on medicine patients in an academic medical center from May 2005 to June 2006. Controls were matched to RRS activation patients by admission date and unit. Rapid response system activation patients were then excluded from analysis. Chart reviews identified positive criteria on non-RRS patients. For controls, physiologic data were collected from admission until the day of matched RRS activations. Data were collected in patients with adverse events for the 8 hours preceding events. Results: A total of 262 patients (2.8%) had 271 adverse events including 245 ICU transfers and 26 arrests. Positive criteria were found during 21.1% of control admissions (68/323). Positive criteria preceded 60.8% of the ICU transfers (158/260; 95% confidence interval, 54.8%-66.7%). However, 76.9% of patients with an arrest did not have previous positive criteria (20/26; 95% confidence interval, 60.7%-93.1%). Intensive care unit transfers with positive criteria were more likely to die than patients without criteria (35.4% versus 20.6%; odds ratio [OR], 2.1). Positive criteria most strongly associated with life-threatening adverse events were tachypnea (OR, 31.1) and 100% supplemental oxygen (OR, 13.7). Conclusions: The early warning conditions used to activate RRS teams were only fair predictors of acute deterioration, although early signs of respiratory failure during routine monitoring were strongly associated with future life-threatening adverse events. Improved respiratory monitoring may improve outcomes from RRS interventions.
Paradoxical effect of phentolamine on aqueous flow in the rabbit.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to assess the effects of acute systemic, nonselective alpha-adrenergic blockade on aqueous flow. METHODS This study used pentobarbital-anesthetized rabbits (n=7), in which the following parameters were measured: mean arterial pressure, carotid blood flow, heart rate, intraocular pressure (IOP), orbital venous pressure (OVP), ciliary blood flow, and aqueous flow (AqFlow). Measurements were made before and after an intravenous administration of phentolamine (0.1 mg/kg). RESULTS Phentolamine caused significant decreases in IOP -23%+/-2%; P<0.01), OVP (-28%+/-12%; P<0.05), and AqFlow (-33%+/-6%; P<0.01). The other parameters were not significantly altered. The rapidity of the OVP and IOP responses were noteworthy, being essentially complete 60 s after the phentolamine injection. CONCLUSIONS A subpressor dose of phentolamine has complex effects on ocular hydrodynamics. The initial IOP decrease is too fast to be explained by aqueous dynamics or ocular rigidity, and so is most likely a result of the disgorgement of choroidal blood volume caused by decreased venous pressure outside the eye. The more prolonged ocular hypotensive effect is explained by the decrease in AqFlow, and perhaps a decrease in episcleral venous pressure or increase in uveoscleral outflow. However, the inhibition of aqueous production is odd, as lost prejunctional inhibition of norepinephrine release and unopposed beta-receptor activation should have increased aqueous production.
Transient Neurologic Symptoms after Spinal Anesthesia: An Epidemiologic Study of 1,863 Patients

Background Recent evidence suggests that transient neurologic symptoms commonly follow lidocaine spinal anesthesia. However, information concerning factors that affect their occurrence is limited. Accordingly, to evaluate many potential risk factors, the authors undertook a prospective, multicenter, epidemiologic study. Methods On a voluntary basis, anesthetists at 15 participating centers forwarded a data sheet on patients who had spinal anesthesia to a research nurse blinded to the details of anesthesia and surgery. A subset was randomly selected for follow-up. The pressure of transient neurologic symptoms, defined as leg or buttock pain, was the principal outcome variable. Logistic regression was used to control for potential confounders, and adjusted odds ratios and confidence intervals were used to estimate relative risk. Results During a 14-month period, 1,863 patients were studied, of whom 47% received lidocaine, 40% bupivacaine, and 13% tetracaine. Patients given lidocaine were at higher risk for symptoms compared with those receiving bupivacaine (relative risk, 5.1; 95% CI, 2.5 to 10.2) or tetracaine (relative risk, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.04 to 9.84). For patients who received lidocaine, the relative risk of transient neurologic symptoms was 2.6 (95% CI, 1.5 to 4.5) with the lithotomy position compared with other positions, 3.6 (95% CI, 1.9 to 6.8), for outpatients compared with inpatients, and 1.6 (95% CI, 1 to 2.5) for obese (body mass index >30) compared with nonobese patients. Conclusions These results indicate that transient neurologic symptoms commonly follow lidocaine spinal anesthesia but are relatively uncommon with bupivacaine or tetracaine. The data identify lithotomy position and outpatient status as important risk factors in patients who receive lidocaine. Among other factors postulated to increase risk, obesity had an effect of borderline statistical significance, whereas age, sex, history of back pain, needle type, and lidocaine dose and concentration failed to affect risk.
Effect of suramin on the mitogenic response of the human prostate carcinoma cell line PC‐3

Background. Suramin is an anthelmintic drug that recently has been shown to have clinical efficacy in the treatment of patients with some advanced malignancies, including prostate carcinoma. The current study was done to assess the effect of suramin at clinically relevant doses on the growth in culture of a human prostatic carcinoma cell line, PC‐3.
Viral tRNAs and tRNA‐like structures

Viruses commonly exploit or modify some aspect of tRNA biology. Large DNA viruses, especially bacteriophages, phycodnaviruses, and mimiviruses, produce their own tRNAs, apparently to adjust translational capacity during infection. Retroviruses recruit specific host tRNAs for use in priming the reverse transcription of their genome. Certain positive‐strand RNA plant viral genomes possess 3′‐tRNA‐like structures (TLSs) that are built quite differently from authentic tRNAs, and yet efficiently recapitulate several properties of tRNAs. The structures and roles of these TLSs are discussed, emphasizing the variety in both structure and function. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sagittal Thoracic Decompensation Following Long Adult Lumbar Spinal Instrumentation and Fusion to L5 or S1: Causes, Prevalence, and Risk Factor Analysis

Study Design. Retrospective study. Objective. To analyze the causes, prevalence of, and risk factors for sagittal thoracic decompensation in adult lumbar spinal instrumentation and fusion (from distal thoracic or upper lumbar spine) to L5 or S1. Summary of Background Data. To our knowledge, no studies on sagittal thoracic decompensation following long adult lumbar spinal instrumentation and fusion (from distal thoracic or upper lumbar spine) to L5 or S1 have been published. Methods. A clinical and radiographic assessment of 99 patients with adult lumbar spinal deformity (average age 56.7 years) who underwent long (≥4 vertebrae; range 4–10/average 6.7) spinal instrumentation and fusion (from lower thoracic or upper lumbar spine to L5 or S1) at a single institution between 1985 and 2003 with a minimum 2-year follow-up (average 4.5 years) was performed. We defined sagittal thoracic decompensation as a progressive kyphotic deformity of the thoracic spine without pseudarthrosis after a long lumbar fusion, which subsequently resulted in a C7 plumb relative to the posterior aspect of the L5–S1 disc ≥8 cm. Results. The prevalence of sagittal thoracic decompensation after long adult lumbar spinal instrumentation and fusion (from distal thoracic or upper lumbar spine) to L5 or S1 was 23% (23/99 cases). The etiologies were 14 acute sharp angular kyphoses and 9 long sweeping kyphoses above the instrumented fusion. Of the 14 sharp angular kyphoses, 10 occurred from severe disc degeneration and 4 were caused by compression fractures at the uppermost instrumented vertebra. Conclusion. Risk factors for sagittal thoracic decompensation developing were sagittal imbalance at 8 weeks postoperatively (≥5 cm), smaller lumbar lordosis compared with thoracic kyphosis (<10°) at 8 weeks postoperatively, preoperative sagittal imbalance (≥5 cm), age at surgery (older than 55 years), and associated comorbidities. Sagittal thoracic decompensation adversely affected Scoliosis Research Society 24 outcomes scores.
Characterization of moral disconnection mechanisms used by students attending an official Educational Institution of the Department of Sucre- Colombia

This study aims at characterizing moral disengagement (DM) mechanisms used by a group of students attending an official school of the Department of Sucre - Colombia. The questionnaire MD was applied to measure the moral disengagement (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara & Pastorelli, 1996). The sample consisted of 192 students (boys and girls) of 5th and 9th grades of basic education. Results show that the mechanisms MD most used to justify aggressionand violence acts are: transfer of the responsibility, diffusion of the responsibility, distortion of the consequences and criminalization of the victim. The use of these mechanisms is more frequent in the range of 10-12 years old, and boys and girls use equally the mechanisms of distortion of the consequences and the diffusion of the responsibility. The results will allow to propose pertinent plans of intervention to the reality of the educational contexts of the region.
TLR9‐dependent systemic interferon‐β production by intravenous injection of plasmid DNA/cationic liposome complex in mice

The type I interferon (IFN) response to DNA/cationic liposome complex, or lipoplex, has been reported in cultured cells, but little is known about the response in vivo. Studies of the pro‐inflammatory cytokine response to lipoplex have shown the importance of the unmethylated CpG dinucleotide (CpG motif) and its receptor, Toll‐like receptor (TLR)‐9.
InflammationVitamin D and the Regulation of Placental

The vitamin D-activating enzyme 1 a -hydroxylase (CYP27B1) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) support anti-inﬂammatory responses to vitamin D in many tissues. Given the high basal expression of CYP27B1 and VDR in trophoblastic cells from the placenta, we hypothesized that anti-inﬂammatory effects of vitamin D may be particularly important in this organ. Pregnant wild type (WT) mice i.p. injected with LPS showed elevated expression of mouse Cyp27b1 (4-fold) and VDR (6-fold). Similar results were also obtained after ex vivo treatment of WT placentas with LPS. To assess the functional impact of this, we carried out ex vivo studies using placentas 2 / 2 for fetal (trophoblastic) Cyp27b1 or VDR. Vehicle-treated 2 / 2 placentas showed increased expression of IFN- g and decreased expression of IL-10 relative to +/+ placentas. LPS-treated 2 / 2 placentas showed increased expression of TLR2, IFN- g , and IL-6. Array analyses identiﬁed other inﬂammatory factors that are dysregulated in Cyp27b1 2 / 2 versus Cyp27b1 +/+ placentas after LPS challenge. Data highlighted enhanced expression of IL-4, IL-15, and IL-18, as well as several chemokines and their receptors, in Cyp27b1 2 / 2 placentas. Similar results for IL-6 expression were observed with placentas 2 / 2 for trophoblastic VDR. Finally, ex vivo treatment of WT placentas with the substrate for Cyp27b1, 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 , suppressed LPS-induced expression of IL-6 and the chemokine Ccl11. to outcomes of Journal Immunology 186: 000–000.
General Insurance Deductible Ratemaking

Insurance claims have deductibles, which must be considered when pricing for insurance premium. The deductible may cause censoring and truncation to the insurance claims. However, modeling the unobserved response variable using maximum likelihood in this setting may be a challenge in practice. For this reason, a practitioner may perform a regression using the observed response, in order to calculate the deductible rates using the regression coefficients. A natural question is how well this approach performs, and how it compares to the theoretically correct approach to rating the deductibles. Also, a practitioner would be interested in a systematic review of the approaches to modeling the deductible rates. In this article, an overview of deductible ratemaking is provided, and the pros and cons of two deductible ratemaking approaches are compared: the regression approach and the maximum likelihood approach. The regression approach turns out to have an advantage in predicting aggregate claims, whereas the maximum likelihood approach has an advantage when calculating theoretically correct relativities for deductible levels beyond those observed by empirical data. For demonstration, loss models are fit to the Wisconsin Local Government Property Insurance Fund data, and examples are provided for the ratemaking of per-loss deductibles offered by the fund. The article discovers that the regression approach is actually a single-parameter approximation to the true relativity curve. A comparison of selected models from the generalized beta family discovers that the usage of long-tail severity distributions may improve the deductible rating, while advanced frequency models such as 01-inflated models may have limited advantages due to estimation issues under censoring and truncation. In addition, in this article, models for specific peril types are combined to improve the ratemaking.
Fast calibration of two‐factor models for energy option pricing

Deregulation of energy markets in the 90s boosted the interest in energy derivatives. Over the last two decades, more and more complex financial instruments were developed. Pricing exotic derivatives often involves Monte Carlo simulations, which rely on stochastic processes to model the underlyings: it is thus critical to choose appropriate models and precisely calibrate them, so that they reflect the market scenario. Several models have been proposed in the literature, from the simple geometric Brownian motion to more complex mean-reverting, multi-factor models. To enable their calibration against listed vanilla options, it is required to compute the variance of their states. This paper presents a simple and general method to compute the covariance matrix of the state though a matrix Lyapunov differential equation, and discusses its numerical and analytical solutions. The availability of an analytical solution paves the way to an efficient market calibration of model parameters. As case studies, EEX German electricity and TTF Dutch gas markets were considered. Two different single-factor models and a two-factor one were calibrated against market prices: out-of-sample validation showed that a two-factor model outperforms the other two approaches.
Does Working Help or Hurt College Students? The Effects of Federal Work-Study Participation on Student Outcomes. A CAPSEE Working Paper.

Due to rising costs and declining affordability, many students have to work while attending college. The federal government takes a major role in subsidizing the wages of college students and spent over $1 billion on the Work-Study program in 2010–11 (College Board, 2011), yet little is known about how working during the school year impacts college student outcomes. Few studies have explored the causal effect of the Federal Work-Study program, and the previous studies provide an incomplete picture. In contrast to these earlier studies, our paper focuses on a large sample of over 45,000 students in the Ohio public higher education system, which is the fifth largest public system in the United States and reflects the national mixture of selective and nonselective four-year institutions. We estimate the causal effects of participating in the Federal Work-Study program on a range of college students’ academic outcomes, including college GPA, credits earned, and persistence. Our empirical strategy employs a differences-in-differences instrumental variables model, which exploits the variation in allocation of federal work-study funds across institutions and across students. We find that working on-campus has a small, negative, but statistically significant effect on students’ firstyear GPAs. However, we also find some evidence that participating in the Federal Work-Study program increases the number of credits that students accumulate by the end of their first year. These results suggest that working in an on-campus, work-study job may have small negative effects that are outweighed by potential benefits.
An industry test for ethnic discrimination in major league soccer

ABSTRACT This paper tests for salary discrimination based on player ethnicity in Major League Soccer (MLS) by making innovative use of player movements in a unique setting. The discriminating team investigated is Club Deportivo Chivas USA, which had a preference for employing Hispanic players. Evidence of discrimination is found by analyzing how other teams valued the former players of Chivas USA differently across ethnicity after the team was disbanded by the league. The nature of MLS player contracts and drafting rules allow for a simple and unique test for salary discrimination that has not previously been possible to implement.
The advent of genome-wide association studies for bacteria

Highlights • The advent of the genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach provides a promising framework for dissecting the genetic basis of bacterial or archaeal phenotypes. • Bacterial genomes tend to be shaped by stronger positive selection, stronger linkage disequilibrium and stronger population stratification than humans, with implications for GWAS power and resolution. • An example GWAS in Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomes highlights the potentially confounding effects of linkage disequilibrium and population stratification. • A comparison of the traditional GWAS approach versus a somewhat orthogonal method based upon evolutionary convergence (phyC) shows strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. Abstract Significant advances in sequencing technologies and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed substantial insight into the genetic architecture of human phenotypes. In recent years, the application of this approach in bacteria has begun to reveal the genetic basis of bacterial host preference, antibiotic resistance, and virulence. Here, we consider relevant differences between bacterial and human genome dynamics, apply GWAS to a global sample of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomes to highlight the impacts of linkage disequilibrium, population stratification, and natural selection, and finally compare the traditional GWAS against phyC, a contrasting method of mapping genotype to phenotype based upon evolutionary convergence. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of both methods, and make suggestions for factors to be considered in future bacterial GWAS.
Czech Foreign Wine Trade – Comparative Advantages Distribution in Relation to the European Union

The Czech agrarian foreign trade recorded significant changes since the Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004. This fact influenced also domestic and foreign wine trade of the Czech Republic. This article identifies the main changes in the product structure, and it specifies the level of Czech wine export comparative advantages distribution in relation to European Union member states. The analysis takes into account not only the trade value (in USD) but also the trade volume (in tonnes) of particular commodities. Commodity structure (HS system is applied at a six-digit level for the more detailed analyses of trade) is analysed especially in relation to the unit price value and in relation to the comparative advantages or disadvantages distribution. The main analysis of the comparative advantages distribution is based on Balassa index, Lafay index and the trade balance index. The results obtained from the individual analysis are presented by the modified “product mapping method”. The territorial structure of the Czech agrarian trade is heavily focused on the trade with the European Union member states. The Czech Republic has comparative advantages in wine trade with the European Union in the following sub-aggregations: Wine of fresh grapes to 2 litres (HS 220421) and Grape must (HS 220430). Main destinations for Czech wine export are following: Slovakia, Poland and Germany.