154 research outputs found
The GATT and the Uruguay Round: An Exercise in Real Politik
No full textThe author explores the present status of the Uruguay Round. Banerji then reviews the discussions in the 15 major areas, all of which may not be of immediate interest to India. The author then moves on to analyse the progress in discussions in areas that are of interest to India. These are tariffs, non-tariff measures, GATT article, safeguards, functioning of the CATT system, MTN agreements and arrangements, subsidies, countervailing measures and dispute settlement. The author ends by outlining some polemical issues, viz., textiles and clothing, agriculture, TRIPS and TRIMS and services. The author endorses the multitiered flexible approach to the final deal as proposed by Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati. (Editor’s abstract.
The GATT and the Uruguay Round: An Exercise in Real Politik
No full textThe author explores the present status of the Uruguay Round. Banerji then reviews the discussions in the 15 major areas, all of which may not be of immediate interest to India. The author then moves on to analyse the progress in discussions in areas that are of interest to India. These are tariffs, non-tariff measures, GATT article, safeguards, functioning of the CATT system, MTN agreements and arrangements, subsidies, countervailing measures and dispute settlement. The author ends by outlining some polemical issues, viz., textiles and clothing, agriculture, TRIPS and TRIMS and services. The author endorses the multitiered flexible approach to the final deal as proposed by Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati. (Editor’s abstract.
Using next generation sequencing to detect clinically relevant oncogene mutations in lung cancer
No full textIntroduction: Modern care of patients with lung cancer requires rapid and accurate diagnosis leading to personalized therapies for individual patients based on molecular characteristics of their tumour. Detecting mutations that predict response to drug quickly and accurately is an essential part of this process. Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies provide an alternative approach for detecting mutated oncogenes in cancer. We hypothesize that NGS is equal if not superior to standard methods for identifying targetable mutations in the EGFR and ALK genes in lung cancer.
Methods: DNA and RNA from 38 formalin fixed paraffin embedded lung cancer samples (37 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and one small cell lung cancer (SCLC)) archived in Diagnostic Services Manitoba were collected and analyzed using gene enrichment methods from Archer Diagnostics followed by sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq NGS machine. Targeted DNA sequencing to detect the EGFR mutation was performed on 19 samples while targeted RNA sequencing was applied to 20 samples to identify the ALK gene rearrangement. The NGS results were compared with and confirmed by current clinical standard molecular tests for EGFR (real-time PCR) and ALK (immunohistochemistry and FISH).
Results: Three cases were positive for the EGFR mutation and two other samples harbored the EML4-ALK fusion genes as determined by NGS. The concordance between NGS and real-time PCR for EGFR mutation detection was 88.9%. Additionally, the NGS methodology also provided profiles of other genes commonly mutated in NSCLC including KRAS and TP53. The consistency for ALK fusion testing was 100% between NGS and FISH.
Conclusion: This study provides support that NGS is a promising diagnostic tool for mutation detection in NSCLC and holds strong potential for an alternative approach to identifying clinically relevant targets such as EGFR and ALK. Furthermore, NGS provides more information on cancer driven gene mutations than other traditional methods.October 201
Galaxy Zoo:reproducing galaxy morphologies via machine learning
No full textWe present morphological classifications obtained using machine learning for objects in SDSS DR6 that have been classified by Galaxy Zoo into three classes, namely early types, spirals and point sources/artifacts. An artificial neural network is trained on a subset of objects classified by the human eye and we test whether the machine learning algorithm can reproduce the human classifications for the rest of the sample. We find that the success of the neural network in matching the human classifications depends crucially on the set of input parameters chosen for the machine-learning algorithm. The colours and parameters associated with profile-fitting are reasonable in separating the objects into three classes. However, these results are considerably improved when adding adaptive shape parameters as well as concentration and texture. The adaptive moments, concentration and texture parameters alone cannot distinguish between early type galaxies and the point sources/artifacts. Using a set of twelve parameters, the neural network is able to reproduce the human classifications to better than 90% for all three morphological classes. We find that using a training set that is incomplete in magnitude does not degrade our results given our particular choice of the input parameters to the network. We conclude that it is promising to use machine- learning algorithms to perform morphological classification for the next generation of wide-field imaging surveys and that the Galaxy Zoo catalogue provides an invaluable training set for such purposes
Political regimes, trade, and labor policies in developing countries
No full textWhat, if any, is the link between labor market policies that benefit insiders - for example, regulations guaranteeing high minimum wages and strict job security - and political regimes. Is it true that in a democracy outsiders vote and impose limits on what insiders can achieve, whereas in a dictatorship the government need worry only about insiders who have real power? Or are democratic governments more likely to succumb to trade union pressure and use labor policies to give them special privileges? To test these competing hypotheses, the authors designed a two-sector political economy model that demonstrates that labor market distortions depend directly on the trade regime: the more open the trade regime, the fewer distortions in the labor market. They use cross-country regressions to test the relationship between political and civil liberties and trade and labor policies. Using data for 90 developing countries, they apply existing indices of openness and political freedom and two different constructed measures of labor market distortion. Their conclusions, based on the regression results: authoritarian systems that repress labor are more likely than democratic systems to adopt inefficient labor policies inimical to development.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Labor Policies,Health Economics&Finance,Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Economics&Finance,Banks&Banking Reform,Labor Standards,Economic Theory&Research
The role of gross and microscopic descriptions in pathology reports
No full textBackground: The implementation of mandatory synoptic templates in the final diagnosis section of pathology reports has been associated with increased uniformity and clarity though the content and format of other pathology report sections have yet to be examined. This study appears to be the first of its kind to examine the importance of gross and microscopic descriptions for pathologists and clinicians.
Methods: Survey invitations were forwarded to both pathologists and clinicians on their use and their perceived value of the gross and microscopic description sections. A retrospective review of pathology reports of the specimens most commonly submitted to pathology was then performed to determine the elements currently included in/ omitted from microscopic descriptions.
Results: Overall, the majority of pathologists indicated they at least usually read the gross descriptions of biopsies (73.59%) and excisional specimens (91.18%) but rarely felt that microscopic descriptions should be included for biopsies (81.25%) nor excisional specimens (78.13%). Pathologists also indicated they believed gross and microscopic descriptions were rarely read (72.73% and 57.58% respectively), understood (54.55% and 42.42% respectively), or utilized by clinicians. However, the majority of clinicians indicated that they always read pathology reports (94.94%) and at least usually read and understood the gross (79.66% and 85.80% respectively) and microscopic descriptions (91.23% and 87.06% respectively) and found these sections valuable. The pathology report review revealed that microscopic descriptions were included most frequently for renal (100%) and hepatic (45%) biopsies and dermatological excisions (53.85%) and consisted of histological descriptions and ancillary studies of the respective tissues. Other specimen types including pulmonary, and breast biopsies along with gynecological excisions included this information in the comments section.
Conclusion: In summary, pathologists are advised to be cognizant that clinicians read and find value in the gross and microscopic description sections. Furthermore, there appears to be a discordance between where elements are included in pathology reports depending on specimen type. For increased consistency and clarity, it is recommended that elements be included in designated sections across all specimen types.October 202
Important differences between topoisomerase-I and -II targeting agents
No full textCommentary to: Activation of ATM and Histone H2AX Phosphorylation Induced by Mitoxantrone But Not by Topotecan is Prevented by the Antioxidant N-acetyl-L-Cysteine Xuan Huang, Akira Kurose, Toshiki Tanaka, Frank Traganos, Wei Dai and Zbigniew Darzynkiewicz </p
The welfare effects of a large depreciation : the case of Egypt, 2000-05
No full textThe Egyptian pound depreciated sharply between 2000 and 2005, declining by 26 percent in nominal trade-weighted terms. The author investigates the effect of the large depreciation on household welfare operating through exchange rate-induced changes in consumer prices. He estimates exchange rate pass-through regressions using disaggregated monthly consumer price indices to isolate the impact of the exchange rate changes on consumer prices. Then he uses household-level data from the 2000 and 2005 Egyptian household surveys to quantify the welfare effects of these consumer price changes at the household level. The average welfare loss due to exchange rate-induced price increases was equivalent to 7.4 percent of initial expenditure. Stronger estimated exchange rate pass-through for food items imply that this effect disproportionately affected poorer households.Markets and Market Access,Access to Markets,Economic Theory&Research,Poverty Lines,Commodities
The qRT-PCR assay and the genomic/epigenomic properties of the 10-gene Yin Yang expression ratio signature in non-small cell lung cancer
No full textLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in North America with a 5-year survival rate less than 20%. The ability to understand which lung cancer patients will progress and predict treatment responses will improve its management. Previously, our lab has shown a 10-gene YMR signature (GRM1, RECQL4, NRAS, and IGFBP5 are over-expressed and HOXA5, TNNC1, SOSTDC1, CRIP2, CD83, and GATA2 are under-expressed in tumor cells) correlates with prognosis and treatment prediction for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To further develop our signature for clinical use, other factors that regulate gene expression, such as changes in genomic sequences (mutations or copy number) or epigenomic factors (methylation of DNA), need to be investigated. Multiple linear regression models demonstrated that the combination of DNA methylation and copy number variation (CNV) correlate with gene expression for RECQL4, NRAS, IGFBP5, HOXA5, TNNC1, SOSTDC1, and CRIP2. Next, we evaluated six gene expression assay systems (qRT-PCR, DNA microarray, NanoString nCounter, RNA-seq, FISH, and tissue microarray) in a literature review to obtain our signature; qRT-PCR was determined to be the most feasible in a clinical setting. To validate our signature using qRT-PCR, we used an A549 cell line and lung tumor FFPE test samples obtained from the Manitoba Tumor Bank. IGFBP5 had the lowest mRNA expression level compared to TNNC1, CRIP2, and GATA2 and CRIP2 had the highest mRNA expression level in the A549 cell line, contrary to our expected signature. However, the expression levels of these genes correlated with the signature in lung tumor FFPE samples. To further confirm these results, I assessed 37 and 29 NSCLC cell lines from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) databases, respectively, for the YMR signature. Only four cell lines (NCIH2066, NCIH810, NCIH292, and IA-LM) were similar to the expected signature expression pattern. These gene expression results indicate that cell lines may not be ideal for assessing the YMR signature. In the future, we will need to determine the 10-gene signature in NSCLC tumor samples in a prospective study of lung cancer patients using qRT-PCR to predict prognosis and treatment response.October 201
Dynamics and adaptive significance of the inducible trophic polymorphism of tetrahymena vorax
No full textThis dissertation provides a four-part synopsis of the methodology, results, and conclusions of an integrated set of experiments designed to explore the ecology of inducible trophic polymorphisms (ITPs). These experiments were conducted using isogenic populations of the polymorphic freshwater hymenostome ciliate, Tetrahymena vorax Kidder, in combination with other protozoa, bacteria, algae, and micro-invertebrates. Chapter 1 addresses the autecological significance of ITPs, revealing some of their potential costs and benefits to individuals in the context of competition under varying resource regimes. Chapter 2 demonstrates how ITPs can give rise to novel trait-mediated indirect interactions that affect community structure and population dynamics. Chapter 3 elucidates the extent to which the population dynamics of species exhibiting ITPs are affected by the trophic complexity of their habitat. Chapter 4 presents a detailed review of indirect offenses, a versatile adaptive strategy that ITPs can give rise to where inducing agents are symbionts. The contents of these chapters provide unique insights into the link between ITPs and related phenomena – such as cannibalism, intraguild predation, omnivory, and expanded diet breadth – and open new avenues of inquiry regarding the importance of the genetic and functional diversity of natural communities.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Aabir Banerj
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