Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantification of Cells with Specific Phenotypes I: Determination of CD4+ Cell Count Per Microliter in Reconstituted Lyophilized Human PBMC Prelabeled with Anti-CD4 FITC Antibody

A surface‐labeled lyophilized lymphocyte (sLL) preparation has been developed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells prelabeled with a fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated anti‐CD4 monoclonal antibody. The sLL preparation is intended to be used as a reference material for CD4+ cell counting including the development of higher order reference measurement procedures and has been evaluated in the pilot study CCQM‐P102. This study was conducted across 16 laboratories from eight countries to assess the ability of participants to quantify the CD4+ cell count of this reference material and to document cross‐laboratory variability plus associated measurement uncertainties. Twelve different flow cytometer platforms were evaluated using a standard protocol that included calibration beads used to obtain quantitative measurements of CD4+ T cell counts. There was good overall cross‐platform and counting method agreement with a grand mean of the laboratory calculated means of (301.7 ± 4.9) μL−1 CD4+ cells. Excluding outliers, greater than 90% of participant data agreed within ±15%. A major contribution to variation of sLL CD4+ cell counts was tube to tube variation of the calibration beads, amounting to an uncertainty of 3.6%. Variation due to preparative steps equated to an uncertainty of 2.6%. There was no reduction in variability when data files were centrally reanalyzed. Remaining variation was attributed to instrument specific differences. CD4+ cell counts obtained in CCQM‐P102 are in excellent agreement and show the robustness of both the measurements and the data analysis and hence the suitability of sLL as a reference material for interlaboratory comparisons and external quality assessment. © 2015 The Authors. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of Tyrosol and Farnesol on Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance of Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Mixed-species biofilms could create a protected environment that allows for survival to external antimicrobials and allows different bacterial-fungal interactions. Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Candida albicans coexistence is an example for such mixed-species community. Numerous reports demonstrated how P. aeruginosa or its metabolites could influence the growth, morphogenesis, and virulence of C. albicans. In this study, we investigated how the C. albicans quorum sensing compounds, tyrosol and farnesol, might affect Egyptian clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa regarding growth, antibiotic sensitivity, and virulence. We could demonstrate that tyrosol possesses an antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa (10 µM inhibited more than 50% of growth after 16 h cultivation). Moreover, we could show for the first time that tyrosol strongly inhibits the production of the virulence factors hemolysin and protease in P. aeruginosa, whereas farnesol inhibits, to lower extent, hemolysin production in this bacterial pathogen. Cumulatively, tyrosol is expected to strongly affect P. aeruginosa in mixed microbial biofilm.
An energy-efficient MAC protocol with Adaptive Scheduling for wireless sensor networks

Medium access control (MAC) protocols play a crucial role in energy-efficiency, latency reduction for sensor networks. Many research efforts have been made to reduce energy consumption and shorten delay in multi-hop WSNs. Although some existing MAC protocols are energy-efficient and are able to mitigate the end-to-end delivery latency, there are great potential for further improvements. In this paper, we propose a new MAC protocol by introducing a new Adaptive Scheduling (AS) period within which the node's active duration is made adaptive to variable traffic load and able to resiliently schedule data packets for transmission in the Sleep period. The algorithm is designated to schedule more data packets for transmission in bursty and high traffic loads, thus enabling rapid dissemination of data and reduction of the end-to-end delivery latency. While in the light traffic loads, nodes enters the Sleep mode, mitigating idle listening and saving energy. Experiment results show that the proposed protocol is a great advancement of some existing protocols on performance, especially with heavy traffic loads.
Scheduling, routing and power allocation for fairness in wireless networks

We consider the problem of finding the jointly optimal end-to-end communication rates, routing, power allocation and transmission scheduling for wireless networks. We focus on throughput and fairness between end-to-end rates and formulate the associated cross-layer design problem as a nonlinear mathematical program. We develop a specialized solution method, based on a nonlinear column generation technique, that applies to a wide range of media access schemes and converges to the optimal solution in a finite number of steps. The approach is applied to a large set of sample networks and the influence of power control, spatial reuse, routing strategies and variable transmission rates on network performance is discussed.
Elevated In Vivo Levels of a Single Transcription Factor Directly Convert Satellite Glia into Oligodendrocyte-like Cells

Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating glia of the central nervous system and ensure rapid saltatory conduction. Shortage or loss of these cells leads to severe malfunctions as observed in human leukodystrophies and multiple sclerosis, and their replenishment by reprogramming or cell conversion strategies is an important research aim. Using a transgenic approach we increased levels of the transcription factor Sox10 throughout the mouse embryo and thereby prompted Fabp7-positive glial cells in dorsal root ganglia of the peripheral nervous system to convert into cells with oligodendrocyte characteristics including myelin gene expression. These rarely studied and poorly characterized satellite glia did not go through a classic oligodendrocyte precursor cell stage. Instead, Sox10 directly induced key elements of the regulatory network of differentiating oligodendrocytes, including Olig2, Olig1, Nkx2.2 and Myrf. An upstream enhancer mediated the direct induction of the Olig2 gene. Unlike Sox10, Olig2 was not capable of generating oligodendrocyte-like cells in dorsal root ganglia. Our findings provide proof-of-concept that Sox10 can convert conducive cells into oligodendrocyte-like cells in vivo and delineates options for future therapeutic strategies.
A short proof of the Denjoy conjecture

1. In a recent letter Harold Shapiro has communicated to one of the authors his version of a nice (unpublished) proof of Matts Essen in which ideas from Heins' [2] version of the Denjoy-Carleman-Ahlfors theorem are applied to investigating the growth of certain univalent functions. It is the aim of the authors to show here that the direction may be reversed in a surprising way, giving a simple and natural proof of the Denjoy conjecture based on ideas from the theory of univalent functions. We wish to thank Harold Shapiro and Matts Essen for the inspiring communication. Our proof of the D-C-A Theorem is based on a simple distortion theorem of a new type for univalent functions. This distortion theorem is interesting for its own right and has various extensions and applications, which we plan to publish at a later stage. Our distortion theorem may be proved either by path families methods or by inequalities for the logarithmic capacity. Although the former method gives sharper results and is also suitable for generalization to higher dimensions, we prefer the latter approach, because it is shorter and adequate for the proof of the
Sequential Voting Promotes Collective Discovery in Social Recommendation Systems

One goal of online social recommendation systems is to harness the wisdom of crowds in order to identify high quality content. Yet the sequential voting mechanisms that are commonly used by these systems are at odds with existing theoretical and empirical literature on optimal aggregation. This literature suggests that sequential voting will promote herding---the tendency for individuals to copy the decisions of others around them---and hence lead to suboptimal content recommendation. Is there a problem with our practice, or a problem with our theory? Previous attempts at answering this question have been limited by a lack of objective measurements of content quality. Quality is typically defined endogenously as the popularity of content in absence of social influence. The flaw of this metric is its presupposition that the preferences of the crowd are aligned with underlying quality. Domains in which content quality can be defined exogenously and measured objectively are thus needed in order to better assess the design choices of social recommendation systems. In this work, we look to the domain of education, where content quality can be measured via how well students are able to learn from the material presented to them. Through a behavioral experiment involving a simulated massive open online course (MOOC) run on Amazon Mechanical Turk, we show that sequential voting systems can surface better content than systems that elicit independent votes.
Choosing the right kindergarten: Parents’ reasoning about their ECEC choices in the context of the diversification of ECEC programs

Abstract The sphere of early childhood education care (ECEC) in the Czech Republic has diversified enormously in the last decade. The article describes this diversification process and, drawing on focus group data, analyses parents’ choices within this diversified realm. Based on the parents’ selection criteria (significantly influenced by constraints and opportunities relating to social background or family status), it identifies four parental groups: pedagogical approach-centered, child-centered, facility-centered and (constrained) non-selective. The issues of ECEC diversification and parental choice are then discussed in light of Annette Lareau’s classed cultural logics of child rearing and the potential implications for the reproduction and reinforcement of social inequalities.
Issues of Research Design and Construct Measurement in Entrepreneurship Research: The past Decade

Articles appearing in the mainstream entrepreneurship literature in the past decade are reviewed with respect to the methodologies employed. Journals reviewed include Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Business Venturing, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, Management Science, and Administrative Science Quarterly. Articles were systematically analyzed. Results indicate trends toward more multivariate statistics and some increase in the emphasis on reliability and validity over the past decade. The authors call for greater emphasis on multiple source data sets, increased emphasis on reliability and validity issues, the development of more sophisticated theoretical models and subsequent analysis, and more longitudinal research.
Neutralizing Cognitive Bias: An Invitation to Prosecutors

With the number of criminal defendants exonerated by DNA evidence nearing the two hundred mark, and with multiple states flirting with death penalty moratoriums in part to avoid killing the innocent, we appear to stand at a milestone in our treatment of claims by criminal defendants that they have been wrongly convicted. Some have declared the dawn of a new movement to support claims of innocence. Others have gone so far to call the movement a revolution. Regardless of what we call this burgeoning movement-slash-revolution, it is increasingly attempting to fold in the prosecutors who have traditionally been depicted as part of the wrongful conviction problem, rather than its solution. Traditionally, prosecutorial decision making has been studied through a lens of fault, blame, and intentional wrongdoing. Consistent with this lens, those who have studied the downsides of broad prosecutorial discretion have blamed bad prosecutorial decisions on overzealousness, flawed cultural and individual values, and a lack of moral courage. The collective impact of this fault-based narrative is the depiction of prosecutors as dogmatic adversaries of innocence, wholly abandoning their ethical obligations as neutral advocates of justice. In contrast, much of the narrative recently emerging from the growing innocence movement appears focused on persuading prosecutors of their importance in this new movement, not as adversaries, but as equal partners in the prevention of wrongful convictions. My goal in this Essay is to suggest that reforms framed around a cognitive understanding of prosecutorial decision making present an opportunity for prosecutors themselves to counter the traditional fault-based narrative and to become partners in the emerging movement to prevent wrongful convictions. That goal turns out to be both modest and audacious. My goal is modest because, while some reform proposals are sweeping, controversial, and either impractical or cumbersome to initiate, the focus of this Essay will be on more moderate proposals that should be relatively uncontroversial and whose implementation rests entirely within the province of prosecutors, either as individual practices or as institutional policies. However, by focusing on modest, prosecutor-initiated reforms, the Essay flirts with the bold by throwing down a challenge to prosecutors actually to pursue these strategies. If prosecutors hold the key to moderate but meaningful reform and yet do nothing, I suggest, the innocence movement will inevitably - and justifiably - retreat from a model of cooperation and return entirely to fault-based explanations for wrongful convictions and their accompanying reforms.
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Treatment Delays Cellular Aging in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells while Maintaining Their Multipotent Capacity

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3) was reported to induce premature organismal aging in fibroblast growth factor-23 (Fgf23) and klotho deficient mice, which is of main interest as 1,25D3 supplementation of its precursor cholecalciferol is used in basic osteoporosis treatment. We wanted to know if 1,25D3 is able to modulate aging processes on a cellular level in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). Effects of 100 nM 1,25D3 on hMSC were analyzed by cell proliferation and apoptosis assay, β-galactosidase staining, VDR and surface marker immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR of 1,25D3-responsive, quiescence- and replicative senescence-associated genes. 1,25D3 treatment significantly inhibited hMSC proliferation and apoptosis after 72 h and delayed the development of replicative senescence in long-term cultures according to β-galactosidase staining and P16 expression. Cell morphology changed from a fibroblast like appearance to broad and rounded shapes. Long term treatment did not induce lineage commitment in terms of osteogenic pathways but maintained their clonogenic capacity, their surface marker characteristics (expression of CD73, CD90, CD105) and their multipotency to develop towards the chondrogenic, adipogenic and osteogenic pathways. In conclusion, 1,25D3 delays replicative senescence in primary hMSC while the pro-aging effects seen in mouse models might mainly be due to elevated systemic phosphate levels, which propagate organismal aging.
Being Efficiently Fickle: A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Choice

A central proposition in organization theory is that discrete organizational forms are matched to environmental conditions, market strategies, or exchange conditions. This paper develops a contrary theoretical proposition. We argue that efficiency may dictate modulating between discrete governance modes (i.e., structural modulation) in response to a stable set of exchange conditions. If governance choices are discrete, as much of organization theory argues, then the consequent steady-state functionality delivered by these organizational forms is itself discrete. However, if the desired functionality lies in-between the steady-state functionality delivered by two discrete choices, then efficiency gains may be available by modulating between modes. We develop an analytical model of structural modulation and examine factors that influence when modulation is ef- ficiency enhancing, as well as the optimal rate of modulation. We conclude that under certain conditions structural modulation is efficiency enhancing. Further, contrary to theories that highlight the potentially destructive consequences of inertia on organizational survival, we identify important efficiencyyielding benefits of inertia.
The Relationship between Stress and Counterproductive Work Behavior: Attachment Orientation as a Moderate

The dissertation is based on the stressor-emotion model, and creatively adopting attachment orientation as a moderator. This paper analyzes the sample data by issuing 400 questionnaires and then using SPSS22.0. The results show that work stress can positively predict the Counterproductive Work Behavior of employees. Attachment avoidance can moderate the relationship between work stress and CWB, and attachment anxiety has significant effect on the relationship between work stress and CWB. Research shows that the pressure in the workplace can not only cause employees’ Counterproductive Work Behavior, but also cause negative affectivity of employees, which further leads to Counterproductive Work Behavior of employees, while attachment avoidance can effectively regulate the positive pressure of work stress. Therefore, to some extent, the possibility of anti-production behavior can be reduced.
The influence of boot stiffness on gait kinematics and kinetics during stance phase

In the study, the influence of different boot prototype stiffness on gait kinematics and kinetics was investigated. The boot stiffness was determined by force-deformation measurement while pressing the foot model inserted into the boot by a custom-made robot. Gait analysis was carried out in nine neurologically intact subjects during walking while wearing two different boots with and without carrying a backpack, and differences were statistically tested using ANOVA. The results indicated distinctions in the boot shaft and vamp stiffness. The boot with a softer boot shaft enabled a wider range of motion in the ankle joint leading to more power generation in the ankle joint during the push-off, increased step length and gait velocity. The backpack mostly influenced the pelvis and trunk kinematics. The study has demonstrated the influence of boot shaft stiffness on biomechanical gait parameters and its importance for push-off that manufacturers should take into consideration when optimizing the footwear performance.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Sleep Disordered Breathing in Fabry disease

AbstractExcessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a frequently reported and not well-understood symptom in patients with Fabry disease (FD). Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a possible factor. As deposition of glycosphingolipids in the upper airway muscles is likely, we hypothesized that obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is highly prevalent in FD and positively associated with its severity.All patients with FD who are followed in the Fabry cohort of the University Hospital Zurich (n = 62) were asked to participate in this prospective cohort study. Eligible patients were prospectively investigated by assessing their daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the severity of FD using the Mainz Severity Score Index (MSSI), and by an ambulatory overnight respiratory polygraphy between November 1, 2013, and January 31, 2015. SDB was defined as an apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) of > 5/h.Fifty-two patients (mean ± SD age 42.8 ± 14.7 years, 33% men, mean ± SD BMI 23.4 ± 3.6 kg/m2) with a median (IQR) MSSI of 12 (5–19) were included. Median (IQR) ESS was 6 (2–10) and 7 patients (14%) had an ESS > 10. Thirteen patients (25%) had SDB (78% obstructive sleep apnea, 22% central sleep apnea). In the multivariable analysis, the age was the only statistically significant predictor of SDB (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04–1.18, P = 0.001). ESS was associated with depression (P < 0.001) but not AHI nor age.This study shows that SDB, especially obstructive sleep apnea is highly prevalent in patients with Fabry disease. However, EDS in FD seems to be related with depression rather than SDB.ClinicalTrials. gov (identifier: NCT01947634).
Identifying power line harmonic radiation from an electrical network

Abstract. It has been suggested that the space environment is being polluted by power line harmonic radiation (PLHR), generated from harmonics of the electrical power transmission frequency (50 or 60 Hz) and radiated into the ionosphere and magnetosphere by long power lines. While some in-situ satellite measurements of PLHR have been reported, it has proved difficult to confirm the source and overall significance. The electricity network of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, is tiny compared to the many large industrial zones found outside New Zealand. However, the 1050Hz ripple control signal injected into the local electrical grid at regular intervals as a load-control mechanism provides an opportunity for identifying PLHR strengths radiated from a spatially well defined electrical network. In-situ observations by satellites should allow a greater understanding of PLHR and its significance as man-made pollution to near-Earth space. Calculations have been undertaken to estimate the strength of the radiation fields expected from the ripple control signal which is injected into the Dunedin city electrical network. We find that ground-based measurements will not be sensitive enough for detection of the ripple control radiation fields, even during the quietest winter night. While significant power penetrates the lower ionosphere, this is well below the reported threshold required for nonlinear triggering in the Van Allen radiation belts. Some radiated fields at satellite altitudes should be detectable, allowing in-situ measurements. At the altitude of the DEMETER mission, the radiated electric fields will not be detectable under any ionospheric conditions. However, we find that the radiated magnetic fields may be detectable by the DEMETER satellite at certain times, although this will be very difficult. Nonetheless, there is the possibility for future experimental campaigns. Keywords. Magnetospheric physics (Magnetosphereionosphere interactions; Plasma waves and instabilities) – Ionosphere (Active experiments)
Computing fixed closures in free groups

Let F be a finitely generated free group. We present an algorithm such that, given a subgroup H ≤ F , decides whether H is the fixed subgroup of some family of automorphisms, or family of endomorphisms of F and, in the affirmative case, finds such a family. The algorithm combines both combinatorial and geometric methods.